Part of our new travel kit
Though the pictures I’ve been posting don’t really suggest it, I am back home in the Twin Cities now. There are a few more places to get caught up on, as far as the uploading goes. This was the longest road trip Krista and I have ever done together—around 4,000 miles in two-and-a-half weeks. Certain innovations made it quite smooth.
I don’t drink hot coffee often—probably around two months in the winter, and that’s it. Most of the time, my beverage choices are iced tea (from tea-leaves, never instant) and a morning iced latte. Cold coffee in bottle or can really sucks—I hate sugar and flavorings, and those things are full of them. That had been my morning routine on previous trips—typically, a Starbucks doubleshot or two. I took a two quart pan to make tea in the hotel rooms so I wouldn’t have to dominate the ice-chest with my tea (typically I drink 2 liters a day). I also brought a stovetop espresso maker for my morning cup. Krista, of course, could get by with an infuser and a teacup. Life is more complex for me. I tried a hotpot before, and it just didn’t cut it. I need a full hotplate.
But the biggest innovation was the rolling collapsible ice-chest that held the supplies. I used a hardside ice-chest in the car for most of the trip, but when we got to the four-day stretch at the Peabody, we need an ice-chest for the room (no refrigerator available). I simply loaded the container I’d been transporting all this in with ice, and I could have my morning iced latte without relying on expensive room service, or a half asleep trip down the hall.
