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Ladies' Choice
Car of Choice: a Range of the Ranges -- LR3, Sport, and Range Rover
Point A: The Quail Lodge Trail
Point B: The Spa
On the way to the airport in Monterey, the e-mail I composed on my Sidekick to a proud California native back in New York said it all:
Just boarded a plane on a crispy California morning. From the airplane the town looked like a comma dangling off the coast.
Yesterday we off-roaded at the Quail Lodge, and the landscape seemed to morph every 15 feet with foliage that was lush with angry poison oak (I avoided) and tiny purple flowers. The trees were like the Keebler Forest, some teased into pretzel shapes and others bent like letters in the alphabet, I saw U, T, Y and F written in bark twists.
The Quail Lodge is the spot -- and looks like Northern California should in my mind -- warm lighting with a poured local Carmel wine glass waiting in the lobby. I slept delicious on bed made for sweet dreams and Silicon Valley style plasma TV in room lulling me, overlooking a skyline cut by the jagged mountain edge. I ate organic pears, avocados the color of mint, fresh from the local Garden of Eden farm. I want to come back for the summer car show that happens here!
Love from Carmel-by-the-Sea,
Tam
 I was hard pressed to find something at the Quail Lodge that doesn't equate to bragging rights checking out the third Land Rover Driving School, first on the West Coast. Blending the rugged exterior of an off-roading adventure with the lush California foliage, and the romance of Pacific life is seven steps from heaven, Miles Davis style.
Everything tastes better, smells better, and feels better in the ocean fresh Pacific air and the Quail Lodge is the perfect place to soak in the sweet sensations of why driving can be a sexy addition to a getaway vacation for you and your man, or your girls in need of some serious kick back time. Honestly, no complaints.
While Land Rover vehicles are usually a joy to push around city streets, they feel even better at the Quail. Automotive Rhythms was among the trailblazers of the press corps to test drive the pioneering acres of outback terrain. The secret's out about why Carmel is the place to live and be, and it's probably why locals are playing of tug of war for development rights of the community where Clint Eastwood was once mayor. As a guest at the Quail, you can love it like the local folks, with instructors who have a passion for the lay of the land and the off-roading capabilities of Land Rover vehicles.
 My favorite AR colleagues have told you all about why Land Rovers are some of the hottest joints in production, but if you won't listen to us rave about our fabulous media experiences or to new spokesperson Maria Sharapova, who we chilled with at the New York Auto Show, than be the judge for yourself.
Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and LR3 are on hand, but some owners opt to take out their personal Ranges. Most undoubtedly will choose to simulate their own experiences in the fleet on a designated section of 860 acres at the Quail Lodge.
The full-day adventure goes something like this: Start off with a light breakfast. You're going to in the woods. (Read no indoor plumbing). No worries, you'll be back soon enough for a mid-day lunch break. In a caravan or solo, veer up into the natural habitat protected by the nonprofit Tread Lightly!
I've had the opportunity to push LR3's on Icelandic glaciers, where there were no facilities, and you're not that far off the beaten path in the hills. While the mountains are a bit tamer than the Icelandic blizzard I experienced, my heart still skipped a beat on the steep incline.
 The instructors scoped out my experience and sent us for the hills and more advanced inclines to test my acumen. At Quail, I had the opportunity to refine my skills, easing my way into narrow turns on steep muddy trails, wheels gripping, holding down me and my 6000 plus pound companion. You'll get tips for navigation that are totally applicable life skills, about taking your time and making good choices. That's what instruction is all about -- and after dozens of car schools, I can attest their instructors are top notch. And when you climb out back on sculpted soil, if you're like me, you'll feel ready to take on just about any mountain.
Best of all, if you're smart like I was, you'll book a soothing massage before dinner that will quell any cramps brought about by teeth clenching in the "mud and ruts” mode. After your massage, leave plenty of room for the feast. Local wine will tip you sideways with tangy grapes and a salad of beets in colors I didn't know existed.
It's a hard toss up, to tee like Tiger Woods, or freestyle in the Range. You're probably talking to the wrong lady if you run for the holes, but save your paper for adventure. Lessons start at $200 and run up to $4800 for a full day. No one said Land Rover was a cheap thrill. Playing in the mud was never so amazing.
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