"The aroma of good chili should generate rapture akin to a lover's kiss." Motto of the Chili Appreciation Society International.

When you think of Volvo you always think safety, right? My recent test drive showed a new more sexy racy side to Volvo after driving the Volvo XC60 T-6 R-Design. It had an extra hot chili pepper ingredient called Polestar. This Volvo is more like a cross between the safest car you will ever drive and a tightly wrapped sexy turbo charged race car.

Day one of the Volvo Sun ..With a Little Fun media event was a magical round trip drive in from the luxurious Montelucia Resort and Spa in Scottsdale to Sedona and back. The drive was 279 miles winding our way through spectacular Arizona desert landscapes, Prescott National Forest then up and over the newly dusted snowy mountains into the awe inspiring red rock formations of Sedona. My co-Driver was the ever cheerful auto writer Jo Ann Holt and we enjoyed a Mexican lunch with the Volvo team in Sedona. The drive back was mostly highway driving which gave us both the opportunity to test the vehicle for various driving terrains and conditions.

Part scenic test drives of the 2012 Volvo XC60 T-6 R-Design with a dash of Hot Chili Pepper Polestar and the 2012 Volvo XC70 Cross Country, and part stay at the Montelucia Resort & Spa, a top-rated luxury Scottsdale hotel for a Volvo media event, was a sweetly serene, restful and FUN atmosphere.

The setting was filled with the softly floating notes of Native American pipe music everywhere, panoramic stunning views of rocky outcroppings, outdoor fireplaces, pool side private cabanas, gourmet coffee, gelato, chocolate, fine wine and interesting delicious cuisine options.

The first night I enjoyed a lovely tapas style dinner and watched the very rain delayed, multiple crash delayed, fiery crash at lap 40 delayed Daytona 500. Was so fun to watch that race with a bunch of the top automotive media pundits. Go Matt Kenseth, congratulations on your well earned Daytona 500 win!

The Montelucia resort recently hired a new Executive Chef, Michael Cairns and he brought his team building 'A Game' expertise and enthusiasm on the second night by hosting an outstandingly FUN Volvo Iron Chef Southwest Chili Cook Off event.

Today we learned that Coca-Cola Refreshments of Southern California will showcase the newest additions to its growing fleet of low- to zero-emission Alternative Fuel Vehicles.  The team at Coca-Cola has long been a leader in sustainability efforts and commitment to reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and we want to applaud them for the addition of these new AFVs. The new vehicles are comprised of electric and hybrid electric among other fuel efficient technologies, and here's the best part: this addition brings the size of Coke's hybrid / electric fleet to more than 740, making it the largest AFV fleet in North America.

Going Green is a process done in small steps, and we'd like to congratulate the team at CCR of Southern California on a job well done thus far.  Keep up the good work, so the rest of us can "Have a Coke and a smile" in a world that's a little bit greener.

Kaeli Gardner AskPatty.com, Inc.

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A bucket list item for my still very healthy and active parents, 85 and 88, was a senior road trip with the entire family to Lake Tahoe. Growing up we camped there many summers at Emerald Bay State Park and we all share so many fond memories of our fun family road trips and camping stories. We are all senior citizens now at 55+ so our camping days are over as a group so we stayed in a lovely timeshare condo called The Eagles Nest in South Lake Tahoe NV near Heavenly Valley.

I am the youngest of the four daughters, three of the four daughters were able to make the trip this year with my parents. I was deemed the "Tour Director" and did most of the coordination and planning of our routes, stops and hotels. Top on the list of preparations included a full service check-up on our vehicle and tires, a 2000 Toyota Avalon, prior to departure.

Thursday July 14th I drove to Palm Desert from the Los Angeles area to pick up my parents. Saturday July 16th we left Palm Desert and stopped to pick up my sis Carla half-way to Lake Tahoe in Northern California. Sis Linda and her family met us up there.

It took a whopping 48 hours to drive the mere 606 miles from Palm Desert CA to South Lake Tahoe NV, ( I thought we would never get there). Traveling with seniors has its challenges and many, (too many),  pit stops! Patience and preparation is required for #SeniorRoadTrip's!

For fun and as an experiment, I decided to document our #SeniorRoadTrip by checking in on Foursquare, Twitter and Facebook and share the entire travelogue including photo's with my friends, family, fans and followers. My 88 year old Dad 88  is addicted to Facebook by the way!

Here is the entire Foursquare travelogue and some pictorial highlights of my 2011 #SeniorRoadTrip, hope you enjoy!

My Mom, Jody DeVere CEO of AskPatty.com, invited me to attend the Blogher 2011 Conference on behalf of AskPatty.com Automotive Advice for Women. I am so grateful for the opportunity. I am a Mom of two beautiful kids ages 4 and 6, there is so much for us "Mom's" at BlogHer it almost overwhelming! I’m new to the blogging world and started a blog about worms and organic gardening.   

