Southern Pacific
Southern Tier Bicycle Route
The Adventure Cycling Association Southern Tier Bicycle Route is ACA's shortest cross-country route and offers a wide variety of terrain, vegetation, climate, and people across the United States from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean.
The route is rich in human culture and history, ranging from the Spanish and Mexican influences in California, to the ancient indigenous pueblo cultures in Arizona and New Mexico, to the imprint of the Spanish conquistadors in Texas, to the bayous and French influences of Louisiana, to the Old South of Mississippi and Alabama, to a four-hundred-year-old city in Florida.
The route is a total of 3159 miles (5086 km) . The Southern Tier Route can be ridden between early fall and late spring. In September and May, there still might be some very hot weather to contend with at either end of the route.
Note that snow can occur at any time in the higher elevations in the Southwest during the winter, and the highest pass in New Mexico is over 8,000 feet (2400 meters). Riders doing a winter trip must remember that there will be short daylight hours. Due to changing local conditions, it is difficult to predict any major wind patterns, but there are a few known observations. In California, dry easterly winds predominate in the fall, blowing west from the desert. In western Texas, winds from the Gulf of Mexico will cause headwinds for eastbound riders.Hurricanes can occur from July through November along the Gulf Coast and the Florida panhandle and can also hit the Atlantic seaboard.
ROUTE
After climbing away from San Diego on the California coast and topping out at 3,800 feet (1160 meters), the desert appears. The route travels through the Yuha Desert and the below-sea-level, irrigated Imperial Valley, before splitting the Algodones Dunes Wilderness Area in half. In Arizona, the snowbirds abound as the route travels through Phoenix, Arizona, and its surrounding communities, and the copper-mining towns of Miami and Globe. The Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park east of Superior and the Besh Ba Gowah Archeological Park in Globe are attractions not to be missed. The route passes through dry, sparsely populated ranch country where every town will be a welcome sight and a chance to top off water bottles. New Mexico offers Silver City for the latte drinkers, along with the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, some of the best preserved Mogollon cliff dwelling.
About the Author
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 3RD Rail C5D Southern Pacific Brass 4 8 8 2 Cab Foreward O Scale 4116 Unused  US $1,979.00
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 BRASS O Glacier Park Southern Pacific MK 4 2 8 2 F P 3227 NO RESERVE US $1,775.00 |
 6 38031LIONELSOUTHERN PACIFIC 4 88 4 SCALE AC 9 3809FROM 2004FACSEALED US $1,599.99
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 NEW Lionel 4 6 2 Pacific Southern Crescent Ltd O 6 11334 NIB US $1,099.99
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 MTH SOUTHERN PACIFIC AC 6 LOCOMOTICE DIE CAST 20 3125 1 US $1,099.95
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 LIONEL 11334 SOUTHERN CRESCENT LIMITED PACIFIC 4 6 2 US $1,049.95
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 Lionel 6 11334 Southern Crescent Pacific US $999.99
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 LIONEL 11334 SOUTHERN CRESCENT 4 6 2 LEGACY SCALE PACIFIC MINT US $999.00
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 LIONEL TRAINS 6 18007 SOUTHERN PACIFIC GS 2 DAYLIGHT 4 8 4 LOCOMOTIVE TENDER US $900.00
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 MTH SOUTHERN PACIFIC 484 GS 4 STEAM ENGINE W PROTO SOUND 20 3029 1 US $899.95
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 LIONEL SOUTHERN PACIFIC GS 2 DAYLIGHT 4 8 4 LOCO TENDER 6 18007 NIB US $875.00
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 Southern Pacific Madison Heavyweight Passenger Five Car US $799.99
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 Lionel Train Set Southern Pacific GS 2 Daylight 4 8 4 Locomotive Tender4 Cars US $799.00
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 AS Williams Brass Southern Pacific Cab Forward 4 8 8 2 4294 O 2 Rail REMOTORED US $795.00
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 Southern Pacific LEGACY Alco PA Diesel A A 9 US $749.99
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 Lionel 34564 Southern Pacific PA AA Diesel Locomotive Set New In Original Box US $749.99
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 LIONEL SOUTHERN PACIFIC 4449 4 8 4 STEAM LOCO TN 8307 1983 NM LN LQQK US $749.95
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 Lionel 6 34564 Southern Pacific Alco PA A A Diesel US $703.99
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 Sunset Southern Pacific O Scale Brass Engine US $675.00 |
 Southern Pacific Shasta Daylight 18 Passenger 4 Pack US $639.99
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 Lionel 6 35445 Southern Pacific Shata Daylight 18 Passenger 4 Pack NIB US $639.99
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 WILLIAMS CROWN EDITION 2612 CDs SOUTHERN PACIFIC SPDAYLIGHT ALUM 7 CAR SET US $599.00
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 LIONEL 38197 SOUTHERN PACIFIC BLACKWIDOW ABA US $595.00
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 K 28882 SOUTHERN PACIFIC DAYLIGHT E 9 AA DIESEL ENGINES US $569.00
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 NEW LIONEL 11940 SOUTHERN PACIFIC WARHORSE SET SEALED US $555.00
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 MTH 30 1144 1 Southern Pacific 4 8 8 2 Cab Forward Steam Engine Proto 2 Upgrade US $550.00
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Is the Texas Gulf Coast more Tropical than Southern California's Pacific coast?
Is the Texas Gulf coast, Galveston area, more Tropical than Southern California's Pacific coast? Every time I see pictures of people out on the water in South Cal, they always seem to have jackets on. I always thought California was warm and tropical, but the feeling I get is the ocean in So Cal isn't as warm and Tropical as the Gulf of Mexico around Galveston. Is this true?
The ocean water is much warmer in Galveston than it is on So Cal. The warmer water makes the air much more humid, which makes it feel a lot warmer. Southern California is more temperate, meaning the air temperature doesn't change by a lot between winter and summer. It can get chilly at the beach in California, especially if it's foggy or if there's a breeze coming off the ocean. However, during the warm summer months Southern California beaches are beautiful. I think the weather here is perfect, I can't stand humidity.