Piecing together a cross country route

[askmeaboutmybeard]

Hi everyone,
Please excuse my ignorance on this topic but I need some clarification on routes.
We are planning a cross country ride this summer. I haven't purchased any maps yet but our plan at this time is the TRANSAM route.
I've been reading through the posts and reviewing the maps on ACA and was wondering if there would be a better option for a cross country tour than the full transam route?

For example: The Western Express route would be ideal for us. If we were to take that route, what maps would you suggest to get from Pueblo to the east coast?

This will be our first tour of this sort and my son is only 13 so we are looking for the route that will be the most enjoyable for these circumstances.

Thanks for any suggestions...

[CMajernik]

If you want to purchase the Western Express plus the TranAm maps east of Pueblo the maps are already packaged in a set:
http://www.adventurecycling.org/store/index.cfm/product/76_17/western-express--transam-east.cfm

Have you done any reading about how challenging the Western Express is? Unless your son is an exceptional rider you might want to reconsider. There are LONG distances without any services that could really make him hate cycling. Read about it here:
http://adventurecycling.org/routes/westernexpress.cfm?pg=more

There are also journals written about the route here:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/

[askmeaboutmybeard]

Thanks Carla! I sent you a PM

[VeloVeg]

What Carla says is certainly true. I know your son is probably exceptional, but the WE route offers many challenges, even for a seasoned bike tourist. With that being said, The Western Express is my favorite ACA route, especially when you begin mid-May (W - E) in SF. You might find my post in this thread helpful regarding the route: (http://www.adventurecycling.org/forums/index.php?topic=10323.0).

I saw on another thread that you were leaning toward doing the E - W TransAm. Your first instinct still might be your best.

Best,
Ted

[staehpj1]

I saw on another thread that you were leaning toward doing the E - W TransAm. Your first instinct still might be your best.

The TA is a really nice route, and is a good sampling of the rural US.  I think the difficulty is just right, with the hardest part being the Appalachians IMO.  I haven't done the WE, but it looks like you would miss a lot of the best parts of the TA by going that way.