August 12...the decision

My decision is that barring any further trip- delaying interruptions, tomorrow I will finish packing, do the desk work i must do for or before the trip,  and start on my checkout checklist.  Then, on Wednesday, I will load the Defender early in the morning, and head up to Mongaup State Park in New York, where we started the trip last year.  After that, we will replicate the trip last year around Lake Superior to Thunder Bay, Ontario, and then head across Canada to the Rockies, and then north to Alaska.  We will have 29 days to do what I did with Sonntag in 2000 in  12 days, so that will give us ample time to deal with the inevitable problems, stay at some campsites for a few days or take one or more  side trips of a few thousand miles or so.  

I finished all the packing today except for my wardrobe. To save time on Wednesday, I brought all the gear to the Defender.(see below photo.)  I can't store it on the roof rack yet because of the height of the garage.

I took the dogs for their last walk into Georgetown last night.  Soon we will be exchanging the people, sounds, lights, noise, cars, pollution,  and everything else that makes up the fabric of our daily lives for the road.  I have not been able to get excited for this trip until now because it wasn't until one hour ago that I believed it would come off.  If it doesn't, no big deal.  We'll plan to do it next year.  But if we do get off, our lives for the next 60 days will consist of the road and whatever else is within my reach in the Defender and tent.

Sent from my iPad.