Looks great from the photo's

Wednesday 18 January 2012

Helpful info

Info I've gathered through blogs, websites and emails to and from other Trans-Am'ers


Helpful info:
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Super 8 hotels
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“Bicycles 101 was a great help in getting us”
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Favorite towns: Lander,WY; Charlottesville, VA; Missoula, MT
Honorable mentions: Jeffrey City, WY; Ennis, MT
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“Managed to sort out a US SIM (AT&T month-by-month) for my iPhone. FYI – phone contracts in the States are about 3 times more expensive than they are in the UK.”
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“It is Tuesday evening and I have left my trusty bike with the guys at Newport Cycles, who are going to box it up in preparation for my flight home on Friday”
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“connecting flight to Norfolk, Virginia”
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Packing your bike
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“Towns with a population of more than 3000 are almost guaranteed to have a ‘good’ (depending on your perspective) selection of fast-food chains and other large chain shops etc. Towns with a population of less than 2000 almost never have these type of restaurants/shops.”
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“So, if you're on the trail, know that the services listed on the map at Austin Junction ARE open, and the owner is really nice. Also know that these 3 'little' mountains are serious business, even if they don't look like much on the map. Plan ahead and bring plenty of water!!”
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“I managed to find the cheapest option to get myself to Yorktown, the airport shuttle, and a 'cheap' Days Inn closest to where I wanted to be.

The front desk attendant, who turns out to be the owner of the place tells me that Yorktown is just 3 or 4 miles down the main road from where we are at.  It turns out that the legend is right. I've now ridden 8 miles, and am just coming up on Historic Yorktown.

The Yorktown Victory Monument is the official starting point of the Trans American Trail. Everyone stops here to get their picture taken before heading off into the sunset.”
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“There are really very few places to stay in Kentucky, at least on the route that I'm on. After the day I have had, this B&B in Hindman is a godsend. It's run by the guy who started the local historical society, and he greets me as I roll up with a giant cold glass of sweet tea, complete with a lemon wheel and a sprig of mint leaves. Off the bat amazing. He's got a giant 3 room tent set up in his backyard with air mattresses and sleeping bags so I don't have to set mine up. He makes me dinner, offers a hot shower, does my laundry and even has wifi.”
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“Turns out, the Asbury Inn is a beautiful hotel and I feel a little out of place walking in smelling like a dirty sock and all my dirty panniers in tow.” - Wilmore, KY
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 Hotel costs were on average 50-60 dollars. All were clean and nice with telly and showers etc, some had laundry too. Only bad ones were Jeffrey City and a real ramshackle place just as I crossed to Illinois I think.  The only times you get pricey ones is in tourist bits like Yellowstone, or in the bigger cities.
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“Rawlins - The first hotel was asking $129, the second $145 and so I took the Days Inn option at $95 which is still ludicrous compared to just about everywhere else on the trip”
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“The 18 miles to Saratoga were slow going due to the wind”
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http://www.gonnaridemybike.com/2011/06/day-50-da-boys-are-in-dubois/

Various other blogs had hinted that today’s ride could involve some serious headwinds so we set off early. I was riding by 5:55am.”
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“We were warned about mosquitos in Wisdom.”
“Everything in Wisdom (meaning a restaurant and gas station) closed at 5 pm.”
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"recovering from this morning’s 50+ mile ride with no gas stations, no grocery stores, no nothing apart from 1 long, straight road, "
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In terms of how far you plan to go each day, you tend to look on the maps, see where places are and maybe think – 40 miles to lunch or maybe 50 miles if there is a petrol station/store after 30 miles to snack at. Then in the afternoon you would think – there is a stop at 70 miles for the day but if my legs are good, I’d rather push on and do 90 miles as that is a bigger town with more choice of food/hotels/camping etc…
Once you’re up you’re up, so whether you are up at 5am or 9am, you still feel sleepy so I’d rather hit the road and get 20 miles under my belt by 8 or 9am which then means I have to do 30 more for lunch then 20 after lunch and I’ve done a nice 70 miles and have time to chill. This way you get time to relax either at the end of the day or if you see a nice shady tree at the side of the road that you fancy lying down by!

