Softside Cooler

I have decided that it is going to be necessary to bring along some food. So I bought this cool little cooler. ;) It has a hard plastic liner that can be taken out and put in the dishwasher. There is a flap on the top that allows quick access to the contents inside. A pocket on the outside is roomy enough to store a box of crackers and some other tasty snacks. One side has a mesh pocket for stashing an apple maybe, and the other side has a drink holder. And finally, as you can see in the photo, there is a padded shoulder strap for carrying.

It appears to have the capacity to hold 8-10 cans or bottles. I plan to bring one small portable wine that I picked up at Total Beverage. It's in a container that is similar to those juice or soymilk containers and says it holds the equivalent of 3 glasses of wine. With a resealable lid, this should be plenty. I'm not exactly a big drinker. PLUS, they had a deal going on, whereby a person could take a six-pack carrier and fill it up with 6 bottles of beer of their choice. I chose 6 different bottles of various microbrew beers/ales - imported and domestic. I won't be taking all 6 bottles though. In fact, I am drinking one as I type this. I am drinking a Ruby Red Ale called Retro Red, which was brewed nearby in Ft Collins, Colorado. It has a hint of Guinness to it. It is going quite well with my dinner of chips and guacamole.

Other purchases this weekend include: apples, celery, baby carrots, soynut butter, and a cheap wine glass that I picked up at the thrift store. It is my understanding that Amtrak is now using paper and plastic dishes and cups. I think it will be nicer to have my wine in a real glass. So I bought a used one, on the small side, to take along in my backpack.

It occurred to me tonite that there may be a limit on what I can carry aboard the train. I pulled out my tickets and discovered that I am only allowed 2 carry-on bags, with the exception of a purse (which I don't carry), a laptop, and diaper bag, among others. I have a carry-on sized piece of luggage, a backpack, and now a soft sided cooler. I may have to check one of the bags. I am tossing about in my head some way to strap the cooler to the bottom portion of my backpack and try to make it blend in - as if it is all one piece. Maybe I can attach it to the luggage and make it look like all one piece. I'm going to try this out, but if I don't succeed it is no big deal to check one piece of luggage. I just simply never do this when I fly.

Tomorrow is the test. After a visit with my Grandpa in his nursing home (for Father's Day) and the couple hours it takes to check on my sign twirlers (weekend job), I'll be settling in to do the laundering and packing. It's only 3 more days til vacation time, and there is still so much to get done!