Safety First in the 2021 Mazda CX-5 Signature AWD

Traveling in current times can be a little challenging however, if you plan and take all the safety precautions you can lower your anxiety level and have a pleasant adventure. I am speaking my truth! Traveling brings me a sense of peace and I need my peace so; I have been traveling throughout this pandemic while social distancing and taking all the safety precautions put in place. We headed to the Smoky Mountains this last trip for a friend’s birthday celebration and had an amazing time.

The 2021 Mazda CX-5 Signature AWD drove so smooth on the highway taking on those curves. We have had some whacky weather lately so there was some snow on the ground, and it snowed while we were there. I was surprised when after a certain amount of time on the road, we got a Driver Attention Alert notification. It is designed to reduce accidents due to driver fatigue. It will activate above the 65-speed limit and begin to learn your driving habits, and then alert you when it is time to take a break.

Our drive was not a real lengthy one but, I appreciate the alerts and will listen and pull over on longer distances. My iPhone connected to the Mazda CX-5 immediately and we were able to enjoy my favorite playlists. It was easy to switch syncing devices to hear everyone’s favorite tunes while we were on the road. I equally enjoyed the heated seats and the Mazda Connect infotainment system because I love to play with it and learn all the new tech. Loved the 10.25 inch full-color display.

The interior is so chic with Caturra Brown Nappa Leather and genuine layered wood trim. It was extremely comfortable on the ride and I did not even recline my seat to further relax. I was thoroughly enjoying the sounds coming through the Bose speaker system and taking in all the scenes along our route. I cannot get enough of the safety features like blind spot monitoring, smart city brake support, 360 view monitors with park sensors. These safety features come in so handy!

When you see this gem coming down the street you will stop and look because it is so stylish. The exterior was Soul Red Crystal Metallic and looked stunning. I would stare when it was parked and just take in its beauty. The color is so vibrant, it draws you in. I had a blast taking photos on our trip and even color coordinated an outfit and sneakers to match the SUV. This was huge for me because I do not normally wear red. I do not have much red in my closet but, this just came together perfectly.

I am loving the 2021 Mazda CX-5 Signature AWD. Totally recommend test driving one so you can experience all its greatness! I just gave you a glimpse of what to expect but there is so much more. The Signature pricing starts at $37,505 and you can build it just the way you want to. There is an extra $595 if you want the Soul Red Crystal Metallic Finish. It’s great to be able to customize your vehicle just the way you want it. You get so many safety features and have the ease of Mazda Connected Services between your CX-5 and smartphone.

Overall, this is a sweet ride, and it has evolved over the years. I have driven previous models of the Mazda CX-5 Signature AWD and it always exceeds my expectations. Another road trip is on the horizon!

I asked my travel partner what he thought of the 2021 Mazda CX-5 Signature AWD and this is what he had to say…

“It felt like a protector, it was comfortable, safe and easy going.”

Road Tripping to Washington, DC in the 2019 Mazda CX-9

I was excited to head to Washington, DC in the 2019 Mazda CX-9 Signature All Wheel Drive for a weekend road trip and enjoy the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The first thing that stood out to me was the overall size. I previously had the opportunity to drive the 2019 Mazda CX-5 and the CX-9 is a tad bit larger and has a third row. The exterior was Snowflake White Pearl and the interior was Auburn Nappa Leather. The driver’s seat was powered, had 2 position memory and heating options.

The weather has been so funny lately but, I won’t complain. We need all this rain to wash the pollen away and keep my allergies at bay. It was pouring when we were in route to Washington, DC. I used the Mazda Radar Cruise Control most of the way to ensure I stayed within the speed limits. If a car was in front of me the CX-9 would reduce speed. I also got a chance to experience the traction control, lane departure warning and lane keep assist on our journey. The safety and security features are great!

Driving at night in the rain can be challenging when it comes to the visibility, so I really could appreciate the rain-sensing windshield wipers and intermittent rear wiper along with the adaptive front-lighting system. There was no need for me to manually turn on my high beams when necessary, it’s done automatically for you. I love a car that is so in tune with what’s going on that it adjusts as necessary for you. So, the blind spot monitoring was great to alert me when a car was inching up on me.