The wind doesn’t pick up until 8am onwards so in some places that is a major factor.
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“As I said, the TransAm takes a big detour up to Missoula and then heads south-west through Idaho and then through Oregon to the coast. It’s windy, hilly and the shorter version of it ends up in Florence – which although pretty, isn’t very convenient for any sort of onwards journey. On the other hand, the Lewis and Clark trail (which kind of follows in the footsteps of the great pioneers themselves) takes a much more direct route to the coast which also happens to be flatter and ends in Astoria (where the longer of the TransAm routes finishes too) – much more convenient for getting back to Portland and then onwards! We discussed it as a group and all agreed that we’d set out to cross America rather than to stick religiously to the TransAmerica route. So we’re hopping on the Lewis and Clark trail in a couple of days time when it diverges from the TransAm and we’re sprinting for the coast!”
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“Up at 6, riding by 7, done by noon. Quite often the blogs of people who rode the TransAm in previous years mention how they got up early to avoid the heat of the day (as we also took to doing). What I don’t remember though is any mention of the other reason for riding early in the day: the wind. Almost invariably the wind picks up during the day (no doubt related to the increase in temperature). If you ride early, you can avoid the strongest winds. And as the winds generally blow against you as you travel west, it pays to avoid the stronger winds!”
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“There's a couple of spots on the TransAm I'd try to book really early, cross my fingers, and hope.  The first is the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone.  Book spots early in January, as they fill up fast.  The second is the stretch through Jeffrey City; there's no lodging between Rawlins and Lander, if the reports of the Jeffrey City motel closing are true, and it's about 120 miles.  If you hit a bad headwind, like we did, you're going to be hurting.  I'd recommend you plan on two nights either side of that stretch to rest up before and after that ride.”
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http://cycleacrossamerica.co.uk/?p=606

“The last 11 miles to our destination, Chester (The home of Popeye) turned out to be a coal truck highway. There was no shoulder and we had huge 18 wheels flying past us and almost pulling us under. I must have had around 20 near death experiences in about half and hour. As we go to Chester things didn’t improve, they allow these trucks right into town cruising up and down main street. It’s crazy. As I mentioned the town is the home of Popeye who can be seen painted on just about every building. Me and Joe both agreed it was the worst place we had been to. We then met with some members of the ACA group, when of the women, Joyce had been clipped by one of the trucks and was really shook up, so much so that she had decided to quit the ride! The sheriff came to meet them as they reported the incident. Michael was contacting Adventure Cycling immediately to get the route changed.”

 
 How much did all this cost?
I kept track! As for lodging -- in 64 days on the road (including four nights in and around Jackson, Wyoming, when I was touring Yellowstone National Park by car), I spent 36 nights in hotels, for a total of $1522. That works out to an average hotel bill of about $42.25. I spent ten nights at paid campsites or in hostels and paid $93 total for those. (Cheaper!) The remaining 18 nights, I slept for free in city parks, folks' basements and in various other places that presented themselves. The total may sound a bit pricey but I wasn't making any serious effort to contain costs, and a person could reduce lodging expenses dramatically from mine. After all, there are very few nights when you really need to stay in a hotel.
I spent about $1800 on food. You are hungry all of the time, always, and I tried to keep at least two or three things to eat in my pocket or somewhere on the bike. Indeed I spent a lot of time in grocery and convenience stores looking for high-calorie, portable stuff. Occasionally I would buy raw materials and prepare something later, but for the most part actual meals were in restaurants. You could probably do better than $1800 by shading further toward groceries instead of restaurants (and by cutting out two or three pretty fancy meals Rob and I took). It is hard, though, to eliminate restaurants altogether. There's not always a grocery store handy when it's time for lunch, and though you can eat more cheaply by buying materials for two or three meals in advance, that can be a pain. Grocery store food is bulky, and when you're already loaded down with luggage you're not eager, or sometimes really able, to carry a full day's or more worth of food.
Otherwise. I spent maybe $60 on ferry tolls, laundry, showers and incidental items like chapstick, advil and sunscreen. In the course of the trip I mailed home several packages containing things like exposed film, stuff I found didn't need, or had purchased and didn't want to carry -- that totalled about $90. Other expenses: $150 on bike maintenance and parts, and cold weather clothing I didn't pack but wound up needing. Film, $75. Admission to museums and other tourist attractions, $30. Postcards, gifts, souvenirs were $200 -- which could be zero if you wanted it to be.
I paid for things with a combination of cash, credit cards and traveller's checks. There were many ATMs along the route and a few times instead of cashing a traveller's check I would replenish my cash from them. They were certainly handy, but there was no telling in advance where they might be, and I would advise against relying on them as your source of spending money.”
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http://www.biketouring.net/rides/xcountry/faq.html
 

