Sea-to-Shining-Sea Odyssey

Is this the year you take that truly epic trip? The Odyssey tours are Timberline Adventures' signature experiences. Over the years our Bicycle Odyssey has toured British Columbia from end to end, retraced the Lewis & Clark Expedition from Wood River, IL, to Astoria, OR, and chased the continental divide from the Mexican Border to Jasper, Alberta -- among other adventures. Yet it is our 2010 cross-country tour that stands out as the most ambitious. So naturally we're doing it again.

We believe every serious cyclist should do a cross-country tour at least once, but we've also broken it down into three segments for those whose schedule does not allow for two solid months of pedaling.

The 2015 Odyssey assembles in Seattle, WA and concludes in Portland, ME. We've chosen a route that is neither the shortest nor the easiest way to traverse the continent. But the quality of scenery and cycling, as well as the utter absence of urban chaos from beginning to end of our route, made it the obvious choice.

Grab a map and trace our course. We'll begin at Neah Bay, the most northwesterly point in the lower 48, and enjoy exquisite riding along the wonderful State Highway 20. From there, our route takes us through Glacier National Park and Montana's Highline. As we make our way through Glacier one of our stops will be the historic Lake McDonald Lodge, built in 1913. The lodge dates to a time when railways were expanding westward, building destination resorts to entice travelers from the east, and is typical of the type of accommodations we actively seek out.

From the mountains we'll enjoy the downhill ride into the wild beauty of North Dakota, the lake country of Minnesota and Wisconsin, Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Mackinac Island. We'll cross the border and cruise through the rolling rural countryside of Ontario, where we'll stop to take in Stratford's Shakespeare Festival. A touch of French Quebec will highlight the international flavor of the Canadian leg, including a layover day to cross the St. Lawrence and play tourist in Montreal.

Then it's back across the border to take in New York's Lake Champlain, northern Vermont and New Hampshire, our celebratory lobster feast in Belfast, ME, culminating in our heroic ride into beautiful Bar Harbor. The tour caps off with a visit to Acadia National Park on our final day which starts with a sunrise from atop Cadillac Mountain.

For those interested in riding only one or two segments, here is the breakdown:

Segment 1: Pacific to the Great Plains (June 8 - July 5)
Segment 2: Great Plains to Great Lakes (July 6 - July 20)
Segment 3: Great White North to the Atlantic (July 21 - August 5)

In our enthusiasm, we could ramble on forever about the details of Odyssey 2015. But if we've whetted your appetite and you have questions, please visit our website where we've broken this down with a day-by-day itinerary. Feel free to contact us by phone or e-mail. This is an enormous undertaking and we know you will have questions.

We have no doubt that this will be among the great adventures of our lives. We are limiting the group size to 12 bold souls. Will you be among them?