Outing with Car

We had an adventurous and wonderful Saturday. We hired a car and escaped the city. Jim and I walked down to the local Avis to pick up our new wheels. At first, I didn't think Jim would like a second driver in the car for the first time he drove on the opposite side of the car and the street. He surprised me by saying I should come along.
Unfortunately, (or fortunately) all of the manuals were gone and we had to get an automatic. Maybe this was good for the first attempt at so many things at once. We found the little dear and got in. Cozy. This is where I had a taste of being the parent of a child with their learners permit. We were parked in the parking structure of a hotel and had to find our way out. Our home is only about 3/4 of a mile and 3 turns away but my leg was locked in the brake position the entire time. Thank god it was 9am and the city is full of late sleepers.

After loading up the vehicle with lunches, a change of clothing, 2 backpacks, and water bottles, Jim came in and proclaimed that the JLMCU was ready to go. This stands for Jim and Lisa Mobile Command Unit. You see, life without a car is best compared to that of a turtle. You are constantly carrying your belongings around with you in your backpack. I don't carry a purse, I use a backpack. I need an umbrella, a book, maybe a raincoat, water, and usually a snack. When you own a car, you can easily stow all that and more. When you are depending on public transportation, you never know what is going to happen or how long it is going to take, so you must prepare.
After the JLMCU was sufficiently supplied, we hopped in and headed east to the Dandenong Ranges National Park. Jim quickly became used to driving opposite in no time. The biggest challenge was remembering that the turn signal was on the right and the windshield wipers were on the left.
In 40 minutes, we were in the mountains. We stopped at the Dandenong Ranges Look Out, which is a tourist trap at the top of the highest peak. They charge $5 per car. We were promised a hedge maze, but later found out that it was an additional $6. The Secret Garden was also unavailable. We made a wish and the Wish Tree and got back in the car. We took 2 very beautiful, short hikes to see waterfalls and saw the little drive-by tourist towns that are along the appropriately named, Dandenong Tourist Rd.

We were amazed at how quickly we got back to our neighborhood and even more amazed at how tired we were. Tired but satisfied.