Three States And A Pair Of Deserts

The Part Where I Discuss My Route

I've spent a fair amount of time hiking and camping in the deserts of the United States. I have learned to love them. Back when I could only take one week of vacation at a time, I spent one too many of those vacations backpacking in the unpredictable weather of the north woods and the Rocky Mountains. A full week of rain and/or snow can put a damper on such a trip. That's how I discovered the awesomeness of the desert, where an all-day rain is a rarity and a week of sunshine is all but guaranteed.

This will be my first cycle touring experience in desert country though. I will be riding in two of the distinct desert regions of the American Southwest--The Mojave and the Sonoran. I just know the desert states will provide better bicycling weather in the month of March than my home state of Minnesota, and they'll provide BIG TIME FUN as well. That's right, the deserts are A SURE THING! I'm betting a month of my life on it.

In the past, I have carefully planned my first two or three days of a bike tour using paper maps. That strategy has always helped to ease me into a certain degree of comfort before heading into the unknown. This year, I decided to give technology a try. After plugging in some locations and preferences, well, let's say I was a little unnerved at how much Google knows about me. (Too many references to Sin City, sin in general, famous desert dwellers who I admire--like Jim "The Lizard King" Morrison, Jose Cuervo, Edward Abbey, and Carlos Castaneda.)

"Ride anywhere within this circle, where thousands of snowbirds in your age group and from your home state reside." -Google

Hey, GoogleMaps, what's that supposed to mean? I'm not old. I'm not a snowbird. I just want to ride in the desert. That's all. Just for that, I'm going back to good old Rand-McNally.

Ah yes, maps printed on paper. Beautiful. Reliable. I can hold them in my hands. Study them for hours without eye fatigue. They don't tell me where to go, they simply show me where I might WANT to go.

"It's not the destination that matters and, contrary to what the travel pundits say, it's not the journey either. It's the FUN!" -Gregory S. Garceau

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Rachel and Patrick HugensClever title!
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3 years ago

Gregory GarceauTo Rachel and Patrick HugensHello Team Racpat. I'm glad to see you here on Cycleblaze and thanks for checking out this journal. Sometimes I think it's almost impossible to choose a favorite bike tour, just as a parent could never choose a favorite child. But I'm going to go out on a limb and choose this one over all my others. I just love the desert.
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3 years ago