Json Bikes 2023 US Tour

 

On Monday, May 8, 2023, I will be setting out from Wilmington, North Carolina on a coast-to-coast bicycle ride across the USA. I hope to finish in Oregon, the first week of August, about three months and four thousand miles later but as you can see from my planned route above, I'm not taking a traditional route straight across the country. 

My journey will begin heading down through South Carolina and Georgia to Florida. I'll be camping for a few nights and staying with friends in a few spots along the East Coast Greenway. After a short break in Saint Augustine, Florida, I'll head West along the Adventure Cycling Association's (ACA) Southern TransAmerica trail. 

I have family in the panhandle of Florida that I'll visit for a few days and the Memorial Day holiday before continuing to New Orleans. Having never been to Nola, I'll be taking a few days off there to check out the city with my girlfriend, who is flying to meet me there. 

I'll be on my own again when I rent a car and drive from Louisiana to St. Louis, where I'll pick up the KATY rails-to-trails trail across Missouri. I'm really looking forward to the KATY because it's a similar vibe to the GAP/C&O trails that I rode with my Sister back in the summer of 2021.

2021 - Crossing the Eastern Continental Divide on the GAP

After crossing the plains of Kansas, it'll be time to do some climbing in the Rockies. I've got another break planned with my girlfriend in Denver. I'm hoping to acclimate to the elevation before I have to tackle the high-elevation passes. 

Next, I make my way along the ACA Northern tier trail to Missoula, Montana I'm really excited to experience Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. I've watched a lot of YouTube videos and read many blogs preparing for this trip and every time I see those places I get a little emotional from their beauty. 

From Montana, my route is still a little up in the air. I'm going to be fluid and take it as it comes but ultimately I'll end in Canon Beach, outside of Portland, Oregon during the first week of August. 

In the next two weeks, which I expect to fly by, I'll be wrapping up things at work, where I'm taking a 3-month leave, and preparing to be gone most of the summer. Part of me still can't believe this is happening. I'm really excited to see what adventures lie ahead and hope this reignites my creativity through this blog. Lots more to come.