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Rick On the Rocks

Lifestyle & Travel Dad Blog

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It’s Race Time at Sebring!!!

I’ve been to a race before. It was an event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, many, many years ago. I have to be honest, it really wasn’t my thing. And no, I’m not the guy who doesn’t believe it’s a sport. I just couldn’t get into it!

Last year I was able to go a race and get in the pit. It made me a fan.

We were able to get up close and personal with the whole process that goes into “race day”. First, we were introduced to the cars that are driven in the races. They are pretty amazing vehicles, both inside and out. Then we were taken to the pit area, where we got a chance to see qualifying runs by drivers. It was loud, REAL LOUD!!! I won’t lie, I got a bit of an adrenaline rush being that close to the action. The strategy for the upcoming races, begin during these runs. Once it was explained to me, I started to get excited about watching drivers in the race.

 

It’s IMSA Race Time at Sebring!!!

IMSA Racing is all about high-tech, race cars from the world’s top auto manufacturers. There are exciting racetracks and historic events like the 12 Hours of Sebring. They also have some of the best drivers in racing. Some of the biggest names in cars including Acura, Audi, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Lexus, Mercedes, Nissan, and Porsche, will be going head to head!

Make sure to check out IMSA on Facebook. and then tune into the Sebring event weekend from March 15-18th. Especially the race on March 18th. You can tune-in to the action on FS1 from 12:30pm-11pm, with the entire race broadcast on FOX Sports Go from 10:30am- 11:00pm.

Winter Adventures in South Florida

On of the pluses about living in South Florida is the winter. Well, more like the lack of winter. My family and I have different adventures during the “chilly” months than most people. Here are some photos of our winter adventures in South Florida.

As you can see, winter can be pretty rough out here!

One thing that always accompanies us on our adventures is Fruit Shoot®.

So many drinks that are marketed as “Kid Friendly” are full of chemicals and high fructose corn syrup. Fruit Shoot comes in a variety of regular and no sugar added flavors – with 20 calories or less and three grams of sugar:

Fuel your family adventure with Fruit Shoot

• Apple (no added sugar)
• Berry Burst (regular and no added sugar)
• Orange (regular and no added sugar)
• Strawberry & Raspberry (regular and no added sugar)
• Wild Berry Grape (no added sugar)

Fruit Shoot is made with real fruit juice from concentrate. It’s also free of artificial flavors and all that other junk like high fructose corn syrup. Moms, you can feel good about buying it for your family. Plus it comes with a re-sealable cap, so you don’t have to deal with any messes. You can just let your kids be kids.

Fruit Shoot® and Pizza Hut have teamed up for a great literacy program called First Book. When you and your family are gearing up for a winter adventure, swing by Pizza Hut and grab a pie and some Fruit Shoot.

Not only will you be giving your family a great meal, you’ll also be giving to a great cause!

Originality, Melissa McCarthy and my Kia.

Let me tell you about three things that I really appreciate… Originality, Melissa McCarthy and my Kia. Originality is hard to find these days and that is what I love about watching McCarthy. Whether it’s her movies or her HILARIOUS appearances on Saturday Night Live. The woman puts a big smile on my face.

My Kia also puts a big smile on my face. Every morning, I get my daughter up for school, make her a good breakfast, she gets dressed and then we get into our Kia Sportage. I put on some music of her choice (I can sing the entire Hamilton soundtrack from beginning to end) and we make the drive to school. This has always been our time together and it’s something I truly cherish. As much as I love my Sportage, I might have to trade her in. Kia has a new vehicle that might be their most original yet. The Kia Niro!

2017 Kia Niro
2017 Niro

Fresh off receiving a Guinness World Record™ title for the lowest fuel consumption driving across the USA from coast to coast (hybrid car), the all-new 2017 Kia Niro made its television debut this week with two 15-second spots narrated by Melissa McCarthy. The spots are the first broadcast components of a multi-channel marketing campaign that will expand in the coming weeks, including an original 60-second spot set to air during Super Bowl LI and starring McCarthy alongside Kia’s newest hybrid.

