I’ve always had this bucket list item: swimming in all five of the Great Lakes in a single day.

I knew my F-150 Lightning® electric truck was the perfect partner for the adventure. It is quiet, smooth, and I can “fill up” at home with my Ford charger, kicking off my adventure ready to go. So, my wife, Molly, and I decided to just go for it.

Our 612-mile journey started at 5:15 a.m. in Fort Erie, Ontario. We took a sunrise dip in Lake Erie and hit the road. The plan was to drive across Ontario, into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and end at Sand Dunes Beach for a final swim in Lake Michigan.

I’m used to shorter trips, but this was our first real long-distance haul. It’s a different kind of travel. Instead of just pushing through for hours, the drive itself becomes part of the experience. The ride in the F-150 Lightning is so smooth and quiet, making the long hours on the road relaxing.

For our route I used Google Maps via Android Auto, and the integration with the truck was a game-changer. It reads your real-time charge and adjusts the route, and its range estimates were almost always spot-on. I never felt like I had to change my driving style to preserve range, which really helps with any feeling of range anxiety.

We knew we would need to charge a few times, so we built that into our schedule. The stops were a welcome chance to stretch our legs. Our strategy was to charge just enough to comfortably make it to the next station. This approach helps to save time, which was crucial for our goal of swimming in all the lakes before sunset.

A quick 15-to-20-minute charge was often all we needed to stay on pace, guided by the truck’s integrated system. It was a good lesson in how to optimize charging on the go.

The hours flew by, and after dips in Lakes Erie, Ontario, Huron, and Superior, we crossed into Michigan for our final stop. We made it to Lake Michigan with just minutes to spare before the sun went down.

This trip proved to me that you can truly go anywhere in an electric vehicle. It was amazing to see the charging networks outside of major cities and know that my F-150 Lightning could handle the adventure. It’s not just a truck for commuting; it’s a vehicle that can help you check off those once-in-a-lifetime goals.

Ethan Johns is a battery program leader at Ford.