My family and I are huge fans of staycations. They encourage us to still go out and discover something new together closer to home.
Toyota contacted me recently and asked me to check out their 2014 Highlander for a few days. Of course, testing out cars means weekend fun for us, so we were not only excited to see what this vehicle had to offer, but what where it would inspire us to go.
Here is a recap of our adventures:
I grew up loving Crayola crayons. They’ve been a part of my growing up and along with a great coloring book or even blank paper, helped me to get through many rainy days at home as a child. My boys are huge fans as well, often working on drawings that always find a home on the fridge or my home office wall.
When we told them we were going to the factory they couldn’t contain their excitement.
Easton, PA is about an hour and a half from New York City. It has an adorable downtown with lots of shops and eateries. The Crayola Factory is right in the center of town, with a large parking lot next to it.
The factory has 4 floors to check out and my kids enjoyed each level, though I believe their absolute favorite experience was getting to create personalized labels for their crayons and mixing marker colors, all of which they were able to take home.
This is also a really great place to learn about the Crayola history and see how the company and the brand evolved over the years.
My favorite part was going to the gift shop and selecting crayons in every Crayola color.
Most shops close early so by the time we left to explore some more of this cute town it was too late. I suggest getting there early to make the most of it.
This is a favorite spot of ours. It is a little over an hour from NYC and great place to go on a bike ride or easy hike with the family. We’ve enjoyed Duke Farms in the past. It is one of those places that never gets old. I invite you to read all about it in my post A Walk Through History at Duke Farms.
By the time we had to return this vehicle to their rightful owners, my husband was looking up prices online to buy one. We all really enjoyed this vehicle. I liked the comfort and the features: sunroof, heated seats (not that we needed them this time around), individual temperature settings for the driver and passenger side, as well as for those in the back.
Ours didn’t come with the full sunroof feature, or the DVD player, but those are options.
This hybrid, mid-size SUV was great on gas. Even with all the traveling we did, I didn’t have to stop to fill up the gas tank once. The kids also really enjoyed the leg room and third row. The vehicle had leather seats, which I will admit are really nice. There is plenty of room of cups and other items. The front area has a hug storage area between the driver and passenger seat, I was able to fit my purse in there!
It has all the little plugins for the devices and phones, as well as features to call from the vehicle itself. I also really, really like how this car drove. It was sturdy, but not heavy. The wheel was smooth to the turn and the pick up was powerful, but also provided a smooth transition, as opposed to a jolting acceleration. It felt big, but was easy to move, park, and control. Truly a nice ride. We were sad to let it go.
Staycations are the way to go when you want to do something different without breaking the bank or investing too much time. I am looking forward to a summer full of these kind of adventures!
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Disclosure: I tested the 2014 Toyota Highlander for the purpose of this review. I received no compensation nor instruction that I express any particular point of view.
