When I discovered that my old high school in Sweet Home, Oregon was going to hold an "All School" reunion (all years) in August 2000, I thought about going.  My wife could get time off from her job, and it was decided that we would also go to Minneapolis.  We planed for 3 weeks on the road, but spent a month.

     Car:  We didn't have to worry about the car as it's only a few months old.  I did not want to have the car so fully packed that it would be a target for a break in.  We left nothing in the car at night.  Almost everything we took fit in the trunk.

     Clothing:  Because most motels today have guest laundry facilities we limited the clothing we took to that which could be put in a Samsonite three suite suitcase.  We saved all of the quarters we got in change along the way to use the coin operated washers and dryers.  We also took soap and dryer sheets.

     Food:  The only food items we carried with us were snacks, water, and a jar of instant coffee.  (We carry a small coffee pot to heat water.)

     Miscellaneous:  We have a large suitcase with wheels.  This we filled up with items we wanted to have with us.  Our toiletries filled an A.W.O.L. bag.  The CPAP machine has it's own carrying case.  The rest of the odds and ends were put in plastic grocery bags to make stuffing the trunk easier.  The only things we did not put in the trunk were camera bags, cooler, and extra shoes.

     Lift off:  It took less than an hour to load the car.  Once I figured out where to put things it took me just a few minutes to do it over and over and over for 30 days.

     On the road:  The only thing we needed, but could not purchase on our trip, was an AC charger for Rachel's cell phone.