I agree with your philosophy of not over planning. In my experience much of the adventure is a result of spur of the moment decisions and finding gems that you never expected to encounter (like Crater Lake for you). It's hard for things to not go as planned when they weren't planned in the first place. What a great way to avoid disappointment. A couple of weeks ago I was on a quick Friday after work to Sunday Pennsylvania ride and ended up riding all the way home in torrential rain. The challenge of making it through those difficult conditions added to the fun of the weekend ride.

When reading your RR I checked Canadian Tire on-line and , while they had a Bios blood pressure monitor I couldn't find your thermometer. I guess I'll have to visit the store.