Maidei goes on a world tour-Part 1 of the Bicycle Mystery Tour

[Bike Chick]

I agree. We should plan a general route, and if events occur along the route, great, if not, too bad. If we try to get her to particular places at particular times, then we wind up having to do a lot of shipping and mailing and skipping areas and missing connections. Continent-to-continent is one thing, but this is supposed to be a BICYCLE tour when possible, and hopefully keeping the connections as short as possible when cycling isn't possible, and trying to do the hand-offs in person, right?

Can I make a general suggestion about covering the Americas.... subject to criticism now, and revision as time and seasons pass?

From South America north through California to the PNW and western Canada.

From there, east to the Rocky Mountains.

South along the Rocky Mountains to AZ

East to Texas

North through the Great Plains

East along the Great Lakes (including the Canadian side)

South through Appalachia

East through the Deep South and counterclockwise along the Florida coast (just for directionality... inland Florida could catch her in either direction, most likely)

North along the East Coast of the USA and possibly to anyone in eastern Canada we missed on the Great Lakes tour

Fly to the UK, then connect with Europe.

Comments, criticisms, sane or insane remarks?

Oak, I agree we should try to keep the hands off in person if we can and the route you suggested makes perfect sense but I would really like for her to come through St Louis on her way to Indianapolis. I know there are lots of TE's on here from both places with me and a few others in the middle. I don't think that route would catch us.

[OakLeaf]

Oh I was only being general of course! I didn't mean to exclude the ... [okay maybe if I knew the name for the part of the country you live in, maybe I would've been better about specifically including you ... sorry ]. I guess I was envisioning you on the eastern edge of the plains and zig-zagging up to Minnesota, but yeah, you could just as easily touch base from the Indy/Illinois side.

[Red Rock]

Oak- I like your progression here. Looks good. Maidei has a lot of traveling still to do!

Red Rock

[Crankin]

Well, it might be *next* spring before she gets to the east coast of the US. It looks like a long trip.

[Fledgling]

Oh, too neat!

I just found out about Maidei and have been reading the thread.

I don't know if she'll be anywhere near Kansas City, Missouri...but if she wanted a tour of City Market...

[Bike Chick]

Fledgling, I hope she gets to come through Missouri, Illinois and on to Indiana. I really think she would enjoy seeing the Arch and the Mississippi River, don't you?

[Fledgling]

Most certainly. The Arch isn't something to miss. And whose life is really complete without taking a picture with the Nelson Atkins shuttlecocks?

[Catrin]

Fledgling, I hope she gets to come through Missouri, Illinois and on to Indiana. I really think she would enjoy seeing the Arch and the Mississippi River, don't you?

I think she would love to see the International Motor Speedway, I only live a mile from it Let's see, there is also Eagle Creek Park - and while I don't ride singletrack, Brown County State Park in the southern part of the state has some great singletrack that I bet someone could take her on! I could take her hiking on it, but I bet she would prefer to ride. There are other great places as well.