Car Reviews
Kia’ Carnival Hybrid Minivan – ROAMIN’ HOLIDAY: WEST
Kia’ Carnival Hybrid Minivan
ROAMIN’ HOLIDAY: WEST
Do You Know the Way to Monterey?
It seems almost predestined: We want – as a family – to plan a summer get-together, and I call Kia to see what minivan or 3-row SUV might be available. We did it on a trip to June Lake in ’23 with its then-new Carnival, and we plugged in last month to the Carnival’s hybrid iteration. With a distance of some 240 miles from Santa Clarita, CA to Monterey (plus the day-tripping planned once we arrived), the efficiency of Kia’s hybrid ‘helper’ seemed like a win.
So, not incidentally, was the Carnival’s cargo capacity. With my wife Tina, son Sean and grandson Rhys, we were essentially four adults with ‘stuff’. And that stuff eventually included a largish cooler from my daughter Lauren’s minivan, given that her Chrysler Pacifica was charged with transporting Lauren, her husband Ethan and mother-in-law Linda, along with Evelyn and Josie in child seats and – you guessed it – more stuff. It was truly a ‘Convoy’, with everything but the rubber duck – although the duck might have been in the girls’ toy bag.
From Santa Clarita, which borders I-5 about 25 miles north of Burbank, we head west toward the coast. Upon hitting that we jog northward on Highway 1 thru Santa Barbara, and then head inland toward our lunch stop in San Luis Obispo. Frequently referred to as simply ‘SLO’ by the locals, downtown SLO is anything but on a Saturday afternoon. And while street parking is available, those spaces inevitably require payment by phone, an of-this-century initiative by the city, and what I regard as a royal pain-in-the-*ss to those without the inclination to pay for street parking, and no inclination to do it by phone. Another five minutes of searching netted a conventional meter…and I could pay with the well-worn Visa!
From San Luis Obispo the next stop – and final stop for the day – was the Airbnb Tina had secured in Carmel Valley. With the addition of my brother Kev, his wife Bridget and son Jack from the Seattle area we numbered twelve, and for that the important numbers were six bedrooms and five-and-one-half bathrooms. Everyone had a place to rest their head and, when necessary, simply ‘rest’.
The home, boasting almost 6,000 square feet, was a compelling mix of old-world style and of-the-moment pricing. The good news: We didn’t attempt to book our stay during the Monterey Historics, which begin on August 12th. Nor did we intrude on the Pebble Beach Concours, taking place on August 16th. We missed all of that, but given that we were just minutes from Laguna Seca Raceway’s gate, we said hello to the track’s Security.
For my automotive fix I headed to Dodi’s, a longtime purveyor of pre-owned Porsches in Monterey. Looking not unlike a note lot on Dallas’ Live Oak, Dodi has been selling classic sports cars for some 30 years. A converted garage constitutes his 3-car showroom, while what appears to be a garage sale serves as Dodi’s office. There was a time in automotive retail when this casual chaos would have been regarded as the norm, and it’s fun to catch a glimpse of it in this most unlikely of zip codes. And even if just kicking tires, Dodi greets you warmly, and once you’re done kicking thanks you for the visit.
There is, of course, much more to Monterey than the week-long blowout that is Car Week. Our kids wanted to plug into Monterey’s Aquarium, while my son Sean and I visited two of Monterey’s used book stores. Sean and Ethan did a trail run most days. Whale watching occupied an afternoon for the kiddos, with their parents serving as engaged companions. Kev, Bridget and Jack just chilled, and we’re told the chilling was as good as they had hoped!
If looking for a destination lunch near Monterey, Nepenthe is that destination, roughly an hour south of Carmel in Big Sur. With spectacular views of the Pacific, accompanied by a casual menu (with almost casual pricing), Nepenthe provides the perfect R&R for a midday respite. Our only regret: We couldn’t stay the entire afternoon, and had to head an hour north for our six beds and 5.5 baths.
After five relaxing days, a 10:00 a.m. checkout had us again packed –or overpacked! – and headed south. Lunch was at the Moonstone Beach Bar & Grill in Cambria, followed by dinner at the Roblar Estate Winery in Santa Ynez. Always an enjoyable stop, we typically visit Roblar on a weekend for lunch. But this was Thursday, when the chef fries up some chicken. Washed down with Roblar’s Cuvee Blanc (offering, according to Roblar, “a heady mixture of white peaches, apricot, and lemon zest”) there was not a finger unlicked…
Having spent the bulk of my adulthood in Dallas, a trip up or down the Pacific Coast is as different from North Texas as Manhattan Beach is from Manhattan. Both, of course, can inspire – but the Pacific Coast inspires in a way that the Trinity never will. So book your Coastal Caravan (or, you know, Convoy) soon!
Our thanks to Kia for providing the week with their Carnival. For a family and its stuff, we could not have done better!
