So far, there is interest in this Tour in particular, So it is being split off from the other three.

Hopefully it can garner comment and gain momentum as a viable Tour to welcome and follow Spring up-river from the Mississippi Delta to Minneapolis/Saint Paul, and on to Itasca for them that wants.

Some random notes:

The MRT (Mississippi River Trail) is more developed every year, and with more signage and wayfinding plus support from local residents and communities, there will be more Bicyclists using the MRT, lending itself to a heightened awareness that Cyclists are 'on the road'. I think it will (mostly) be a good Route to (mostly) follow.

I heard somewhere that in the Spring the Prevailing-Winds push from the Gulf of Mexico up the Mississippi River Valley, giving a good tailwind-- something I'd love to take advantage of.

And I don't know about anybody else, but by the time Spring rolls around, I'm sick of even an abbreviated Winter here in the 'Northland".

So there is much to be done:

I own (somewhere) a copy of the MRT Guide. When (and if) I find it I'll post the 'actual' mileage of the Tour. Then we'll need to (loosely) plan how long it should take, traveling between 80- and 120-miles a day. Self-Contained, Full-Gear, No Sag. An occasional Rest Day.

Average Daily Weather (temperature, rain-fall, and wind-direction and speed) should be gleaned from records available online to discern when the optimum time for this Tour would be.

Camping opportunities should be explored ahead of time: National, State, Local, and Private Campgrounds should be identified as well as Bicycle-Shops/other amenities and even if there is AMTRAK service intersecting with the (vague) Route.

Does anyone else have any questions or concerns on this unconventional traversing of America? (Most Cyclists usually travel West to East or vice-versa.) Please Post them here.

Let's make this a Tour to remember for good reasons rather than the opposite. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and we can still be spontaneous if we plan a loose framework to follow.

I met up with archiesturmer last week to talk about touring next spring. I really like this ride in particular.

My random thoughts at this time:

This site has a tonnnn of resources on the trail, including downloadable maps for each state. http://www.mississippirivertrail.org/

I agree we need to look at weather conditions. http://www.wunderground.com has info on historical weather data including temps, etc. I'd say ideally I'd like to make sure it'll be at least 45 degrees overnight. I don't mind the occasional 35 degree night, but if we're doing a weeks-long trip, I'd prefer to not be shivering every night.

I'd like to make sure we make a stop at Memphis. I think other than NOLA and Mpls, it's the only big city along the route.

I do have some minor concerns about traveling in rural Louisiana. When my girlfriend's mother moved down there , she was advised not to drive through the state, because she would be harassed by police. Another friend told me that he was advised to take the front license plate off, so as to be more discreet about the fact that he was from MN. Both sources told me that the police in Louisana are able and eager to seize property from out-of-staters, because they know there's little recourse. I'm willing to accept that these are Northerner tales about the big bad South, but it'd be nice to get such reassurances.

One more thing:

I know we had talked about taking Amtrak down and then riding up, but upon doing more research, I think flying will be cheaper. Southwest allows you to fly with bikes at no additional cost (they'll treat it like normal luggage as long as it's within the size restrictions, which it will be if you package it right), and if you catch them at the right times, a one way fare to NOLA is less than half the cost of Amtrak. $238 on Amtrak right now, vs. $115.10 on Southwest.

When I was screwing-around on the Internet at work last week, instead of working, I looked on the AMTRAK Website and found a one-way ticket for $168 (I think). AMTRAK offers FREE transport of the (Boxed) Bicycle as a piece of luggage of the two-pieces allowed per traveler (PLUS, you only need to remove the pedals and turn the handlebars sideways). I seem to recall that I just picked a date in April of 2011-- perhaps the rate changes depending on the date? The drawback is I think it takes something like 26 hours to get there. (Personally, I'm sold on the romance of Rail-Travel-- but that's just me.)

I know that there are is MRT Signage in Saint Louis, so I think Saint Louis is certainly an option to travel through-- plus Saint Louis has an amazing (with new additions all the time) Bicycle Infrastructure Network! And I have kin in Saint Louis that could offer yards to camp in as well as showers and hospitality.

Yes! http://www.wunderground.com has great historical weather info! I too would want to spend as little time as possible shivering in a tent.

And yes, I've heard horror-stories about Louisiana, too-- like they operate under Napoleonic-Law, where you're Guilty until proven Innocent. But think of the stories we could tell!

I rode this route last fall from Northfield to NOLA. I don't really use this forum, but If you guys like I'd be happy to answer any questions in an email or something. You'd be welcome to have my copy of the MRT book too, if I can find it.

FYI Josh_IRO took part of this last summer, it's beautiful but hilly. So be forwarned.

