Post 3 - Google Maps

So what really goes into planning a month-long bike trip?  The best strategy may be:  Pack a PB&J sandwich, make an ATM withdrawal and set off for Canada with a six-pack of Labatt’s.  What better way to see the great white north – Eh Hoser?

Yeah, maybe there are a couple more considerations.  The first and most important one is:  Where will you eat and sleep?  I am ready to make camp with a tent that weighs just over 3 lbs. plus air mattress and 40° rated sleeping bag.  This picture is from a recent overnight training excursion to South Haven, MI  

But you can’t just pitch a tent anywhere – the authorities frown upon that.  I also prefer the safety of being surrounded by like-minded people.  So, thanks to Google Maps I have scoped out just about every campground and civilized lodging along the entire 1,390 mile route.  Eating is another matter.  Riding 8 hours daily will require some calories and I don’t intend to miss many meals.  Although I would not be opposed to cooking, hauling equipment and food is weight prohibitive so meals will be taken at restaurants or by consuming the occasional emergency protein bar.  There are a surprising number of options for dining around Lake Superior even if they are not Michelin rated.

Through the magic of Google Maps, this trip will feel like my second time around the lake.  Not only have I cataloged lodging and dining, I made a record of distance between population centers (some are not large enough to be called cities).  Google bike map mode conveniently provides distance and elevation which should give me a better gauge to the effort required to get from place to place.  Thanks to the glaciers that once occupied this space, there are more hills than a biker would prefer.  As an example, here is a 111 mile stretch on the northern shore in Ontario.