More trip prep, finally reserved hotels.

The weekend was mostly just trip prep stuff.  It was still really nice outside last week, so I have been going out for long walks at lunch.  It got down into the 40's a couple times last week, and some of the early turners have begun changing color.  

The test I started in the last post turned out better than expected.  It finished at 49%, so running both units took 36% for a day, meaning I can hopefully get three days without recharging the Jackery.

I also finished up the itinerary on Friday evening.  Here is the updated day by day:

8/29 - (working) - Leave after work for KY

8/30 - (working) - Drive to KY.  Pick up supplies.

8/31 - KY

9/1  - KY - Leave after dinner.  Hope to reach Evansville IN (~4hr) before stopping.  

9/2  - (holiday) - Drive to Valentine Nebraska (14.25h).  Stay in the https://tradewindslodge.com/?

9/3  - (working) - Nebraska - Visit Smith Falls State Park - Stay in Trade Winds Lodge

9/4  - (personal)- Nebraska  - AM - Visit Niobrara Valley Preserve - PM - Drive to Scotsbluff (4hr).  Visit Scottsbluff National Monument, stay at Monument Inn and Suites in Gering.  Consider seeing chimney rock and carhenge on the way?  https://www.monumentinnsuites.com/accommodations 

9/5 - (working) - Drive to Kearney WY (4.5h).  Visit Toadstool Geological park on the way.  Stay at Mill Inn in Sheridan.

9/6 - (working) - Kearney and Oregon Trail stuff.  Stay at Mill Inn.

9/7 - Drive to Bannack (6.5h).  NOTE - going through Billings, where there is a Walmart and such.  If I need supplies, this is a good time to stop.  Consider stopping at Pictograph Cave State Park on the way (just south of Billings).  Stay at Sundowner Motel

9/8 - Bannack Ghost town and maybe a state park. Stay at Sundowner Motel

9/9  - (vacation) - Drive to Glacier National Park.  Lake Five Resort Cabin 8 

9/10 - Glacier National Park .  Lake Five Resort Cabin 8

9/11 - Glacier National Park .  Lake Five Resort Cabin 8

9/12 - Glacier National Park .  Lake Five Resort Cabin 8

9/13 - Glacier National Park .  Lake Five Resort Cabin 8

9/14 - Drive to Museum of the Rockies (5.25H) and then go to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument (3H).  Stay at Homestead Inn and Suites in Hardin

9/15 - Drive to Yellowstone (4.5H) - Stay at Absaroka Mountain Lodge

9/16 - Yellowstone - Stay at Absaroka Mountain Lodge

9/17 - Yellowstone -  Stay at Absaroka Mountain Lodge

9/18 - Yellowstone -  Stay at Absaroka Mountain Lodge

9/19 - Drive to Grand Teton National Park

9/20 - Grand Teton National Park

9/21 - Grand Teton National Park

9/22 - Grand Teton National Park

9/23 - Drive back to KY

9/24 - Drive back to KY.  Probable late arrival.

9/25 - (working) - Drive back to KY contingency day

9/26 - (working) - KY

9/27 - (working) - KY

9/28 - Leave for NH late

9/29 - Drive to NH

I also spent a good chunk of Saturday reserving hotels.  Everything is booked except for Grand Teton, which I hope to do today.  The only lodging I saw offhand (it was getting late when I got that far) was very expensive, to the tune of $400-$500 a night.  

Saturday I starting figuring out how to put the coolers in the truck.  The first attempt went poorly.  

The second attempt was better.  I originally intended to build a little shelving thing, but I didn't have the right kind of lumber onhand, since this area is very space constrained using 2x lumber was out.  So I went a little crazy with ropes.  It is a shame removing the seats is a major pain that can blow the airbags if you do it wrong, that would make all this soo much easier to deal with if I could just delete the passenger and rear seats for the trip.

I tried some epoxy I had on hand for the window.  It ended poorly; it was too thin and just ran off.  So I also tried JB Weld.  This looks like there is potential it will hold.  I will find out soon.  

I put a little on both the broken part to hold it, and where it is still intact to help prevent it from breaking.  

After that I decided to move to mowing.  This is the first time I have mowed in a loooong time; since the tree came down, back in mid-July for the back, and almost as long in the front.  It was bad, I had to slow down, not because it looked bad, but because it was bogging and trying to stall it was so thick.  It is done though, so I will probably only mow once more for the year, mostly to mulch leaves.

I also went to cover the excavator back up so I could mow the back.  It was uncovered so I could change the fluids, but at this point it won't happen before I leave.  I did put some Gorilla Tape on the cover so it doesn't snag the tarp, but the tarp apparently had pools of water in it that hadn't evaporated off, so I didn't completely cover it.  I will finish tarping it when I get home today.

I made a boo-boo.  I turned on the blades, and didn't realize there was a chunk of 2x4 (I couldn't see it because how long the grass was), and it got launched.  Sigh.

Next up was cleaning out the truck.  I got the back seat completely emptied. 

The doors are now full too, the drinks have been moved.  The bag with my road snacks is now half empty, so clearly I need more road snacks.  

I also tried plugging in both 12V circuits in my truck into the Jackery.  I had hoped this would double the charging rate, but it looks like it is limited to only a single 12V input.  With both though, it stays up near the limit for the 12V, so that is at least much better.

I also went and finished up the food prep.  I originally had a thought to consolidate all the loose single serving bags into a Hannaford bag, but I have concerns about the freezer space.  I don't think this idea will work, there just isn't enough space to separate everything.  If I have to move some of the vacuum sealed veggies to the fridge, that isn't the end of the world, they should last a couple weeks in the fridge.  I will have to re-bag the frozen sandwich things to suck the air out, though I won't use the vacuum sealer, just ziplocs.  

Everything except the ice cube tray on this side of the freezer is going.  

I also came up with a list of everything that needs to be done before (things like go to the dump), and I realized last night when I was making it that I forgot to install the gasket on the cap.  Derp.  I thought the cap was done when I finished up the JB Weld, but oh well.  

Current to-do:

• Design deck
• Build deck
• Build armoire.
• Install whole house filter.
• Refurb cap
• Access panel upgrades in master closet
• Back yard drainage.
• Insulate the water lines
• Take scrap metal to Buffum.  Clean up trash.
• Close up tiny home.  Seal up plumbing.
• Storm doors