Six months to go before we start our trip. I can hardly wait. I'd like to do some long-weekend trips in the early spring for a taste of the long ride. I have my eye on riding from Salinas to Hollister, Pinnacles National Monument, Paso Robles, and then through Hunter-Liggett Military Reservation back to Salinas. Friends want to ride to Yosemite. The problem would be that we can't ride until the roads are clear of snow; it may be too close to our departure date. My companions seem better able to wait patiently.

One wheel went bad, so I'm having the wheels rebuilt. New heavy-duty rims for the ride. We'll have the bikes tuned up a month or so before we set out.

I've been wondering about our route. The recommended route is from Astoria, Oregon, to Missoula, Montana, then across the plains. Why is that the recommended route? What about pedaling to Yellowstone before turning north to Montana? Should we traverse the Michigan Upper Peninsula or cross Wisconsin and then take the ferry across Lake Michigan? Will the mosquitos eat us alive? Should we go east from Albany, New York, to Boston, or north to Maine, or south along the Hudson River?

I made a long tour 30 years ago. There's so much more stuff to take today! Cell phone and charger. Digital camera and charger and cable for uploading photos. GPS gadget? iPod and cable? Some little radio. Mini-stove and pot? I already have more maps than the National Geographic.