MILESTONES

Today's 40.3-mile ride took my odometer over 2400 miles, and took my total mileage since New Year's over 800. Whoopee!! Here's my progress so far.

Near as I can figure, I am just west of Ely, NV, which looks like a fine place to check out. I am also nearly across NV itself. Crossing into Utah within my next 2 or 3 rides is going to be another major milestone.

Without intending to, I have stumbled upon a two-lane interstate highway that will take me all the way to Ocean City, past St. Michaels and Cambridge, MD, so I'll get to return Nancy's virtual visit :-) I have actually driven stretches of this road myself, in WV. And I'll tell you what, it's gonna be a climb when I get to that point. I've been there!! BUT I'll have to go DOWN to get to sea level, so it's not all bad! I didn't realize, when I got on this road in Nevada, that it was the same Rte. 50 I'm already familiar with in the East. To check it out, go here and click number 9. And check here to see all the neat stuff it passes in Nevada. This road and the website are going to make my virtual-trip blogging a whole lot easier!

The website, Road Trip USA, details a lot of Trans-USA trips on two-lane highways:

"Ready for a taste of the open road? Choose route numbers or names to access driving tours across more than 35,000 miles of classic blacktop. Then sit back and experience part of America—the small towns, funky attractions, roadside curiosities, and more—that the interstates have left behind."

Check it out if you want to plan such a trip -- by bike, car, motorcycle, or even on foot (you never know!)

There are two books mentioned at the site: Blue Highways by William Least Heat Moon, which I have read and thoroughly enjoyed (why I don't remember Rte. 50 from it is a mystery to me;) and the hard-copy of the website, Road Trip USA, by Jamie Jensen, which is sitting between 2 bookends on our dining table. (I can't say "dining room" because our trailer is all one room, except the bedroom.) It was in opening this book a couple days ago that I discovered the absolute perfection of Rte. 50 for what I am doing. Here we've had the book for 2 years and I've never really looked at it!! (Maybe because Steve plans all the trips...)

This may very well be the route to take WHEN (not "if") I/we actually do a coast-to-coast ride in real life.