Believe
Route Details
The TransAmerica Trail was established to celebrate the US bicentennial in 1976. The historic route spans from Astoria, OR to Yorktown, VA and covers over 4200 miles. The trail meanders through landscapes as varied as deserts, lush forests, rocky mountains, big rivers, great plains, as well as joining the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. This is a classic and popular route which has been ridden by over 12,000 cyclists since its inauguration in 1976.
Part 1-
Our starting point is the small coastal town of Astoria, OR. After
a few days of riding alongside the coast, we will turn inland to the
Willamette River Valley. We will then come to the largest city on
the Trail – Eugene,
OR - with a population of 140,000. The green vegetation of the western
side of the Cascade Mountains will come to an abrupt halt after Mckenzie
Pass where the terrain turns quite dry. We will cut cross McKenzie
Pass via a road overlying an ancient lava field.
Part 2-
Next up for us will be Idaho. We will ride alongside the Salmon River
and see some interesting Native American historic sites. The route
then follows the winding Lochsa River for the longest ascent of the trip
(70 miles!). We will climb up and over Lolo Pass and be greeted by
the welcoming site of Montana. Missoula, Montana is the headquarters
of the Adventure Cycling Association and also a college town. We’ll
definitely stop for a rest day here!
Part 3-
After crossing through Montana, Wyoming will greet us with beautiful
panoramas of Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons. The
route through Wyoming will cross small towns still true to the rustic
Western America way of life with their historic architecture and western-style
cooking. The dry desert like scenery of the Old West will quickly
change to alpine landscape as we reach Colorado. We will likely
take a rest day in the touristy town of Breckenridge (maybe we’ll
go mountain biking for an off day!).
After the day off (or two!) we will begin our climb to crest the Continental
Divide at Hoosier Pass. At 11,542 ft, this summit will be far greater
than any mountains us Georgia kids have ever biked! As we leave the Rockies,
we will happily enjoy the ride through Royal Gorge Park as we follow
Arkansas River. The river will lead us through the Gorge to Pueblo,
CO - our halfway point.
Part 4-
As we reach eastern Colorado and cross into Kansas, the landscape will
again turn dry as we begin to battle the hot countryside. The
reprieve that the Kansas flatness might have offered us will be challenged
by the heat and strong winds of the Great Plains. We will pedal
into the wind and cross Kansas before being met by the roller-coaster
riding of Missouri. We wander through Missouri while checking out
a few Civil War Historic sites for a couple of days.
Part 5-
We will cross the great Mississippi River at Chester, Illinois and then
continue on to Carbondale, Il – the biggest town we’ll see
since Breckenridge! Since our swimming skills at this point in our
trip will likely be sub-par, we will ferry across the great Ohio River
into Kentucky. Here, we will be greeted by rolling white-fenced
farms and woodlands before reaching Berea – the gateway to the
great Appalachia.
Part 6-
Once we decide to leave the small town of Berea, we will spend a great
deal of time ascending and descending the mountains of the Appalachians,
and riding part of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. Our hard
work will be rewarded as the mountains will fade into rolling hills
and then flat riding through lush farmlands. The
last stretch of the route is rich in American Revolution history, with
Colonial Williamsburg as the highlight. We will come to our last
leg, and hopefully be met by all of our friends and supporters as we
come into Yorktown on the Chesapeake Bay.
Believe