Now that I’ve rested up for a week, I’ve made a list of things I know now, that I wasn’t sure about before:

• Summer camping in the heat isn’t for me. I thought the idea of camping about half the time sounded romantic, but when it actually came time to set up a tent in the heat and then crawl in and try to sleep when it’s still hot, I bailed. It sounded miserable – it would have been. The first couple of campgrounds I had reserved didn’t have many trees, had brown grass, and one would have probably had lots of bugs. Call me old, soft or whatever else you like. I may try this again in other seasons or different locales, but for now I guess I’m a credit-card tourer.
• I tried to plan for too many eventualities and took way too much stuff. Besides the camping gear I didn’t need I took rain gear I never needed or used, a cool-weather jacket that was never worn, tools and supplies that weren’t necessary. I think I read too many accounts of people cycling around the world, and thought I would need everything they needed. But I wasn’t in Patagonia – I was in Iowa or Nebraska. If I really needed a new bike chain, I probably could have found a bike shop, or even had one Amazon’d to me in a couple of days. Once I sent most of that home, my tour was a happier one.
• Surprisingly, I had only one flat tire, and no mechanical issues. The tire flatted twice but it was the same piece of glass before I found it – and both flats were in a hotel room – not in the rain by the roadside. That could have happened, but it didn’t. I probably just have good tires and good luck. No broken spokes, chains or cables. My bike is less than two years old and had a tuneup just before leaving, so that may have helped.
• Routing software needs work. After a bit of research, I’m reasonably certain the routing software that kept trying to put me on Nebraska’s dirt roads actually thought those were paved. Which means I did a decent job routing, but if the data isn’t good it’s not much use. I’m not sure where RideWithGPS gets their map data, but need to find out who to complain to and hope that improves.
• (Tagging on to the last item) Next time I will stick to more established routes. There are three major E-W routes across the US – north, south, and the TransAmerica Trail in the center. I made my own route, and it wasn’t ideal. I went through towns that had few lodging options and not much to do, and also ended up on busy highways with lots of truck traffic. Nothing bad happened, but I would have been happier on quieter roads. The Adventure Cycling Association publishes maps of these routes and many others. The towns they go through are more accustomed to supporting cyclists, and they keep updates on road conditions and detours if necessary. I’m going to use these as much as possible going forward.
• I should have planned more rest days. I had three rest days – one in Kearney before the TDN, and the other in Dubuque, four days before finishing. I should have built at least one more in, part way across Iowa. I think one-per week would work, and it adds flexibility to the route if something does go wrong.
• Next one will be slower. I planned this out with the intention of getting somewhere. What I didn’t do enough of is enjoy the ride. Each day, I felt pressure to get to my nightly destination, but didn’t leave myself time to explore or sight-see enough. Not everywhere in Nebraska is worth seeing, but I should have explored a bit more.
• There are surprises everywhere. The cool downtown vibe in Hastings including the ice-cream shop that only hires special needs kids and the British tea-room, the pub near my hotel in Kearney with something like 40 microbrews on tap – many from Nebraska, the wine bar in Red Cloud (population 1020) that had dozens of interesting wines by the glass and live music, and the long shady trails in Wisconsin. I wasn’t expecting any of those, and they made some days delightful. For every town I found depressing or run down, there was another that was interesting and inspiring.
• People are kind to cyclists. I must say I had very few unsafe passings from motorists, and only one from a dump truck that truly scared me. Most went out of their way to give me room when they passed and I appreciated that. I clearly have been in the city too long and most rural drivers seem a bit more patient. Two bicycle shops helped me out – in Scottsbluff one adjusted a squeaking brake and tried not to charge me. In Grinnell, the owner gave me a replacement mirror from a used bike that was exactly like the one I broke. I’m in their debt! Lots of strangers asked where I was going or what I was doing and almost all seemed interested and impressed. Only one told me I was crazy, and he looked about 11, so I’m not taking it personally!
• I can do this sort of thing! This was something I had a lot of apprehension about. I put pressure on myself before the ride by telling as many people as I could about it (to make sure I did it!) and I didn’t want to end up back home after only a few days on the road, having failed. I know many people do this into their seventies or later, but trying this for the first time just shy of 60, I was not sure at all that I would finish. I think I could have kept going – just with a few extra rest days built in.

So will I do a long solo tour again soon? Maybe – I’m still not sure. I am interested in doing some shorter rides. I would love to do the Katy Trail across Missouri – possibly in Fall – Summer is too hot there! That’s about 4-5 days of riding. Next year’s TDN is a strong possibility. There is also a Ride Across Kansas that has a good reputation. Closer to home there are things like Ride the Rockies that I will explore. So many people told me to do RAGBRAI across Iowa, but that is a huge ride with thousands of riders, and I’m not sure I like crowds that much. For the next few weeks until work starts, I’ll be content riding around Denver.

Thanks to everyone who followed along and offered advice and support!