Car and hotel provided by Toyota. All opinions are my own. Photo: Copyright Nicole Burron
Last week Toyota treated my family and I to a little trip. We got the chance to test drive the new 2018 Toyota Camry for a few days and stay at the Skamania Lodge in The Gorge.
I owned a Toyota Corolla back in 2012 and while it was a great car it definitely did not have the technology or chicness that the new Toyotas have. The Camry we drove was the standard model but still looked expensive. It had beautiful interior, black chrome rims and a wonderful sound system. Driving it to the lodge without any run down or knowledge of all the features I would have to say my favorites were the rearview/backup camera and the side mirror alert when another vehicle was entering your blind spot. I have some precious cargo now (a lil baby boy) and I am always so paranoid about my blind spot and merging lanes. The outside noise also was very unnoticable even on a busy freeway. As always with Toyotas the miles per gallon is outstanding. I don’t think the dial moved an inch in the two days we drove it!
Bed at Skamania Lodge Room, Copyright Nicole Burron
Upon arriving to Skamania Lodge we checked into our room which was tucked away in the corner on the top floor. It has the prettiest skylight and a beautiful view facing The Gorge. We decided to do a little exploring of the grounds before the Camry Walkaround
View of The Gorge from hotel room at Skamania Lodge, Copyright Nicole Burron
The rain had cleared up a bit so we went for a stroll through the Gorge side of the resort. We weren’t able to explore too much due to hungry tummies but we noted some amazing pathways, a small golf course and area to get married.
Back view of the lodge facing The Gorge, Copyright Nicole Burron
Snuck in a photo of the hubs and baby, Copyright Nicole Burron
Outside wooden chairs, Copyright Nicole Burron
I was dying to relax and recline in these big beautiful wooden chairs but they were wet from the rain. The windows behind me are the main lobby area of the lodge. I can only imagine how perfect it would be to enjoy this space during the warm summers with a good book.
Firepit at Skamania Lodge, Copyright Nicole Burron
There was even a cute and cozy firepit on site. I later discovered you can buy premade S’Mores kits at the gift store!
S’Mores Kits, Copyright Nicole Burron
Meat and Cheese plate at Skamania Lodge, Copyright Nicole Burron
We decided to pop in for a snack at the bar downstairs. It has a beautiful view as does the main dining room. There seriously isn’t a bad seat in the house.
Toyota 2018 Camry at Women’s Forum State Scenic View, Copyright Nicole Burron
Before dinner we were able to get a run down on all the features of the new Camry. So let’s be honest. I am not a “car” person. I don’t lose my mind over horsepower. I am not fixed on who makes the speakers for the soundsystem. Don’t even try explaining what a Dual Injection is to me. There are three things I care about with my car.
1.) Safety
2.) How it looks
3.) It is compatible with my phone and all my bluetooth needs, because my generation has an addiction sir(i)
So does the Toyota Camry meet all my needs? YES
But I also learned some other super cool features besides the ones I listed at the top of the blog.
–Safety features are standard in ALL models. That’s right. You don’t have to shell out the extra big bucks to get that sweet blind spot alert I was talking about.
–Alert display screen notifies your local dealership. You know when you get one of those fun lil icon lights that pop up on the dashboard? The new Camry will alert your local dealership so they can contact YOU to set up a time to bring your vehicle in. Mom brains REJOICE.
–You can control your car from your phone. Yup. You can start the engine and lock or unlock your car from you smartphone.
–SOS button. You can press a button in your car to talk to a live person 24/7, 365 days a year for assistance.
After our walkaround we had a beautiful dinner but I was in such mom mode and enjoying my time talking to some other bloggers I forgot to snap some pictures.
We retired to our rooms and had one of the best nights sleep in a while. Even our baby only woke up ONCE in the middle of the night.
Do Not Disturb Sign, Copyright Nicole Burron
As you can see he didn’t want to get out of bed the next morning.
Fireplace at Skamania Lodge, Copyright Nicole Burron
The next morning was heavy rain to we opted to enjoy the inside lodge, large fireplace and some hot cocoa before hitting the road.
The Gorge view, Copyright Nicole Burron
We explored the nearby town before making our way through the windy roads to this beautiful view point. The rain stopped just long enough for us to snap some pictures and take it all in. We hopped back in our Camry and made our way back home to Portland safe and sound.
