My father and I doing a tour from Fort Worth, TX to Plant City, FL some 2 years from now (plenty of time to organize) Basically May 2016. I interested in peoples' experiences with setting routes and this time of year. Worried about temperatures of this area this time of year. Also, if there is a safe route.

Check out the Adventure Cycling Association's Southern Tier route. It goes from Jacksonville, FL, to San Diego, CA. Their routes are well planned out and updated every year. The maps are easy to read, show the available services and food, and (my favorite feature) are waterproof. I have used it as an umbrella and even to protect myself from mosquitoes through the sides of my hammock.

ACA is the way to go and they are the biggest name in the business.

Use Google Maps, bicycle option as a start. Then modify to suit yourself using state maps. Avoid towns >5000 if possible, and of course all interstates. Be aware that US highways usually have a shoulder of some sort, but are often busier than state and county highways with maybe no shoulder. And yes, the ACA maps are excellent.

Make yourselves as visible as possible and ride predictably. That will make the route safer.

Check out CGOAB. Enjoy the planning and anticipation. It's half the fun.

The ACA maps are a great resource. If you want to check out what other people have done visit www.crayguyonabike.com and search for routes like yours.

Look up weather in that area. That information is available online these days. You've missed May now, but you could have book-marked the weather info in that area and checked it every day in May to see what it was like.

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Weatherspark.com is a good place to look up historic weather for points along a proposed route.