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BY Nancy Mueller Leave a Comment ON March 5, 2018

Take a Luxury Tesla Road Trip in Okanagan, BC

For a Boomer girlfriend getaway, it’s hard to top a luxury Tesla road trip along Route 97 in BC’s beautiful Thompson Okanagan region. Here’s why:

Tesla “Wow” Factor

Tesla Model s P85

Every great road trip starts with a fun vehicle. But driving a Tesla kicks that way up a notch with its undeniable “Wow” factor. Just imagine Lucy & Ethel or Thelma & Louise behind the wheel of a luxury electric car like our Tesla Model S P85 sedan all-wheel drive, and you have some idea of our grand adventure. When a neighbor heard of our pending trip, he said, “You do know that the Tesla can go from 0 to 60 in a nanosecond, don’t you?” I didn’t, but not to worry. I knew we’d figure it out. And we did.

After landing at Kelowna Airport, we met up with Ryan, our host from Power Trips, who offered a quick, but thorough, orientation on driving our Tesla before turning over the keys – or rather the key fob for our remote car entry. With its cool feature of door handles that slide out when sensing your approach, Tesla had us hooked from the start.

We were off, not quite in a nanosecond, since we still had to make it out of the parking lot and onto the freeway (in our case an adventure in itself), but soon enough.

And what’s a great road trip without an accompanying playlist? Once we got familiar with the display panel and settled on our eclectic choices (from Bobby Darin to the Beatles, Beach Boys and more – MUCH more), we eased into the sublime comfort of driving our luxury model. It’s a heady feeling knowing you can accelerate instantly at the slightest pedal to the mettle. Then add the fun of causing more than a few head turns while you whizz along the highway.

Tesla Curbside Parking

After watching us park perfectly in downtown Vernon, a passerby backed up a few steps and said: “Mind if I ask how much this car cost?” My girlfriend and I looked at each other, then responded: “Umm. About $150,000.” Was it wrong of us not to mention that was the “new” price or that we were only renting the Tesla for our girlfriend getaway?

At several more stops on our road trip, people asked what it was like to drive one (“Exhilarating!”), how far we could drive without recharging (“426km, almost 265 miles, per charge.”), or in one case, how we had even managed to get our hands on one since his girlfriend had been on the waitlist for the last six months.

Sounds of Silence in a Tesla

If you’re not used to driving an electric car, expect some mental and physical adjustment, like shifting from driving an automatic to a stick-shift. Besides overcoming the twitch to turn the key in the ignition, we also had to get used to the sounds of silence. We marveled at how quiet the model was, so quiet in fact, that even after the engine was on, it was hard to tell if it was actually running. And if we couldn’t hear it, that meant that the people standing in front of our car couldn’t hear it either so we couldn’t assume they would simply move out of the way when we were ready to pull out of our space in the parking lot.

Tesla Charger Stations

Driving a Tesla means no gas stops needed, but you do need charging stations. Ryan had assured us we’d have no problem finding any along Route 97, and he was right. How cool to know that while we were off exploring wineries, golf resorts or even staying at our resort, we could recharge the Tesla for as little or as long as needed. Plus, at many destinations, we discovered that valet service is only to happy to help out, even if the team needs to go to YouTube for advice.

Just know that charging times vary, depending on whether using a Tesla destination charger (up to 8 hours for a full charge) or a Tesla Supercharger (typically 45 – 60 minutes). Our car also came with an adapter, so if we had needed to (We didn’t) we also could have used any electric vehicle charging stations along the route.

Tesla Green Factor

Wanderboomer with Tesla

Besides the sheer fun of driving such a cool car, the ultimate payoff of getting behind the wheel of a Tesla is knowing that you’re in a vehicle with top energy efficiency and minimal environmental impact.

Ready for your own Tesla test drive? For more information on how you can play in BC’s Thompson Okanagan region, too, visit:

Power Trips.

Many thanks to our hosts for the chance to take a Tesla tour in Okanagan, BC:

Tourism Vernon.
Tourism Kelowna.
Visit Penticton.
Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association.
Destination British Columbia.

