The Amazing Corolla

 The view from the back seat

 The Corolla in Columbia, MO

We're traveling in a 2001 Toyota Corolla that has over 315,000 miles on it. Ellen just had a new clutch put in before we left - replacing the original. Now it drives like a new car. The other amazing thing is that despite the fact that it is winter, we have snow tires, we're going 65 m.p.h, running the heater all the time, it's getting 38 m.p.g. In the summer it gets over 40 m.p.g. The other peculiarity is that we took out the front passenger seat when I had knee surgery a year ago, so that I could sit in the back seat and stretch out my legs, and now we've gotten so accustomed to it, that we've kept it that way. There are a lot of advantages. It is very handy for me to have things next to me on the back seat instead of having to reach into the back from the front seat to get something. We keep the food box in the well of the front seat which I can also reach easily when we want a snack in the car. I read aloud a lot while Ellen is driving, and my voice carries fine into the front driver's seat. Every now and then I drive, but Ellen does most of the driving on our trips, which she is happy doing. We just toodle along in our amazing Corolla and are having a wonderful time.