I started planning our upcoming trip about a month ago following an urgent medical notification from Oregon regarding my mother-in-law (MIL). We didn’t leave immediately because, amazingly, her condition stabilized.

She’s 80 years old and no longer able to live on her own. So we’re developing a plan for her future while she’s in the hospital.

Naturally, my wife wants to look through some things to see if they should come home with us! At first, I thought we might be able to make the trip with just a hitch platform and rooftop cargo box. But I think that a trailer is a more practical choice.

Some of what we’ll bring back to Virginia may be things that could go into a future home if the MIL gets well enough to fly to Virginia. One item that’s definitely coming back is a cat — yes, another one! We had five altogether after bringing home my late mother’s three cats. However, we’re down to three now. I definitely don’t want a refill, but I think it’s appropriate to keep this one in the family.

As luck would have it, this trip is happening just after some major maintenance actions on the car. The timing chain/tensioner, clutch, turbocharger, spark plugs, O2 sensor, brake fluid, filters, and tires are all new. This old car should be in top shape for the journey!

It’s been a while since the last time I took a substantial road trip, especially with my wife. Our last trips together were both from Virginia to California and back in 2020 and 2021. If you’ve followed my content for a while, then you may have noticed that our outgoing route will take us through the states that have not been colored on my car’s “States Traveled” map. I’ve been to every state except Minnesota and North Dakota. This map is for the car — this car.

Coincidentally, my wife started collecting Starbucks “Been There” mugs from each state years ago. She has them all except for the blank states in my map above and Hawaii. We made significant additions to the collection in 2020 (green) and 2021 (bright blue) when we drove to California. I don’t expect to visit Hawaii anytime soon — and we’re certainly not going to drive there. I may buy a mug from a private seller just to complete the collection.

We had just five days to prepare for the trip once we received a firm arrival requirement in Oregon. My preparation checklist included:

• Removing the micro-tower that I used for a recent VHF radio event.
• Reinstalling the rooftop cargo box.
• Replacing tires on both the car and a trailer.
• Greasing the trailer hubs.
• Outfitting the trailer decks for expected cargo.

The trailer project worked out nicely. I’ve created a load platform that doubles as a lid. Since the trailer’s mesh siding offers no weather protection, the lid project focused on carrying weight, cargo retention, and modest theft deterrence. I’ll stain it black once the pressure-treated wood dries out.

Here’s my packing plan:

• Deck floor (seal and forget) — full-size spare tire for my car, a jack stand, five gallons of extra fuel (just in case), and an empty half-height Husky roller box. These are emergency items that I don’t expect to access during the trip.
• Lid platform — Two additional empty roller boxes for future cargo.
• Platform basket — Kept clear for a rooftop soft bag if it’s needed.
• Trunk — Pet carrier and travel refrigerator.
• Rear Seat Delete — My usual load of auxiliary battery, tools, and voltage inverter.

We’ll unload the lid and basket contents each night since they’ll be exposed to weather and theft. Ironically, I had reported after my second trip to California that I preferred the cargo trailer since I could leave its contents locked inside each night. I’m favoring the baby trailer for this trip because it’s lighter and slightly more aerodynamic. We’ll see if I regret that trade-off!

Although we are taking detours to complete my map and to buy Starbucks mugs, the trip will still be fast-paced due to commitments in Virginia next month. I’ll share one or two updates along the way, but nothing as detailed as previous trips. Follow along —we might just run into a few unexpected adventures! 😉

♫ “On the Road Again…” ♫

Scott