Serengeti-Ready
Introduction
Watson, our Honda Element, is the consummate road trip vehicle. It is rock-solid reliable, it has plenty of room for suitcases and backpacks, the stadium seating gives kids in the back a decent view of the road ahead (decreasing the incidence of motion sickness), 39.1 inches of rear-seat legroom give the passengers plenty of room to spread their stuff out, and when we get home, the stain-resistant seat fabric and urethane-coated utility floor make it a breeze to clean up.
But there were two features of the Honda Element that we really came to appreciate while “on safari” in Yellowstone this year.
Breakfast at Inspiration PointThe Long Tailgate
The Honda Element has a “tailgate,” an automotive artifact usually only found on pickup trucks or certain motorized vehicles from the mid-twentieth century called “station wagons.” So named because it is located on the “tail” of the car and sometimes opens like a “gate,” many people see the tailgate as merely a cargo access and containment device.
But with a bowl of Honey Smacks in your hand and a crisp mountain breeze in your face, it is the perfect impromptu breakfast nook, complete with an unbeatable view of the sunrise at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, or the sunrise in front of the Yellowstone Lake Hotel, or the sunrise at Old Faithful…
Do Not Approach BuffaloI Had A Sunroof in Yellowstone
One of the difficulties you encounter while on safari is trying to view dangerous wildlife up close without meeting the same fate as the hapless photographer on the Yellowstone “Do Not Approach Buffalo” flyers.
Surveying the SavannahWell, with the Honda Element this is no problem at all. Simply pop out the removable sunroof and you are Serengeti-ready.
Whenever wildlife makes an appearance, passengers in the back seat can unbuckle their safety belts (after the vehicle has come to a complete stop, of course), stand up on the rear seat, and while resting their bums on the rear headrests, survey the savannah with comfort and ease.
360° View of the VeldtAnd it doesn’t matter what side of the vehicle the point of interest is on since everyone has a 360° view of the veldt.
A Bisons-Eye ViewIf an especially photogenic specimen appears, the driver can simply hand his (or her) digital camera to someone on the wildlife observation deck for a bisons-eye view of the roadside attraction.
Conclusion
These are two very compelling features that Honda should be touting. Yet nowhere in the product literature is there a mention of either the “breakfast nook” or the “wildlife observation deck.” Sure, they list a “tailgate” and a “removable sunroof,” but perhaps it’s time for the Honda marketing department to start thinking outside the boxy car.
Comments
Kate
You never mentioned that your vehicle had an ESCAPE HATCH!!! Does it have an ejection feature that you are waiting to test?
Hmmm. Well, it looks like you had a beautiful vacation. And Kate the Safety Dog is VERY proud of your adherence to all tenets of Buffalo safety (or I suppose I should say “Safety AROUND the Buffalo). As I’ve mentioned before, the last time I was in Yellowstone I swear I witnessed about three THOUSAND dough-headed imbeciles “approaching the buffalo.” This included people who approached a WOUNDED Bison as well as a bunch of elderly folks who CROSSED THE ROAD to approach a herd that included A MOTHER AND CALF. Good grief; you’d think that most people assumed that they handed out those flyers for vehicular decoration.
I’m not certain, however, about your breakfast nook safety. Though the bears do not roam Yellowstone with NEARLY the impunity of the olden days, what if one happened upon inspiration point (hoping to be - you know - inspired) and STOLE THE HONEY SMACKS RIGHT FROM THE GRASP OF ONE OF YOUR HAPLESS DAUGHTERS? Did you not learn ANYTHING from all those Honey Smack advertisements during our childhoods? There was ALWAYS a bear about pulling hijinx with the smacks (which I think, henceforth, I shall use as a euphemism for something else - I don’t know what yet).
chronicler
Heh. We were in Yellowstone last week. Evidently, it was a no show week for Bison. They didn’t even hand out the Buffalo watchers guide to yellowstone to us. It became a no wildlife safari for us. Unless, of course, you count all the 11 year old boy scouts that seemed to congregate where ever we were.
We did appreciate the spectacular-ness of Old Faithful. Who, by the way, showed off quite well with a five minute show of strength! Fun times were had by all.
jenny
I’m sorry, but that “WARNING” poster has cracked me up for as long as I can remember. And hasn’t it been exactly the same for 20+ years? For some reason the hapless flying tourist in the drawing makes me snort and giggle most irreverently, rather than instilling the fear of God. Like he should have the word “Wheeeee!” floating in a bubble somewhere just outside his mouth. The man, that is. Not the buffalo. Although I’m sure that the buffalo is having a good time, too.
mary
This is for Jenny.