September 9, 2021
The Ultimate Road Trip: Kayaking in the Poconos, A Pathfinder Vacation Adventure
“Inspired by Nissan Pathfinder, writer Chris Atwell has written a series about the fictional Anderson Family and imagined the adventures they might have on a summer road trip with Pathfinder. The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this article are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, or entities is intended or should be inferred.”
The Anderson family road trip continues. Darryl, Denise, and the kids began their trek last week. Packed and prepped for weeks of outdoor adventure, the family first drove their all-new Nissan Pathfinder to Bear Mountain in Upstate New York—a nostalgic return to an old family favorite retreat. From there, the Andersons headed westward through the Catskills and across the New York–Pennsylvania border for an entirely new destination. Eldest daughter Malena recounts what they found.
Pathfinder, Take Me to the River
I really enjoy being on the road. The Pathfinder is stylish, bold, and comfortable, with plenty of space to stretch out without getting tangled up with my brother and sister. And with the Captain’s Chairs and center console to hold our stuff, we’ve avoided getting on each other’s nerves and haven’t even fought about the temperature since we can control our own settings from the second row.
I brought reading material to pass the time, but college starts in just a couple of weeks, and, for now, I’m happy to watch the beautiful scenery go by and listen to music. Of course, my parents act like there hasn’t been any decent music since the ’90s, but I don’t mind the old-school tunes much. It kind of fits this trip, but once I get behind the wheel, I’ll put these Bose speakers and the Apple CarPlay to the test with my playlist!
Mom drove us into the Poconos Lake region yesterday, and we checked into a local Black-owned bed and breakfast. The rooms are cool, but the best part is the outdoor activities, specifically kayaking at Prompton Lake. My parents surprised me by letting me drive there. I mean, I’ve had my license for a year and a half, and they know I’m a safe driver, but I didn’t expect them to trust me with the Pathfinder so soon! OK, it was only 15 minutes behind the wheel, and dad watched my every move, but I felt entirely in control. The 360-degree view boosted my driving confidence—and with the hilly terrain around the lake, I got a chance to use the Hill Start Assist function. A girl could get used to this!
It was my first time going kayaking, something I always wanted to try, and we couldn’t have picked a better location. We rented two boats, a double seater for me and mom and a three-seater for dad, my brother Zane, and sister Janae. Mom knows what she’s doing when it comes to water, and we hit our stride right away. Dad, on the other hand, needed to coordinate three sets of hands. They were a pretty comical sight at first, but they got it together eventually. It was fun watching them struggle to keep up with us for a while.
I loved being on the water. The lake was serene for the most part, but there were some surprisingly choppy sections to navigate. We saw magnificent birds wherever we went—egrets and cranes, and even a snapping turtle—it was HUGE!
A great day! The sun was still shining bright when we piled back into the Pathfinder, so we pulled up the sunshades in the back and took a quick nap as we headed back to the B&B, ready to head to our next adventure!
Next up: Casting for fish and reeling in memories…
-
Captain’s Chairs: Available feature
- 360-degree view: Intelligent Around View Monitor cannot eliminate blind spots and may not detect every object. Driver should always turn and check surroundings before driving. See Owner’s Manual for safety information.
- Bose speakers: Available feature.
- Apple Carplay: Available feature shown. Use feature only when safe and legal. Compatible device and service required. Subject to third-party service availability. For more information, see www.nissanusa.com/connect/legal.
