{tips to} Plan A Road Trip with The KIA Sedona

Recently, we drove from Michigan to Jekyll Island, Georgia.  Since this is around 15 hours of drive time, we decided to share some of our tips for how to plan a road trip from Michigan to Georgia.

{tips to} Plan A Road Trip with The KIA Sedona

To know me is to know that I’m not a mini-van Mom. In fact, I used to despise the word, like, it was THEE worst insult in the world.

Yes, I know, a little over the top, right? I’ve owned two mini-vans, and my Mom used to drive one for years.

When you’re juggling babies, toddlers, diaper bag, and groceries, having a mini-van with automatic sliding doors is the best thing EVER.

EVER!

That being said, I’ve always felt mini-vans were not for the cool moms. When I think back on WHY I thought this, I realize now it was more about the style and comfort of the mini-vans I didn’t like. I didn’t like how old mini-vans used to look. SUVs appeared cooler, stylish, and screamed, “I’m a hip and cool Mom!”

Fast forward to the past few years. Minivans have come a LONG ways. Specifically speaking, Kia’s Mini-van, the Sedona has gone through major upgrades recently. I’ve talked about how I fell in love with the 2015 Kia Sedona, and now my love has just been confirmed with the latest model. {doesn’t the front look like it’s an SUV? }

It’s not secret that my family and I love to travel. And we love road trips.  Zayd’n has been itching to do a long, cool road trip most of the summer. With the start of school looming in the background, we decided to put together a fun road trip for the boys. One of the places to vacation on our bucket list was Jekyll Island. This is a beautiful, family-friendly island perfect for an end-of-the-summer getaway. When Kia reached out for me to test drive the Sedona, I knew this was going to make our road trip EPIC!

The 2016 Kia Sedona is so stylish and comfortable; you’d hardly realize you were driving a minivan at all. Its design is aggressive yet refined making it ideal for anyone who is looking to upgrade their old vehicle. The Sedona comes complete with an extensive array of high-tech gadgets to play around with and also comes with a second row of seating, making it an exciting and roomy option for those with a larger family. The bottom line about the Sedona is that not only does it look nothing like your typical mini-van but it doesn’t drive like one either, so, if you’ve been on the fence about switching from your old car to a larger mini-van, it’s a perfect trade.

Our trip from Lansing, Michigan to Jekyll Island, Georgia was 15 hours of drive time  That didn’t include bathroom breaks or even meal breaks. It’s easy to turn a 15-hour drive into 18-20 hours with breaks. And trust me, we stopped quite a bit.

But you see, that’s the FUN part of a road trip. When you have to drive straight there and back for 15 hours, only stopping for gas and snacks, it makes the road trip longer (in my opinion) and grueling.

We intentionally planned to enjoy our road trip, allowing for long stops, and even a shopping trip for school clothes.

Here are a few tips on planning a road trip from Michigan to Georgia.

• Stop at least every 2-3 hours to get out and stretch your legs.  Truck stops are favorite places since their bathrooms area always clean, and they have a lot of options for spaces to walk around.  Rest areas are also nice for getting out and walking around quickly but have facilities that won’t be as nice. Some suggested break locations are listed below for your convenience.  Each of these is a larger are that allows for easy location of bathrooms, parks, and restaurants as needed.
  • Toledo, OH
  • Dayton, OH
  • Cincinnati, OH
  • Lexington, KY
  • Knoxville, TN
  • Asheville, NC
  • Columbia, SC
  • Savannah, GA
• If you plan to break this into a two-day trip, you can quickly stop a few different places for the night.  By stopping halfway through the trip, you are likely to have a better focus and be a safer driver.  Knoxville, TN is a great place to stop between Lansing and Jekyll Island.  You can even stop in the following morning for some sight-seeing at local attractions.

Travel in comfortable means.  We have three sons that are now really too big to be comfortable for long periods of time in a single backseat.  A 15-hour drive with all 5 of us in a small car is tough to manage.  If you don’t already own a larger vehicle, like the KIA Sedona with that third-row seating, then consider renting or borrowing one for your road trip. Having a bigger car for this road trip made all the difference in the world. I’m not exaggerating. Seriously, I’m not. When you have kids on the Autism spectrum, they need to have moments to themselves, quiet time away from everyone else in the car. But this can be challenging when you’re sharing the same space for hours at a time. With the KIA Sedona, we were able to allow one of the twins to have the back row, I sat in the middle with Zayd’n, with the other twin and Derrick in the front. The extra room is ideal for keeping kids happier, and making it less expensive since you can pack more supplies from home.  I love the convenience of adding in a cooler with drinks, and a bin with snacks to save money on the road. With the KIA Sedona’s deep trunk space, we were able to dump all of our bags, luggage, and extra junk in the back.

*Another HUGE important factor I want to note about the Sedona is the charging ports and power outlets in the mini-van. The boys were able to keep their iPad and phones charged, allowing them to watch movies, read, and play games. It also allowed me to use my laptop and get work done on the road. This particular model also had a DVD system, which was used by Zayd’n most of the way there and back. When you’re in the car for an extended period of time, having things like power outlets and DVD systems are a game-changer in road trips!

Travel overnight.  Another great tip for how to plan a road trip from Michigan to Georgia is to drive overnight.  While there will still be traffic on the road, it will be easier in many ways.  Your kids will be able to relax and sleep while you and your spouse take turns driving.  This helps everyone get some rest, and keeps the bickering in the back seat on a longer road trip to a minimum.

If you’re like me and hold an appreciation for all the gadgets and additional features in a new car, then the Kia Sedona has some impressive options that you’ll love. The gas mileage could be a little better, but since it’s a mini-van, the gas mileage is so-so but believe me when I say the included high-tech bells and whistles more than makeup for it.

Features that we loved about the 2016 Kia Sedona include but aren’t limited to:

• AM/FM/CD/MP3/SiriusXM Audio System.
• Infinity Sound System with External Amplifier
• Voice-Command Navigation with 8″ Touch Screen
• Blue-tooth Wireless Connectivity Hands-free System
• Steering Wheel Mounted Audio Hands-free Phone and Cruise Control
• USB and Auxiliary Jack
• 2.0 USB Charging Ports
• 12 Volt Power Outlets for charging devices
• Rear Camera Display
• Back Up Warning System
• Parking Assist with Front and Rear Sensors
• Blind Spot Detection
• DVD System
• Heated Front Seats
• Leather Interior Seats
• Smart Power Liftgate
• Heated Rear Glass