How did you and the bike get home from the west coast?
Portland-to-DC ticket

I'd had a couple of days to kill in Portland, and without much trouble I was able to find a bike shop that, for a small fee, would pack the bike up securely in a standard cardboard bike box and then place a call to FedEx. On the morning of my flight home, I delivered the bike to the store and handed over $25 for the packing plus a FedEx label addressed to me care of my local bike store back home (this by pre-arrangement). Shipping (using FedEx slowest option) was something like $100. I had to get a FedEx account so the bike store could hand off the bike without my being there, but that was trivial. The bike arrived back east a few days later, safe & sound.”
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  “Rather than mail stuff to a motel or hotel, sending stuff to a post office via general delivery works great and has the advantage that you can stop at any post office and arrange to have it forwarded if you miss the connection for any reason.  They just forward it to another post office that you specify.  We did that when we either, passed through the town when the post office was closed, weren't ready for the stuff yet, or had altered our route.  They do not charge extra for forwarding.  I think the limit for them to hold a package is 30 days.”


“From the usps web site:
General Delivery

Get your mail even if you’re on the road, new to town, or between permanent addresses.
Mail addressed to you at General Delivery will be held at the area’s main Post Office for up to 30 days. All you have to do is pick it up.

General Delivery is a great choice if you don’t have a permanent address.
People can send you mail by using the town name and ZIP Code™, like this…

JOHN DOE
GENERAL DELIVERY
ANYTOWN NY 12345-9999

In medium to large cities with multiple ZIP Codes, you’ll want to make sure senders use the ZIP Code for the area’s main Post Office. The ZIP+4 extension 9999 indicates general delivery.

To find the main Post Office in an area, speak to any Post Office associate or call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777).

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Map updates:

“Can I stay in motels every night while riding across the country?
With very careful planning it is possible to stay in motels every night on all of our cross-country routes. You have to be flexible by having some days that will be longer and some that will be shorter. Hotels, motels, and B&Bs are listed on the backs of the maps with phone numbers, and it is good to call a day or two ahead to make sure that they are still open and that they have rooms available.”

“I won't go through all my clothing, but in summary, I had way too much. I survived with one pair of casual shorts and a casual shirt, 2 cycling tops, 2 nike under tops, one long sleeved top, 2 lycra shorts and some socks and boxers. There were plenty of laundromats or just sinks to do handwashing in, so this was plenty”



EMAILS:

Andy3
So…weather…
Every town I got to from half way onwards, they told me that they get this bad weather every ten years. The time of year I went- April/May/June should be nice and sunny but I think I got unlucky.
That said, I had planned for any weather so was prepared for it. If it rained I just put lycra shorts on as they dry in seconds and don’t hold water. My rain jacket was very effective and I shouldn’t have bothered with shoe covers as they were rubbish when I used them.
At night when it was cold I just kept my cycling kit on and put a  fleece and a thin beanie hat on. Same on cold days when riding – legins, fleece and jacket.
When you’re pedaling up mountains in the snow, that keeps you warm!
 For distance, you’ll find that some days 60 miles is nothing. Look on my blog from Jeffrey City to Lander – I did 60 miles by 11am then rested for the day!
If you’re going up mountains then  60-70 can take a bit longer though… I think one day I did about 30.
You’ll find soon enough though that 60 isn’t that much. I think I mentioned to you that before I left, I was doing 30 miles a day plus a 10 hour day in the office so it is easy enough. Also, if you’re not camping and just hotelling then you’ll have so little kit to carry that you could average 90 a day with no problems at all…honestly!
Coal trucks aren’t a big issue. There are maybe 2 stretches of a few miles with them on but that’s all. Just ride close to the kerb and you’ll be fine.
Hotel costs were on average 50-60 dollars. All were clean and nice with telly and showers etc, some had laundry too. Only bad ones were Jeffrey City and a real ramshackle place just as I crossed to Illinois I think.  The only times you get pricey ones is in tourist bits like Yellowstone, or in the bigger cities.
As for places to stop, it depends what you like. Almost every small town is quaint and friendly .I loved the feel of Lander as it was small but also had some good shops, a library, restaurants etc. Was a lot more cosmopolitan than most places….Equally, a lot of your opinion will depend on the weather. If it is raining hard and you’ve had a tiring day then a town may not seem as nice, if that makes sense? Equally if you have knocked off 70 miles by 3pm and it is sunny and there are ice creams then any town would seem nice.
Oh and for your question about timing, it is for several reasons .
a.)    It is cooler in the morning.
b.)    Once you’re up you’re up, so whether you are up at 5am or 9am, you still feel sleepy so I’d rather hit the road and get 20 miles under my belt by 8 or 9am which then means I have to do 30 more for lunch then 20 after lunch and I’ve done a nice 70 miles and have time to chill. This way you get time to relax either at the end of the day or if you see a nice shady tree at the side of the road that you fancy lying down by!
c.)     The wind doesn’t pick up until 8am onwards so in some places that is a major factor.
d.)    Traffic is rarely an issue.
In terms of how far you plan to go each day, you tend to look on the maps, see where places are and maybe think – 40 miles to lunch or maybe 50 miles if there is a petrol station/store after 30 miles to snack at. Then in the afternoon you would think – there is a stop at 70 miles for the day but if my legs are good, I’d rather push on and do 90 miles as that is a bigger town with more choice of food/hotels/camping etc…
Does that make sense?