One of my favorite features in a vehicle is the dashboard and all the cool tech built-in. Apple Carplay came in handy when we wanted to sync our phone(s) and listen to multiple playlists. I also enjoyed the SIRIUSXM satellite radio. There were a few stations that I just loved as I bumped my favorite tunes through the 12 BOSE AM/FM/HD speakers. The 8” color display was the hub for everything with a rear camera and 360-degree view monitor. I loved this feature when parking in compact spaces.

Everything is mostly power with advanced key-less entry system, push button engine start and 3-zone automatic climate control. There are auto fold door mirrors, automatic door locks and power open/close rear lift gate. All these features made traveling an ease. We all had enough USB inputs to charge our phones. My son had his own USB input(s) in the rear along with heated seats, 2nd row window sunshades and latch child safety seat anchors. He also enjoyed the rear seat entertainment system.

I have grown to depend on the active driving display, so I never have to take my eyes off the road. Overall, I really enjoyed the 2019 Mazda CX-9 all wheel signature drive. The Skyactiv -G 2.5 Turbo Engine is so smooth with 6 speed sport mode. I was able to enjoy the power moon roof once the rain stopped and we had a bright sunny day. I was very comfortable being in the driver’s seat for a little over four hours. It’s a great vehicle and I wouldn’t mind owning this jewel. She’s pretty and a powerhouse.

The MSRP for standard equipment is $45,365. You can add optional equipment bringing you up to $49,230. Here’s the article about the 2019 Mazda CX-5 so you can see my thoughts and compare the rides. Check out the Mazda website for additional information about the 2019 Mazda CX-9 Signature All Wheel Drive and all the cool features. It did pretty well on gas at 23 MPG. I just touched the surface with my experience, there’s so much more to enjoy with this sweet ride!

Twizzlers to the Rescue

In May I wrote about taking road trips with the perfect snack for the kids. Take a look at Road Trippin with Twizzler in Tow to see the actual article. Thanks to Twizzlers and the Mom Bloggers Club I was able to receive this Twizzlers prize pack just in time for my beach vacation with the kids. We drove to Ocean Isle Beach,NC from Durham,NC. That’s about a three hour drive and we had Twizzlers to snack on while we were on the road! Twizzlers is a huge HIT in our household! Twizzlers came to the rescue during our long drive and beach traffic! Here are some pictures from our journey.

Road Trippin’ with Twizzlers in tow!

I love a good road trip! I’m a transplant from New York and now reside in North Carolina so it’s nothing for me to pack up the kids and take a road trip. I’ve been back and forth to New York so much, the time just flies in the car. It’s about eight hours of driving. My method to driving a long distance with two teens, a tween and a toddler has always been to drive during the night. I cook dinner, get them nice and full, make sure everyone uses the bathroom before we leave and hit the road around 11:00 pm! They fall asleep almost instantly and when they wake up we have reached our destination. Now in a perfect world I would be able to pull that off each road trip, BUT we don’t live in a perfect world! So, I’ve done some day driving with the kiddos in tow and not even an hour into the trip someone’s hungry, wants a snack or has to use the bathroom! Sound familiar?

This summer I have a few road trip destinations! Grandma usually takes the kids for a couple of weeks so New York is on the list. I’d love to take the kids to the North Carolina coast again; we went to Ocean Isle Beach in February and had a blast! The beach is definitely a summer getaway destination for us! I’ve always wanted to take the kids to Disney World and I’m waiting on my toddler to get a little older so he’ll really enjoy it. As a child my parents took me to Niagara Falls and I’d love to take my children to Niagara Falls and visit our Canadian relatives. A trip to Canada with the kids may be the longest trip we’ve ever taken. I think I’ll break that drive up a bit and put a really good travel plan together.

I think the best thing you can do when taking a road trip with children in tow is make them as comfortable as possible in the car. Snacks are a MUST! If you haven’t packed travel size meals in the car you’ll probably stop for food but, be sure to pack snacks. Twizzlers are a favorite of ours and you don’t have to worry about them spilling, melting, being messy, and they are easy to share amongst multiple children. My girls love the Twizzlers pull n’ peel! I’m old fashioned, I love the Twizzlers twists! I also travel with a portable DVD player and the kids watch movies while on the road. We have fun checking in on Four Square when we stop at rest areas or travel plazas and before you know it we’re there! For more product information head on over to the Twizzlers website.

