As children, many of us have taken road trips with our parents and significant others to different areas around the world (sometimes forced, sometimes voluntarily). But one thing is for sure, you often find some beautiful scenery along the way. For some of our followers, their favorite scenic drives were experienced on a trip to Alberta, Canada and Kerry, Ireland. For others, they’re right here in the great state of Minnesota.

Check out some of these sweet driving spots!

In a Facebook contest, we asked our friends and followers for 3 items that they will always have in their cars. Check out what they keep in their trunk!

Most common (All Seasons)

• Jumper Cables
• Tire Iron, Jack, and Pressure Gauge
• Small Shovel
• Kitty Litter
• Flashlight
• Spare Tire
• Box of Tissues
• Batteries
• Insurance/AAA Card
  

Spring & Summer Items

• Golf Clubs
• Softball Gear
• Cooler Bag
• Sun Shield

Fall & Winter Items

• Thermos/Travel Mug
• Ice scraper
• Grandmother's Quilt/Emergency Blanket
• Hockey Equipment

Items to Consider

As part of a 2015 distracted driver survey, the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety collected direct observations of distracted driving behavior.  In this survey they found that 29.13% of drivers would be considered a distracted driver, citing rear passenger interaction as the biggest distraction to drivers, right ahead of both cell phone handling and cell phone conversations.

Seeing as how distracted driving is becoming more and more common, changes may be coming, and it appears to be making it’s start in New York state.

Pushed by the lobbyist group Distracted Operators Risk Casualties (DORCs), a New York State Senate committee is considering a bill that would help police officers determine if a driver had been using smartphones near the time of a collision. The bill is known as “Evan’s Law” and would provide law enforcement with a “Textalyzer,” a device that an officer can plug into a smartphone and instantaneously find out if the driver’s phone had been used to text, surf the web, or make a call around the time of the accident. No warrant would be required of the police officer and it has been proposed that if the driver refuses to hand over their smartphone, their driving privileges can be severely affected.

Let’s admit it, the weather the past month or so has gotten us Minnesotans excited for the spring season. We had record highs in March and the “official” start of spring was not too long ago, as well. Despite this new found rejuvenation, we must remember that spring driving can be a little misleading in the safety department and here are 5 reasons why you need to drive safely this spring. 

1) Rain and Flooding

April showers bring May flowers and that holds true for this time of year. Despite that fact that we will probably experience a few dustings of snow and a few major downpours between now and May, precipitation is precipitation; it is important to remember that wets roads are still slippery and driving at a respectable rate of speed should still be in full effect.

People don’t always enjoy the process of buying a car. We get that. And it’s why we pride ourselves on phenomenal customer service. So when we hear satisfied customers describe our business model as “simple as walking into Target to buy Kleenex,” we know we’re leaving a lasting impression. One that brings customers back for “a stress-free experience” time and time again. We are thrilled to hear that we’ve turned the car buying process “into an art” and work to keep reviews like the following from Cars.com.

Golden Valley location:

“This is how it should always be to buy a car” by Shelly from Wayzata, MN