And they're off...

After a very relaxing car camp trip up the Oregon coast we are camped out in "sunny" Astoria, Or prepairing to begin our adventure.  They picked our car up yesterday and it is on its way to NJ already.  I guess we're committed now!  We spent the last week deciding which 'essential' items are worthy of the effort required to hump them up and down 4000mi.of hills and valleys. We're staying in downtown Astoria right below the Astoria bridge, a very narrow steel-truss structure whose deck must be 200ft above the river. Luckily, our route heads east and we won't need to cross  that beast.  It makes me anxious just to look up there. Tomorrow is Saturday and we are hoping for light traffic for our first day on the road.