“Hopefully this will help, but ultimately you will figure out a lot on the road and there is such a thing as over planning and it's fun to get out there and figure it out.

1) Mostly camping, church's, fire stations, and the free places listed on the ACA maps.  For a good look at cost here is a link to a touring blogging friend and he outlined his accommodation costs - http://www.gonnaridemybike.com/2011/07/the-stats/

2) For bare-bone essentials for me was - tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, ridding clothes and one set off the bike, toiletries, bike multi-tool, tubes / patches.  But I learned weight didn't really matter and I wouldn't stress about it as your going to go the pace your going to go.  I went through 3 "rain" jackets before I found one that actually didn't soak through after some time.  But for me layers were the key, thin light layers that you can combine to make your super cold / wet riding gear.  Here is what I ended up carrying and didn't mind it at all - http://work2ride.wordpress.com/about/my-gear/  Another good resource to ask questions to - http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php/47-Touring

3) Checkout my post here - http://work2ride.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/mapping-things-out/ the ACA maps have a free GPX map download that you can use with other apps to see basically what they give you in the furnished copies of the maps.  I am also selling my stuff off here - http://austin.craigslist.org/bik/2492344123.html

4) Starting out in the first week your body adjusts and that would be the hardest times (supposedly if you can make it the first 10 days, then your all set for the rest of the way).  Because of that we started out with lower mileage and worked our way up.  If you woke up to rain it was a little hard to take down camp and know your going to get soaked, but also use your rest days how you want, if you don't have a firm schedule and the wind is really blowing in your face take a day off.

Again I spent way more time planning and worrying about the little things, just get out there and ride and don't let a piece of gear or clothing stop you.  Here is a post I liked from a blog I followed before starting - "Your doing it WRONG" - http://pathlesspedaled.com/2010/11/youre-doing-it-wrong/

Places NOT to visit and info etc:


Places NOT to visit and info etc:


Coal trucks page 27 of Ryans blog, popeye town too, also bad
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http://www.gonnaridemybike.com/page/5/

Jackson is not a cyclist-friendly town
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http://www.transamericatrailcycle.com/2008/05/freaksville.html

“I am in a scabby hotel in a scabby town full of
scabby freaks -Jeffrey City, Wyoming. I don't even have the basic
hotel essentials such as TV or wifi”
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http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1r4vFZo&page_id=216669&v=BY

“by 10:30 we're checking into the worst dump I've paid for that calls itself a motel. FYI, don't stay at the Traveler's Inn Motel in Pueblo. The sheets are stained, stinky and dirty. The bed is terribly uncomfortable. It's the kind of place you don't want to take you shoes off in.”
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http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1r4vFZo&page_id=191835&v=Em

“DO NOT even bother to try to stay here: motel at Cave in Rock. See previous picture!”
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“Yellowstone - and the hotels in the parks cost almost $200 a night!”
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Coal trucks aren’t a big issue. There are maybe 2 stretches of a few miles with them on but that’s all. Just ride close to the kerb and you’ll be fine.
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http://enormousbikeride.blogspot.com/2009/08/saturday-sometime-in-august.html

“Between Rawlings and Lander are miles of nothing and the only town (well, an ex-uranium mining town with a population of 50) is Jeffrey City, which has 1 cafe. Mum and dad got there before me and warned me the woman running the place was a bit hard work” Avoid like the plague
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http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1r4vFZo&page_id=234390&v=7A

