I'd been driving a sweet little 2004 Toyota MR2 Spyder 5-speed, two seat, convertible sports car, silver with a red top and red leather interior. It was a Great little car, and a lot of fun, especially in summer with the top down! One of my granddaughters and I would go places, and when stopped at a red light, would raise our hands over the windshield and waggle them around while saying, "Cool girls, we're cool girls!" She was six or seven at the time. Lots of fun!
However, I took up photography a few years ago, which in itself was fine. I started out doing mostly macro shots in and around town so pavement wasn't an issue. When I upped my game to landscapes and wanted to get into wilderness areas, there was a problem. The Toyota, fine as she was, was only three inches off the ground and absolutely hated unpaved roads.
So, my son said to me one day: "What do you want your vehicle to do, Mom? I'll buy you one to suit your needs." and suddenly the race was on.
I gave him my list, he hunted in true male-car-buying mode, and sent me many wonderful links to appropriate vehicles. However, I was spoiled and wanted another manual transmission - I've been driving manuals since 1973 - and really wanted to continue the tradition. He easily found vehicles with the required doors (four, I have more grandchildren now), and cargo area for the photography equipment (not to mention room for the occasional suitcase for out-of-town trips), but nary a manual transmission to be found. He wasn't sure one existed, but then happened upon the Jeep one day and That Was It!
The Jeep was perfect, a 6-speed manual, four doors and a hatch in the back, 4-wheel drive for mud/snow/sand conditions, nice accessories, my phone plugs in and I can operate it from the in-dash screen (great for map reading when driving), and a host of other cool things.
She's a beautiful - and brightly visible! - spring green color with a gray cloth interior. My son provided great rubber floor and cargo compartment mats to replace the floor carpets because wilderness tracks and trails can be dirty and even muddy on occasion.
Spring Lilly and I have been on a number of adventures together, the latest being a trip to Moab, Utah to participate in a photography workshop in the Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. (More about that in a blog post!)
I have a trip planned for next year, too; driving Historic US Route 20 across the country starting in Boise, Idaho (my current home) and hopping off Route 20 in central New York to visit my brother and cousins and friends. There will be blog posts and maybe even a book about that one!
Thanks for coming, and stay tuned for more fun stuff!
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