Local exploring and road tripping is probably one of my favorite ways to make memories with my children.  It allows us time to be together, in the same space and making that special magic later becomes the fodder for some of our best “remember when…” moments. For our most recent adventure, I grabbed my sister, my nephew and youngest for an adventure in Ennis, Texas in the fully electric 2022 Ford Mustang Mach E.

WHERE IS ENNIS?

Ennis is in Ellis County about 25 miles south of Dallas out I-45. Founded in 1872 when Texas was still a part of the unexplored west, Ennis was a small community born at the intersection of where the railroad met the cotton patches. The 647 acres that would later become the city of Ennis was purchased by the Houston and Texas Railroad to secure a hub for transportation and encourage growth. Over the years, the community has blossomed into a lovely community with a hometown feel and a sweet downtown center with a leisurely, nostalgic feel that echoes postcards that might be found in a memorabilia shop.

Known for one of the few drive-in theaters remaining in Texas, Bluebonnet festivals that draw crowds from miles around and dirt track racing, Ennis is perfectly situated for a day trip from Dallas. So it was no surprise that we grabbed gear, checked the range on the battery, loaded up on snacks and set out to drive.

ABOUT THE JOURNEY

It was early afternoon when we left Mesquite to head to Ennis, also known as the Bluebonnet Capital of Texas. The day was one of those cool days between winter and spring, where you know it’s going to be gorgeous, but you also know that you are going to have to grab your layers. I turned on the playlist and within minutes, I heard giggly conversation from the backseat as my sister and I caught up with the happenings of the week.

We found a cute spot on the Town Square paved with cobblestones and billowing flags to go historic marker spotting and treasure trekking, as we call it. We wandered through the historic downtown, found a historic post office, etched glass artwork that caught the sunlight, wandered through winding, tree cloaked lanes, houses of a by-gone era and quiet playgrounds made running and burning off energy stored up during the week. 

My sister and I also made mental notes to bring the boys back during Bluebonnet Season as it is already a pretty town, but we saw so many spots for snapping pictures that will be positively darling, happily dotted with the blooming buds of the state flower.  

The kids were excited knowing we would be spending some time outside and were hankering for chicken tenders and hot, salty fries.  Easy eats for the win and we stopped by a local haunt once we crossed through town. That was around the time that the battery range hit around 100 miles remaining (a full charge on the Mach-E is around 200 miles). Mesquite is about 30 miles from Ennis and while the Mach-E can make it there and back with ease, I wanted to know what our options for charging were since we were out of our regular neighborhood. I made a point to check it out after our adventure.

Turns out it was easy, the charger for home use is in the trunk, but to use a public charger, you simply pull up, swipe your card or app and plug it in.

ABOUT CHARGING AND IS IT EASY?

If you are unfamiliar with the Mach-E, the car actually tells you where the nearest charging ports are. Toggle through the navigation touchscreen to the Charger section, which is illuminated with a plug icon.  I could see that there were several in other towns, but the hub for Ennis is in the Walmart parking lot. We charged for about 30 minutes which means you can take the kids to the bathroom, grab additional snacks while charging and get about 40 miles of extra range in that amount of time on a rapid charger. Since our trip, I have discovered that Ford has a partnership with Electrify America that makes these rapid charging hubs possible. While we were there, a couple of other electric vehicles came in for a top up. I loved that the superchargers were available in small town Texas.

After we topped up, we headed back toward Mesquite against the haze of the setting sun with two napping boys in the backseat. Memories made and happy moms included.

This article was written by Teia Collier. You can find more helpful adventure tips and tricks on Teia’s Instagram @teiacollier