seeking routing advice: Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, WV, DC, Philly, NYC
 

Here comes the third and final leg of my summer coast-to-coast trip. I'm getting back on the road this weekend after 2 weeks off the bike to spend time with family and some important people. :-)

Here's the gist of where I'm headed. These aren't the roads I'll be taking at all...this is just me linking up my "must do" points with google's "avoid highways" directions. The image here is just to give me (and you) an idea of where I'm passing through.

http://img.skitch.com/20080807-jnj4s...ba89gbscka.jpg

Here are the definite points I'm going through:

1) Decorah, IA (the beginning of this leg)
2) Milwaukee, WI (there are some things I'd like to see there and I'm really looking forward to the ferry across Lake Michigan from there)
3) Athens, OH (a very good friend to visit)
4) Washington, DC (family to see there)
5) Philadelphia, PA (used to live there)
6) New York, NY (good friends to visit)

I have the Wisconsin DOT's great set of maps, so I'm confident I can plan something reasonable for that portion. If anybody has any advice based on experience in these areas or suggestions of "must see" places somewhere along the way, that would be very helpful. Thanks!

Here is the link to the MI bike maps. If for some reason you wander in the direction of Saginaw MI let me know.

http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,...6053--,00.html

If you would change your route through ohio to head east when you hit Columbus you could hit the Great Allegheny Passage Trail System (Rails to trails) and take that roughly 360 miles to Washington DC and not hit much if any street traffic. The trail consists of packed lime so a 32c tire does quite well. Just an option.

Jason

Mr. Jim--will do.

Jason, that's totally the kind of advice I'm looking for--thanks very much. =) I'll see if that makes sense with my plans.

Here is a link to the Great Allegheny Passage Site. http://www.atatrail.org/ If you happen to do this pm me ahead of time and your more than welcome to camp in my back yard which is 8 miles from the trail and if Im available during that time I wouldnt mind tagging along for a hundred miles or so.

On second note if you could follow route 40 east from columbus it should be a good ride. I know route 40 in pa is a great ride.