I often tell myself, and it is often true, ‘bad beginning, good ending’. And it is looking like your bad beginning will now switch in your favor. I am so happy to follow along with your journey. Stay safe.

Hurray! I'm excited to have your journal to follow. Tailwind riding sounds great. I'm crossing my fingers for you.

It sounds like you made a nice deal - a trip to Hawaii for a big bike tour. I have a friend who wanted to ride the Northern Tier. A new kitchen (installed) was the price he paid for the privilege of three months away from home.

Best wishes to both of you.

Good luck my friend. Be safe amigo.

I've ridden the bike 10,500 miles since I bought it used. If the shifter wasn't new when I bought the bike, it had more miles on it than that when I changed it out.

Here’s wishing you an uneventful drive to the start of your tour.

How many miles
Would you guesstimate the shifter had before replacing?

So far, your trip looks like a Z. Enjoy Tupelo!

We have family in Sugar Land. I have zero interest in riding a bicycle there. Good choice!

John - you should have a very enjoyable ride on the trace when you enter on the north side of Jackson - you are correct that almost all of the traffic will be headed into town. Tupelo was the worst of all for me, but you have the advantage of some local knowledge that may help you get a better routing. The entire 408 miles that I was on the Trace was extremely relaxing and easy riding except for entering Jackson and entering Tupelo, so if you work those 2 out then you will love the Trace! Motorists obey the parkway signage everywhere except for those 2 areas (parkway signs tell motorists that cyclists can use the full lane and they should change lanes to pass you).

George, I've gone through your journal. Our routes coincide in only two place, the Natchez Trace from Jackson to Tupelo, and the stretch of Illinois north of Hannibal, MO. We will be entering the Trace in the morning on the north side of Jackson east of Ridgeland, so hopefully traffic will mostly be headed into town. At Tupelo we'll be stopping for a rest day at our brother's house several miles south of the city center, and leaving the Trace just 3 miles after we leave his house to head northwest. We have a nephew who works at the local bike shop, so I'm querying him about alternate ways to enter and leave that might keep us off the Trace completely around Tupelo.

I've started going through your journal. You hit the nail on the head when it comes to challenges of planning logistics along this route. I had to look at a lot of alternatives to come up with our planned itinerary (see the next post in my journal). Our routes coincide in a few places, like part of the Natchez Trace, but oftentimes we'll be across the river from your route for one reason or another, or even far afield, like our start in Florida, moving over to the Mississippi at Memphis, staying with the Mississippi to St. Louis.

Thanks! I'll take a look at your journal.

Thanks, Nancy!

Thanks, Kelly!

So glad to see you two back on the road soon. I enjoyed your last tour and look forward to following this one ;’-).