I was able to participate in this experience thanks to Mazda. All opinions are my own.
Recently I was in South Carolina for the Mazda Active Lifestyles Event. We had so much fun exploring the Lowcountry and learning more about the 2016 & 2017 Mazda’s. We stayed at the Montage Palmetto Bluff Resort and I was just taken back at how beautiful it is there. The first night, we rode boats from the Chapel Dock over to Moreland’s and had an Oyster Roast and Pig Pull. It was amazing. There a giant tree house and spectacular views. It was so much fun. On the second day there, we were able to take the Mazda cars out for a scenic drive to Hilton Head Island from the Montage Palmetto Bluff where we were staying. The drive was breathtaking and we had so much fun. My partner in crime, Deb from JustShortOfCrazy.com, and I made the most of our time. We started the morning off driving the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata. I will not lie…this car was a rush to drive. I have always loved manual transmissions and the MX-5 is everything you imagine and more.
Lighter, smaller, quicker and more nimble than its predecessor, MX-5 has adopted Mazda’s full suite of SKYACTIV Technology and KODO—Soul of Motion design . In the process, MX-5 has shed approximately 150 pounds from its predecessor, with a curb weight of 2,332 lbs . when equipped with SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual transmission (2,381 lbs . with the six-speed automatic transmission)
We drove the Mazda MX-5 from the Montage Palmetto Bluff to Hilton Head Island. In Harbor Town, we met as a group and went kayaking on the Harbor River down towards the Calibogue Sound. This was SO MUCH FUN! I had never been kayaking before, so I was a little nervous. Once we were out on the water, I felt totally relaxed and enjoyed every second of it. We kayaked past dolphins, huge fishing boats, amazing scenery and the ocean in and of itself was amazing. I know that that experience will be hard to beat. We ended up at South Beach where we had an amazing lunch at the Salty Dog Cafe and then we were able to jump into a different Mazda vehicle to drive back to the Montage in.
Throughout the day we were able to test drive several of the Mazda vehicles from the 2016 & 2017 line-ups. Some of them were the 2016 Mazda CX-5, 2016 Mazda CX-3, 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata, 2017 Mazda CX-3, 2017 Mazda 3, 2017 Mazda 6 and the 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF. I didn’t get to drive them all, but every car looked amazing and the ones we did drive, were fun, comfortable and packed with features.
Not only did we enjoy our time driving the cars around during the day and taking in the sights and scenery, but we also loved taking the Mazda CX-3 out for a night drive. We drove to Bluffton and explored a little, finding some funny and cool things. We also searched for and found the Secession Tree. I will have more about that adventure and some background on the tree soon. The colors and setup of the Mazda CX-3 are beautiful. I love how the car rides and the look and feel of it. Mazda has really stepped up their game and their cars and SUV’s are luxury without the big price tags.
Here are a bunch of photos from my time there so you can see what I experienced.
The last morning we were there, I rode one of the bicycles down to the docks and walked out on the pier. The sunrise was spectacular, but it was made all the more memorable by the dolphins that swam past. All I could do was stand there and take in everything around me. Between the cars, scenery, and experiences I will never forget this trip.
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