I didn’t have time to do much writing prior to taking off, so I’m writing this section after my first day.   For the ride logistics, I’ve been working for a few months on sorting out the route and daily stops, which will inevitably change, but getting an initial daily goal helps guide the trip.  Adelina (my wife) will be helping to arrange the daily stops depending on how much I can do on a particular day.  Right now I’m setting a 50 mile a day rough estimate, with variations depending on where I can stay the night.  I hope that mileage count will increase once I get into better biking shape.  

The broad plan is:

• Head north from Arlington MA (just outside of Boston) to Brunswick Maine, following for the most part the East Coast Greenway and the ACA Atlantic Coast routes.
• In Brunswick I’ll pick up the Northern Tier and start heading West.  First the White Mountains of NH, then the Green Mountains of VT and into NY for the Adirondacks then north through the Finger Lakes region
• Once up in norther NY I’ll be hitting Rochester then following to Niagara Falls, where I’ll cross over into Canada
• I’ll travel the northern shore of Lake Erie all the way using the ACA Lake Erie Connector route.  This will take me across Michigan to the Lake
• I’ll then start using the ACA Northern Lakes (map sets 2 and 3), and after a ferry across Lake Michigan, will start the Wisconsin trek through the northern part of the state.  
• A few days in Minnesota and I’ll hit a big milestone when I hit Fargo, ND.  I’ll now be back on the Northern Tier route
• North Dakota, straight and sparse, will take I think 7-10 days and will be a challenge with the wind, the heat, and the truck traffic
• Montana is next, the flatlands, through Blackfeet country then to the backside of Glacier to climb the  Going to the Sun Road.  
• Once past Glacier some more rough country through Whitefish, Eureka and into Idaho briefly.
• The finale begins in Washington state, starting in the flatlands, then a series of 20 mile-ish climbs.   Three big ones, going through the remote sections of the North Cascades. This will be a test (there will be lots of tests) but if I make this far, I’ll be very motivated to get through it.  (Btw, 40 years ago, I tried to go West to East on this same route and failed, barely making it over the North Cascades).
• After these hills, Anacortes and down to Seattle. 
• Let’s hope I get this far!!!