The Agenda:
- ORD, Chicago to BTV, Vermont
- Vermont to Springfield, MA
- Springfield, MA to Saugatuck, MI
- Saugatuck, MI to Chicago, IL
My husband Andy and I had just scheduled a camping trip in Holland, Michigan, when we received the invitation to join Chrysler for an extended test drive of the refreshed 2027 Pacifica. The test drive included a couple days in Stowe, Vermont, near my college town of Colchester, then we’d drive home to Chicago, along a route that would take us through my hometown of Springfield, Massachusetts. Our son, six-year-old Lincoln, had never been to Vermont and hadn’t seen his Massachusetts family for a couple of years. Time to change our plans, we agreed.
The Pacifica is “the foundation of Chrysler,” according to company reps at our media briefing in Stowe. Hardly a controversial claim, seeing as how, as of the 2027 model year, the Pacifica is the only model Chrysler sells (with the Voyager now folded into the Pacifica lineup). The Pacifica is also the best-selling and most awarded minivan on the market, Chrysler says, and our family trip makes it easy to see why.
KEEP VERMONT WEIRD
Vermont Landmarks:
- Burlington International Airport
- The Lodge at Spruce Peak, Stowe
- Lakefront, Burlington
- Saint Michael’s College, Colchester
- Cabot Cheese and Lake Champlain Chocolates Outlet Stores, Waterbury
- Ben & Jerry’s, Waterbury
Vermont is one of the coolest, weirdest places in the United States, and I went to college there, and I couldn’t wait to show Lincoln around. We arrived late thanks to a storm that hovered over our departure point at O’Hare, drove cautiously through the dark, rainy mountains to get to our lovely hotel in Stowe, and, the next day, took the Pacifica back up to Burlington for lunch with an old family friend and a spin through my college campus.
While most other families with the Chrysler program headed east toward the coast, we hit the road due south. It took no time at all to load our luggage in the Pacifica, because we barely had to plan or rearrange anything, unlike a road trip in our Outback, which involves Jenga-like stacking of boxes, bags, and my shoes, as well as a Yakima roof box. We stopped in Waterbury for scoops of Ben & Jerry’s (the factory tour was already sold out for the day), endless cheese samples at the Cabot Creamery outlet, and a bag of factory seconds bulk chocolates from Lake Champlain Chocolates.
By the way, once you notice that Vermont does not allow billboards, keeping the scenery as pure as possible, you’re changed for life.
WICKED SMAHT CAH
Massachusetts Landmarks:
- My mom’s house, Springfield
- Magic Wings Butterfly Sanctuary, Deerfield
- Tree House Brewing, Deerfield
- My aunt and uncle’s house, Amherst
A trip to Massachusetts, no matter the duration, involves lots of visits: my mom, my brothers, my sister-in-law and nephew Leo, cousins and aunts and uncles. It involves a stop at Tree House, for beer that can only be purchased in Massachusetts, which we savor and ration back home in Chicago. Tree House is down the road from Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory, which is like a trip to the tropics all year long, though you’re best off avoiding it if you’re the type of person whose anxiety lights up when wings are flapping in your peripheral vision.
Linc and Leo together are delightful and adorable, and treated us to an extensive demonstration on the simplicity of the Pacifica’s dual power-sliding side doors, so easy a six-year-old and a three-year-old can do it if they work together.
After explaining a bit about the Chrysler program and why I’d turned up on such short notice driving a new car that isn’t mine, we then talked about the vehicle itself. Andy: likes the automatic windshield wipers, impressed by the Pacifica’s ability to carry 4×8 sheets of plywood thanks to the Stow ’n Go seats. Lincoln: great air conditioning and comfortable seats. Me: surprisingly classy execution of front illuminated badge with welcome animation, nearly effortless to drive, wicked comfortable to work on my laptop while Andy drives, lots of storage ’n stowage ’n thoughtful details.
DRIVING THROUGH THE FLYOVER
Landmarks:
- A couple gas stations
- A lot of rest stops
For the longest stretch of the trip, we tentatively decided to push through to our family’s lake house in Saugatuck, Michigan, rather than stop for the night in Ohio or Indiana. That would give us two nights in familiar beds before we needed to get home to Chicago, and it would give Lincoln a bit of the original Michigan vacation we’d planned.
We’ve made this drive before, most often in one of the two Subaru Outbacks we’ve owned since Lincoln was born. The only thing remarkable about it is how truly forgettable it is, with few exceptions — the lovely mountains along the Massachusetts and New York border, the Wyland Whaling Wall in Cleveland between I-90 and Lake Erie.
Minor gripes surfaced amid the dullness. The infotainment system was an ongoing source of aggravation, unable to easily switch between our phones when we swapped driving duties. Alerts on the native navigation system kicked us out of Apple CarPlay and sometimes forced us to completely reconnect. Finally, though the blind spot camera is generally pretty convenient, it takes over the whole infotainment screen. That means if you’re using the blind spot view because you’re making a turn, make sure you know exactly where your turn is because you’re going to lose your map right when you need it.
PURE MICHIGAN
Michigan Landmarks:
- Family beach house, Saugatuck
- The Mitten Brewing Company and pizzeria, Saugatuck
- Various points of interest along Kalamazoo River, Saugatuck, via boat
Lincoln had long since settled into the Pacifica like it was his, and was quieter than usual during this liminal day of driving straight west into the sun. I worked while Andy drove, tucking my laptop away only when I found out we could livestream the Smashing Pumpkins’ Lollapalooza headlining set (incidentally, just a few miles from our house). Music is key for a good road trip. My favorite band, broadcast live, without me actually having to attend Lollapalooza? Even better. The infotainment system decided to cooperate just in time.
CITY BY THE LAKE
Illinois Landmarks:
- Home, South Side of Chicago
Though our family road trip in the Pacifica covered familiar territory for me, the last leg home from Chicago to Saugatuck was familiar for us all — we make this trip at least once a month during the spring and summer, often more. The photo above was taken in Burlington, but our city by the lake is, of course, Chicago, and we were happy to be home.
The Pacifica, too, now felt like a member of the family, and I didn’t really want to return it. I drove it a few more times that week, including a trip to pick up our dog, Stitch, from the boarding facility, and the Pacifica proved as easy and comfortable to drive around the city as it felt dipping up and down swoopy mountains or calmly chowing down on highway miles.
Our favorite thing about the 2027 Chrysler Pacifica? It’s just easy.
