STP todo list

The new year is now behind me and I want to take care of the various todo's left hanging around waiting for 2009 to start.

I signed up for the STP and the Chilly-hilly. Both are good rides and should be fun. Now I need to think about what to do to prepare for the STP.

1. Where to stay mid-trip?- Longview has been suggested and the Quality Inn is cheap and has a hot tub in the rooms. I should book the room soon as the size of the STP this year is 10,000.
   
2. Where to stay in Portland? This is also an issue, I need to coordinate with my wife and her friends who may or may not head down. But again 10,000 people so I need to do this soon.
3. How much time do I want to spend in Portland? I think a few days would be nice to ride around and check out what has changed.
4. What to pack and how to arrange the drop bag? I want to ride to the start as well so I need to plan for that, that means everything needs to fit in my panniers. Change of clothing for Sat night, change of clothing for riding Sunday, toiletries. I can put a duffel, + clothes/toiletries in my panneirs and drop the duffel in the longview truck when I get to UAW. I will carry any bike spares with me, spare tube, tire, etc.

Not too bad. Just writing the list seems to take care of a lot of issues. I will plan a bit more to make everything as smooth as possible.