“Arriving in Jackson, I very quickly realize that it's a tourist town. The kind of tourist town that takes advantage of tourists and charges them nickel and dime for even the crappiest of motels.”
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“It took me about 6 hours to do 70 miles, with no bags. I had to cycle hard downhill, which wasn't a satisfactory state of affairs. There was a clue in the names of things though...Wind River, Wind Ridge, Wind River Indian reservation ”Wyoming VERY windy
Next, a list of B&B's, hotels/motels recommended by other bloggers.  These are not my reviews btw.



places to stay:


“Up ahead is Main Street, which technically puts me back on route. And there is the ever so nice Budget Inn that I promptly check in to. (Christiansburg)”
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harrodsburg - Kentucky:
http://jeffridesforcancer.blogspot.com/2011/05/sunday-my-22-harrodsburg-ky.html

“Economy Inn here in Harrodsburg”
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Kentucky:
http://enormousbikeride.blogspot.com/2009/07/day-12-sunday-19th.html

“somewhere near the Falls of Rough, still Kentucky (although I have crossed a time zone now). I'm staying with Beth and Garry who found me via facebook and offered me a place to stay for the night - and very cool it is too. Right out in the sticks, 70 acres of fields, woods, a stream, rocks, a couple of horses, dogs and cats. There were chickens but the coyotes got them. They are just finishing off building their new house next to this 'cabin' where they live now. They are cyclists and offer their place for the night to other cyclists in need of a shower and a decent nights kip”
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“Berea - This place is cool, a cross between Hebden Bridge and Chorlton, a bit smarter, and without the homoshexules - there is still a lot of God here. I've actually eaten real food - cookies that have recently come out of an oven and not a packet and ice cream that was home made. I've been trying to find some fruit and veg to eat but didn't see anywhere whilst I was cycling round so asked at the tourist office. Literally, the only place that sells fruit in the whole town.  Berea is the craft and folk capital of Kentucky and is in the top 25 small art towns in the US (can you tell I'm using the computer in the tourist office?). I'm staying at the Morning Glory B+B (!!!) (well, I had to look) which is so-named after the Morning Glory flowering plant (Bindweed in the UK I think). It's cool - the people who run it are weavers so there is all handmade stuff all over, and as I type they are making stuff on the looms in the shop downstairs.”
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Illinois:
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“Parry and John & Bill had told us about the pool in Eureka and to ask for Becky when we got there. Turns out Becky, a mother of five and the swimming pool manager, regularly hosts cyclists at her home. We spent a lazy afternoon by the pool, watching kids nearly kill themselves as they leaped off the diving board in all sorts of contorted ways. Rest assured Tom Daily – your title is safe for the time being! Matt made the mistake of taking his t-shirt off for about 30 seconds and is now sporting some nice red shoulders.”
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Kansas: 
Elaine's Bicycle Oasis 215 W Washington Bazine, KS 67516 785-398-2231
http://enormousbikeride.blogspot.com/2009/07/friday-31st-july.html

"about 15 miles from Bazine where there was Elaine's Bicycle Oasis, where we all decided we were staying, mainly because of the promise of the hot shower. Got there, home-cooked meal almost ready, finally had the hot shower, which felt soooo good, then stuffed ourselves on chicken, pasta, pesto, home-grown sweet corn, tomatoes, squash etc etc. It was fantastic. Elaine and Dan were great too. 7th Day Adventists I think (no idea what that means exactly), really generous, happy to feed up weary cyclists. - (B+B for cyclists) "
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"Elaine and Dan who run a B and B we stayed at. It and they were fantastic. "

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ordway – Colorado:

“We stopped for lunch on 85 miles and then had a 7 mile ride to Ordway. While eating ice cream and fooling around in the fountains we met Andy from Montana, heading east to Nashville. We all stayed the night with Gillian, a warmshowers host and her family, which includes her husband Mark and a host of various noisy farmyard animals!”
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hot sulphur springs – Colorado:

“The B&B, called the StageCoach B&B Café was originally built in 1876, and the current owner, Christine, had just recently acquired the place.
I've never actually stayed at a B&B before, but this place is pretty cool. Themed rooms, clean bathrooms, a restaurant and a TV room make it feel cozy. Even better, there are Minnesota themed posters all over the place: turns out the owner's husband is from Minnesota, and I feel at home with pictures of my hometown and hometown sports teams on the walls. ”
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silverthorne – Colorado:

