I'm moving.

In just under 90 days, this licensed optimist will be packing up his trusty Saturn SL1 and setting out for my new home of Seattle, Washington. I'll be taking I-90 to I-94, traveling through Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul and through the upper midwest - North Dakota, Montana and Idaho.

Here's a link to my route (Google maps): http://g.co/maps/9vx5r

I would love some advice on how to plan a trip of this magnitude. The furthest I've ever driven is to Nashville, an eight hour drive. This one will be close to 40 hours total.

Does anyone have any advice on:

• Things I should bring with me. I have a fully packed iPod with over 50 hours of music and audio books, I'm planning on making many sandwiches, bringing a lot of water and juice and I know I'll end up consuming a large amount of coffee on the way. I have an emergency roadside kit and I just bought a AAA membership.
  
• Places to stay on the way. I'm sure hotels & motels will be fairly easy to find up until I hit Minn/St. Paul, but through the upper plains states, things will probably be harder to find. I'm probably going to stop three or four times to sleep.
• Sightseeing or touristy spots. I probably won't have a ton of time but I want to at least try to admire some things on the trip. I've heard it will be pretty scenic.
• Anything else you can think of. Even if you've never taken this exact trip, anyone who has taken something even close to this, please don't hesitate to chime in.
• Things about Seattle. Right now it looks like I'll be staying in the 98105 zip code. Good restaurants, bars, any Browns Backers clubs, non-denominational Christian churches, any DBN members who might actually live there, anyone who attends or has attended the University of Washington, good volunteer opportunities, anything at all would be highly appreciated.
  

Thanks guys. I will miss Believeland with all my heart, but the next chapter of my life awaits me, 2400 miles west.