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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 1998)
GOING PINCO Heading South In the Chevy Venture Family reunions can be like firecrackers - you never know if there is a dud, bang or explosion in store for you. My fathers side o f the family, which reunites every two years, settled on the predictably sedate surround ings o f Dalton, Ga.— home to several Mitchell descendants and hub of the carpet industry — as host site for this year’s family gathering. Suspecting this reunion could be a potential dud, my husband and I decided to round out the lengthy trip from D etroit, Mich, by making a pit stop or two. O ur first sightseeing spot would be M emphis, Tenn., an histori cally rich so u th e rn to w n poised on the banks o f the Mississippi River. We chose Chevrolet’s all-new Venture minivan (AAO W s 1997 Urban Pick winner for Best M inivan) as ou r transportation. I w anted to see how General M otors’ latest entry in the highly competitive minivan seg m ent would hold up on a m arathon trek through blistering heat, hauling an active three-year-old. Expectations were high for Memphis and the Venture. As an experienced minivan owner, I noticed imm ediately the conve nience o f the additional fourth door when packing our belongings, which the cream- colored Venture graciously accommodated. T his also included daughter Maya’s exclu sive club o f various Disney and Warner Bros “friends.’’ As we began our trip late Friday heading south on 1-75 from D etroit through O hio, we noticed how remarkably comfortable the 54 AFRICAN A.MERK LANS O N WHEELS cloth-covered seats made the 11 -hour drive, even for my 6 ’2 husband Greg Robinson, who slept in the rear seat while I drove Electronic controls allow the driver to se lect the perfect height, position and inclini necessary to make a long trip bearable. Th, van’s responsive handling and a C D play« which effortlessly cranked o ut clear soun put m e in just the right vacation moo. T his was cool. Sweltering Memphis heat greeted our ar rival Saturday afternoon. At first glance, M emphis appears rather plain and ordinary, but w hen w e p ro b e d deeper, we fo u n d the city’s many fine histori cal points-of-interest, such as Root’s author A lex H a le y ’s c h ild h o o d h o m e , w h ich still stands on the o ut skirts o f town. T h e Civil Rights M u se u m , fo rm erly the Lorraine M otel w here the Rev. Dr. M artin Luther King, Jr. was fatally shot, houses a painful, b ut trium phant story o f our fight for freedom and justice. A favorite exhibit there included handmade quilts with an extensive display o f color, a testim ony to our rich heritage handed dow n through many generations. N ot far from the m useum , past M ain Street w ith its trol ley cars, is the legendary’ Beale Street, w hich was the starting ground for m any blues an d jazz greats. After o u r cultural a d v e n tu r e , w e re tu r n e d to th e Venture’s air-condi tioned com fort and cruised tow ard the M ississippi River, in pursuit o f some ‘toddler’ fun. Pass- HE N E E D L E S PR A N C E, T H E G A U G ES G L 9U I o rsep o w er AS E N G iN E S P E E D A N D H E A R T B E A T GR9U1 e le c tro n ic s «¡ e a r s . T h e y s h ìe t ' neath anxíyus thuptbs s o « odiched e f a s t e s t a u t o m a t i c s e d a n in t 300-hp V8 and E-shift available on GS 400 model only “ Based on 0-60 mph acceleration times listed in major U S and international enthusi« Sales U S.A . Inc. Lexus reminds you to wear seatbelts, secure children in rear seat and obey all speed laws. For more information visit us at