Disclosure: I am entering a contest for a Twizzlers Landmark Summer promotion prize pack as a member of the Mom Bloggers Club. All opinions expressed are my own.

Just Shoot Me…

This weekend I single handily attempted to drive the eight hour trip from North Carolina to New York with my four kids (made it in twelve) ages 13, 11, 9 and my favorite 17 months. So, let me share a few key factors here. I’ve never traveled long distance with the children without my husband before and did I mention I have a toddler who (eats solids and drinks juice) refuses to eat when mommy is around because he likes his milk fresh; unpasteurized & unprocessed.

I get up at 5am and dress the baby while he’s still sleeping. I wake the other children so we can hit the road. We jumped in the mommy rocket at 6 am and hit 85 North. Everyone is sleeping and it’s peaceful! It’s great until I get to Alexandria, VA where they decided to reconstruct the entire city during rush hour and the drama begins. Of course this is when the baby decides to wake up, we need a bathroom break and every one’s hungry. So, here I sit in miles of traffic with minimal exits in sight. We are moving at two miles per hour and I also have less than a quarter tank of gas. An hour later, the highway starts to open up again and I get off at the next immediate exit. I go to the local burger barn so we can use the rest room and grab some grub. Okay, we now have empty bladders and full tummies, let’s gas up and keep on movin‘. North bound we get into more bumper to bumper traffic after the Fort McHenry tunnel. “I wish everyone had an Easy Pass” me included. We could all just scan and go! So finally we get through all the traffic. We are moving again. Through Baltimore we go! Everything is moving at at a good pace. We get to Delaware and I get excited because I know that after Delaware, I’m going to jump on the New Jersey Turnpike and I’ll be only one state away from my final destination. Okay, we are at the home stretch.

So I thought… I get on the New Jersey Turnpike and I’m doing good for the first hour. The baby decides to exercise his power, and throw a fit (what do I expect we’ve been traveling for about fiftyleven hours now) I need a rest stop right now! Of course nothing works the way it’s supposed to. My oldest tried everything to console him and it wasn’t going to happen. I have to hear my baby scream his heart out for the next ten to fifteen minutes which seems like hours to me. I finally see a rest stop. I take the exit and tend to my Buddha baby! So, it’s definitely nap time. I get him and calm him down and of course he wants the regular organic milk, but that’s okay because I know he’ll be off to dream land. I strap him back into his car seat and I decide it’s time to get to grandmas house. I enter the turnpike and low and behold bumper to bumper traffic for miles. We’re moving in between five and ten miles per hour. I see where this is going! My nerves are a bit frazzled because I too am ready for this trip to be over. The baby wakes up… SO SOON! I definitely see another rest stop visit in my future. I’m looking for the rest stop sign, I have another 7 miles to go. GREAT! So, I inch my way to the rest stop slowly but surely. Great, time to put the baby back to sleep. I do so successfully. Time to make a go at it again. So, I finally get back on the New Jersey Turnpike with just a little bit left to go.

Whoo hoo! I’m at the end of the turnpike. I’m making my way to the George Washington Bridge. Why, oh why is there a forty five minute to an hour delay to cross the GWB. Did everyone decide to travel this weekend? Is it a holiday and I forgot? What am I missing? Okay, Every ones is restless at this point. All I can say is we’re almost there! We finally make it to the toll booth after an hour and change. Now, I begin to see the end of my journey. I just have to sharpen my New York City driving skills and (quick) cut through traffic to merge onto the Deagan Expressway to get to my second home. I fight my way through these lanes and take the exit for the Deagan. I get on the Deagan and not even thirty minutes later at 6:15 pm we FINALLY make it to Grandma’s house. I’m exhausted! I make a personal vow never to do this again. At least not until the baby is completely weaned from me. The sad part is… I still have to turn around and drive back home in a few days at the end of our visit. So not looking forward to it!

error: Ask And You Shall Receive!!