Acting Like Kids Again in the All-New Honda Odyssey

From Woman's Day

I'm cruising down the highway with Sia's "Cheap Thrills" blaring on the radio. I've just dropped the kids off at their grandparents' and I'm swinging back home to pick up my husband, Andy, and our friend Elisa. We are heading to State College, PA for a wedding-now that we've freed ourselves from the kids, we're going to act like them all weekend.

The all-new Honda Odyssey has some amazing features. Some of my favorites: 1) Wifi (enough said!). 2) The Magic Slide Seats, which give easy access to the third row, even if you have car seats installed. (Game changer!) And you can pull the two captain's chairs in the second row closer together or push them farther apart, depending on how annoying your kids are being and whether or not they're fighting over the iPhone. 3) Cabin Watch, a video camera on the ceiling that sends a live feed of the 2nd and 3rd rows to the front console (you can even pinch/zoom in on the screen), so you don't have to physically look at the children when you threaten to turn the car around and go home.

Around lunchtime, we stop at Knoebel's Amusement Resort, America's largest free-admission amusement park. We had packed lunch in a cooler, so I open the tailgate with my foot (the hands-free feature allows you to do it from the bumper area). We gobble up our sandwiches from the trunk and then walk right inside. (Gosh, I am turning into my mother. I know this.)

We buy $20 worth of tickets (rides are $3 or less) and since we're limited on time, we go as single riders on the Impulse. I end up with a group of "Amusement Park Enthusiasts" who laugh at how nervous I am while I scream during the huge descent. These enthusiasts are nice enough to walk us over to our next ride. We walk past the Grand Carousel, which is a beautifully preserved one that still lets you grab for the brass ring. A worker refills the dispenser and riders on the outside horses reach out and try to take the rings as the carousel spins. If you snag the brass ring, you get a free ride!

And then it's on to Flying Turns, a trackless roller coaster that is basically a bobsled. "They built it based on old blueprints. It took them 7 years to test it because the cars kept flipping over. But it's been fine ever since!" our new guide mentions. Reassuring.

After that, it's getting late and so we zip toward to State College in time for the welcome dinner at Tussey Mountain, a small ski area (hey, this is central PA after all). There's a playground, paddleboats and Go Kart racing! We do it all.

After the party breaks up, we manage to squeeze in a visit to Penn State Berkey Creamery, which scoops the largest cones I've ever seen. It's too much, but we eat (almost) all of it anyway. Eating ice cream until you feel sick? Check.

The next morning, we refuel with iced coffee at Saint's Cafe (coffee is an adult's idea of fun, right?) and then walk to the Childhood's Gate Children's Garden at The Arboretum at Penn State. I make Andy and Elisa pretend they're having a tea party. And Elisa turns cartwheels in the large field just outside the entrance. I try one, don't break my neck, thank my lucky stars, then suggest we head back to the hotel to get ready for the wedding.

The wedding is amazing, gorgeous, overflowing with love. We drink, we dance, we play Sure Shot Basketball game (yes, this couple is awesome). I ate three doughnuts for dessert. And then the next morning, we drag our butts out of bed and settle in for the 4-hour drive home. Andy is at the wheel, using the adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist to make the drive a bit easier (it's standard on 95% of Odysseys). I throw The Boss Baby on the DVD player but the smooth ride soon lulls us to sleep.

You Might Also Like

• 25 Reasons the Pantsuit Is Un-Stuffier Now Than Ever

• 45 Amazing Curly Hairstyles That Are All About Texture

• 40 Fresh Ways to Amp Up Your Ponytail