So consensus is looking like I screwed up not getting it aligned. I don’t have any other option but to drive it. I can get it aligned after we get there after 250 miles. Anything else I can do to mitigate the damage?

What the other commenter said it probably correct. “Low engine coolant can alter the engine running temperature enough to signal trouble code P0128. Your intake air temperature sensor, coolant temperature sensor and coolant fan could also signal this trouble code, so these should be inspected after you look over your thermostat and coolant level.” Check engine didn’t necessarily meant the sensor was bad, might have just needed the coolant. Keep an eye on the coolant level for a while as the low coolant might indicate a leak somewhere.

Check out ChrisFix on YouTube. Excellent instructional videos on how to do all this and more.

Did you use an OBD scanner to find out it was the sensor?