Up Next: Roadtripping Attractions in Beautiful Okanagan, BC

How about you, Wanderboomers? Have you driven a Tesla? Share your experience with us here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Canada, Luxury Travel Tagged With: British Columbia, Road Trips

BY Nancy Mueller 8 Comments ON October 11, 2013

Québec Road Trips: The Ultimate Autumn Getaway

Québec Road Trips

Add Québec road trips to your travel list for the ultimate Autumn getaway. Luckily, my trip coincided with the peak of Fall’s fiery foliage.

Québec Road Trips

On a spa-hopping mission through Mauricie and Lanaudière outside Montreal (somebody had to do it), I reveled in the journey, inhaling the Fall fragrance, French language and culture of the region. With a happy heart, I took to the open road, absorbed by the beauty of Fall’s vibrant splashes of red, purple and gold. Très magnifique!

Québec Road Trips

Any concerns created by cancelled flights getting here soon slipped away. I followed the path of least resistance,  soaking up the sun and the scenery along meandering country roads, imprinting the colorful landscape, small farms, and churches in my mind’s eye.

Québec Road Trips

I love the wild beauty of the Pacific Northwest. But my trip back East reminded me why Autumn had always been my favorite season as a child in Upstate New York.

Québec Road Trips

 Merci, Québec!

Inspired to take your own Québec road trips? Plan your journey, pick up a road map and brush up on your French. Settle back and enjoy the drive . . .

Québec Road Trips

For more fun Friday photos, check out Delicious Baby.

What’s your favorite Fall getaway, Wanderboomers? Share yours with us here.

 

Filed Under: Activities, Québec Tagged With: Autumn getaways, church, Fall, foliage, French, Lanaudiere, Mauricie, Montreal, Road Trips, spa

BY Nancy Mueller Leave a Comment ON April 28, 2011

Shakes, Malteds and Rock ‘n’ Roll

You know you’re getting older when . . . when your tween takes one look at a really cool jukebox and says, “What’s that!?” Oh, brother.

We’ve arrived in Port Townsend for a quick getaway from Seattle. One of the highlights of this historic seaside port on the Olympic Peninsula for this trip is the Nifty Fiftys Soda Fountain on Water Street. The fun decor is a throwback to the ’50’s when Elvis was King and bobby socks, saddle shoes and cardigan sweaters were all the rage. Hop up on one of the retro counter stools next to me and order a burger and fries, or settle for an ice cream sundae, banana split or blackberry malt. Mmm . . .

Now if you really want to embarrass your kids or grandkids, you could start jitterbugging or instead sing along with one of your jukebox favorites: “LaBamba,” “Help Me, Rhonda” or “Don’t be Cruel.” This is one of those hangouts that’s fun for every member of your family: the kids get to sample fun food and you get to revel in nostalgia and the way things were when . . .

Okay, here’s a quarter. What song is playing on your jukebox, Wanderboomers? Post a comment and let me know.

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, Destinations, Food & Dining Tagged With: Eateries, Music, Road Trips, Teen Travel, Traveling with Friends & Family

BY Nancy Mueller Leave a Comment ON April 26, 2011

Where in the World Are We?

I’m making one last ditch effort to engage my tween on our road trip back to Seattle. This time I pull out International Landmarks by educatedKid, a large deck of cards with photographs of 40 famous landmarks on one side and interesting facts and statistics about the landmarks on the reverse side. For example, who knew that the Sydney Opera House has the largest mechanical organ with 10,500 pipes? Or that the official paint of The Golden Gate Bridge is known as “international orange?”

The World Wonders on these cards cover 6 continents, 18 countries and 30 cities. A challenging activity for any of us would be to identify what we think the 40 landmarks are before even looking at the cards. Go ahead. I’ll give you two minutes to write down 40 world renowned landmarks. Ready? On your mark, get set, GO!

No fair peeking at the list at the end of this blog until you’re done.