BlogHer 2011 was held in San Diego CA. with 3,600+ attendees at the Marriot and San Diego Convention Center.  BlogHer supplied an endless list of parties, sessions for learning and many inspiring speakers. The EXPO, OMG! Just packed with fun free new stuff. I loved how so many sponsors and attendee's supported causes that help our children, people fighting cancer and our mother earth.  I wish I could have been in more places at once because there are so many layers of BlogHer11 activities happening. I was so bummed I missed the Operation Glory Flash Mob and the Ford on Foot Family Road Trip picnic!

As a 1st time newbie BlogHer attendee I found everyone very approachable, (even Smurfette). The women have so many positive and helpful blogs. I loved talking to everyone about what they blog about. I found women who are passionate and want to make a difference. Starting from parenting, life styles and cooking as well as being green, organic products and fighting to keep our air clean. I was there mainly to talk about AskPatty.com Automotive Advice for Women and "She" was well received. The women all loved the Ladies Guide to Automotive Repair and often commented;  “What a great idea to have a trusted place for women to ask any of their automotive questions."  I felt so proud of what my Mom has created and I know she has worked hard to make this possible. 

Lex Brodie's Tire and Service held a 50th anniversary party during the Perry & Price live radio show at Jimmy Buffett's restaurant on Ohau in Hawaii July 30th, 2011. It included longtime employees, suppliers, customers, charitable partners, award-winners and others to whom president Scott Williams would simply like to say, “Thank you ... very much.”  Dave Sands CEO was also present and he and Scott were beaming ear to ear, they have much to be happy about these days. This year Lex Brodie's became the first recipient of the International Better Business Bureau's Excellence in Customer Care Award. The competition was open to any business in the U.S. and Canada regardless of size. It really say's it all about "who they are" for a tire and service company to win such a prestigous award!

Lex Brodie's has five AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly® locations on Ohau in Hawaii and received National Recognition for their Green Initiatives along with their very eco-friendly Green Fleet Hawaii program. Lex Brodie's brought the WORLDS FIRST BIO-BASED, 100% full synthetic motor oil to Hawaii! G-OIL is a biodegrable product not only helps to protect the environment, but gives your engine ulimate protection. It's more than an oil change; it's a change in thinking, a change in what is possible with technology, and a needed change for our environment! Change your oil, change the world!™

So Green and Female Friendly, the Lex Brodie’s tire shop on Queen Street is Hawaii’s only display of Passchal handbags. If the location seems strange, it’s actually suitable; the sleek purses, briefcases, and duffles are made from the inner tubes of recycled tractor tires. The invitations were printed on stone and they gave thank you gifts of Passchal custom recycled tire rubber business card holders to all the guests, I love mine!

Here at Ask Patty we love our collision centers, because they always find innovative ways to serve their communities.  Who would have thought that your local body shop would be fighting hunter?  The Collision Industry Foundation's "Crash Hunger" program will be showcased in the first hour of the upcoming Collision Industry Conference meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah.  

The "Crash Hunger" program is a fundraising program where collision shops offer donation flyers for $1 each, cover the walls of the shop with the slips of paper to show their support, and all the proceeds go directly to local food banks and other sources of sustinence for those in need.  

Look closely--that's not your typical police car! Last May, Mercedes-Benz announced that it had renewed its Fashion Week sponsorship for another three years. In 2007, the German luxury automaker became the title sponsor of IMG's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim in Miami. Mercedes-Benz is now also the title sponsor of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin. The New York Fashion Week Fall Collections will be shown from February 10-17, 2011 at Lincoln Center.  

Over eight days, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, produced by IMG Fashion, will play host to more than 100,000 guests who will flock to see the Fall Collection of more than 80 prominent designers including Diane von Furstenberg, Carolina Herrera, Vera Wang, Michael Kors, Derek Lam, Tommy Hillfiger, Prabal Gurung, Nicole Miller, Charlotte Ronson, Tory Burch, and Betsey Johnson.

You readers know as well as I do that the advertisement of a free prize inside a box of breakfast cereal is, to the cereal-hungry youth, the primary selling point, followed closely by marshmallows, entertaining commercials, bright colors, and movie tie-ins.  Well, you'll be happy to know that the tradition continues today, and a new generation of children are impatiently digging to the bottom of the bag to retreive the elusive free cereal toy.   Head past the jump for the full story.

 The Collision Industry Foundation (CIF) announced last week that it will be running a “Shops Against Hunger” fundraiser to benefit food banks across the country. CIF is launching this campaign to help feed needy families this holiday season.  Collision Centers across the country can get their customers to help support this campaign for just one dollar at a time through preprinted donation pads.  Donation sheets can be purchased by CIF collision centers at $1 per sheet, and these shops will display customer-sponsored donation sheets on their wall.