Thank heavens for brother-in-laws. My sister and brother-in-law came to visit today and I was discussing my trip plans. I had made this tent "helper putter upper" contraption. Ed took one look at it and said "there has to be a better way." We went out and laid out the tent and staked the corners and put on the outside roof poles. Then I crawled in and tried to put my "helper" up and it was a sorry excuse for a Rube Goldberg device. Very unstable. Meanwhile Eddie is video taping my fiasco on his camera. I will have to see these at family functions for years to come and I can hear my nephews laughing already! Anyway, Ed decided it had to only be one telescoping pole with something on top to keep the pole from maiming the tent material. We put something over the top of a pole and then found rings on the inside of the tent that we could use as tie downs. Got out the bungee cords and cross tied the pole in place and to the center of the roof. Then I was able to make my way outside and could put up the corner poles. We timed that part at a mere 5 minutes compared to the videoed portion of my struggles! Strong winds will pose a problem but I will face those when I get them!

I found this great reference book that gives information about what facilities are at every exit on every interstate in the country. Great for finding locations, such as Flying J truck stops for DSL, grocery stores, laundromats, etc.

So the reference materials and maps are all put in folders. I have added a stopover in Dessert Hot Springs to spend several nights with a fellow weaver, and will be able to rack up another national park, as Joshua Tree is very close to Dessert Hot Springs. I was going to have to stop in Barstow, CA anyway, so this wasn't too far out of the way. I fleshed out more info on my itinerary and looked up potential camping spots for the trip home after South Dakota. and also some stops along the way. Had the hardest time finding anything in Elko,  NV but I will trust the Recreation.gov site I have been using to research and book National Park camp sites. Elko is in a huge National Forest so they are covered under Recreation.gov also.

I am loath to take off my winter tires until we get our March blizzard that is sure to come. But there is very little left for me to do before I can get on the road. My hair is cut, no hair products or blow dryer. The snuggle suit for cool nights is completed and I put in a full length zipper in to my Cool Max sleeping bag liner. Got spare keys for the neighbors, bought cards and am weaving gifts that I will need to give out on the trip.

Oh and added my sorority sister from college to my site near Grand Teton and we will do a few nights there and then do Yellowstone together. She has a Scamp trailer that she can tow. It will be nice to have company for part of the trip. She is a resident of Jackson Hole, WY, she knows both areas quite well. I can get the local scoop.

I have cooked a casserole that I can freeze portion sizes and use for the first few days. Then it is "ice" all the way. Been scouring the grocery store for foods that don't need refrigeration as I don't want to deal with a huge cooler. Been borrowing small mayo and ketchup packets from WAWA  so I don't have to try to keep mayo cold. I actually found the European type milk in a carton that doesn't need refrigeration until it is opened. It comes in pint containers so will work well for morning cereal. I just want to brew up a cup of joe and eat a quick breakfast, pack a lunch, pack up the gear and hit the road. While in the national parks for 7 nights I can cook up some goodies when I don't have to go anywhere or do anything in particular except absorb the ambiance of where I am. I will have my dutch oven in tow and it can handle a variety of meals and baking. I make a mean cobbler in my dutch oven, although I will need help eating it all. Good way to meet people; hand out homemade cobbler.
 
I was looking at info on SD when I came across this unique place called Wall Drug Store. It all started back in the 30's when the owners wanted to attract customers to their store so they started to put up signs" Free ice water at Wall Drug." Well it caught on and Wall Drug signs were seen all over Europe during WWII and it has continued today. All the signs have the mileage back to Wall Drug. What a hoot and there is still free ice water. Luckily, Wall , SD is near the Badlands and an old Minute Man missile silo. Do I really want to see a defunct Minute Man missile silo??? Think I will pass on that but definitely want to see Wall Drug.