2017 Kia Niro

Kia Motors returns to the Super Bowl for the eighth consecutive year with the 60-second spot. Starring Melissa McCarthy and scheduled to air in the third quarter, the ad traces a heroic and harrowing journey stretching from the polar ice caps to an arid desert, and continues to prove why the Niro is “a smarter kind of crossover” with its no-compromise package of style, utility and fuel economy of up to 50 miles per gallon combined1.

Arriving soon at Kia retailers nationwide, the Niro strikes the perfect balance for me. Originality, user-friendly and it stakes claim to a unique position between the hybrid-electric vehicle and CUV segment.

What Do You Think About The 2017 Kia Niro?

1 Based on EPA estimates. Actual mileage will vary with options, driving conditions, driving habits and your vehicle’s condition. Niro EPA estimated MPG city/highway/combined FE 52/49/50, LX 51/46/49, EX 51/46/49, Touring Launch 46/40/43, Touring 46/40/43.

Our First Sunday Funday of 2017

In August, my family and I moved into a new house in a new city. It’s taken a little while to get out and about, so now that 2017 is here we decided to go spend the first morning of the New Year enjoying our city. The Tampa Bay area has a lot of great stuff going on ALL the time. We felt like we needed to go experience some of the cool things in our own backyard. It was a great way for us to ring in the New Year and our first Sunday Funday of 2017!

As you can see, we had an amazing day. I encourage you and your family to go out and explore your city. It’s a great way to spend time with the family and you never know what things you might find together!

2017 Kia Sportage

All footage shot by my beautiful wife MommyMusings. All original music by me.

We received the Kia Sportage and compensation for this post. All opinions and love of Kia are our own.

When a Car Brand Becomes a Part of the Family

I was never a big car guy growing up. I know, now you want to take away a couple of my man cards. It was just never a big interest of mine. I was the artsy, fartsy kid who was going to french art house films and learning the newest moody, alternative song on the guitar. It wasn’t until I bought my first car, that I finally experienced how you could bond with one.

The first car I ever owned was a ’92 white Mustang. “Sasha” was beautiful! The first time I drove her on an open highway my mind completely cleared. I forgot about everything that was going on in my life and I felt incredibly relaxed. Over the next few years I found that no matter where I was driving, whether it was the grocery store, work or even school… I felt relaxed when I was behind the wheel of that car. It was like having a best friend on four wheels and Sasha and I shared a lot of good times.

Since I’ve gotten married and had a kid, I’ve had a few family cars. They were all fine, reliable vehicles that got my family and I from point A to point B. Nothing was wrong with any of them. I did especially like the Saturn Vue that we used to have. It was great for a young family. But, for whatever reason, GM discontinued production on Saturn and we didn’t feel a connection with any of their other brands.

Because of my blogger/social media job, I get invited to hang out with many different companies and get an insiders look into what makes each of them tick. Almost two years ago, Kia asked me to come to Milwaukee and see their Racing Team compete over a weekend. I had a great time, it was one of the best trips that I’ve been on.

Kia Race Team

A year later, I was invited to drive a few of their cars in San Diego. My wife was with me and we really enjoyed the entire experience. We started getting to know a lot of the people who worked at Kia, including executives, engineers and PR.

It wasn’t until I did another drive for Kia, through the winding roads of Middleburg, VA that I got that feeling again. The same feeling I had the first time I drove Sasha. I was completely relaxed and all the annoyances in life just faded away. My mind felt clear and the smile on my face was ear to ear.

Without even realizing it, Kia was becoming the car brand that was right for our family.

Why should I buy a Kia

My wife and I began to feel like we were part of the Kia family and we didn’t even own one of their cars. It was a little surreal at first. We wondered if it was all just an act. Did they have nefarious plans for us at a later date? Were they going to take us into outer space and harvest our brains to satisfy a giant bug like creature? Nope. Kia is just a company that has a lot of good people, working hard to make a quality product that’s safe and reliable. In turn, when you buy a Kia, you’re becoming part of a larger family who always has your best interest in mind.

Why should I buy a Kia

We’ve been driving a Kia Sportage for almost two months now, and it’s hard to imagine driving anything else. I guess we are now an “official” Kia Family.

I have received product and compensation from Kia. All opinions and love of Kia are my own.