touring ideas for a snow bird?
 

currently live in the north east. thinking of taking some time off to do a tour somewhere warm this winter. any ideas or suggestions? i have toured before and done a fully loaded tour on the trans am route and part of the pacific coast. usa preferred but international is ok. not sure how long it takes to get a passport. mine is expired

How much time do you have?

Well , the Passport renewal perhaps, will take enough time to renew to get you till the end of February.
I began a tour from Dublin Ireland Airport, then.. 97

i don't have a set time but realistically about 3-4 weeks of travel time. i may try to get some time off in march or something. might work better temp wise. i don't like riding in the cold much.

With 3-4 weeks, the southern hemisphere would work for you. Australia is quite warm in March, but not usually overpoweringly hot.

You might also consider some parts of Europe.

March in the US is still Southern Tier time. With 3-4 weeks, you could get half way across the US. I'd start south of San Antonio and head west on the ACA route. Be prepared for some rain and cool nights. Be a bit like much of Australia without the flight time. To date, Texas does not require a passport, but may be working toward it.

This very recent thread might be useful for you to peruse:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...rs-in-February

How about Florida? Nice & warm (usually, esp in the south), no hills, no language problems (though Spanish can help). Roads often have wide shoulders. True, scenery can be a bit monotonous but the ocean, clouds etc are pretty neat. Stayed a couple of times at a friend's condo between Miami-Ft Lauderdale & rode a Dahon folder on local rides: just nice to amble around soaking in the warmth etc. One can ride down to the Keys or over to the Everglades. Biking pretty popular down there from working-class local commuters to rich guys riding $$ racing bikes.

I am planning a ride from St. Augustine to Weeki Wachee springs sometime in late February or early March if you are interested.

The State Department lists official times: http://travel.state.gov/passport/pro...sing_1740.html of 4-6 weeks along with expedited service of 2-3 weeks (door to door). However, if you need it even quicker there are visa expediter services (e.g. visahq.com, visaexpress.net,...) that, for a fee, renew a passport in just a few business days.

If the desert interests you Southern Nevada, California and Arizona are usually nice that time of year. Las Vegas - Death Valley - Joshua Tree - Anza Borrego - Colorado Desert - Sonoran Desert - basically zig zagging your way from Las Vegas to Tucson via Southern Cal could be a nice ride.

Thanks, looks like an interesting ride but really the only reason I go down to Florida (from DC area) is 'cause a friend owns a condo near Miami that I can use sometimes so I've been thinking more about using that as a base for short area tours. Would be nice to check out the Weeki Wachee mermaids though! Back in 70's I hitchhiked/walked down central Florida Atlantic coast & met some nice friendly folks--one guy showed us his parents' egg farm.

Some friends car-toured Death Valley a couple of winters ago & enjoyed it a lot. Lots of interesting history, geology etc plus it seems even in peak season not much problem with crowds.

+1 for the desert Southwest.