I Spent 10 Hours on the Road with 2 Kids & the Drive Was Surprisingly Restful

These days, it takes a lot to convince me to pile my family of four into the car for a road trip. Not just because of the chorus of “are we there yets?” (from my 7-year-old and my spouse), but the addition of a baby last year means that our packing requirements have increased exponentially (aka our four-door sedan went from feeling comfortable to extremely compact thanks to the addition of a car seat, not to mention all the gear related to a one-year-old).

But that’s what intrigued me most about Lincoln’s 2025 Navigator. Ever since the arrival of baby, my husband and I have been looking to trade in our car. But trunk space matters…a lot. So does general organization and functionality. (The continual question: Given our kids have a bit of an age gap, is it possible to keep everyone happy and calm on the road?)

That’s what most surprised me about a recent getaway where I had the chance to try out the Navigator. Yes, there was plenty more trunk space. But there was relaxation that actually made the drive—traffic included—feel restorative, too.

The Destination

I’ve lived in New York City for nearly 20 years now, but I’m embarrassed to admit how little time I’ve spent upstate. The Finger Lakes have long been a bucket list destination for me and the chance to stay at the Lake House on Canandaigua felt like a dream escape. But…five hours in the car. It felt doable for a long(ish) weekend and we found a way to break up the drive with a pit stop in Ithaca, New York. The plan was set.

I’ve recently come to discover that I don’t have travel anxiety, I have packing anxiety. (Pro tip for any parents out there: I’ve learned that if I pack for myself first—i.e. before thinking of my kids or any over-arching family needs—I’m more organized.) But based on this experience, I’ve also learned that having a very large car takes a lot of the pressure off. (You feel a lot less discombobulated when there truly is a spot for everything you and your kids may need.)

Even with the size of the Navigator, I made an initial effort to pack light. My suitcase—a medium sized option—was large enough to hold my clothes, my 7-year-old’s clothes and my baby’s clothes for a total of three nights away. I felt proud of that. My husband had a small duffel bag, too. The ancillary items—the travel crib, a compact stroller, my son’s bin of toy dinosaurs (don’t ask)—were the biggest culprit when it came to a loss of space. But even those seemed to fit seamlessly into this vehicle.

More than that, the little touches (such as the automatic step—called a “retractable running board”—that pops up and down whenever a car door gets opened) made the entire packing experience a bit more seamless when making multiple trips. When everyone ultimately piled in the car, it really did feel like there was a place for everything—and ample seating so that I could re-locate from the front seat to the middle row to the third row as needed and based on my children’s needs. (Hey, someone’s gotta keep a pacifier at the ready and reach back for that glitching iPad.)

The Navigator is a big car. Street parking in New York City was tough. But any added bulk is bested by the beauty of a driving experience that is designed around keeping the driver (and passengers, too) feeling centered and calm. The first moment I realized that was when we hit the Holland Tunnel as we made our way upstate. The baby was napping, my 7-year-old was plugged into his tablet, but the traffic was bumper to bumper. Also, loud. I was in the middle row and asked my husband a question: That’s funny, I thought. I can hear his response. (The 2025 Navigator is equipped with a range of soundproofing features from acoustic glass to active noise cancellation.)

For parents, that difference felt notable. Here’s why: It’s the journey, not the destination, as the saying goes. But more often than not, that journey—especially with kids—bookends the experience of getting away and is so chaotic, it undoes any effort made to relax and unwind. The sound-proofing features of the car helped my pulse slow during stressful moments. I didn’t realize how much I needed that.

There’s more: The front seats—but also the passenger seats in the middle row—come with an “active motion” massage feature that you can customize (choose from circular, relax, recovery, rolling and pulse). Combine that with the infotainment system in the car, which syncs with the Calm app, and you can spend a highway pit stop with wall-to-wall waterfall views on the dashboard screen while listening to a rest-oriented meditation. It really was the ultimate way to recharge.

I’ve been to London, Paris, even Copenhagen this year, but there was something about those Lake Canandaigua views that yielded a true opportunity to relax. The blue of the water practically blended with the sky during our stay. (OK, a trip to the on-site spa didn’t hurt either.)

But also, maybe it was the drive to get there that paved the way for so much internal calm? It certainly played a huge part.