Get inspired to hit the open highway in search of new adventures with our guide to picking your next unforgettable road trip.
With summer in full bloom, and after most of us spent the spring being a little bit more cooped up than normal, it’s only natural to be daydreaming about planning the perfect getaway. As longtime New Roads readers will recognize, we’ve got a lot of experience in the road trip game.
Travel, sometimes even over short distances, can be inspiring, and we’re constantly brainstorming about where to go next and checking out new websites, guides, and apps to find undiscovered corners and new experiences. Whether you travel near or far, be sure you follow all the applicable laws and guidelines.
Get Food
Even before “foodies” existed, food and road trips were inextricably linked. From picnic baskets to PB&Js to fast-food French fries, the flavor of travel is a sense memory that we all understand.
Increasingly, people are making food an integral part of the journey. Depending where in the country you live, road tripping one town over or across state lines could unlock a new culinary experience—or expand one you’re already familiar with.
It’s hard to beat local specialties, which you’ll often find at roadside stands, outdoor markets, or the takeout window of the local diner. Midwesterners don’t have to travel far for a sample tour of specialty sausages, from brats to knackwurst to stadium-style hot dogs. The Louisiana Gulf Coast is easily reachable from many points in the South and is a magnet for seafood and Creole cuisine cravers, best enjoyed on a dockside picnic table with a view of the water. Wherever you’re starting from, get inspired by downloading one of the many apps that are designed to help you eat like a local.
TRAVEL TIP
Don’t go hungry along the way. When you pack the car before your trip, put bags and suitcases in the cargo area, but keep a smaller bag on hand with snacks, wipes, and anything else you might need during the drive. Plus, make sure each passenger has a water bottle in their nearest cup holder.
Get Lost
The lure of the great outdoors has always inspired Americans to travel. Our sprawling country is rich with natural beauty, and often the farther afield you are willing to roam, the more you are rewarded with pristine places and incomparable sights.
Setting your sights on a remote vacation destination can inspire a million adventure ideas. Gargantuan national parks dot the country: Joshua Tree and Kings Canyon offer accessible wilderness to millions of Californians, Badlands in South Dakota is an utterly unique destination for folks in the middle of the country, and it’s worth traveling from the East Coast to get lost in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina.
Technology can be your friend, again, in search of solitude. Check out your smartphone’s app store for one of the numerous programs aimed at national park information to learn more about when to go, where to stay, and what to bring.
TRAVEL TIP
Interstate highways are great for covering lots of ground quickly. But make a point to get off the main road and take a slower, more scenic detour from time to time. Because sometimes, the unexpected places you discover along the way are just as memorable as your actual destination.
Get Comfortable
Not every road trip must entail rock climbing or off-roading, of course. After a hard work week (or during one), searching around for “Destination Chill” is often the right way to go. For true relaxation, many of us need little more than an expanse of beach, an uninterrupted view of some water, and a good book.
For perfect weather and unmatched chill, try the less trafficked areas of the Gulf Coast, the breezy reaches of islands reachable by causeways or ferries, or the Lake Michigan coast in the northern part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula in the summertime. Or consider a road trip around paradise: a week—or more—on the Big Island of Hawaii can offer a new day trip every day of one’s stay, with relaxing destinations to spare.
Meditation-augmenting guides, apps, and even smart eyeglasses are increasingly popular ways to amplify your time away from the grind. Sand in your toes with a side dish of inner peace.
TRAVEL TIP
Don’t forget about the simple, great road trip games from years past. Friendly competitions of “I Spy” or the license plate game are fun and easy for the whole family. Or, let older kids bring along tablets and connect to your vehicle’s available 4G LTE Wi-Fi® Hotspot† to play online games or connect on social media.
Get Smart
Vacations can be a time for the kind of hands-on education that’s hard to come by in school or books. And for parents of school-age kids, there are plenty of places to consider bringing the family to both unwind and learn a little something.
