The Bike Trip

So my father and I have been talking about a cross-country (US) bike trip for a little while, and a few years ago, I told my dad that maybe he shouldn't wait until I was available to do it (I seem to have a lot going on), but that if he really wanted to do it with me, I'd make it possible the summer of 2014.  Of course when you say this in 2012 or 2011, it seems like a long way away.

And now it's not.  Now we're gearing up for our bike trip, which we've modified to go south to north instead of east to west (for numerous reasons), and we're riding our bikes from New Orleans, LA to Hamilton, ON.  I plan to blog throughout the trip as well as write an article about it.

You can see the route above (for more detail just put New Orleans to Hamilton in Google maps and hit the bike icon for the route, more or less); what I'd be interested in from you, oh dear blog readers, is if you a) have suggestions for things we must see/do/eat along the way (can I tell you how excited I am about southern food?!) and b) if you know anyone who might want to put up two cyclists for a night along the route.  I'll be figuring out just where we'll be stopping along the way soon (based on an average of 50 miles a day).  Right now I'm trying to figure out whether a side trip to Florence, Alabama - home of Alabama Chanin - is feasible.

Your tips & referrals are really appreciated!