This post is sponsored by your local Hyundai dealers; all opinions are my own. As always, thank you so, so much for supporting the partnerships that keep Kelly in the City up and running!
Mitch here!
I’m not going to bury the lede here; we’re teaming up with Hyundai to give away a car! Yes, you read that correctly. To enter, simply click this link and follow instructions. There is no purchase necessary and the sweepstakes ends on 9/6/22. For official rules, visit here! Best of luck.
The story:
At the beginning of the summer, each member of our family wrote down their “Chicago Summer Bucket List” items on little slips of paper and tossed them in a hat. It’s our goal to cross each of the items off the list throughout the season, and it’s been so much fun so far. This blog post is about our first weekend bucket listing together in Chicago.
Hyundai let us test out their amazing 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid for the experience. This car is extremely legit and the perfect hybrid SUV for family adventures. It’s rugged, roomy and capable but cleans up nicely for city driving. It’s a hybrid that uses a gas engine and an electric motor interchangeably to maximize fuel efficiency – up to 34 combined MPG, and you don’t have to plug it in. We drove the Blue trim level, which includes an impressive array of smart driving features such as Safe Exit Assist, using radar to look for oncoming vehicles when exiting the car; Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, helping with pedestrian detection; Driver Attention Warning; wireless device charging; Downhill Brake Control; and Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go. And I can say that each of these features makes me a more comfortable and confident driver when I have my family in tow.
(I just want to pause here so you don’t forget to enter the Hyundai sweepstakes by following this link!)
We started our Bucket List weekend at our nation’s newest National Park: the Indiana Dunes National Park. I recently became interested in taking my family to all 61 National Parks, and I was shocked to find that Chicago has a National Park only a short drive away. We took a hike up the massive dunes, and despite the heat and elevation, Emma and Lucy totally crushed it. We then marched over to the beach to enjoy the dunes, the view of the Chicago skyline over Lake Michigan, and of course, play in the waves. The park was gorgeous and I can’t wait to return.
The following day, we crossed off Emma’s bucket list wish and ate dinner at the top of the John Hancock Tower in downtown Chicago. Emma’s class studied the architecture of Chicago this year and she’s become obsessed with learning about her city. The John Hancock building is her absolute favorite and she was shocked to hear that there is a restaurant, The Signature Room, near the very top. I love The Signature Room because it has all the views of the observation deck in the building, but also is a pretty great restaurant. The girls LOVED the view and we lucked out in getting to watch the sunset over Chicago as we had dessert. It was such a great experience.
Lastly, Lucy got her wish to visit the American Girl Doll store on Michigan Avenue. As you might expect, our girls are deep into doll culture, and the American Girl Doll store is the Mecca. They played with the dolls and accessories for hours, and carefully selected a little treat to bring home. Don’t worry: they filled their birthday and Christmas lists for years to come, too.
I fell in love with the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid this weekend. And it’s at the top of our list for a smaller car for Kelly— you know, whenever she gets her license. 😉 Don’t forget to enter the sweepstakes, and thanks for reading!
Mitch. OUT!
