Planning

The route starts at Pacific Beach bright and early on April 23 and generally takes the southern route across the country.  The maps are from Adventure Cycling which will take me as far as Tallahasse, Fl. The Adventure route continues across Florida to the Atlantic Coast. Since I need to cut south along the Gulf Coast, I was put in touch with Dwight Kingsbury with the Florida Dept of Transportation. He provided a route heading south from High Springs through Gainesville and then proceding South on the 41 to Newberry. From there I'll be taking the "Florida Gulf Coast Route". I dont have all of the details of this route yet but will figure that out as we get closer. The trip covers over 3,200 miles and is broken into 7 sections:

1. San Diego to Tempe, AZ                                   Distance 411.5 miles

2. Tempe, AZ to El Paso, TX                                 Distance 523 miles

3. El Paso, TX to Del Rio, TX                                 Distance 451.5 miles

4. Del Rio, TX to Navasota, TX                              Distance 431.5 miles

5. Navasota, TX to Francisville, LA                        Distance 416.5 miles

6. St. Francisville, LA to Defuniak Springs, FL     Distance 430.5 miles

7. DeFuniak Springs, FL to Cape Coral, FL           Distance 556 miles

Fortunately the maps are very detailed showing locations along the course to find food and water through the remote areas of the ride as well as where the motels and bike shops are located along the route. The maps also show the topography, temperature and rainfall averages for the different regions.  Going through New Mexico and the Rockies, the climbs are pretty significant with lots of elevation gain and unpredictable temperatures and riding conditions. I should be hitting the western portion of Texas by the first week of May where temps should be in the mid to upper 90s. April through June is the tornado season in Eastern Texas with frequent sand and dust storms. There is one stretch with no food, water or other services for 117 miles. This should make me miss my Saturday morning coast rides in San Diego where the worst things to complain about is if it's too cloudy or if the coffee line at the Panikin is too long.  As I progress across the South the temps should drop down into the upper 80s to low 90s with some humidity and some mild wind , hopefully it will be a tail wind. Finally reaching Cape Coral where I am planning on doing some Tarpon fishing with my Dad.