50 States Scheduling

Do you wonder if your marriage can hold up under fifty weeks traveling together? On a bike with a pop top trailer? Scheduling the trip can be the first test. Get a laminated map of the U.S. and decide who gets to write on it with the dry erase marker. If you can't come to an agreement within twenty seconds, forget the trip. You're going to have learn to work together!
The Little woman and I worked the calendar (below) out together, and were still speaking to one another (mostly) when finished. Good first step.
While it's 50 states in 50 weeks, some need more time. Alaska, Texas, and California get extra days just because of logistics. Texas is a thousand miles across! And it could take a week just to get to and from Alaska. So we stole some time from states like Nebraska and Kansas. The Little woman insists there are things to see in Kansas. And there are, like the World's Largest Prairie Dog, the World's Largest Ball of Twine, and the Barbed Wire Museum. Bonus time, the Oz Museum. Okay, the Dwight Eisenhower Museum too. But a week?
And Rhode Island. I bet with the trailer on, our bike would hang over both state lines.
Weather is a defining factor. It looks like winter will chase us down the Eastern Seaboard. Yet we can't go to Colorado or Alaska much earlier. It takes a bit of thought.
Want to mess up a schedule? Try to find a NASCAR race or motocross race to fit the trip. Or a Gold Wing gathering. That muddies the water.
We scheduled an extra week in Florida to spend Christmas with my son and his family. They just moved to Seattle. I'm going to make them fly to Florida and pretend they live there.
We do have some down time scheduled, which sounds funny. Vacation from a trip like this? Yes. The ride, day after day, can become a grind. We also plan to rest on Sundays.
The question everyone asks is "50 states?" On a motorcycle? How do you do Hawaii?" We'll fly there, rent one and stay in a motel. Alaska, we ride.
Next week, we'll give you the Ten Commandments of our trip.
Below is the tentative schedule, beginning on April 29, 2012.

Start Finish Days
Utah 29-Apr 7-May 8
Colorado 7-May 16-May 9
Kansas 16-May 21-May 5
Nebraska 21-May 25-May 4
Wyoming 25-May 31-May 6
Idaho 31-May 7-Jun 7
Washington 7-Jun 15-Jun 8
Alaska 15-Jun 30-Jun 15
Montana 30-Jun 6-Jul 6
N.Dakota 6-Jul 10-Jul 4
S. Dakota 10-Jul 16-Jul 6
Minnesota 16-Jul 23-Jul 7
Wisconsin 23-Jul 30-Jul 7
Iowa 30-Jul 4-Aug 5
Illinois 4-Aug 11-Aug 7
Indiana 11-Aug 18-Aug 7
Michigan 18-Aug 25-Aug 7
Ohio 25-Aug 31-Aug 6
Pennsylvania 31-Aug 7-Sep 7
New York 7-Sep 16-Sep 9
Vermont 16-Sep 22-Sep 6
Maine 22-Sep 29-Sep 7
New Hampshire 29-Sep 4-Oct 5
Mass. 4-Oct 10-Oct 6
Rhode Is. 10-Oct 13-Oct 3
Conneticut 13-Oct 19-Oct 6
New Jersey 19-Oct 25-Oct 6
Delaware 25-Oct 30-Oct 5
Maryland 30-Oct 6-Nov 7
W. Virginia 6-Nov 13-Nov 7
Virginia 13-Nov 20-Nov 7
Kentucky 20-Nov 27-Nov 7
Tennessee 27-Nov 4-Dec 7
N. Carolina 4-Dec 11-Dec 7
S. Carolina 11-Dec 18-Dec 7
Florida 18-Dec 1-Jan 14
Georgia 1-Jan 8-Jan 7
Alabama 8-Jan 15-Jan 7
Mississippi 15-Jan 22-Jan 7
Louisiana 22-Jan 29-Jan 7
Arkansas 29-Jan 5-Feb 7
Missouri 5-Feb 12-Feb 7
Oklahoma 12-Feb 19-Feb 7
Texas 19-Feb 6-Mar 15
New Mexico 6-Mar 13-Mar 7
Arizona 13-Mar 20-Mar 7
Hawaii 20-Mar 2-Apr 13
California 2-Apr 17-Apr 15
Oregon 17-Apr 25-Apr 8
Nevada 25-Apr 29-Apr 4
365