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The American Wild West: San Francisco, CA to Denver, CO (6/24/2010 – 7/23/2010) - 1650 miles

See the great wild west at its best as we dip our tires into the Pacific Ocean and  leave San Francisco and head west toward Denver. Experience some of the least visited but most beautiful areas of the American West as we climb the Sierra Nevada mountain range into Utah and as we ride through Cedar Breaks, Escalante, and Natural Bridges National Monuments; Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks; and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Considered "The Loneliest Road in America," a term coined some years ago by a Life magazine writer, this segment is the longest of the tour. Mountain passes between 8500 and 11000 feet are common on this segment as we parallel the route of the famous Pony Express. We will follow the Adventure Cycling Western Express Bicycle Route from San Francisco, CA to Dolores, CO where we turn north toward Glenwood Springs, CO and onward to a warm welcome in Denver, CO.

The Breadbasket of America: Denver, CO to Kansas City, MO (7/24/2010 – 8/2/2010) – 625 miles

Between Denver, CO and Kansas City, MO lies the state of Kansas; one of the few states where you stand at its western border you can nearly see its eastern border 400 miles away. Kansas is flat. The region's fertile soil made it possible for farmers to produce abundant harvests of cereal crops such as wheat, oats, and corn. The region is called the nation’s  "breadbasket." Dropping out of the Mile-High City at 5280 feet we will ride downhill all the way to the Missouri river and Kansas City, MO. The route we ride will offer views of expansive landscapes, huge farms, and just about the friendliest people you will meet in the USA.

Gateway to the West: Kansas City, MO to Cincinnati, OH (8/2/2010 – 8/13/2010) – 700 miles

During the Gateway to the West section we will encounter more major cities than in any other section, including Kansas City, MO, St Louis, MO and Cincinnati, OH. We will definitely be in the Midwest. Our first state, Missouri, contains the Ozarks with some of the steepest and relentless grades of hills in the country. However, we will make use of the KATY rail trail as we scurry across the state on slight-grade, hard-pack trails that parallel the Missouri River, the route of the Lewis and Clark Expeditions of the 18^th century. We will make a grand entrance into St. Louis at the Gateway to the West, the Gateway Arch in downtown St Louis. Leaving St. Louis we will continue on flat terrain as we head across Illinois and Indiana, making a stop in Huntingburg, IN the site where “A League of Their Own” was filmed. We in this section in Cincinnati, OH with a potential visit to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

The Allegheny Passage: Cincinnati, OH to Point Pleasant, NJ (8/13/2010 – 8/27/2010) – 725 miles

Leaving Cincinnati, OH on our final leg we will begin to encounter the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains in Southwestern, Ohio. The grades are steep but short until reaching West Virginia and Pennsylvania where we counter steeper and longer grades. Relief will be in site as we make a B-line for the Great Allegheny Passage Rail Trail. Just south of Pittsburgh, we will ride this flat to slight grade rail trail to Cumberland, MD, shaving off several ranges of the Allegheny Mountains. We then turn northeast as we ride into Gettysburg, PA and a visit to the Gettysburg Battlefield followed by a ride through Amish Country in Southeastern Pennsylvania. We near the end of our journey was we approach Philadelphia and a potential visit to the Liberty Bell. Two days later we will dip our tires into the  Atlantic Ocean at Point Pleasant, NJ, the end of the journey.

jettride:route