“I'm nearly an hour late arriving at my warmshowers.org host's house.
Randy and Roberta are a lovely retired couple from New York that have settled in Silverthorne in a beautiful home. They've done multiple tours, including the Pac Coast and Northern Tier, so they understand they cycling culture very well.”
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canon city – Colorado:

“Canon City (pronounced Canyon) quickly appears, and we book ourselves into the newly renovated and CLEAN motel called the Colorado Inn. Highly recommended if you're on the trail. I feel like I'm in a 5 star accommodation after the craphole I was staying in for the past 4 days!!”
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Ca̱on City РColorado:

“Canon City (pronounced Canyon) quickly appears, and we book ourselves into the newly renovated and CLEAN motel called the Colorado Inn. Highly recommended if you're on the trail. I feel like I'm in a 5 star accommodation after the craphole I was staying in for the past 4 days!!”
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ordway - Colorado:

“We stopped for lunch on 85 miles and then had a 7 mile ride to Ordway. While eating ice cream and fooling around in the fountains we met Andy from Montana, heading east to Nashville. We all stayed the night with Gillian, a warmshowers host and her family, which includes her husband Mark and a host of various noisy farmyard animals!”
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Hot Sulphur Springs  - Colorado:

“The B&B, called the StageCoach B&B Café was originally built in 1876, and the current owner, Christine, had just recently acquired the place.
I've never actually stayed at a B&B before, but this place is pretty cool. Themed rooms, clean bathrooms, a restaurant and a TV room make it feel cozy. Even better, there are Minnesota themed posters all over the place: turns out the owner's husband is from Minnesota, and I feel at home with pictures of my hometown and hometown sports teams on the walls. ”
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silverthorne lake dillon – Colorado:

“I'm nearly an hour late arriving at my warmshowers.org host's house.
Randy and Roberta are a lovely retired couple from New York that have settled in Silverthorne in a beautiful home. They've done multiple tours, including the Pac Coast and Northern Tier, so they understand they cycling culture very well.”
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Pueblo – Colorado:
http://bicyclelife.topicwise.com/doc/page/?o=1&page_id=261619&v=2T

GuestHouse Inn & Suites, $50 inc. tax & breakfast (cyclist discount) www.guesthousepueblo.com
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Florence – Colorado:
http://bicyclelife.topicwise.com/doc/page/?o=1&page_id=261472&v=4S

Super 8 Florence, $71 inc. tax & breakfast www.super8.com
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Canon City – Colorado:
http://bicyclelife.topicwise.com/doc/page/?o=1&page_id=261344&v=5a

Parkview Motel, $60 inc. tax www.parkviewinnmotel.com
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Guffey – Colorado:

Guffey Historic Hostels ("Hog Barn") $35, (Bill Soux) (719)689-3291 www.guffeycolorado.com
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Hartsel – Colorado:
http://bicyclelife.topicwise.com/doc/page/?o=1&page_id=261097&v=BF

Hartsel Springs Guest Ranch, $98 inc. tax & breakfast, no credit cards, paid w/ check www.hartselspringsranch.com
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Fairplay – Colorado:

Hand Hotel B & B, $87 inc. tax & breakfast www.handhotel.com
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Breckenridge – Colorado:
http://bicyclelife.topicwise.com/doc/page/?o=1&page_id=260916&v=BT

Lodge & Spa at Breckenridge, $90 inc. tax & breakfast www.thelodgeandspaatbreck.com -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keystone – Colorado:

Aspen Ridge Condos, $122 inc tax www.lodgingcompany.com/r101/p1_Keystone_lodging.html
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Heeney – Colorado:
http://bicyclelife.topicwise.com/doc/page/?o=1&page_id=259955&v=G0

Melody Lodge Cabins, $155 + tax, www.melodylodgecabins.com
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Hot Sulphur Springs – Colorado:

Hot Sulphur Springs Resort, $118 inc. tax & breakfast www.hotsulphursprings.com
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WY to Walden – Colorado:
http://bicyclelife.topicwise.com/doc/page/?o=1&page_id=259704&v=Iv

Chedsey Motel, $55 inc. tax & breakfast www.coloradodirectory.com/chedseymotel/
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lander – Wyoming:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1r4vFZo&page_id=228014&v=88

“Luckily, the motel I choose, which seems to be a throwback to the early 70's but is clean and newly redecorated, has not only coin laundry available but a hot tub!” in Lander
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jackson – Wyoming:
http://www.transamericatrailcycle.com/2008/05/jackson-hot-springs.html

“I had heard good things about Jackson Hot Springs Lodge and picked up a basic lodging for $28”
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saratoga colorado – Wyoming: ??????