All over the country, it’s possible to discover impressive architecture, historical landmarks, and other locations that help bring history to life for kids and adults alike. Whether it’s testaments to the American Revolution in the Northeast, reminders of brave explorers farther west, or something in between, there are plenty of opportunities to get a jump-start on learning about the nation’s heritage without stepping foot in a museum.
It’s great to have a loose idea of where you’re headed, of course. Travel guides, both printed and online, can give you a great starting point to scope out educational destinations in various regions. The National Park Service website offers various guides for history buffs of all kinds and up-to-date information on closings and restrictions. There you’ll find your future game plan for everything from walking tours of famous battlefield locations to hikes through iconic parks, and so much more.
TRAVEL TIP
Make the journey just as informative as the destination by choosing the spoken word over music. Whether it’s educational or historical podcasts, or the audiobook version of a classic novel, there’s a wealth of options out there to keep passengers engaged—and informed—during the drive.
GM Set to Open a New Technical Center
The Charlotte Tech Center will initially focus on GM performance and racing, with ability to expand to other areas of business
General Motors will open a new technical center focused on performance and racing in the Charlotte region, a major racing hub in the United States. The facility will expand GM’s performance and racing capabilities, with a focus on transferring knowledge and resources from the racing programs to core vehicle engineering. The goal for the Charlotte Technical Center is to eventually house future technology and engineering development capabilities.
The 75,000-square-foot facility will be located in Concord, North Carolina, off of Interstate-85 and less than 10 miles from the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The new technical center will provide an opportunity to recruit potential GM employees from the growing pool of technical talent in the Charlotte area. It is expected to open by mid-2020.
“We’re thrilled to expand GM’s U.S. footprint by establishing a greater presence in Charlotte, a community that has become a racing and engineering mecca,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. vice president of Performance and Motorsports. “The new facility will be close to a number of key Chevrolet and Cadillac racing partners, teams and suppliers. This will allow for improved collaboration as well as access to some of the industry’s best talent.”
The new technical center provides GM the opportunity to expand and enhance its support for Chevrolet NASCAR race teams as well as various other GM racing teams. The facility will feature Driver-in-the-Loop simulators, vehicle simulation, aero development and other practices designed to advance racing and production capabilities.
“Chevrolet and Cadillac Racing are two of the winningest brands in motorsports. This new facility will build upon their legacies and hopefully lead to even more success on the track,” said Campbell. “Racing helps us accelerate the development, performance and popularity of our cars and trucks across the world.”
Development technologies often make their way from the racing world to production vehicles. Computational Fluid Dynamics, scale model testing and rolling wind-tunnel testing were all pioneered in racing and are now used extensively in production vehicle development.
Lesser Known Hikes in Western Washington
With many activities closed or limited, it seems more people are take advantage of Western Washington’s excellent hiking trails. Because of increased popularity (and time), social distancing even on hikes can be difficult (especially at crowded trail heads), so here are some lesser known hikes that you may want to check out to avoid the hiking crowds.
- Heather Park Trail in the Olympic National Forest. If you have a hankering to go to the Olympics, you’ll probably find the popular Hurricane Ridge pretty crowded. Take a quick detour to Heather Park Trail. It also offers incredible views, but of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Port Angeles, and smaller peaks!
- Rampart Ridge Trail in Mt. Rainier National Park. While this park may be very popular, give this lesser known trail a try to avoid some of the crowds. Be sure to check the website for possible changes in restrooms, access, etc.
- Lake Elizabeth Trail, Bandera Mountain Summit, Royal Basin Trail, and more! This list on the Only In Your State website has a great list of trails we had never heard of that should be much lighter in the crowd department.
It has been a stressful few months for everyone living with the Covid-19 Pandemic. Which is everyone. From worrying about job security, school for the kids, finances, personal health, health of older/younger family members, isolation, and more, mental health is taking a pretty serious hit in many of us.
