Gardening and Horticulture - Going on vacation

A have a garden plot that is ready to plant now.
But I have to go on vacation at the end of this month. I make it sound like an obligation I know.

So in my limited gardening experience, I'm not thinking that chancing newly planted seeds going without water for a week is something that goes along with the methods of successful gardening. But I would like to plant this week.
I could ask the neighbors etc. to water for me. But I want to have an independent plan 'A' in place.
What I plan on doing is seeding this next week, water enough for one watering, cover loosely with dry hay, and then anchor clear plastic over everything with landscape fabric staples.
My concern is creating a week long over-watered situation.

Has anyone any thoughts, suggestions, advice, cautions, lectures, tongue lashings?

Temp expected to be high 65-80 throughout with no rain expected.
Soil type is well draining and equivalent to bagged soil in consistency.

Zone 5-6
Northwest IN

How large is the area you need to water? Why not have a sprinkler and set it with a timer. If the area is quite large you can piggy back sprinklers. OR you can create your own drip system with a water timer. OR, you can find a kid who wants to make $20 to water your garden twice.

But don't use "hay", use wheat straw. As mentioned in another post, hay still has the seeds in it, and it is a generic type of grasses and weeds put together that animals will eat. Wheat straw, on the other hand, has already had the seed removed (for making bread, etc), and all that is left is the shaft, which will help hold things together for you and can provide needed shade, keeping moisture in the ground. But I also like the idea of paying a kid to water it for you, if he/she is responsible enough to do so. Timers on a live water supply scare the bejeebers out of me.