My Cinco de Mayo was hectic this year. Three different foodie events, all scattered across non-adjacent Atlanta neighborhoods. Don’t get me wrong: It was a lot of fun, but it required a lot of pre-planning and quite a bit of traveling.

I am so grateful that Chevrolet was kind enough to help me out with the traveling part. They provided me with a 2018 Equinox, a crossover that is perfect for driving around both people and things. It was roomy, it kept me connected throughout the day, and most importantly, it kept me safe because it is very hands-free friendly.

The day started out with me making some homemade food to bring to our first Cinco event, a lunchtime gathering at a friend’s house in Decatur. I made my famous from-scratch guacamole, as well as a Mexican street corn salad, inspired by my favorite side item at Bartaco.

My husband and I loaded all our prepared food into the Equinox – the trunk had plenty of room for everything we were transporting – and headed out for our long day of adventures. 

One of the first things we did after turning on the car was connect to its 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, which was super easy. Just push the OnStar button and enter the provided login information into your phone. This came in super handy for getting fast directions to our destinations, for not randomly losing coverage on the drive, and for not going over our data limits!

My husband also immediately connected his phone to the car’s Bluetooth for streaming music and getting driving directions through the Equinox’ audio system. Again, it was super easy to set up, and I love that there’s a dedicated spot for your phone inside the car. It’s placed just far enough away so you’re not tempted to reach for it while you’re driving, and it serves as a wireless phone charger!

The only caveat here is that the charging pad doesn’t fit larger phones, like my Samsung Galaxy S8+ (there are multiple conveniently placed corded charging ports though).

With everything set up, we set out to Decatur. The guac and the corn I made were both a hit with everyone at the party. It was a potluck situation, and all the food was excellent! After a couple of hours of grazing on homemade queso, barbacoa, and grilled veggies on our friends’ beautiful patio, we had to move on to our second destination of the day in Sandy Springs.

This leg of our trip was during the hottest part of the day, so we tested out the cooling seats that are available in the new Equinox. I fell in love instantly! The crossover came with both heated and cooling seats, which is ideal for Atlanta weather, since it’s always either too cold or too hot.

Our second party featured an impressive make-your-own taco bar, as well as a taquito roller grill! Yes, you read that right. And yes, it was just as amazing as you would imagine it to be! My friend Lauren of PrettySouthern and her husband outdid themselves with their annual Cinco party this year!

Our last event of the day was a Cinco-themed AWWA festival in midtown Atlanta. It featured plenty of delicious Mexican food (third helping of queso for the day? Yes please!), live music, and raffle prizes. Proceeds from the event benefited Water for People and Rivers Alive.

At this point, it was getting pretty late, and we decided to call it a day. Backing out of my parking spot was a breeze with the Equinox’ 360-degree view of the vehicle. Seriously, when you put the car in reverse, the MyLink display not only shows you the backup camera view, but also a birds-eye view of the car and its position in relation to its surroundings. When you put the car in drive, the display briefly shows the forward-facing camera view before switching back to its regular settings.

Oh, and did you know that the new Chevy Equinox is compatible with both Apple Carplay and Android Auto? This way, the MyLink display can mirror your phone so you never have to touch your actual device throughout the drive. The car is also fully equipped with voice commands, so you can ask it to get you directions, change your music, or even read your text messages. No more texting and driving, and all your phone calls are hands-free. Absolutely love this feature!

My husband and I got home safely, tired, and happy that we got to see so many friends on Cinco de Mayo. How did you spend your Cinco this year?