aprosemu

Hi, I've just taken the plunge and have been gearing up for my first mini-tour. Thanks to all those who have posted on this site--invaluable to us new kids.

For my first trip out, I have a week to spend late summer/early fall and am looking for a destination/route that would be a good first time experience--somewhat challenging but isn't going to kill me and become disheartening. I'm looking to do some camping along the way.

I'm open to suggestions!

Thanks,
Andy

acantor

How far are you willing to travel to start your adventure? And how might you travel to get there?

Some of my favourite trips began with me waking up at home, having breakfast, getting on my bicycle, and going! But I have also driven, taken the train, and flown to my starting point.

mthayer

Welcome to wonderful world of bike touring. Hopefully you will get hooked on it. Since it is your first tour, stay closer to home or in more familiar areas. This way if something goes wrong, you just do not like it, you can always be home in a few hours. Choose somewhere like State Parks, or some area attraction that you have never been to for your destinations. Make the tour fun and dont wear yourself out pedaling all day.
Try some overnighters first, this will help you figure out what you want to carry on tour and what you dont. It always make for some good practice, and besides its fun.

valygrl

San Francisco to Santa Barbara.

Weather is great until November. Traffic is down after Labor Day. Tailwinds. Scenery. Camping and hotels both available. It's a popular route, so you might run into other tourists, even in the off season.

It's hilly, but not too bad. 6 or 7 riding days, so if you have a weekend on both ends of your week off work, you have time. If you run out of time, you can probably catch a bus or definitely hitchhike.

Decent airports - if Santa Barbara doesn't have a reasonable price flight, take the train to LA or SF. There's bike shops in both cities if you want to ship the bike instead of taking it on the plane.

Map www.adventurecycling.org or book Bicycling the Pacific Coast by Kirkendall & Spring.

Machka 

You could map out a nice short tour, week-long tour in Tasmania, parts of Victoria, or Queensland.

Or maybe in the Canadian Rockies.

Is travel time included in your week or not?

valygrl

Machka, your suggestions are both great routes, but don't make sense for the time frame, time amount & experience of the OP. He's in Florida, I don't think 18-hour-each-way flights plus jet lag make sense for a one-week first tour. And fall comes early in the Canadian Rockies.

Machka 

Early September can be a beautiful time in the Canadian Rockies.

sstorkel

I'll second this advice! I did this as my first tour last year and it was spectacular! I started a week or two after Labor Day. Weather was still good (a bit foggy/chilly some mornings), not many cars, and still quite a few bicycle tourists on the roads.

mev

Given that you are in the SE of US, I'd look at a trip not too far away. The Natchez Trace Parkway is a nice trip that comes to mind.

RepWI

The upper peninsula of Michigan will provide some fall color and views of Lake Superior.

aprosemu

Thanks all--these are all great suggestions. I'd love to do them all! I'll do some more research based on these ideas and see where it takes me.