And so it begins....

We left super early this morning.  It's always amazing to me that you can accumulate so much stuff, but when pressed for the essentials, you can pretty much boil it down to what you can carry. [The black garment bag with wedding clothes isn't even making it out of the midwest...]

Our trip starts uneventfully and after a flight to Chicago and a drive to Dubuque, we're settled down for the night and ready for Bret and Bridget's wedding tomorrow.  Note to self: gold status at Hertz is worth something -- I'd rented a van through Thrifty and had a long wait with 30 other new best friends in a parking lot shack to pick up our van.  The vehicle was fine... but it underscored what the extra money outfits like Hertz or Avis actually pays for.

Laura and I walked over to the riverside casino where the ceremony and reception will be held.  It was a nice night and a relaxing start to our trip.