Travel: A Lexus Roadtrip For Pride Weekend

Over Pride weekend, Lexus let me try out the NX 300h. I am in love with this SUV! It was the perfect car for a road trip, so we headed to Palm Springs. Check out my review and some amazing desert shots.

Photography by Cameron Lee Art (@cameronleeart).

Check out the Lexus NX Hybrid online, and follow @lexususa on Instagram!

Lexus is one of my dream car brands. Their vehicles are luxurious, edgy, and modern. Lexus has also been a long time supporter of the LGBTQ community, so Pride was the perfect weekend to take one for a spin.

I chose to try out the NX 300h because I love large cars, especially hybrid ones that get good mileage. And I knew I'd be comfortable in this car for a long drive.

It ended up being a great decision to get a large, comfortable car, because the 2 hour drive from LA to Palm Springs ended up taking 4 hours with Friday traffic. But the ride was so smooth, and the seats were somehow as comfortable as my couch at home.

There are a number of features that I discovered and loved:

Cruise control with radar: which automatically detected if the car in front of me slowed down while I was in cruise control and did braking for me, and even resumed to cruise speed once traffic had cleared.
Blind spot detection: this is a feature I have had in past cars I've owned, and it's a key feature on busy Southern California highways. I can't tell you how many times it's warned me to look twice before changing lanes.
Spacious interior: the inside of the NX is so spacious. Some SUVs look big on the outside, but when you get inside feel really scrunched. This car looks big on the outside and on the inside, with a high ceiling and wide front seats.
Other cool features: GPS had traffic updates, really strong white headlights, great speakers to listen to the new SZA album for the first time, an auto-adjusting driver's seat that moved me closer to the wheel when I started the engine, and an automatic trunk.

We had to stop and take some photos with the gorgeous Palm Springs backdrop. So we popped through a couple art deco neighborhoods and desert scenes to take some Lexus glamour shots.

The NX was so pretty we couldn't help but stop a few more places and take photos. I was obsessed with this car all weekend!

But back to a few more reasons I enjoyed this car...

I really enjoy driving SUVs and crossover SUVs, especially for highway driving because being higher off the ground gives me so much more visibility on the road. Instead of peering over the dashboard, I'm able to see in all directions.

I think that millenials associate these SUVs with older adults, but SUVs make me feel like a boss!

While I like SUVs, I am also very environmentally-conscious. So I wouldn't feel right driving a big car that just guzzled gas. For me, the hybrid SUV is the perfect combination. And I didn't have to fill the tank a single time, after going all the way to Palm Springs, around town, and back.

I mean, who wouldn't want to be considerate of the beautiful natural landscape out here?!

It's also very important to me that my favorite brands support the LGBTQ community. Lexus has been partnering with LGBTQ leaders, events & media for years. And not just slapping their names on things, they actually produce content, spotlight amazing LGTBQ individuals, and stand firmly in support of our community. Like check out the amazing L/Studio "It Got Better" series featuring some of our favorite LGBTQ advocates like Laverne Cox.

Additionally, Lexus has long connected with multicultural audiences, which has helped it stand apart from the traditional competition. To me, their involvement with these communities makes Lexus a brand of the future.

We were so honored to be invited to the Lexus L/Studio Pride pool party at The Standard, partnered with It Gets Better and hosted by Gigi Gorgeous. It was a fabulous event!