Although the photography could be more appealing, the cards provide a fun way for both kids and adults to learn about the sites. The deck comes with a brief list of cross-cultural activities to expand upon the images and inspire further discoveries. I had intended to provide a link for the cards but alas! They’re no longer in print. However, I did discover an alternative: Rand McNally Schoolhouse World Facts & Landmarks Flashcards and Games. And this deck includes 44 world landmarks. Okay, you know what’s coming. Go ahead. I’ll give you another 30 seconds to come up with 4 more landmarks to add to your list. You did make a list, didn’t you?

You may wonder how successful I was in using any of these card decks to stimulate conversation with my tween on our road trip. Sigh. Not much, I’m afraid. But I like to think I planted a few seeds for thought and later discussion. And I learned something, too. That sometimes the best times together come from simply breaking out of our everyday routines and enjoying the drive in silence.

FYI ~ Here’s the list of International Landmarks through the eyes of educatedkids:

Arc de Triomphe                                           Pyramid of Kukulkan
Big Ben & Westminster Palace                  Sagrada Familia
Brandenburg Gate                                         St. Basil’s Cathedral
Catedral Metropolitano                              Sphinx
Colosseum                                                        Statue of Liberty
Eiffel Tower                                                      Stonehenge
Forbidden City                                               Supreme Court
Golden Gate Bridge                                       Sydney Opera House
Gondolas of Venice                                      Taj Mahal
Great Pyramid                                                Temple of Luxor
Great Wall                                                         Temple of Ramses II
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests            Terra Cotta Army
Little Mermaid                                                Torii of Itsukushima
Moai of Rapa Nui                                            Tower Bridge
Mont-St-Michel                                              Tower of Pisa
Neuschwanstein                                             U.S. Capitol
Notre Dame                                                      Washington Monument
Parthenon                                                         White House
Pentagon                                                           Windmills of Holland
Phra Si Rattana Chedi                                  World Trade Center (references 9/11)

How many of these landmarks made your list? How many have you seen, Wanderboomers?

Leave a comment here to let me know how you did and to share your favorite sites.

Filed Under: Baby Boomers and Travel Tagged With: Cards, Conversation, Educational, Road Trips, Teen Travel, Traveling with Family & Friends

BY Nancy Mueller 4 Comments ON April 14, 2011

Pick a Card, Any Card

The Art of Travel Conversation scores an A+ on packaging design. You can’t help but be inspired by the beautiful art and travel words gracing the cover of this deck of cards. Comprehensive and sophisticated in their approach, Australian authors Keith Lamb and Louise Howland focus on “travel discussion that involves both serious thought and fun.” Clearly, the objective is not only to ignite conversation, but also to increase players’ knowledge and understanding of the world.

Topics include history, politics and geography, environmental awareness, areas of travel interest and creative pursuits. Each card contains three questions or imagination-starters, ranging in difficulty from elementary to advanced levels. The cards come with a 32-page booklet filled with tips for using the cards and an expansive section on word definitions, together with descriptions of places and landmarks, providing a strong educational component. The addition of three blank cards encourages players to generate their own questions based on their travel experiences or interests.

Though the cards are presented as questions that can be used with children as young as five, I find that they are best suited to those with advanced travel vocabulary and more travel experiences under their belt. Even though the first level of questions targets elementary-age children, younger kids will need adults to explain or rephrase many of the statements, quotes and questions.

Many thanks to authors Keith Lamb and Louise Howland for the opportunity to take these cards for a practice run.

Filed Under: Baby Boomers and Travel Tagged With: Cards, Conversation, Educational, Road Trips, Teen Travel, Traveling with Family & Friends

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Hello fellow wanderboomers! I’m a Seattle-based travel journalist, specializing in fun travel adventures for the young at heart. My articles have been featured in Hemispheres, AAA Highroads Magazine and Northwest Travel & Life Magazine where I'm a frequent contributor. When this Wanderboomer isn’t traveling, I help global executives polish their personal and professional brand for long-term results.
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