penguincoder
Observer
So my wife has been in Yoga teacher training in Asheville, NC. I went to go see her on one of her two days off during the school. I got to meet her fellow yoga students and we went out and generally had a good time drinking too much and playing inappropriate bar games. At about 10 or 11 Friday night, she informs me that we will be taking a yoga class at 0830 the next morning. I could taste the regret my body was going to feel in every glass of wine I consumed.
The next morning, we got up and moving in plenty of time to make the class. As I was getting dressed, she informed me that we were not going to yoga. We were going to the Biltmore and I was going to be taking an all-day Land Rover driving experience in a new Range Rover. I had to stop and stare at her for a few seconds to really let it sink it and be sure of what she was saying. After replaying it in my mind a few times and it not changing meaning, all I could muster to say was "wait, we're not going to yoga?". Pre-coffee confusion at it's finest.
If you have never been to the Biltmore, it's enormous. The house is as big as a small sport stadium and the grounds have 3,000 acres to them. Less than half are available to guests. There are plenty of places to wheel on the Biltmore but you can't unless you get the experience.
We signed away our legal rights and hopped into a very new Range Rover diesel. It had 733 miles on the clock. Apparently they just take new, showroom-quality examples and pit them against the terrain. They even use stock tires and pressures. The day is more focused on technique than it is raw prowess. The ground was frozen in places, there was remnants of snow on every outdoor surface, and frozen puddles were the name of the game. As the day progressed and the sun hit the ground, it turned some spots into hard, slippery surfaces. I proceeded to nerd out hardcore with the guide over every conceivable off-roading topic and we hit it off pretty well. He taught me a lot of good skills and even gave some advice for what I should do in specific situations with my own vehicle (G550). We got stuck, unstuck, had to change plans in routes and adapt to the terrain. I am pretty sure he took us on the most difficult route there, which involved lots of two wheel weight transfers over some medium sized berms. We even had burndown discussions after particularly difficult routes over what I did wrong and what I can do to improve the next time. Overall it is a great experience.
My wife decided I needed some pampering after all of the excitement of last year. The whole time I was driving, my wife sat in the back seat and just listened to our incredibly nerdy conversation and took pictures/video most of the day. She was a champ!
After it was all said and done, our guide showed us the garage where all of the machines are serviced. They had 2 DIIs that had been on global expeditions, 4 Defenders, a Series II, and a Series I. It was the most concentrated classic Land Rover I have ever seen. By itself, it was almost as good as the rest of the day.
The next morning, we got up and moving in plenty of time to make the class. As I was getting dressed, she informed me that we were not going to yoga. We were going to the Biltmore and I was going to be taking an all-day Land Rover driving experience in a new Range Rover. I had to stop and stare at her for a few seconds to really let it sink it and be sure of what she was saying. After replaying it in my mind a few times and it not changing meaning, all I could muster to say was "wait, we're not going to yoga?". Pre-coffee confusion at it's finest.
If you have never been to the Biltmore, it's enormous. The house is as big as a small sport stadium and the grounds have 3,000 acres to them. Less than half are available to guests. There are plenty of places to wheel on the Biltmore but you can't unless you get the experience.
We signed away our legal rights and hopped into a very new Range Rover diesel. It had 733 miles on the clock. Apparently they just take new, showroom-quality examples and pit them against the terrain. They even use stock tires and pressures. The day is more focused on technique than it is raw prowess. The ground was frozen in places, there was remnants of snow on every outdoor surface, and frozen puddles were the name of the game. As the day progressed and the sun hit the ground, it turned some spots into hard, slippery surfaces. I proceeded to nerd out hardcore with the guide over every conceivable off-roading topic and we hit it off pretty well. He taught me a lot of good skills and even gave some advice for what I should do in specific situations with my own vehicle (G550). We got stuck, unstuck, had to change plans in routes and adapt to the terrain. I am pretty sure he took us on the most difficult route there, which involved lots of two wheel weight transfers over some medium sized berms. We even had burndown discussions after particularly difficult routes over what I did wrong and what I can do to improve the next time. Overall it is a great experience.
My wife decided I needed some pampering after all of the excitement of last year. The whole time I was driving, my wife sat in the back seat and just listened to our incredibly nerdy conversation and took pictures/video most of the day. She was a champ!
After it was all said and done, our guide showed us the garage where all of the machines are serviced. They had 2 DIIs that had been on global expeditions, 4 Defenders, a Series II, and a Series I. It was the most concentrated classic Land Rover I have ever seen. By itself, it was almost as good as the rest of the day.
