Click to see a very approximate plan of the ride using Yahoo Trip Planner
(Or printable format:
)
The maps below are of the Departure and Destination locations
and are interactive and "clickable". They are loaded into the page from
and may take a while to load. If they do not load properly you can click on the names of the animal shelters or on the "View Larger Map" link under each area to open Google Maps in a new browser window or tab.
Using the maps you can:
- Zoom In or Out, Pan Right or Left (that's East or West to those with basic geography skills)
- Move North or South (that's Up or Down to those without basic map reading skills)
- Get Directions (if you have any doubts about Bill Craig's navigational skills)!
|
Departing From: Operation Kindness The largest "No-Kill" animal shelter in Texas 3201 Earhart Drive Carrollton Texas TX 75006 |
Finishing At: |
|
View Larger Map |
View Larger Map |
For those interested in cycling, whether as the means to become and stay fit and healthy, or simply to get off the polluted streets and out into the fresh air to enjoy an outdoor pursuit, you may be interested in the proposed National "Bicycle Route System" or USBRS. There is such a wealth of very interesting content on that site, but please come back here afterwards!
The aim is to create a massive spider web of interlinked routes specifically for cyclists to use safely, and I truly hope the plan comes to full fruition. To see some of the more interesting routes already in existence, please click here to open the Adventure Cycling Association Route Network
(This is a "PDF File" which requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to be installed on your computer. If it does not open, then please read the PDF Tips page.)
There is a blog entry that specifically discusses Bike Routes in the state of Georgia.
Of particular interest to those wishing to explore further than the track around the duck pond in their local park (and there is nothing wrong with that), there are lots of Ready Made Maps of cycle routes all over the United States available from this excellent website, and also a range of Guided Tours with seasoned cyclists to suit most ages and levels of fitness or experience.
Getting back to my own cycle ride a significant distance across America, and for those who may already be at a reasonable level of fitness and interested in adventure and challenges, the Bike Across America website is packed with useful information and advice.
How many of you have ever heard of "The Silver Comet Trail"?
Something to do with trains? Well yes it is, as a matter of fact, but not these days.
The Silver Comet Trail, once used as a passenger railway service for the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, is located 13 miles northwest of Atlanta, Georgia and is a project of the "Rails to Trails Conservancy", a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting local communities in converting unused railroad corridors into trails by paving over them.
The "Comet", as we call it here in Georgia, begins in Smyrna and currently ends after 61 miles at the Alabama state line near Cedartown. In the very near future, further construction will link it to the "Chief Ladiga" trail in Alabama which, with an additional 33 paved miles, will carry cyclists as far as Anniston. Rails to Trails' ultimate goal is to connect the lower 48 states to one another, thereby making it possible to travel the US by bicycle.
There are many such bike trails in the US, but the Comet is special to me as it is where I took up bicycling, and where I learned to relax and enjoy the scenery as well as the wildlife one is likely to encounter. Therefore, even though I now live 28 miles away in another county, it has sentimental value and I like to return there from time to time - as I am now, training for C2CR2C - to enjoy its natural beauty.
Sadly though, cycling or walking in some isolated and beautiful places is not without risk. There is always some element of risk in just about anywhere you might go in this crazy and violent world these days, but it does pay to be vigilant if out cycling or walking alone in isolated places. There can be some very strange people sharing these beauty spots, but with different motives. Thankfully incidents of a frightening or violent nature are pretty rare, but while I do not wish to sound alarmist or to spoil the fun of cycling for anyone, please inform relatives or friends of your intended route, and carry a mobile phone with you if out alone on your bike.
The Silver Comet Trail can be seen on Google Maps thanks to a fairly recent inclusion of a new "layer" that can be shown. Back in 2009 there was an article in the Google Blog discussing the new feature which allows viewers to see Cycle Routes suggested by members of the public. Click on the "More" dropdown button at the top of some maps on Google maps (most notably urban areas) and choose "Hide All". Now choose from "Map" or "Satellite" view and repeat your "More" selection, checking only the "Bicycling" box. It superimposes a green dotted line showing recognized cycling routes onto the map.
Google Maps also has a "Get Directions" feature in the left pane which allows you to choose a bicycle as your mode of transport and provide directions from your selected source to destination. It is in "Beta" (trial) format at present and relies upon public input for corrections, but this technology presumably will extend as Google Street View has done and provide a very valuable resource.
Take the example of entering a route from Carrollton, TX to Carrollton, GA into the "Get Directions" boxes:
It takes a little while to load, but you should see a thick blue line on the Resultant Map. Immediately apparent from the map is the fact that it suggests a cycle route roughly following the direction of Highway 30 and not 20 which is the line I will be taking. My route is largely dictated by where the enterprise ® support vehicle can go. By zooming in and suspending the mouse over a place on the highlighted route it offers a "Drag to Change Route" option, but it is not easy to use without inadvertently creating a long diversion that goes in a big loop right back to the place it left off.
Going back to the Silver Comet Trail, you will see roughly where members of the public have entered its starting point at Smyrna, Georgia. You will see the cycle route as a dark green line, but there are also parts where the route has gone off on spurs and other cycle routes have been added by the public.
Yes, the public! The Google Blog aptly named It's Your World. Map It. discusses how any of us can submit information to Google about an area, place, road, and cycle route. Additionally, at the bottom of any Google Map (look back up at the ones near the start of this page) you have a "Report a Problem" link where you can submit issues such as a correction to data. There is a helpful YouTube Video showing you how easy it is, but before you go off shaking your head and wondering if Google have more faith in humanity than you do, and are willing to entrust any Tom, Dick, or Harry to correct their maps, they will not amend data without proper verification!
Despite having such great planning tools at our disposal, I shall be using a mobile "GPS" device. I can tell you that it is not made by Garmin, who failed to respond to my very reasonable application for sponsorship.
I will sign off with a video that clearly explains the importance of "Bicycle Repair Technicians", and you will find such experts resident at the Richardson Bike Mart, Texas, and Perpetual Motion Bicycles Inc, Carrollton, Georgia, both of whom are kindly sponsoring the C2CR2C ride.
Bill Craig