The good news is there are steps we can take, within our control, to better our mental health during this difficult time. Here are some tips from the Mayo Clinic and other sources:
- Get enough sleep. And stick to your sleeping routine. It might not seem like a big deal to binge watch Netflix until 2am because you don’t have to get up early in the morning, but this can be very detrimental to your mental health.
- Participate in regular physical activity. Even if it’s something as a simple as a walk or lifting weights in your apartment! Being outside also helps with mental health, so anything you can while social distancing is a great option.
- Eat healthy. Maybe your summer bod is taking this year off, but it’s still important to put good foods into your body. Limit sugar/junk food and caffeine, especially if you struggle with anxiety.
- Limit screen time. Turn off all your electronics each day for an established amount of time, as little as 30 minutes. Screen time has been linked to increased rates in stress and anxiety, something none of us need at this time.
- Relax and Recharge. Do something that works for you to help you recharge. Meditate, read a book, work on a project that has nothing to do with work, lay in your back yard.
- Do something for others. The best way to get out of your own head is to focus on helping someone else!
Corvette has always represented iconic American design, performance, technical ingenuity and attainability. The 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray retains carryover pricing – the same as the introductory model – with MSRP starting at $59,995 for the coupe and $67,495 for the convertible. Both models include destination freight charge.
“Our mission was to develop a new sports car, combining the successful attributes of Corvette with the performance and driving experience of mid-engine supercars,” said Tadge Juechter, Corvette executive chief engineer. “We are thrilled with the enthusiasm the mid-engine Corvette brought following its launch and are keeping it fresh with new content for the 2021 model.”
NEW FOR 2021
- Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension available without Z51 (FE2)
- Standard Wireless Apple CarPlay/Wireless Android Auto
- Red Mist Metallic Tintcoat exterior color
- Silver Flare Metallic exterior color
- Sky Cool Gray/Yellow Strike interior color
- New Full Length Dual Racing Stripe Package colors: Blue, Orange, Red and Yellow
- Stinger Stripes in three colors: Carbon Flash/Edge Red, Carbon Flash/Edge Yellow and Carbon Flash/Midnight Silver
- Driver mode on-screen visualization and new track digital tachometer
- Standard Buckle To Drive, a safety technology that, when active, can prevent the driver from shifting the vehicle out of Park if the driver’s seat belt is not buckled for up to 20 seconds; this feature is designed to help remind all drivers to buckle up before driving
ENGINE & CHASSIS: The next-generation LT2 is paired with Chevrolet’s first eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, which provides lightning-fast shifts and excellent power transfer.
- Engine: 6.2L LT2 V-8 with Direct Injection, Variable Valve Timing and Active Fuel Management
- Transmission: eight-speed dual-clutch with manual and automatic modes
- Driver Mode Selector – six modes: Tour, Sport, Track, Weather, and MyMode and Z Mode customizable modes
- Brakes: four-wheel antilock, four-wheel disc, four-piston calipers (12.6-inch front rotors, 13.3-inch rear rotors)
- NEW: Available Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension without Z51 (FE2), which reads the road better, providing more precise data through suspension-mounted accelerometers
- Available Z51 Performance Package: Z51 performance brakes, Z51 performance suspension (FE3), performance exhaust, performance final drive ratio, electronic limited-slip differential, Z51 rear spoiler, front splitter, 245/35ZR19 front and 305/30ZR20 rear summer-only, high-performance tires and heavy-duty cooling system
- Z51 Performance (FE4) with Magnetic Selective Ride Control, includes Performance Traction Management
- Front lift: adjustable height with memory
DESIGN: The Stingray’s exterior has a bold, futuristic expression with mid-engine exotic proportions, but it is still unmistakably Corvette.
