I love lists. And I love to travel. On road trips these two loves intermingle freely. Especially as I prepare.
Be aware. You may find evidence of a (relatively harmless?) case of obsessive-compulsive disorder as you read.
Hoping for northern cool…
Tomorrow morning I will leave for:
Sioux Falls
Roseau
Grand Rapids
Minneapolis
Reykjavik
And at least two small towns with characterless motels
I will travel on Highways:
I-25 to Trinidad CO
Un-numbered to Highway 96
96 to Sheridan Lake
385 (I think) to Cheyenne Wells
40 to Oakley KS
83/383 to Woodruff (still in KS, but barely)
183 to Holdridge NE
6 to 14
14 to Niobrara
12 to 81 (crossing into SD)
81 into Yankton & on the 42
42 to 29 into Sioux Falls.
There will be additional lists necessary to continue beyond Sioux Falls. It is clear my obsessive compulsive impulses extend to Atlases.
Packing. It is sheer luxury not having to subject every single pair of footlets, every scarf, every book, every liquid to lengthy consideration as to weight or threat level. So why not take everything I could possibly want or need over the next three weeks. Oh sure there are shopping opportunities everywhere but why buy toothpaste in Roseau when I can haul it from Albuquerque. So here is what is going into my car:
Suitcase for Summer pants shirts sweater for up north
Suitcase for Warm clothes for Iceland
Overnight bag for change of clothes pajamas books toothbrush for on the road
Backpack for laptop, portable printer power sources pet mouse
Backpack for notebooks diaries journals atlases
Shoes
Favorite blanket and pillow
Backpack for trip books
Trip books
Northern Lights Tim O’Brien
Americana Hampton Sides
A Popular History of Minnesota Norman K. Risjord
Great Plains Ian Frazier
The Lost Continent Bill Bryson
From the Hidewood: Memories of a Dakota Neighborhood Robert Amerson
Norway to America Ingrid Semmingsen
Koochiching Hiram M. Drache
And
Bitter Sanctuary Marjorie Neset (the half-written [a third of which is brilliant/a third mediocre/a third really bad) novel which, while at my brother’s in Grand Rapids, I intend to reread and decide whether to toss, fix or ignore for another 10 years.
Of course it would be impossible to read all of this material AND drive AND talk to my relatives AND sleep. But I had to share the fact that I’m not taking my usual detective/murder lit.
Finally. About food.
Usually I buy Fig Newtons and Cheetos for $10 or so at the gas station. Turning over a new leaf this time I shopped at Whole Foods instead for baby carrots grape tomatoes gluten-free brownies green machine stuff for ONLY $35.
But many food pleasures ahead:
Marshmallow Malts (like drinking sugar)
Butterscotch Malts
Pineapple Malts
Hot beef sandwiches
Hot pork sandwiches
Hot chicken sandwiches (I think I made that up)
Real grilled cheese sandwiches where the Velveeta oozes out between the white bread
Walleye for dinner, snack before bed, cold with morning coffee
Hot dishes
Jell-O salad
Forgive me. This is a very self-indulgent post. But so much fun. Tomorrow will be more profound and literary!
Going through a lot of Red States…making my Blue State (I hope) statement