Yesterday, October 23, 2023, marked the grand opening for my new website, 208caravan.com! I have had the site up for a while now, and have been busily employed populating it with Caravan information. I chose yesterday as the "go live" day because it was on October 23rd back in 1984 that the Caravan received its FAA certification. I've already swapped links with a couple of other sites and have received several photos with permission to use them on 208caravan.com! (For you sharp-eyed readers, the screenshot of the website is actually from today, not yesterday. In fact one of those photos I received is visible in the lower part of the image!)

Source:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/178032991513216834/

Nestled high in the rugged mountains of the Bear River Range of northern Utah lies a little jewel known as Tony Grove Lake. A popular destination for locals for quite a number of years, the name was apparently bestowed due to the area's patronage by the wealthier families of Logan, known as "tonies." As an aside, I didn't realize that the adjective tony means "marked by an aristocratic or high-toned manner or style." Whether or not this was the reason behind the name, the area is known as Tony Grove, and the lake as Tony Grove Lake to this day.

A couple of weekends ago, Laurel and I headed out for some autumn color-hunting. Our route took us along the Logan Canyon Scenic Byway and past the turnoff to the lake. As Laurel had never been up to see it before, we decided to pay a visit. Here are a couple of pics Laurel took as we wandered along the lakeshore.

A couple three years back, I became interested in electric vehicles. Due to the politics that surrounded them, (and still seem to surround them), I had not really given them much consideration. My interest was piqued, however, when I started thinking about the simplicity of an EV including the limited number of moving parts and the noticable absence of fluids. To make a long story somewhat shorter, Laurel and I picked up a Fiat 500e. (I know, I know..."Fix It Again, Tony!") At the time I didn't know much about them other than the fact they were compliance vehicles produced by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and were only sold new in California and Oregon.

Fast forward to today, and the electric vehicle "experiment" has proven to be quite successful. I have operated the 500e in a couple of northern Utah winters, using it as my main means of conveyance between home and work. I did manage to get it stuck in one of our first big snows, but that had more to do with getting one of the front wheels bogged down in some soft ground than it did with the snow itself. The 500e is quiet, fairly nimble, and a hoot to drive!

One aspect of this little car that I was completely unaware of when we bought it, is the history it has. The Fiat 500 or Cinquecento seems to have been Italy's answer to the Volkswagen Beetle, with over 3.8 million units being produced from 1957 through 1975. In 2007, it was reintroduced, this time as a modernized vehicle with retro styling (similar to the New Beetle, Mini Cooper and Ford Mustang). While not taking America by storm, this new Cinquecento has been a hit in other parts of the world.

With all of this being said, we are looking at the possibility of selling our 500e. There are several reasons for this, one being practical, the others...not so much. To begin with, I really miss driving a manual-transmission vehicle. One-footed driving takes so much joy out of the experience, and I miss the interaction with the car and the road. Secondly, the 500e has a very limited range. From the factory, it was rated at 87 miles on a single charge. While this works great for zipping around the valley here, it doesn't allow from much in the way of longer drives. That leads to the third reason, and that is that Laurel and I do really enjoy scenic drives, whether that is taking the long way home from church on a Sunday evening in the summer, or going "color-hunting" in the fall to see the leaves change. A fun vehicle that could be used this way, but with more range than the 500e, would be just what the doctor ordered.

No specific decisions have been made as of yet...but stay tuned! Who knows what we may end up with in our garage? It might even be influenced by the little Italian icon I am currently driving!



Sources:
First photo
Second photo

I want to ask a very important question. If you are saved (Bible definition, Bible method), why? In other words, what is the one overarching reason that Jesus saved you...His purpose in doing so?