Here are a few questions and answers about my trip. Most of them actually have been Frequently Asked before, but some I just made up myself. Feel free to contact me if you have a question isn't here, and I'll make sure to add it. I always enjoy talking with people about my trip, and am usually ready to answer more questions than they're willing to ask.

Why Portland?

That's where my brother's family lives, and everyone talks about how annoying air travel is these days, so why not ride instead? Plus, if I ignore flights to the coast, I've never been "out West" before; all the land between the Mississippi and the Cascades will be new to me. I hear there are some nice things to see between here and there. Someone mentioned mountains too.

Have you done anything like this before?

Yep, I did almost the same distance in 2003. The difference is that was a round-trip, and this will be one-way; I'll be flying back.

How far do you plan to ride each day?

I need to average 80 miles per day if I want to spend much time in Portland. If the wind cooperates just a little, I'll try to outdo that in the early stages, allowing me to slow down a bit in the mountains. I know that sounds like a lot, but that's what I averaged on my Atlanta trip too.

Where will you stay each night?

I hope to camp as much as possible. I'm carrying a tent and cooking gear, and I don't want to carry that weight around for nothing! The West is supposed to have a lot more nice camping opportunities than the East, so I'd like to explore that.

How are you going to shower on the road when you're camping perhaps every night?

Showers are overrated! Really, I can go an abnormally long amount of time without bathing. It doesn't bother me, and as my existence will be mostly solitary, it shouldn't bother too many other people either. More developed campgrounds have shower facilities, and then there's always sponge baths, the rain, etc.

What will you do if it rains?

Get wet. I have fenders, lights, rain covers for all my gear, and a rain jacket if it gets cold. If it's a real strong storm I can always stop for a bit, but otherwise it's no big deal riding through rain, and it can often be refreshing.

What will you do if it snows?

I'll take pictures! Mountain snows are fairly rare this far from autumn, and it seems like most of it doesn't stick much.

How much does all that stuff weigh?

The bike plus all the gear weighs about 70 pounds.

How will you update this site?

I'm taking a computer with me, and hope to find enough libraries and WiFi hotspots to connect to the Internet around once a day.

Will you just ride on regular roads?

Yes, as that's generally the most efficient way to get anywhere.You can even ride on the Interstate highways out west, which I will have to do for at least a little while. Although it's quite subject to change, you can see my exact route that I planned before leaving.

You're going alone?

Yep. Even if I could find someone crazy enough to go with me, I enjoy the solitude and complete independence. While I will keep aware of safety and security issues, I don't think that's something to be overly worried about.