Nebraska and Back: 10 days, 6 states, 5 hotels, 1 speeding ticket and 3,000 miles in a 2013 Cadillac SRX

Honestly, before this trip I would never have considered getting a Cadillac. To me, luxury meant European - preferably German. Caddys were what grandmas in Boca Raton drove. But after 10 days of practically living out of the back of the 2013 SRX, I'm now obsessively wanting to get one. Without a doubt I can say this was THE best car for our family road trip and we loved (almost) every minute of riding in it. 

Our trip took us out to Omaha NE to visit Jason's family for Thanksgiving. The route took us up the I-15 through Nevada, the corner of Arizona, Utah, up through the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and across the Western plains of Nebraska. Some areas were breathtakingly beautiful and serene, while others were…um… not. I lost my favorite pair of flats, the kids watched about 25 movies (some a few times) and we experienced a trip of a thousand family memories. 

"Like a Lear Jet on Wheels" - Jason on Twitter

While the SRX is a crossover SUV, it drives like a sedan. Smooth and quiet, this car has power and our model had all the bells and whistles. The moon roof that stretched back over the backseat was perfect for not feeling "cooped up" after 7 hours of driving, and offered the kids a panoramic view of the snow-covered Rocky Mountains and unique sandstone canyons of Utah. The back-up camera helped us to make sure we were not about to run over a left-out piece of luggage, while the side mirrors signaled if there was someone in our "blind spot." And did you know that after a long day in the car, the seat warmers act like a heating pad to ease your sore back? That's not something you see in the literature! 

The Cadillac CUE system kept the kids entertained in the back with the Blu-Ray player, and mommy and daddy happy to be able to listen to the music THEY wanted to in the front. The navi led us astray once or twice - but for the most part kept us on route, with weather and traffic updates in addition to where the closest Starbucks was located. We even got the "chance" to test out OnStar's emergency service when we came upon the scene of an overturned big rig outside of Moab just minutes after it flipped. 

And yes, the car drove so smooth and quiet that Jason even got a speeding ticket. 

In his defense, he was going 10 MPH more than the posted speed limit and within the flow of traffic - but I'm sure that NE State Trooper saw the CA plates and thought there was no way we'd be back to fight it. Regardless - what's a road trip without a ticket of some sort? 

And we put that car through the paces. Packing it up, in and out, fast and slow, up and down altitudes of thousands of feet above sea level and across rolling, flat plains - the SRX PERFORMED. It got good gas milage and looked as good in Moab, Utah as it did pulling up to the Aria in Las Vegas. We were all comfortable and able to charge up when needed with the multiple USB ports throughout the car. My kids normally can't drive to Target and back without fighting, and while the trip wasn't scuffle free, they did about 90x better than I expected them to do. And yes, I will happily give the SRX credit for that.  

I will admit, when they came to take the car back yesterday I considered chaining myself to it and screaming "NOOOOOOOO!"

1 vehicle, 3,000 miles and about a bazillion memories….

*Thank you to the GM West News PR team for allowing us to drive this car for our trip! Opinions are true and our own. While we were loaned the car for the purpose of this travel, we were not compensated for any tweets or posts. But we would totally be okay if the car reappeared in the driveway with a note saying "it's yours!" tomorrow. Just throwing that out there. You know - "the secret" style and all. 

Yes, We NEED to Take a Disney Cruise

A few weeks ago I had the rare pleasure of boarding the Disney Wonder as it sailed to far off Bora Bora was ported in San Diego. This occasion marked the first time the Disney Cruise line docked in San Diego, on a special Pixar cruise of the California coast. As we toured the ship, the one thing I kept thinking was "WHEN are we going?"

I've never been on a cruise before, but I will say that Disney sold me hands down on not only taking a cruise, but doing it the Mickey way. Not only is the cruise 100% DISNEYTASTIC, but it seems like it would be a trip the entire family would enjoy. While I'm not sure I really need to talk Jason into taking this magical journey on the sea, if you are thinking about taking a cruise, here are my top reasons why Disney Cruises are the way to go:

• 100% Family Friendly - Disney takes family friendly to a new level. With every little detail thought of for every age and height, a Disney cruise allows everyone to have a vacation. Parents - when was the last time you really relaxed on a vacation? Oh, the one without the kids? Yeah...vacations with young kids are about as relaxing as being at home - and you have to pay to eat and you're all in one room. Disney cruises offer the longest complimentary child care of any cruise line - with facilities often open until midnight for "Goofy Slumber Parties" so parents can enjoy a little time off the clock. (As in "go hang out in one of three adult only bars".)
• Personal Service - On a Disney cruise, you are assigned a server that travels with you to all of your pre-determined dining experiences (if you chose to go - you can always eat at the buffet or order room service too!). Why is this cool? Because these people get to know you and your needs. Like for me - they would never offer me a tomato and always have a glass of chardonnay waiting upon my arrival. (I kid. Kinda. Not really.) But that's great with kids too. If your kids are antsy, they will know to have food waiting for them. If they know you don't allow dessert every night, they won't even offer. Little personal services that makes traveling with the family easier for all involved.
• Mickey Bands - The techy in me geeked out over this, but upon checking into the ship, each child gets slapped on the wrist with a Mickey Band - a "lo-jack" for your kid. If you are worried that your kid is going to fall off the ship when no one's looking, this is perfect to put you at ease. But mainly it's so your kids have the freedom to roam the secured kids' areas (all connected with hallways only accessible to kids and Disney counselors). If you drop your kid off at one side, but they decide to head to another area, the counselor at the front will be able to check and immediately tell you where Jr. has run off to.
• Wave Phones - another genius techy tool! So, apparently your cell phones don't work when you are crusing (duh, right? But I never thought of it!) so in each room there are two "Wave Phones" available for your family to use to stay connected while on the ship.
• Pirate Night - Yes, I would chose a Disney Cruise for Pirate night alone. Who doesn't want to get dressed up and have a pirate theme dinner, dance party and fireworks on a cruise ship?!

All in all the experience upon the Disney Wonder ship seemed to be the perfect {family} trip. The only negative part I could see was the experience of having to leave the ship at the end of the day - it was hard going back to my daily life even after just a few hours.

Is it too late to chuck it all become a cruise ship performer?

For more information on Disney Cruises, visit their website.

For detailed information on the Disney Wonder ship, please visit here.

*This is not a sponsored post and besides being served lunch, I was not compensated in any form for this post.