Isn't moving from Wisconsin to North Carolina a distinctly eastward trip?

Tell us more on what you want to do. Is this a pavement trip? A mountain bike trip? A gravel and dirt road trip? Probably some combination of the above, but let's at least talk percentages.

Do you have a bike or are you going to buy one?

Have you been over to visit the website of the Adventure Cycling Association? 
Read around on Crazy Guy on a Bike?
Checked the touring sections of the the major bike boards? 

All well and good, unless your tent/fly are already soaking wet from a long night of rain. Then you'd have to fold everything exceedingly carefully. 

Impressive bit of work.  Some of the charts aren't exactly intuitive to read, but once I got oriented, they did a great job.  The relationship between rider age and outcome was particularly interesting.