Exterior
- NEW: Red Mist Metallic Tintcoat exterior color
- NEW: Silver Flare Metallic exterior color
- NEW: Full Length Dual Racing Stripe Package colors: Blue, Orange, Red and Yellow
- NEW: Stinger Stripe in three colors: Carbon Flash/Edge Red, Carbon Flash/Edge Yellow and Carbon Flash/Midnight Silver
- Painted brake calipers: available in Black, Bright Red, Edge Red and Yellow
Interior
- NEW: Sky Cool Gray/Yellow Strike interior color
- GT1 bucket seats
- Mulan leather seating surfaces with perforated inserts
- Available GT2 bucket seats
- Napa leather seating surfaces with perforated inserts
- Napa leather seating surfaces with perforated sueded microfiber inserts
- Two-tone
- Available Competition Sport bucket seats
- Performance textile
- Napa leather seating surfaces with perforated inserts
- Napa leather seating surfaces with perforated sueded microfiber inserts
- Available heated and ventilated seats; power bolster and power lumbar
- Available heated steering wheel
- Available custom seat belts: Black, Orange, Natural, Tension Blue, Torch Red and Yellow
- Available custom interior leather stitching: Adrenaline Red stitching on seats, instrument panel, doors and console; Yellow stitching on seats, instrument panel, doors and console
- Available Sueded Microfiber-Wrapped Interior Package: headliner, visor, trim above windshield and rear window, and A-pillar trim in color-keyed sueded microfiber
- Available head-up display – color with readouts for Tour, Sport and Track modes, vehicle speed, gear, engine rpm, shift lights, turn signals, high beam headlamps, turn-by-turn navigation, g-meter, speed limit and lap times
- Available Bose Performance Series 14-speaker audio system
INFOTAINMENT & CONNECTIVITY: The Stingray benefits from GM’s new digital vehicle platform, an all-new electronic architecture that enables the adoption of the company’s next generation of technologies.
- NEW: Standard Wireless Apple CarPlay/Wireless Android Auto
- Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Plus system with 8-inch diagonal HD color touchscreen, AM/FM stereo, HD Radio® Bluetooth® audio streaming for two active devices, Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ compatibility, voice recognition and in-vehicle apps
- Available Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Premium system with Navigation, includes Plus system features listed above, Connected Navigation, enhanced voice recognition, additional memory for in-vehicle apps and Performance Data Recorder
- 4G LTE Wi-Fi® Hotspot for up to seven devices
- Standard HD Rear Vision Camera (1LT) and HD Front and Rear Vision Cameras (2LT/3LT)
- Available Performance Data Recorder
- Available wireless charging
SAFETY & SECURITY: An available suite of active safety features.
- NEW: Standard Buckle To Drive, a safety technology that, when active, can prevent the driver from shifting the vehicle out of Park if the driver’s seat belt is not buckled for up to 20 seconds; this feature is designed to help remind all drivers to buckle up before driving
- Air bags: four driver and passenger frontal and side-impact air bags with Passenger Sensing System
- Available Rear Camera Mirror: rearview auto-dimming with full camera display (coupe and convertible)
- Available Rear Cross Traffic Alert
- Rear Park Assist
- Available Side Blind Zone Alert
- Teen Driver technology
- Available theft-deterrent system: engine immobilizer and audible/visual alarm electrical, unauthorized entry, vehicle inclination sensor, vehicle interior movement sensor; activates horn
Celebrating the 4th of July will be different for all of us this year with no big fireworks shows or big gatherings allowed. But one thing is the same: Burien Chevrolet’s 4th of July special offers! This year, you get a $500 Amazon gift card when you trade-in your vehicle to us!
The $500 Amazon gift card is in ADDITION to any other specials/offers AND our Lifetime Warranty with 10 years of free roadside assistance.
This offer is only good through July 6, so come celebrate your 4th of July with !
Supporting Local Businesses in the Wake of Covid-19
As many counties in Washington State enter phase 2 of reopening during the Covid-19 (some hoping for phase 3, even), we are excited by the idea of life returning to normal by frequenting our favorite restaurants, parks, and beaches mostly the way we used to. We recognize that some things will be different and it is important to take precautionary measures. We also recognize that local businesses have been through a historic hit, so here are some ideas to help us all recover from the Covid-19 lockdown.
