States That I Will Bicycle Through My Bike Ride Across America

The places listed below are not etched in stone, but I used the Adventure Cycling maps to plan out a rough route. As you continue reading my story, you will find out how things changed dramatically. For example, I always wanted to go see

Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater in western Pennsylvania so I altered my plans soon after to travel through southern Pennsylvania instead of the northern half that the Adventure Cycling maps would have put me. The maps only tell part of the story because one can't tell how congested, wide or well paved a road is until you actually try to bike it. It's surprising that what looks good on a map really isn't as far as bicycling is concerned and vice versa. Simply put: be prepared to alter your travel plans on a moment's notice-no exaggeration. I would say a good chunk of my travel on this solo bicycle tour was made up on the spot or through directions given by people I met along the way.

• New Jersey (Start from North Bergen just a few miles outside New York City and head in a southwesterly direction)
• Pennsylvania (Along the southern half to Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater then head northwest)
• West Virginia
• Ohio (East Liverpool, Shelby)
• Indiana (Monroeville then head northwest)
• Illinois (Chicago)
• Wisconsin or Iowa
• Minnesota (Grand Rapids, Hibbings)
• North Dakota (Fargo, Minot)
• Montana (Cut Bank, Eureka)
• Idaho (Sandpoint)
• Washington (Anacortes, Seattle)
• Oregon (Astoria)
• California (San Francisco)
• Canada (number of side trips over the border).