Life is a highway: A trip up the Sunshine Coast with Ford Canada

I’ve gotten some pretty amazing opportunities being a blogger.  Even though I mostly focus on beauty, I love doing lifestyle posts, including ones with Ford Canada (because who doesn’t love cruising around in cute cars?). About a month or so back I got invited to take part in their Western Drive program, where I would fly to Vancouver, hop in an SUV, catch a ferry, then make my way up the Sunshine Coast to the most stunning resort to relax and unwind.

If you watch my Instastories (shayna_apopofcolour), the trip happened last Thursday and Friday, where myself and 15 other bloggers from across Western Canada met up at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport before embarking on a road trip in beautiful B.C.  I was partnered up with Coal and Canary co-founder and new BFF Tom (they make amazing candles), and we drove a Ford Edge all the way up to our destination.

on BC ferry Smitty's Marina in Gibson's, BC

When we got to Vancouver it was cold and rainy, and luckily Tom volunteered to drive, so I could watch the sights of beautiful B.C. and man the GPS. After making it to the Horseshoe Bay ferry (which was also my very-first ferry ride) we departed towards Gibsons Landing where we made a pit stop at Smitty’s Oyster Bar where we ate so much seafood that I couldn’t wait to make it back to the car so I could relax in those comfy Ford Edge seats. Next, we drove to Roberts Creek where we did some light yoga on the pier, then had more goodies at a local cafe (seriously, we did so much eating). After that we hopped back into the SUVs and made our way to our final destination, the Painted Boat Resort.

Once we made it to the resort, we checked in and headed to our rooms, which were actually two-bedroom townhouses basically. Seriously, the accommodations were larger than my condo. Unfortunately we didn’t spend too much time in them, but there was no complaining since our next activity was a photography lesson with Jess Findlay.  Ford set up the SUVs all over the resort so we had the opportunity to walk around and take different shots.

So it turns out the SUVs are the fastest-growing segment globally and in Canada in automotives. They are super popular with baby boomers and millennials as they give you enough room for your gear and extra passengers. Since 2009, Ford is the top seller in SUVs in Canada and since they have a huge selection to choose from, there is truly an SUV for everyone. The Ford Edge that we drove is actually built right here at the plant in Oakville, Ontario, where they are shipped to more than 100 countries worldwide. That plant alone provides jobs to more than 4,000 people and they also build the Ford Flex in there as well. The Ford Expedition, which is a large SUV, will be coming out in the New Year, and the Echo Sport will be making it’s way here shortly as well for the first time in North America. It’s a smaller SUV, and to be honest, sounds like it’s right up my alley.

After our photography lesson, we had a few hours to chill before dinner time (yes, more eating), where we started off with prosecco and caviar tasting. After that we made our way upstairs for the main courses before heading outside for stargazing and s’mores making. After too much prosecco and way too many s’mores, this girl made her way to bed.

The next morning, we packed up our stuff, ate the most amazing buffet breakfast then switched up cars, where Tom and I got the Ford Explorer for the drive back.  I just had the Explorer last month so I was very familiar with it (the one we had was actually the one I had last month, it still remembered my Bluetooth). Although this SUV is kinda large for my taste (the Edge’s size was much more comfortable), I do love those massage seats (I believe this is the only Ford SUV that has the massage sets in it).

Although I’ve driven most of the Ford SUV lineup, I still get so excited for all the tech features that the cars offer. Since the Sunshine Coast has some steep roads, the SUVs really made the drive comfortable and the horsepower was way better than my Honda Civic (especially driving up those steep highways). I also loved the Blind Spot Information System, which has a cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping system, and adaptive cruise control. Even though I wasn’t driving, these features were super handy in case we got too close to other vehicles.

After a whirlwind two days, we finally made our way back to Winnipeg. I had so much fun doing this program and seeing beautiful B.C. I’ve been to Kelowna and Vancouver a ton of times, but it was so nice to take a ferry to one of the islands and really experience the beauty of the province (in case you didn’t know, Manitoba is quite flat).  A huge thank you to Ford Canada for inviting me on this trip and for making it so amazing. Check out their lineup of cars on their website.

Huge thank you to Ford Canada for inviting me on this trip. I did not receive compensation for this post, but Ford Canada did pay for all travel and accommodations.
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