Will answer all so as not to inflate my post count.
That cargo rack is made locally and is probably 5 times stronger than I'll ever need but it bolts directly to the frame using existing holes and you can literally pick up the bike by grabbing the bars. They make an accessory pannier mount for a 1 or 1.8 gal. auxiliary gas can but with a range of about 145 miles I'm not sure it would ever need that even for an all day trip in the hills. Maybe get one of those 1L fuel cans that look like a metal water bottle for just in case.
Going to get a receiver hitch carrier that will mount on the back of the car and carry the bike sideways. That was one of the big deciding factors in getting this instead of an ATV, the ATV would be more stable obviously but would require a trailer. My garage space is limited so a hitch carrier is the way to go. I called the local Honda dealership, spoke to the service manager and gave him the total weights of the bike and carrier to make sure the car would be okay. He figured as long as I didn't try to gun it uphill or carry too much extra cargo it'd be fine.
Definitely going to get some pics. A camera, binoculars, water, lunch and a map with an X marked someplace I've never been will make for a good day.
Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery. Hit the target, all else is twaddle!