“Riverside. Cold and wet we stopped in a bar for a quick snack. We made arrangements to stay in a motel in Saratoga, before Graham received an email from Tom, a warmshowers host in the same town, letting us know that we could stay at his girlfriends house.”
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Lazy Acres Motel, $81 including tax, www.lazyacreswyo.com
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Saratoga – Wyoming:

The Wolf Hotel Restaurant, it was THE place to be on Friday nite

Sage & Sand Motel, $54 inc. tax www.sageandsandmotel.net
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Rawlins – Wyoming:

Quality Inn, $89 + tax www.qualityinn.com
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Jeffrey City – Wyoming:

Monk King Bird Pottery trailer, donation your choice ($50) www.monkkingbirdpottery at gmail dot com
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Lander – Wyoming:

Silver Spur Motel, $65 inc. tax www.silverspurmotellander.com
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Dubois – Wyoming:

Longhorn Ranch & RV Resort, $96 inc. tax & breakfast www.Thelonghornranch.com
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Togwotee Mountain Lodge – Wyoming:

Togwotee Mountain Lodge, $160 inc. tax www.togwoteelodge.com
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Colter Bay – Wyoming:

Colter Bay Village, $150 inc. tax www.gtlc.com
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 MT to Grant Village (Yellowstone, – Wyoming:)

Grant Village Lodge, $173 inc. tax www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com
*Note: If planning on doing this as a credit card trip, Yellowstone lodging is your lynchpin. Yellowstone lodges book up a year in advance so make your reservation as soon as you can guesstimate when you will be there. View availability online and watch daily for an opening. In February I found an opening online at Grant and reserved 3 nites in a row. All Yellowstone lodging is handled by the Xanterra company with a full refund if cancelled 48 hours in advance. In June, I was able to narrow down which nite we needed and cancel the other two nites.*
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Stevensville - Montana:
http://www.transamericatrailcycle.com/2008/05/ascent-and-descent.html

“another hotel and have found a real beauty called the Stevenson Hotel. It is some sort of historic building and I have a suite with its own jacuzzi and a PC for 30 quid! Bargain bucket!”
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sheridan - Montana:
http://www.transamericatrailcycle.com/2008/05/super-sunday.html

“Ruby Valley and the town of Sheridan on the dot of 6 feeling pretty well cycled out after 115 miles today so I checked into the Moriah Motel which included getting my laundry done in the $50 a night price so I was happy looking at the storm clouds building up outside.”
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Hamilton – Montana:

Hamilton – “we made our way to the home of Brian and Laurie, warmshowers hosts. One of the biggest unknowns of this trip is our day to day accommodation and after spending last night camping in a soggy field, we turned up at their home to find absolute luxury”
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Ellington - Montana:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1r4vFZo&page_id=192756&v=Ci

“I duke it out over some tough hills thinking that the Ozarks have nothing on me, and arrive at my destination for the evening: Ellington. (yes, pun intended)
I've arranged a place to stay for the night though warmshowers.org, and Wayne and Betsy are kind enough to provide a bed, BBQ dinner and, yes, a warm shower to this tired cyclist.”
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Jackson – Montana:
108 Jardine Avenue  Jackson, Montana 59736, United States (406) 834-3151

“I had heard good things about Jackson Hot Springs Lodge and picked up a basic lodging for $28”
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sheridan - Montana:
220 S Main  Sheridan, MT 59749, United States (406) 842-5491

“Ruby Valley and the town of Sheridan on the dot of 6 feeling pretty well cycled out after 115 miles today so I checked into the Moriah Motel which included getting my laundry done in the $50 a night price so I was happy looking at the storm clouds building up outside.”
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hamilton – Montana:

Hamilton – “we made our way to the home of Brian and Laurie, warmshowers hosts. One of the biggest unknowns of this trip is our day to day accommodation and after spending last night camping in a soggy field, we turned up at their home to find absolute luxury”
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West Yellowstone - Montana:

Priceline and hotels.com
Pioneer Motel, $77 inc. tax www.pioneermotelwy.com
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West Fork Cabin Camp - Montana:

West Fork Cabin Camp, $85 + tax www.wfork.com
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Virginia City - Montana:

Fairweather Inn, $99 inc. tax www.aldergulchaccommodations.com
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Dillon - Montana:

Super 8, $74 inc. tax & breakfast www.super8.com
we were underwhelmed at the Super 8
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Jackson - Montana:

Jackson Hot Springs Lodge, $45 inc. tax & hot spring pools www.jacksonhotsprings.com
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Sula - Montana:

Lost Trail Hot Springs Resort, $82 inc. tax & hot spring pools www.losttrailhotsprings.com
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Darby - Montana:

Travellers Rest, $80 inc. tax www.travellersrestmt.us/
Our cabin at Travellers Rest is one of the best yet - it's huge, twice the size of a motel room, with vaulted ceilings, kitchen, candy (I'm easy), and all clean and new. Log home manufacture is Hamilton's major industry and local businesses all partake. Darby's downtown is adorable.
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Missoula - Montana:

Days Inn (University), $71 inc. tax & breakfast www.daysinn.com
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Montana-Idaho state line:

Hamilton - Montana-Idaho state line

“We haven’t been able to make too much use of warmshowers hosts so far as there just aren’t any in most of the small towns we pass through. But when we do, they’ve all been great. And today was no exception. Actually they set the bar so high it will be mighty hard to better! Brian and Laurie live in an awesome big house just outside Hamilton”
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Idaho:

Powell – Idaho:

Lochsa Lodge, $92 inc. tax www.lochsalodge.com
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Lowell – Idaho:

Three Rivers Resort, $75 inc. tax www.threeriversresort.com
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White Bird – Idaho:

White Bird's battlefield is one of the only places where Indians defeated the U.S. Army

The town of White Bird is tiny, the Chief White Bird Motel the dumpiest yet. The only other motel is Hoots, before you get into town
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New Meadows – Idaho:

Meadows Valley Motel, $59 inc. tax & breakfast www.meadowsvalleymotel.com
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Cambridge – Idaho:

Frontier Motel, $62 inc. tax www.frontiermotel.net
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Oregon:

North Bend / Coos Bay - Oregon:

Parkside Motel: $52 inc
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Oxbow - Oregon:

Hillside B & B, $115 inc. tax & breakfast, no credit cards, checks OK www.hellscanyonchamber.com
Hells Canyon B & B is actually in Oxbow, up a road off the main drag.
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Richland - Oregon:

Hitching Post Motel - $67 inc. Tax
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Baker City - Oregon:

Geiser Grand, $119 inc. tax www.Geisergrand.com
Geiser Grand, $129 inc. Tax

Barley Brown's brewery
Gold in bank!
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Sumpter - Oregon:

Depot Inn, $75 inc. tax www.thedepotinn-sumpter.com
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Prairie City - Oregon:

Historic Hotel Prairie, $97 inc. tax www.Prairiecityoregon.com/prairie-city-Hotel-oregon-prairie.html (click on left on Hotel Prairie under Lodging)
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Dayville - Oregon:

Fish House Inn, $76 inc. tax www.fishhouseinn.com
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Mitchell - Oregon:

Oregon Hotel B & B, $71 inc. tax & breakfast
www.theoregonhotel.net
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Prineville - Oregon:

Econolodge, $65 inc. tax & breakfast www.econolodge.com
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Sisters - Oregon:

Sisters Inn & Suites, $97 senior rate including tax & breakfast www.sistersinnandsuites.com
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McKenzie Bridge - Oregon:

Caddisfly Resort, $82 inc. tax www.caddisflyresort.com
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Vida - Oregon:

McKenzie River Inn B & B isn't nearly as swank as Catbird, more cottagelike
McKenzie River Inn B & B, $108 inc. tax & breakfast www.mckenzieriverinn.com
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Alvadore - Oregon:

The Catbird Seat B & B, $104 inc. tax & breakfast, no credit cards yet, paid w/ check www.thecatbirdseatbandb.com - Alvadore, OR
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Mapleton - Oregon:

Maple Lane RV Park and Marina (one night rental of 2-bedroom mobile home with W/D), $125 inc. tax. Note at front desk also offered a fifth wheel for $50. www.maplelanervparkandmarina.com
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Reedsport - Oregon:

Economy Inn: $63 inc. tax & breakfast ( biker discount & senior discount) Don just turned 60 - woot woot!! www.economyinnreedsport.com - Reedsport Economy Inn.


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????
At Hamilton I stopped...


“another hotel and have found a real beauty called the Stevenson Hotel. It is some sort of historic building and I have a suite with its own jacuzzi and a PC for 30 quid! Bargain bucket!”