Ten Things I Learned, Against My Will, While On A 20 Hour Drive In The ChevyTraverse

I have just survived the drive from Ft. Myers Florida all the way back home to Southwestern Ontario.  While on this “adventure” in the Chevy Traverse I reaffirmed a few things I already knew about myself and my relationship with my Hubby, and learned a few things too. 

1.  Gravol.  Never leave home without it.   What I learned, give it to your kids BEFORE they turned green.  (or carry barf bags) Yeah for Gravol!

2.  You can never have enough snacks for a 20 hour drive, but you can have too many drinks.  Allowing for unlimited water, pop or juice on a trek of this length will just make your journey longer.  Unless you plan on slapping some Depends on your kids, limit their fluid intake.  Close calls and praying for the instant magical appearance of a rest stop for a pee break is not so much fun. 

3.  A TV built right into your car, that is magical!  The DVD player in the Chevy Traverse was easily controlled right in the dash of the car or by the included remote control.  My girls sat back in their seats with their wireless headphones and watched movies until their hearts were content.  Quiet, happy children equals quiet happy parents. 

4.  Fully charged IPods will die on a trip this long.  This makes for sad children.  (Sad children are noisy and annoying.)  The 2012 Chevy Traverse has an actual outlet right in the car!!  I’ve never seen this before.  No fancy convertor or adaptor required!  We re-charged IPods, Ipads and even my Toshiba Laptop.  Happy children!

5.  I did 20 hours in the Chevy Traverse and my back did not hurt!  I can not say this about some other uber expensive SUV’s I have had the pleasure of driving.  Great travel tip:  Comfy seats are even better with a pillow and blanket from home.

6.  I am nosey and don’t want to miss a thing.  Ever.  So I don’t sleep very well on road trips.  This can make for one tired Mama.  Being tired makes me grumpy, and a bit snappish.  (Sorry honey.)  Amble space to store my many secret snacks, and extensive cup holders for my coffee and Red Bull made life much better.

7.  President Obama is so powerful he can shut down I75.  (Okay so he is way more powerful than that, but this is how his power affected me this week)  On our trip home we had the “privilege” of sitting just outside of Atlanta in traffic for a full hour.  All overpasses, on ramps and exits were blocked in the anticipation of Obama’s arrival.  Funny thing is, we were the lucky one’s!  Those heading south were having a good old fashioned tailgate party as they sat for hours waiting for Mr. President to leave their fair city.  This also made me grumpy.  (So that had nothing to do with the car, but it did add to the grumpy)

8.  Sirius Satellite Radio is incredibly entertaining.  Hubby discovered, and was generally annoyed by the pleasure I took from country music, and the fact that I think I could now DJ a Top 40 show.  I listened to both for hours on end with NO commercials!  Love.

9.  A car that handles well is essential for a road trip.  We had the misfortune of driving through torrential rain, narrowly avoided tornados, encountered wicked sideways rain, and fog as thick as pea soup.  My family was safe, dry, comfy and warm in the 2012 Chevy Traverse.  My babies slept through the storm while my Hubby white knuckled it past the green skies.   The car handled like a dream, was responsive in difficult situations and in general, exceed our expectations in every way. 

10.  …and because you asked!  Yes, the Chevy Traverse can seat up to eight.  Our particular model was geared for seven, with a 2-2-3 seating arrangement.

*This picture courtesy of www.gm.ca

Isn’t she pretty?

The front seats are among the most comfortable I have ever sat in.  The middle row of seats had ample leg room with plenty of space between the girls.  My 13 year old did wish her seat would recline a bit more.  We did use the third row of seats when we went to visit my in-laws and there was plenty of room back there!  The Traverse sat all six of us with ease and comfort.  It was easy to get in and out of and there was still room for cargo, groceries (plus take-out and a case of beer) in the back! 

Now don’t be shocked, but here is a picture of our “stuff” packed in to the back of the Traverse.  Four suitcases, one duffle bag, two Tupperware containers, a cooler, 2 backpacks and about a dozen pair of shoes.  Mama doesn’t pack light.  It fit with ease! 

We were also pleasantly surprised by it’s gas mileage.  Much better then our big SUV and comparable to our friend’s minivan.  Oh but much prettier!  Ha!   All the space and comfort of the mini-van but the style of an SUV, I think I love cross-overs!

All in all, the Chevy Traverse is a fantastic vehicle and I hope we have the opportunity to borrow one again! 

How many days until the next road trip??