As the world opens up, everyone is taking their own pace to travel again. Our family of 3 is focusing this year exploring the beauty of British Columbia. We worked with BMW Canada to craft a beautiful getaway to Vancouver Island and keep our trip as sustainable as possible and reduce our carbon footprint.
With the pandemic, we barely travelled as we wanted to keep our family safe. 2 years of going nowhere and we’re ready to explore our own backyard as British Columbia is truly stunning and beautiful.
With gas prices, inflation, and general spending soaring, any way to save money is a bonus for growing families. Here are a few tips on how we kept our local getaway as zero waste where possible.
Go Far with Electric
We currently own an electric vehicle but the range gives me a lot of anxiety for longer trips. With newer electric luxury vehicles hitting the market, the 2022 BMW iX xDrive50 was everything we needed to go further.
Range
With a driving range of up to 521 km, that’s pretty impressive for an electric SUV. If you are plan on going larger distances, proper planning is needed as you will need to figure out where the super chargers are located as level 2 chargers will take some time to recharge the battery for the next day. Sometimes they’re not always available at where-ever you are staying overnight. That’s the case for all vehicles that are over 500kms in range.
Our resort did have one level 1 charger available to guests but it only charged about 7% overnight. Luckily, going to Victoria Island wasn’t a problem at all and we had plenty of charge left after the trip. We juiced up on our level 2 charger at home overnight and got back to 100% the next morning.
Comfort and Drive
With the luxury vehicle of a BMW, you will have the ultimate comfort for the driver as well as all passengers. The ride as smooth the suspension absorbed all the little shocks in the paved and gravel roads. Our little kid took many naps as well as the other adults in the SUV.
Tech
Packed into the 2022 BMW iX xDrive50 are a lot of features that we are still discovering. My favourite were the USB-C chargers in the back seats so passengers can keep their phones and tablets charged for any long road trips. The curved central display was a stunner as it merges the informational display and the control display. It looks really nice and we kept admiring how sleek and modern it made the car feel. The panoramic roof is stunning and I love how it can be electrochromatically shaded for more privacy.
The 2022 BMW iX xDrive50 is a stunner and we got a lot of positive comments about the look of the vehicle and questions about it’s performance and price point.
Staying Sustainable
I’ve always wanted to go to Villa Eyrie Resort on Vancouver Island in Malahat for their European-esque vibes and incredible views. Look out for resorts that provide electric charging. Villa Eyrie provides one outlet to use for electric vehicles on a first come first serve basis, you just need to bring the cord.
I did have a thought about what happens to all the remaining toiletries in the rooms after each stay. Villa Eyrie confirmed they keep all of the soap and shampoo that is not completely used and donate to Soap for Hope. The organization works with community facilities that serve vulnerable individuals across the country to provide essential hygiene services. They also donate remaining lotions too. Nespresso coffee pods are recycled along with the bathroom tissue empty rolls.
Make sure to stop at Alpina Restaurant at the resort and make reservations. Pro-tip, in the comments request a table by the window for the best view and they will do their best to accommodate. We love their selection of produce that is sources locally where possible.
Reuse, reduce, and recycle
A good way to reduce any waste is to bring reusable containers and bottles. Plus, in some cities they are charging for take out containers, so you’re saving a bit of money too. Win win!
I always carry a large water bottle of filtered water just in case the family get thirsty or if I need some water to clean up any messes. When you have a crazy toddler, sometimes things happen.
We also carried around a cooler with us throughout the trip if we needed to keep anything cool and chill. We would refreeze the ice packs back at the resort.
Final Thoughts
Overall, we had a fantastic weekend and loved how we kept it as sustainable as possible. We absolutely loved the 2022 BMW iX xDrive50 and we are still debating if we should upgrade to this vehicle. If you’re in the market for an electric SUV, definitely give it for a test drive and you might just fall in love with it just like our family.
This blog post was sponsored by BMW Canada but the opinions are all my own.
