Custom Journeys in High Performance EV’s
As charging stations and new electric vehicle companies proliferate across the country, Teslas and several other EVs have long been available to rent across the U.S. More recently, we are seeing a new age of high performance EVs on the market for our clients’ trips. Think: zipping between Upstate New York art galleries and farm-to-table restaurants in a Porsche Taycan or feeling the breeze in your hair along Pacific Coast Highway in a Rivian R1S.
Pairing our insider access to high end EVs with our on-the-ground knowledge of the best routes and charging-friendly hotels, these are some of the luxe electric journeys we are dreaming up right now:
1. Drive a Rivian R1S from LA to the Santa Ynez Valley
Known for its impressive range, off-road capability, and sleek aesthetics, the Rivian R1S is the definition of cool. Take this innovative EV on the road with an expedition along Southern California’s coastal stretch of Pacific Coast Highway. From your starting point in Los Angeles, soak in the sunny city with private surf lessons, a cruise along Mulholland highway, and an evening viewing the starry night sky through powerful telescopes at Griffith Observatory with an astronomer.
Turning north, your route up PCH meanders shoulder-to-shoulder with the Pacific Ocean until you reach the whitewashed walls and terracotta roofs of Santa Barbara. A private, sunset sail is on order, before you turn your Rivian to the Santa Ynez mountains inland from the coastal city on your way to Mattei’s Tavern. This luxury base in one of our favorite underrated areas of California was a stagecoach stop in the 1880’s and a sneaky speakeasy during the Prohibition era. It’s the perfect place from which to enjoy the blossoming fine dining scene in the area (check out the newly Michelin-starred Bells restaurant), go wine-tasting, and ride horseback through the mountains and valleys of Santa Ynez. Plus, the hotel has an onsite charger with adaptors that will suit any EV.
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2. Discover Upstate New York and the Berkshires in a Porsche Taycan
In the pure luxury of a Porsche Taycan, explore the bucolic backroads of Upstate New York and the Berkshires. This region of the country has long been known as a retreat for both artists and New York City’s well-to-do city set. From your starting point in Boston, make your way into the Massachusetts Berkshires, a rapidly flourishing haven for the arts in New England. As the home of MASS MOCA art museum, the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the summer, endless art galleries, and various renowned dance and music festivals, you’ll never lack for cultural events to attend no matter what time of year you visit. With All Roads North, you can be sure of insider’s access and front row seats to all the action.
Storm King Art Center
Your stay at Troutbeck is the epitome of the area’s long-standing reputation as a place of art and nature, as several of America’s most iconic writers and poets stayed at and were inspired by this very property. Think: Ernest Hemingway, Henry David Thoreau, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. The beautiful 250-acre estate is outfitted with a wood-paneled library (complete with crackling fire to read by), three trout pools for fly-fishing and surrounded by 5,000 acres of accessible wilderness. And of course, two Tesla chargers with universal converters available at the front desk. Further afield, explore New York’s Hudson Valley and Catskills Mountains for a treasure trove of farm to table fare (like Blue Hill at Stone Barns) and more acclaimed art institutions (like Storm King Art Center).
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3. Explore the California desert in a GMC Hummer EV
What better electric vehicle to take into the California desert than GMC’s rugged Hummer EV?
Joshua Tree National Park, although just a short drive outside of Palm Springs, transports you to an alternate universe of characterful yucca trees and piles of lumpy boulders. You’ll get a closer look at the unique rock formations with an afternoon of rock climbing with an expert climber and Wilderness First Responder. Check in to The Rowan and enjoy the hotel’s iconic rooftop pool with a cold drink in hand– quintessential Palm Springs. Electric vehicle charging stations are available for guests who valet with the hotel, so your Hummer can recharge at the same time you do.
Rowan Hotel Rooftop
Further south, you’ll pass through Temecula, a new wine hotspot and the perfect stop for lunch. San Diego is a city known for its beautiful, sandy beaches and laid-back lifestyle, and we’ll be sure that you enjoy both with a s’mores bonfire and movie screening on the beach.
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4. Taste the best of wine country in a Mercedes Benz EQS
Mercedes Benz’s EQS, its flagship electric sedan, is decked out with the brand’s usual lavish luxury– perfect for a sophisticated journey through wine country in Northern California. Starting in the renowned Napa and Sonoma Valley, you’ll zip along the backroads with a private guide and 3rd generation wine country insider, who will introduce you to select, limited production operations and boutique wineries typically closed to the public. You’ll meet the winemakers, taste their vintages and share a private lunch amidst the vines. End the day enjoying a Michelin-starred tasting experience at the French Laundry or SingleThread Farm.
Next, strike north, weaving along the rocky, mist-laden coast and through towering redwood forests until you reach your homebase at The Inn at Newport Ranch. The intimate 15-room lodge is located on a sprawling 2,000 acres, which spreads from the main lodge’s setting perched on a coastal cliff to inland redwood forests. Guests gather in front of a crackling fire for happy hour drinks, followed by an indulgent dinner of locally-sourced and daily foraged ingredients. The Inn at Newport Ranch has three universal electric chargers onsite, so you can wander all the Mendocino coast has to offer, from tranquil paddle out amongst wildlife in a handmade outrigger canoe or boutique shopping in the picturesque town of Mendocino.
More Journey Inspiration: Sonoma and Mendocino: A Farm to Table Road Trip
5. Cruise PCH from San Francisco to Big Sur in a Tesla Model X Plaid
Big Sur’s iconic Pacific Coast Highway is renowned as one of the most spectacular roadways in the United States– a perfect match for a road trip in Tesla’s ultra-high-performance Model X Plaid. Start with the urban diversions of San Francisco before setting south down the California coast. Mavericks Beach in Half Moon Bay is renowned for its colossal waves, which can reach heights of up to 60 feet during the winter season. It’s the ideal spot to witness experienced surfers gracefully mastering these enormous swells. A lineup of charming towns await you further down the coast. Go whale watching with a marine biologist in Monterey and golfing at the matchless Pebble Beach Golf Links in Carmel-by-the-Sea.
Post Ranch Inn
Set on the stunning cliffs of Big Sur, Post Ranch Inn was built to blend into the surrounding environment. Each of the 39 suites and private cottages are unique, some offering Pacific Ocean views and others are tucked away in groves of coastal redwoods, Monterey pines and live oaks. There are Tesla chargers onsite for your Model X while you enjoy the relaxation– the spa is renowned for their holistic treatments and some rooms even have their own outdoor soaking tubs.
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