We have a new addition to the Live Lightly family…a 1997 VW Passat that runs on veggie oil of course! It’s only natural that we would want to get rid of our gas car and go 100% veggie. After we converted the RV, it was physically painful to put gas in the car! Ouch! We heard about the VW and knew it was the one for us. It gets 44 mpg on either veggie or diesel….a beautiful thing.
We bought the car in Springfield, MO, from the sister of Charlie (of Golden Fuel Systems). We needed to go to Golden Fuel anyway to show them the remodeled RV and buy some oil filters, so it worked perfectly! We had a few things tweaked on our RV veggie system while we were there and we had a wonderful time seeing old friends and meeting new ones! They are a fun bunch of people.
When we arrived at GFS, there was a cargo van on the lift being converted. When we went inside, we met the van’s owner…the beautiful and adventurous Carolyn. Carolyn just graduated from college in Florida and purchased the van to travel in. The van is a former S.W.A.T. team vehicle…with a bullet hole in the side to prove it! It’s totally reinforced on the inside…and is quite a cozy home. She is on her way to Burning Man, and then has plans to travel the West coast until October. We had a great time getting to know her…we went out for coffee and lunch…and had breakfast in our RV together. We traded stories from the road, and made sure to get each other’s contact info so we could stay in touch. It looks like our paths may cross again in Arizona…it would be fun to see her again!
We were also able to catch up with my friend, Anna, and her family. We hit our favorite spots together:
The Mudhouse
…a wonderful coffee shop downtown where you can see dreadlocked college kids, pink-haired beauties, and stoic businessmen all in one place. Great people watching…but the coffee is even better! Don’t miss the Frozen MudTurtle. Yum. They also have a huge selection of teas and yummy sandwiches. Vegetarian friendly too!
The Tea Bar and Bites
This little restaurant just glows with charm. Delicious food and great service. Each room is unique, with touches of whimsy. It also has a delightful covered outdoor patio with fountains and flowers. I could stay all day.
The Jordan Valley Park Fountain
…perfect on a hot Missouri afternoon! This amazing fountain was designed by the same people that created the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas. When the water “pops” up…it makes rhythms similar to a drum line..it’s like music! I actually thought that there was a drum line practicing at a nearby baseball park.
To see photos of Carolyn, flash floods, Amish buggies and more, click HERE.