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Minivans have been great family vehicles ever since the first Dodge Caravan hit showroom floors. Since then, the Chrysler Town and Country has been an upscale version of the Caravan, but now that the Caravan is retiring the Town and Country's newest redesign has taken a new name: the Chrysler Pacifica. But while the name might be different, the Pacifica is still one of the best family vehicles of any class on the market today. more Stow 'n Go Seats The 2017 Pacifica hasn't just carried over the Stow 'n Go seats from the Town and Country, it's improved on them by making the seats easier than ever to fold and drop into their compartments. This saves you the effort of pulling the seats out of the minivan and then putting them back in when you no longer need the Pacifica's 140.5 cubic feet of cargo space. Not only that, you can safely use the seat compartments to store other items when you need seats instead of extra room. Hybrid Technology The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica is the first ever minivan to come with a hybrid option. The Pacifica is already efficient for a minivan, but with plug-in hybrid technology the Pacifica gets an EPA-estimated 566-mile driving range and up to 33 miles of pure electric power. A 120-volt charger comes standard with the Pacifica, but you can also get a 240-volt charger that can bring your battery up to 100 percent in just two hours. All of this means a 2017 Pacifica Hybrid won't cost you nearly as much at the gas pump as you'd expect from a minivan. Safety Safety is always a priority when it comes to family vehicles, and the Pacifica is no exception. For one thing, the 2017 Pacifica was the only minivan in its year to earn a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. It earned this distinction thanks to its ability to stand up to a high-speed crash, but also because its available forward collision warning with active braking feature managed to avoid a collision completely during both the 12 and 25 mph tests. Other safety features include parking assist and the LaneSense lane departure warning. Entertainment The Pacifica has one of the best rear seat entertainment systems on the market. The available Uconnect Theater adds two 10.1-inch touch screens to the backs of the front seats, and each one comes with independent wireless headphones and remote controls. As for the media center, that comes with a Blu-Ray player and two HDMI inputs that let you plug in two gaming consoles. Meanwhile, the driver and front passenger can enjoy streaming music and other audio with their available 8.4-inch touch screen infotainment system. For all these reasons and more, the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica isn't just a great family vehicle, it's one of the best family vehicles on the market. With upscale but affordable features, a generous interior with an available built-in vacuum, and six trims that let car buyers choose how many features they want, it's no wonder the Pacifica has become an overnight success.

Summer is a wonderful month in Kansas. The summer sun beams down while the winds over the Great Plains keep things cool, and all kinds of events take place throughout the state. Thanks to living in a city built on a crossroads near the center of the state, Salina residents can attend these events no matter where they take place. more Smoky Hill River Festival Salina's own big summer event is the Smoky Hill River Festival, which takes place on the second weekend of June. The festival is all about the arts, and artists of every discipline come from dozens of states to have their creations judged. Festival goers will find plenty of works for sale, including paintings, photographs, sculptures, jewelry, pots, and more, and many national music acts that stop represent genres like folk, bluegrass, rock, jazz, and country. Aside from the judging, other events include craft demonstrations and activities for kids. Spirit of Kansas Blues Festival Head on over to Topeka for an all-day celebration on the Fourth of July. The festival organizers are the Topeka Blues Society, and thanks to donations and member support attendance is free for everyone. All the music acts play blues or a closely connected genre, and aside from the music you can find food trucks and craft stalls that sell all kinds of items. The festival opens at 11 a.m. and ends the way every Independence Day celebration does: with a great big fireworks display. Kansas City's Big Picnic Cross the border to Missouri and you'll get to take part in Kansas City's Big Picnic. This event takes place every year on a Sunday in late July on the giant lawn and sculpture garden of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and spills over into Theis Park. The picnic honors National Park Month, and while you need to bring your own blanket, you can pack a lunch or get something from one of the food trucks at the event. Other highlights include music acts, lawn games, a puppet theater, a "quick paint" contest, and giant bubbles courtesy of Grateful Bubbles. Kansas State Fair It's still technically summer when the Kansas State Fair takes place in mid-September. The fair takes place south of Salina in Hutchinson, and thousands of people come from all across the state to see the big music acts, watch the professional artists show off their craft, and ride the many rides of the midway. And in a state as rural as Kansas, you can bet there are plenty of old-fashioned competitions for livestock, agricultural products, food, flowers, and more. Kansas really comes alive during the summer months, and that means more than just the cattle ranches and wheat fields. You can always find plenty events, festivals, fairs, and other celebrations taking place throughout the season, and thanks to its central location Salina is never far from where any of the action is happening. So if your summer seems to be dragging, just find out whether one of these events is coming soon and get yourself there.