Take The Scenic Route Through The Valley {Hemet}

Things To Do in Hemet: Take The Scenic Route Through The Valley with a 2015 Kia Optima SX

Take The Scenic Route Through The Valley {Hemet}

I recently visited the southern part of California. Part of this trip included touring the San Jacinto Valley (Hemet and Temecula areas).

However, I had one problem.

How would I get there AND what type of car would be great on gas while traveling to a variety of destinations around the valley?.

Enter the 2015 Kia Optima SX.

It was able to solve my immediate problems. I have driven the 2014 Kia Optima before, so I was already familiar with the specs and perks of driving this car.

However, the 2015 Kia Optima SX gave me some views the 2014 Optima couldn’t give me.

Let me show you where the Kia Optima took me this week in SoCal:

It’s a tradition whenever I land in SoCal to eat at In-N-Out before I can do anything else.

Next, the Kia Optima drove me to Golden Village Palms Resort {beautiful RV Resort located in Hemet. More on that later}.

With all the palm trees around this resort, the Kia Optima stopped to talk a selfie.

And another one. I love the sleek color on this particular Kia Optima.

Later on, we take a tour around wine country. We stopped by Monte De Oro Winery and Bel Vino Winery. The views around the valley are just beautiful! All of them are breathtaking, and the Optima wasted no time in snapping a few pictures of herself with these gorgeous views in the background.

It’s hard to capture the majestic views situated in the valley with just a picture. It’s just beautiful! And it’s worth a drive around wine country. And of course, stopping by the wineries for a tasting. Just don’t drink and drive.

We also toured the city of Hemet. Stopping at The Hemet Depot, located downtown, we learned a lot about the history of Hemet.

Taking the scenic route through the valley was an experience in itself,  and of course, I had to add in my selfie.

See the little cars in the mirror? Those will light up orange when a car is on that side ( driver side has this feature as well). This is a great safety feature, especially when it is difficult to see cars in your blind spot.

After spending a few days in the Valley, we headed to the San Diego area. Thankfully, you can just put in a few details about where you want to go, and the Navigation system will do the rest.

On our way from the Valley to San Diego, we stopped by La Jolla. I don’t even know what words to use to describe the views you will find in La Jolla.

And of course, you have to head down to the beach area to check out the seals sunbathing. It’s cool.

I was able to grab my holiday Starbucks drink and spend time just watching these fun creatures!

Later on that day, we checked into Paradise Point in San Diego.

The views here at this resort are breathtaking and gives off a calming effect.

The Kia Optima and I also drove to downtown San Diego and stopped at Seaport Village. Another great place to check out if you’re looking for things to do in San Diego.

They have several shops and restaurants to check out. One of my favorite views is the one pictured below. Seaport Village is also located right on the water, so you get a view of the ocean as well.

On our last day on our #CAMomsEscape trip, we had breakfast at Snooze. If you are in the San Diego area, this is a must-go-to breakfast spot. The food left me stuffed, but still wanting more.

When I went to get the Optima, I had to do a double-take. Apparently, Optimas’ are pretty popular in the San Diego area!

Overall, I had a wonderful time touring Hemet and San Diego in the Kia Optima. She and I both had a great time eating, relaxing and enjoying the scenic views of Southern California.

As you can see, this Optima did not disappoint my California experience. You’re probably wondering what type of gas mileage we received with all of that running around: In the city, I was able to get about 26 mpg and 34 mpg on the highway.

I only filled up once (spent $30 bucks on gas), and made it back to the airport with a quarter of a tank left.

Here are a few other important specs to know about the Optima SX:

• The Optima SX starts at $21,800.
• You also get the 10 Year, 100,000-mile warranty. Having a good warranty is an absolute must for me!
• The comfort you find in the driver and front-passenger seat will not be missed. You can adjust your seat to warm you up in the winter, or cool you down in the summer. And uh, ladies, heated seats during that time of the month feels AWESOME!
• Easy-to-use-controls, with a great sound system
• Rear-view camera: Oh my goodness, this little feature helped me out so much this week. For a person that doesn’t like to parallel park, this is nifty and must-have safety feature.

My only con is this:

For a tall person, I struggled to get in and out without bumping my head. Small and minor detail, but for me, it’s important that I am comfortable at all times!

For more information about this Kia Optima, be sure to stop by your local Kia Dealership or get more information here.

Disclaimer: Big thanks to Kia & DriveShop for providing with this Kia Optima for a week. All thoughts and opinions are 100% from my experience!