A Weekend Getaway to Carolina Beach in the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Mitsubishi Motors. As always all opinions are my own.

Since moving from the Midwest to North Carolina, we love to visit all of the beautiful beaches up and down the coast. There are so many charming little beach towns and other fun attractions to explore too. When I was recently provided with a Mitsubishi Outlander Sport for the week, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to hit the road. My husband, myself, and my high-school and college-aged sons decided on a weekend getaway to Carolina Beach.

This was my car for the week — the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport!

My husband and my two boys plus our luggage for the weekend fit easily in the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. My youngest son is six feet, four inches tall, so he often has trouble getting in and out of smaller vehicles, but this one was definitely not a problem. In fact, we were all very comfortable on the three-hour plus trip to the beach.

Four of us fit comfortably on our road trip, and check out the panoramic glass roof!

Comfort is high on my list of priorities when it comes to driving, and with heated leather seats, and the ability to easily link up my smartphone to the car’s Rockford-Fosgate stereo system–that was all I needed! Well, I shouldn’t say that’s all I needed. I am notoriously bad with directions, and I depend on Google Maps to get everywhere! It was also simple to link my phone’s Google Maps app to the car’s display to make navigation that much easier.

See all that blue on the map? That’s the ocean! (This was coming home, and I didn’t want to leave!)

Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Carolina Beach is a small town, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t lots of things to do! Of course, number one on that list–the beach! It was pretty early in the season to get in the water, but we did see a few daring souls surfing and getting out in the ocean. Anytime of year, I’m happy just to sit and take in the sights and sounds of the beach. There is nothing more relaxing!

We took a quick drive around the island and stopped to see the beautiful sunset!

Taking a walk along the boardwalk in Carolina Beach is always fun too. There are plenty of little shops, restaurants and bars, and places to get delicious treats while you’re at at the beach. In the summer, you’ll find live bands, carnival rides, and weekly fireworks. We arrived just in time to find the famous Britt’s Donut Shop open for the season–at least open on the weekends. Once summer arrives, they are crazy busy! They’re known throughout the state (and beyond), and have been around since 1939. Don’t miss them if you’re in town. 

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is a must if you’re in the Carolina Beach area. There’s so much to learn and so much to see, from an albino alligator to sea turtles, sharks, and stingrays–and you can get up close and even touch many of their animals! If you get there at the right time of day, you can watch some of the animals being fed or see divers in the giant aquarium. There are educational and holiday programs too. Check out their site for details.

photo: North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher sometimes brings in attractions like these lorikeets we saw there.

History buffs, you’ll want to check out the Fort Fisher national historic landmark too. Until the last few months of the Civil War, Fort Fisher kept North Carolina’s port of Wilmington open to blockade-runners supplying goods to Confederate armies inland. Fort Fisher has an interesting and important story to tell. Find out more here.

photo: Fort Fisher Historic Site

Frugal travel tip: Rent a house or condo through a site like Vacation Rental by Owner rather than stay at a hotel to save money. When you buy your own groceries, you save vs. eating all your meals out.

The weekend went way too fast, and I normally dread the drive home, but it was a much better trip driving the Outlander Sport. On the way back from the beach, I was wishing I could keep it at the end of my review week! Why? Here’s some of what there is to love–

— It drives like a dream. I don’t like driving big SUVS and minivans. They’re hard to park, hard to maneuver in small spaces, and just not my thing. The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport looks like an SUV, has so many great features of an SUV, but drives like a car!

— I love the the back-up camera, the way it worked with my Google Maps, my phone and music, and the whole bluetooth system, sound system, and display. 

— I haven’t even mentioned safety, and this is a BIG reason the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport will be high on my list when I look to buy a new car. I felt more secure in knowing I was driving with extra safety features like: 

• lane departure warning (uses an onboard camera to monitor lane position in front of the vehicle, audibly and visually alerting the driver if it detects the vehicle leaving its lane unintentionally)
• forward collision mitigation (warns you of a vehicle or person at an unsafe distance ahead and then applying the brakes as necessary)
• and auto high-beam headlights (automatically adjusts between the brightness levels depending on the surrounding light).

— And, finally, I want to mention the warranty. Although I was only driving the Outlander Sport for a week, if I buy one, it would also be because of the outstanding warranty — A 10-year/100,000-mile Powertrain Limited Warranty, a 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable New Vehicle Limited Warranty, a 7-year/100,000-mile Anti-Corrosion/Perforation Limited Warranty and 5-year/Unlimited Miles Roadside Assistance.  

Are you in the market for a new vehicle? Check out the affordable Mitsubishi Outlander Sport! I know you’ll love it as much as I did.

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