Pre-trip Adventures - Our hero makes poor decisions...

Our entire group had all spent time backpacking, so felt confident in our abilities to tackle whatever came our way. A few new pieces of gear were added to our communal gear stash, plans were evaluated and revised, some rental gear was dropped, some added, new fishing gear purchased. Time moved slowly forward, ever closer to departure day. And then pride perhaps got the better of me, I made a schedule change at work requiring me to work the 3 nights immediately prior to our 18 hour drive to Minnesota. This would be fine, I reasoned, I was going to sleep all day the on 18th and drive straight through the night to make it easier on the boys, the extra shift would just help me sleep better.

Down to just a couple of weeks before we left, clothes were treated with permethrin. One week left, gear started to move to the table to be organized and then the second bad decision, an incentive shift was available at work, a little extra cash would be nice, so instead of working the three nights before departure, I would be working four. Cue the ominous music.
Day of departure, two hours to go, super supportive girlfriend comes over and helps me madly throw gear into bins and throw those bins into the car with only the barest hint of "I told you working the four nights before we left was a bad idea." But we are loaded, plus one dog, and its off to pick up the boys, adventure awaits...

I will spare you the monotony of the drive, suffice it to say that Alabama to Minnesota is a really long drive, sleeping in a car stinks, and in our opinion Greenbush Bakery was overrated. Oh, and while I tried to encourage the group to try cheese curds, they were very poorly received.