Track your own travels! Click the button below to get copies of the spreadsheet, and if you're a map nerd, the gpx files.
Tri state markers
State's highest points
State capitols
All US counties
Coloring pages for the analog enthusiasts: I printed these for my kids to fill in as we travel to start their own project.
I also keep a copy of these for myself just in case I lose my digital data. It's a lot of work to track all this, so I don't want to lose it.
"Glacial Ridge Excellent Adventure Tour", located in the area of Glenwood, Terrace, and Sunburg, Minnesota. A rural scenic byway trip that includes roadside oddities and historical sites.
A dual sport ride in the area between Alexandria and Detroit Lakes, Minnesota including Maplewood State Park and many roadside folk art installations. The Thomas Dambo troll art installations are not in the route, but they make a great additional day trip in the Detroit Lakes area (hiking required).
G.R.E.A.T. and Odder Otter are routes featuring a mix of paved, gravel, and dirt roads.
Either route can be done with a car or on a motorcycle.
There are sections that will require above average ground clearance (G.R.E.A.T.) and AWD/4x4 (Odder Otter).
G.R.E.A.T. has a couple gravel roads that can get washed out, and a couple dirt roads. They are easily bypassed, but no specific alternatives are included in the route files.
Odder Otter has a couple dirt roads and a couple off road trails. The files include go-around alternative routing for cars.
I offer personally guided tours if my schedule allows it. Price is filling my gas tank and buying snacks/lunch. Maximum of three bikes (plus me) in the tour group.
How I manage group rides:
I ride in front and stop at corners until I see the person behind me put on a blinker to acknowledge the turn. That person repeats for the next rider.
This way we don't have to eat dust all day, but still stay together. I also stop at interesting sights. Want to take a picture? Go ahead, stop and take one.
If nobody shows up at your corner, STAY THERE until the person in front of you backtracks to re-group the bikes.
If you can't maintain at least 30-45 on gravel, don't even think about asking for a guided tour. I don't do rider training. At 30 mph this will be sun up to sun down riding. I generally ride 45-60 mph.
The Bruce Hitman Heron Rookery Scientific and Natural Area island in Lake Johanna is viewable on the G.R.E.A.T. route with binoculars, but with enough notice we can also put my boat in the lake and see it up close.
The routing is done in a way that will guide you right to the points of interest if you prefer solo rides. There is also plenty of information in the forum posts and on the Google My Maps shown below.
Ride the Trans Wisconsin Adventure Trail from Point Detour, WI all the way across the state to the Illinois border. There are routes for both off-highway vehicles and an overland route for your car. Files are from the original creator of the route, before the original/official website stopped working.