A C172 PLT VIOLATED THE RESTR AIRSPACE INVOLVING A CERTAIN AREA.

Narrative

I WAS ON A VFR PLEASURE FLT SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES FROM MY HOME BASE; PARALLELING A MAJOR INTERSTATE WITH A DEST OF YYY; ARPT. I HAD RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING FROM FSS AND OBTAINED NOTAMS INVOLVING SEVERAL TFR (TEMPORARY FLT RESTR) AREAS NEAR MY DEST. I HAD STUDIED MY VFR SECTIONAL CHARTS IN ADVANCE; PLANNING TO CONTACT ATC FOR VFR FLT FOLLOWING BEFORE NEARING THESE AREAS TO ENSURE THAT I REMAINED CLR; AS I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS AREA. WHEN I CONTACTED ATC WITH MY POSITION (OVER YYY ARPT AT 2700 FT) AND REQUEST FOR VFR FLT FOLLOWING; ATC INFORMED ME THAT I WAS CURRENTLY IN A TFR AREA. I HAD SEEN THAT RESTR AREA ON THE CHART AND HAD MADE SURE TO AVOID IT; MY FLT PATH KEPT ME MORE THAN 3 NM FROM THE RESTR AREA. HOWEVER; I WAS NOT AWARE THAT THIS RESTR AREA HAD APPARENTLY BEEN TEMPORARILY EXTENDED TO AN AREA BEYOND THE CHARTED BOUNDARY. ATC RECOMMENDED FLYING DIRECTLY TO THE ZZZ VOR. I COMPLIED WITH THAT; AND AS I NEARED THE ZZZ VOR; THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT I COULD RESUME NAVIGATION TO THE N. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL; AND I RECEIVED VFR FLT FOLLOWING SERVICE FOR THE DURATION. LOOKING BACK; I WISH I HAD CONTACTED ATC TO REQUEST FLT FOLLOWING EARLIER. I HAD THOUGHT THAT BY CONTACTING ATC MORE THAN 13 NM FROM WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE NEAREST TFR; I WAS WAY AHEAD OF THE GAME. I NEVER IMAGINED THAT AN ALREADY-EXISTING RESTR AREA HAD BEEN EXTENDED. NOR DID I RECEIVE ANY INFO TO THAT EFFECT IN MY WEATHER BRIEFING. IN THE FUTURE; DURING TIMES OF TENSE NATIONAL SECURITY AND TFRS; I WILL MAKE SURE TO EITHER FLY ON AN IFR FLT PLAN OR WITH VFR FLT FOLLOWING SERVICE WHENEVER I AM IN AN UNFAMILIAR AREA.