I recently had the opportunity to head to San Francisco/Napa Valley to learn more about the 2013 Nissan Sentra and Pathfinder. You can read a thorough review of the 2013 Nissan Sentra and Pathfinder at Family Travel Magazine. It was a whirlwind trip, but I did arrive in San Francisco early enough to do a little sightseeing before the event began. I’d never been to Northern California, but it’s definitely on my bucket list of places I’d love to go with my husband. The first evening we took a trolley (of course, it’s San Francisco) to Foreign Cinema, a really great restaurant in a not so great part of town. It was a great opportunity to get to know some of the other bloggers who were there for the event. I could tell it would be a fun group.
The next day we started bright and early at the Nissan Offices in San Francisco where we were introduced to the 2013 Nissan Sentra. We had the opportunity to check out the interior/exterior of the car and were given a presentation on its features.
Then we were paired up and hit the open road to drive to Napa. I was lucky enough to drive with Zipporah (Zippy) of Champagne Living. She’s a fellow Rhode Islander, and we had a great time chatting and enjoying the scenery. It was a gorgeous day. One of the highlights for me was driving over the Golden Gate Bridge. In Rhode Island I drive over bridges every day of my life, but driving over this iconic bridge was exciting. One thing I had to be careful about was my speed. The ride in the Sentra was so smooth that it felt like I was driving 35mph when I was really driving 70mph.
About midway through the drive, we stopped at CornerStone Sonoma where we had a quick snack, looked around in the shops and galleries, and switched drivers. Then we were off again, this time with Zippy behind the wheel to Solage Calastoga.
If you ever have the opportunity to stay at Solage Calastoga, take it! Don’t even mull it over. If there was one low point to this trip, it was that my time at this gorgeous resort was WAY too short. I know, I know, I was there for the cars…
We were one of the last drivers to arrive, so it was a quick lunch before we had another presentation. This time we got to check out the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. At first glance, it’s a beautiful car, but the features inside and out really impressed me. After a relatively quick presentation, we had a chance to check out the interior of the vehicle. Then it was time for us to get back behind the wheel. This time we took a scenic drive through the hills surrounding Calistoga. My husband drives an SUV, and I don’t really like the feel. However, to me, this felt like I was behind the wheel of my own minivan, but with a lot more power. It was smooth and controlled heading down the windy, mountain turns, and it accelerated easily going uphill. I’m not in the market for a new car yet, but I seriously wish I were. I can’t begin to tell you how much I love the 2013 Pathfinder.
After a long day of driving, we headed to dinner. Oh, but not just any dinner. We were treated to a cooking demonstration at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America, not Central Intelligence Agency). After the fabulous cooking demo, we were led upstairs where we were treated to a 3-course steak and lobster dinner. I don’t usually eat red meat, but when I do, I eat filet and lobster. It was an amazing experience, and another place I MUST visit again. Overall, this was a great trip: amazing food, beautiful accommodations, fun people, and chance to take a scenic drive in some gorgeous cars.
Guest blogger Diane Campagna lives in Rhode Island with her husband and 3 children. You can read about her attempts to be the mom who can do everything at http://www.mainstreetmommy.com, and get Walt Disney World travel advice from her at http://www.disneyworldmoms.com.
Disclaimer: Nissan provided me with travel/hotel accommodations to attend the Nissan Pathfinder and Sentra media preview. Of course, all opinions are my own.