- Buy gift cards from local stores and restaurants as birthday gifts, to give to first responders, etc. This helps get cash flowing to these businesses more than you can visit each one.
- If you need to get out of the house, try a staycation! Airbnbs will soon be open as will most local attractions, events and activities. This will get you out and put money back into the community.
- Shop local. We understand this isn’t always possible, but instead of the convenience of making that purchase through Amazon or a big box store, your purchases will make a huge impact on smaller, locally-owned businesses.
More powerful version of the racing-bred LS7 offers 570 horsepower and wet-sump oiling
Chevrolet Performance today announced the all-new LS427/570 crate engine* — an enhanced version of the production-based LS7 7.0L engine that offers more horsepower, more torque and, thanks to a simpler wet-sump oiling system, easier installation.
A new, high-lift camshaft developed specifically for this engine helps produce a GM-estimated 570 horsepower and 540 lb-ft of torque — increases of 65 horsepower and 70 lb-ft over the regular-production engine — while the new wet-sump oiling system eliminates the need for the installer to incorporate a separate oil tank, oil lines and other ancillary components to support the production LS7’s dry-sump system.
“The all-new LS427/570 builds on the legendary, racing-bred performance of the LS7 to create the most powerful naturally-aspirated LS crate engine in our portfolio,” said Jessica Earl, GM specialist marketing group manager.
Compared to the production LS7 crate engine assembly, the LS427/570 features an F-body aluminum oil pan and a specific wet-sump oil pump. Additional engine highlights include:
- Unique high-lift hydraulic roller camshaft with 0.591-inch intake/0.590-inch exhaust lift; 227-degree intake/242-degree exhaust duration; and a lobe separation angle of 116 degrees
- Unique high-rate valve springs
- Camaro fifth-generation Z/28 exhaust manifolds
- Low-profile LS7 EFI intake manifold with fuel rails, injectors and throttle body installed
- Robust LS7 rotating assembly featuring a forged steel crankshaft and titanium connecting rods
- CNC-ported cylinder heads featuring 2.20-inch titanium intake valves and 1.61-inch sodium-filled exhaust valves
- Fourteen-inch Camaro Z/28 168-tooth manual transmission flywheel
- Must be used with LS427/570 Engine Controller P/N 19420000 (sold separately)
- Chevrolet Performance recommends Mobil 1 15W50 fully synthetic motor oil to be used with the engine
Chevrolet Launches Bolt EV Academy Videos Series
Illustrates the advantages of driving and living with an electric vehicle
Chevrolet today launched Bolt EV Academy, a series of 15 videos to help educate current and future Bolt EV owners on the advantages of living electric and how to get the most out of their electric vehicle. The online series explains several of the Bolt EV’s unique features, driving tips and how-tos. For future Bolt EV drivers, the series will illustrate just how fun, easy and convenient it is to live with an electric vehicle – all explained by the engineers and experts who brought the Bolt EV to life.
The video series includes topics such as:
- Home charging basics
- Road trip charging
- One pedal driving and regen on demand
- Driver’s display screens
- Personalizing active safety features
- Cold weather driving tips
Videos can be found on many of Chevrolet’s channels, including: YouTube, Chevrolet.com, the MyChevy app and the Chevrolet owner center.
Assists owners in getting the most out of their 2020 Corvette Stingray
Chevrolet’s Corvette Academy, the online learning center for the first mid-engine Corvette, has added 23 new videos to show owners how to get the most out of their cars. The latest videos will help educate consumers on various Corvette features, tips and how-tos from the engineers and experts that brought the Corvette to life.
The additional video series includes topics such as:
- Vehicle break-in schedule
- Maintenance
- Track preparation
- Driver modes
- Memory settings
- Many more how-tos for the ultimate vehicle experience
Videos can be found on many of Chevrolet’s channels, including: Chevrolet.com, YouTube, the MyChevy app and the Chevrolet owner center.
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