Gears are your friend... and 70 miles is a long way in a day. That being said a lot of that way there isn't much to see and do except ride. And if you are gonna ride all day you'll need a good comfortable cockpit with lots of hand positions and a comfortable seat .
How are you going to carry your luggage? Does your bike have rack mounts. What are the wheels like, 32 spoke? Got water bottle mounts?
If I was in your shoes I'd go hunting for an old rigid MTB in good condition with 36 spoke wheels. Tune up, whack on a set of butterfly bars, some racks, a set of Schwalbe Marathons, buy some cheap panniers and go for it. But expect to start with say 40 miles in a day and build up slowly.
Incidentally I think you're a little optimistic thinking things will be back to normal in the next 6 months...