I would invest in one of those cooling vest. One word for your Westward trip: HOT!
Not necessarily this
one (first google result) but you get the idea.
Also, Plan on riding at the crack of dawn. Then around 1:30pm and thereafter be prepared to ride 50 or 60 miles between fill-ups so you can lounge in the air conditioned goodness of the gas station. Lounge until you feel the cold floors through the soles of your boots!
Oh yeah, gas stations are far and few between when you roll rural roads...
