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When Bilbo was talking with Frodo when he arrived at Rivendell, Bilbo said that he had wandered for a while. After he wandered for a while, He arrived at Rivendell and went to Dain with some dwarves. After Dain, he came back to Rivendell and stayed there. So my question is where did Bilbo wander before going to Rivendell?

Bilbo had not much to say of himself. When he had left Hobbiton he had wandered off aimlessly, along the Road or in the country on either side; but somehow he had steered all the time towards Rivendell. ~ Fellowship of the Ring, Book 2

(emphasis mine)

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  • I can't commit to an answer, but this might help. It looks like he hasn't got many options, if he wants to arrive before Frodo at rivendell.
    – AncientSwordRage ♦
    May 12, 2013 at 14:20
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    @Pureferret Bilbo had 17 years to wander around before the other Hobbits left the Shire. See scifi.stackexchange.com/q/7304/3267
    – Kevin
    May 12, 2013 at 15:02
  • Yes, but the question is where did he wander?
    – jacen.garriss
    May 12, 2013 at 16:07
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    Not simply into Mordor, that's for sure.
    – commando
    May 13, 2013 at 0:11

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The only definitive statement that I'm aware of about Bilbo's wanderings is Gildor's words in Three is Company:

'Tell me, Gildor, have you ever seen Bilbo since he left us?'

Gildor smiled. 'Yes,' he answered. 'Twice. He said farewell to us on this very spot. But I saw him once again, far from here.' He would say no more about Bilbo, and Frodo fell silent.

So Bilbo definitely went wandering a little through the woodlands of the Shire (Three is Company also states that this scene took place near the village of Woodhall, which is a little off the direct route to Rivendell - this is consistent with "along the Road or in the country on either side") but beyond that I'm not aware of anything else definite.

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  • I will mark this correct if I don't see a better answer within a day or two.
    – jacen.garriss
    May 13, 2013 at 0:31

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