What an SUV was Meant to Be
If you're planning any spring or summer vacations for next year, I've got the perfect weekend getaway. Take your new Land Rover LR3,
providing you're fortunate enough to own one, or if not, arrange to use one of a variety of Land Rover models stationed at the luxury brand's Land Rover Experience Driving School, located in Ashville, North Carolina, Carmel, California or Montebello, Quebec, and have the 4x4 experience of a lifetime.
That's what I did, in Montebello, and by so doing was housed in the historic Fairmont Le Château Montebello, one of the most impressive pre-WWII destination resorts on the continent. Made of squared logs, the multi-story spoke-shaped building features a beautiful atrium-like lobby at center, highlighted by one of the tallest fireplaces I've ever seen - Oregon's Timberline Lodge, constructed
around the same time - also offers a spectacular "round" fireplace in what might be a cozier setting.
But Timberline, as fabulous as it is, doesn't feature a Land Rover off-road driving school attached to its ancillary buildings. The lobby area of the school is a combined Land Rover store, with some nicely displayed branded lifestyle items, such as clothing, coffee mugs and the like, plus cozy living room area ideal for briefing the small driving school groups that normally attend the one-day off-road trek. The LRE staff made sure I had everything needed for my day's journey, including a bag lunch, appropriate clothing, which, of course, included a Land Rover Experience Driving School baseball cap. My guide would be Catherine Lemieux, a young, amiable woman with a superb knowledge of all things off-road - a good thing.
If you're planning any spring or summer vacations for next year, I've got the perfect weekend getaway. Take your new Land Rover LR3,
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| If you're planning any spring or summer vacations for next year, think about the Land Rover Experience Driving School. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press) |
That's what I did, in Montebello, and by so doing was housed in the historic Fairmont Le Château Montebello, one of the most impressive pre-WWII destination resorts on the continent. Made of squared logs, the multi-story spoke-shaped building features a beautiful atrium-like lobby at center, highlighted by one of the tallest fireplaces I've ever seen - Oregon's Timberline Lodge, constructed
 |
| Located in Montebello, Quebec, Land Rover's off-road driving schoolwill give you the 4x4 experience of a lifetime. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press) |
But Timberline, as fabulous as it is, doesn't feature a Land Rover off-road driving school attached to its ancillary buildings. The lobby area of the school is a combined Land Rover store, with some nicely displayed branded lifestyle items, such as clothing, coffee mugs and the like, plus cozy living room area ideal for briefing the small driving school groups that normally attend the one-day off-road trek. The LRE staff made sure I had everything needed for my day's journey, including a bag lunch, appropriate clothing, which, of course, included a Land Rover Experience Driving School baseball cap. My guide would be Catherine Lemieux, a young, amiable woman with a superb knowledge of all things off-road - a good thing.