T minus 4 days

Just got through watching Obama's acceptance speech. I can't find anything to dislike about him. I know certain people think I should be for Hillary, but you know she's unelectable when still, 8 years later, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette regularly publishes letters to the editor about how much they still hate the Clintons. Obama's a smart guy. We're the same age (I'll be 47 in January, he turned in August). I didn't like Biden during the primaries--same old same old--but I enjoyed his speech at the convention. I softened up a little over the tragedy in his life. He's not a bad choice, I guess. This is the first time I've ever been excited about a candidate, and it started back in the first part of the year. So let me just say it--Obama for President! That's it for the political talk on this blog!

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So there are a little less than 4 days until we leave. I've spent so much time on stuff for other people I haven't had much time to work on the packing, etc. Holly is coming over tomorrow to bring a bag for Dillon. I hope it's not too big!

I'm thinking of putting another box on top of the cargo box, but I don't know how I would attach it.

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Oh no, religion! The guy who just did the closing prayer at the convention did something GREAT, especially for a Christian. He asked everyone in the audience to close the prayer in the way their own traditions close prayer. I guess that means the Catholics were crossing and the Jews weren't saying "in Jesus name" (I don't know how they Jews close prayers other than amen). I'm happy to see a prominent pastor do such a thing. So that's it for religion on this blog! It's a twofer--religion and politics in one post!
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So how would I attach another cargo box to the top of the big cargo box? I thought about a cargo net, but it would still have to be strapped down. I also thought of taking certain things out of the box (chair, tent) and bungying them to the front of the box, between the box and the tailgate. Then maybe I wouldn't need another box. Unfortunately, all the boxes I've found are either too small or two flimsey to withstand driving rain, especially with straps pinching them.

Thought about putting a box on top of the Element, but that's just too much drag. Not gonna do it. I guess I'll wait and see what the load looks like for sure.

I'm planning on riding my bike every day if just for a mile, the whole time I'm gone. Gonna have to lift some weights, do some MYB, or something, too.

Hitting it hard tomorrow: washing the car, vacuuming, cleaning up the house. G'night!

Itinerary

Previous posts have listed lots of sites for Philadelphia. We're not doing much in Phlly this time around. I do want to try to get over there and see the Liberty Bell, but if we don't, maybe we can catch it on the way home.

Here's the general itinerary. I hope I don't have any stalkers.

September 2-8: We'll be at the last and final Live and Learn Unschooling Conference, at the Blue Ridge Assembly, in Black Mountain, NC. I hope to get in at least one and maybe two bike rides during our stay.

• 9/2 Driving 800+ miles, carpooling with Jessica
• 9/3 -9/7 Conference heaven
• 9/8 Travel day

September 9-12: We'll be free birds, but the intent is to get over the ocean and stay there a few days. On previous trips, we've moved our sleep spot too often for comfort. So we hope to get somewhere and stay there. I'm looking at Henlopen State Park in Delaware. It's within driving distance of Philadelphia, and not too far away from Black Mountain, NC.

Things we want to do while in DE:

• Swim
• Ride bikes
• See Delaware (we've never been there, outside of metro D.C.)
  
• Sleep
• Comb the beaches
• Learn stuff
  
• Relax
• Drive to Philly to see the Liberty Bell (maybe we'll do this on a rainy day)
  

September 13: Yankees day! We have tickets to see the Yankees in Yankee Stadium, before they tear it down. We're planning to leave DE on the 12th, and get nearby Greenwich, CT. My friend Margaret is going to let us park at her house, and take us to the train so we can go into New York City. Will wants to see Ground Zero, so I imagine we'll do that, then get on the train to go the Bronx in time for the game at 1:00. We'll be staying at Margaret's that night, and should be out of the big city by dark!

September 14: Travel day. We'll hang out with Margaret and her kids for a while, and then hit the road north. We have to be in Manchester, NH to pick up Dillon by the afternoon of the 15th, so we will be able to get settled in in Manchester by that evening. I would like to see Boston on the way, too. Need to pick something specific to see. Maybe Will would like to see Fenway?

[There are only a handful of states that Will hasn't been to, yet. One of them is Rhode Island, so maybe we'll direct our route from Greenwich to Providence and then up to Manchester. The great thing about the northeast is everything's relatively close together.]

September 15: Relax and refresh day, and pick up Dillon at the airport.

September 16: Drive up to Farm & Wilderness Camp in Vermont in the late afternoon, and drop off the kids for Not Back to School Camp.

September 16-23: I'll be kicking around Vermont by myself. Nancy is going to be in Vermont at the same time, so I'm hoping Heather will find a way to get up there, too. Still, after I drop off the boys I'm going to go straight up to Burke Mountain and spend the night, and hit the trails the next day.

• 9/16: Camp drop-off
• 9/17: Burke Mountain
• 9/18: Move down to the southern part of Vermont
• 9/19: Ride my bike
• 9/20: Ride my bike
• 9/21: Shop
• 9/22: Ride my bike
• 9/23: Pick up the boys at camp (EARLY), take Dillon to the airport.

September 24-25: The long slog home. We are scheduled to ride in the Big Dam Bridge tour (50 miles) in Little Rock on the 27th, so we can't tarry. But we will have to spend the night somewhere. Can only do a few hundred miles on the 23rd after we drop off Dillon, so we could go to the Liberty Bell then. We'll be going straight to Little Rock, for sure.

Lots of fun, miles, and GAS MONEY.