Weather Information for Ride-Planning:

NEW ORLEANS:
http://www.wunderground.com/NORMS/Displ ... e&IATA=MSY

MEMPHIS:
http://www.wunderground.com/NORMS/Displ ... e&IATA=MEM

CAPE GIRARDEAU:
http://www.wunderground.com/NORMS/Displ ... e&IATA=CGI

HANNIBAL:
http://www.wunderground.com/NORMS/Displ ... e&IATA=UIN

KEOKUK:
http://www.wunderground.com/NORMS/Displ ... e&IATA=BRL

QUAD CITIES:
http://www.wunderground.com/NORMS/Displ ... e&IATA=MLI

LA CROSSE:
http://www.wunderground.com/NORMS/Displ ... e&IATA=LSE

MINNEAPOLIS:
http://www.wunderground.com/NORMS/Displ ... e&IATA=MSP


Additional Cities? Other Cities? Different Cities?

I'd say leave the Gulf on or about April Fools Day...

Article in Dec 1st Strib on the MRT:

http://www.startribune.com/local/111090 ... 3LGDiO7aiU

3,000 miles from Itasca to the Gulf.

-Closer examination of the Weather Data suggests leaving NOLA mid-March. Thoughts?

I have to admit, this is tempting. However, I'm a bit of a touring and camping neophyte; the farthest I've ever gone was 135 miles in one day, from home with a quick stop at work, then to my destination in Wisconsin. But, at the end of that ride, I felt like I could've gone much farther.

So, how long do you think this trip would take?

I work at the U, and a mid-March departure would be good, since spring break is March 14-18, 2011.

Probably 3-weeks to a month.

I'll 'redouble my efforts' to find my MRT Book. It'll tell us what to expect for Tour-length and time needed for this Tour.

I figure about 100-miles per day with a couple rest-days tossed in for, well, rest.

This link may (or may not) be helpful.

While its difficult to think of Bicycling over distances that in January would give one frostbite or hypothermia, April approaches inexorably. And while daily I Bicycle to and from work as well as watch the slow, incremental uptick in page-views to this Tour, I'm reminded that I must 'flesh out' this Tour as its only a concept at this point. (I promised myself I'd "do something" when the page-views eclipsed 300, and now I have no excuse.)

Some of the best Touring experiences I've had have been following a Route cobbled together 'by the seat of the pants', which is to say I've know where I was going, but only at the last minute. This NOLA-MSP trip should be an exception in that I'm potentially traveling with others who may want more structure and less surprise in the daily slog North.

So here is some low-hanging fruit with which to cogitate: 585 miles of Tested and Traveled Route prepared by a Bicycle-Advocacy Group, the League of Illinois Bicyclists. It stretches from the Southern tip of Illinois near Cairo, where the states of Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri converge, to the Wisconsin border, a skip, hop and a jump from our Minneapolis/Saint Paul Tour Terminus. This map should be the envy of all the other states on the MRT Route for its attention to detail in mapping, tips on local Routing, as well as lists of services like Camping, Bicycle Shops and Eating opportunities.

Have a gander here:

http://www.bikelib.org/maps-and-rides/r ... ver-trail/

Scroll to the bottom of the page and follow the Downloading Guide. Its worth a look even if you don't print it out. The only caveat to consider is that as it is dated 2004, some of the information contained is bound to have become stale.

While I downloaded and laminated this Guide several years back with the full intention of riding the MRT from NOLA to MSP, my ride to NOLA from an OTR Trucker fell through and I abandoned the Tour. So while some of the subsequent information seems a rehash to me, I trust it might whet the appetite of riders considering this Tour following Spring up the Mississippi River from the Gulf to our home turf.

Information and questions to follow, and please, feel free to add any information you consider to be germane...

And while harvesting low-hanging fruit, here is another Map-Set from the great state of Wisconsin:

http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/bik ... grrmap.htm

Nice colors, if you have a color-printer (I don't) and the Route beats the one on the Minnesota side hands down-- I've ridden most of it.

They say its 250-miles, but in an off-hand manner, making me want to add up the mileage on each individual map, when I have 15-minutes I'm not doing anything with...

I'd cross the Mississippi at Red Wing, go West on the Cannon River Trail as far as Welch and head North to Hasting where I'd cross the Mississippi again and work my way to Saint Paul, but avoiding the ugliness of Hwy 61.

A couple random questions:

I've heard that the prevailing winds in the Spring in the Mississippi River Valley are from the South, but can find no documentation. Anybody?

What will the snow-pack and its subsequent thaw do to this Bicycle Tour from mid-April through mid to late May? They're already predicting some Spring flooding.

The term for what you are looking for is "wind rose".

It's a chart of typical wind directions and intensities.

For example, here's La Cross, WI.

Here's many other regional cities.

Wind roses are helpful because when the wind is against you, you get the added frustration knowing the wind direction is atypical for that time of year.

ETA: Here are wind roses for the entire US.