Last Entry Before I Depart on Monday, May 4th.

Good morning,
This will be the last entry until after I start my trip on Monday morning, May 4th. You previously saw the equipment I was going to take along as well as a picture of my bike about 3 weeks ago with snow in the background. Well, it's still cool outside but now the equipment is packed, for the second time and ready to go. I'll take the bike out this morning for one more test run just to make sure everything is secure. I think the added weight to the bike with all equipment, supplies and gear is about 35 pounds.

The bike does handle differently than without it and it will be interesting to see how it handles in the wind, with all this gear aboard. Especially a cross wind, as the gear tends to act like a sail.

What I really have left to do is what anyone who is leaving town for an extended period of time does. Make sure bills are paid, the yard is cleaned up one more time and my stuff in my office organized and put away so as not to bother anyone who might need to be poking around in my absence.

Once on this journey, I promise to post as many pictures as is possible with as little jabbering as I can. Pictures speak a thousand words; you don't need both!

Here's a few to begin the journey:



This the gear I will be using to maintain and repair the bike as well as some safety gear for use along the way.



This gear is clothing and personal items. The clothing has been bagged in refrigerator freezer bags to reduce their mass as well as to make sure they are water proof inside the carrier (pannier).



This is the camping, cooking, sleeping and dehydrated food gear. Food for 2 meals X 3days which I will use only if I cannot find food in the towns along the way. My intention is to camp 2 out of 3 nights, but much of that will be determined by the weather. Wet and cold = B & B or motel.



And finally, here's my transportation and gear all loaded up for the trip. The bike has been tuned up, works just great and I do believe I have all the stuff I will need to make a safe and fun adventure out of this trip from Muscatine, IA to New Orleans along the Mississippi River.