Heading down for the moment of truth

As I have mentioned, we planned to be able to pack out.  So while staged in Fort Lauderdale I added to our supply list. Cases of water/Diet Coke and a container of gas.  Because we weren't going to go through the worry about if we can get gas issue again.

Fun fact:  We carried down a new EMPTY gas container in our bag.  No one even batted an eye about that with TSA, but they lost their shit over my soft sided cooler bag filled with non-perishable food items? Whatever.

Like I said, we are probably going to be on every TSA watch list after this anyway with weirdly packed items and multiple flight changes.

Soft sided cooler bag turned into a cooler with help from the hotel ice machine and we were ready to roll.

By the time we reached the checkpoint traffic was backed up over a mile. (Later in the day it was reported backed up 4 miles!) Thanks to the Facebook coconut telegraph, a lady had shared an alternate route to the checkpoint.  So we jumped on that and it helped, except for the last 1/4 mile or so because our friendly Law Enforcement/National Guard had caught on to that and really didn't want to deal with a checkpoint with two access points.  Don't blame them.

Also, you gotta love Florida drivers, they ain't going to let a road block with a guy with a machine guy stop them.  WOW. Not like you can't notice its there. Big guys. Big guns. Big barricades. Flashing lights.

Finally, we make it up to the checkpoint where a Monroe County deputy took our information, asked where we were heading and let us through. Very nice gentleman. Thankless job he had.

You can see the large amount of trucks, rental and otherwise
bringing supplies to people.