VICARIOUS 008 | WINTER 2020

ADVENTURE IN EVERY CORNER

18Discovered

Island Hopping In The Cadillac

WINTER 2020

54Perspective 130Electric Avenue Chris Pfaff: A Car Guy For Life

First Stop: The BMW i3 BEV

Experience winter from a brand new angle—the driver’s seat.

Porsche Ice Experience There’s only one place in North America where you can experience winter driving like this.

Porsche Ice Experience, located at Mécaglisse, in northern Quebec, is a professionally instructed, world-class, multiday winter driving course. Snow and ice tracks will become your classroom as you learn the driving skills necessary to take on the season in a fleet of Porsche sports cars.

For pricing, registration and more information, visit porscheexperience.ca. Limited seats available.

2 © 2019 Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd. Porsche recommends seat belt usage and observance of traffic laws at all times.

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Turn your experiences into extraordinary memories.

Be thrilled by theatre, dazzled by authentic culinary offerings or amazed by your favourite performers and athletes all minutes from The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto. Discover Toronto with a staycation in the heart of the city. For reservations please visit ritzcarlton.com/toronto Š 2019 The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company L.L.C.

©2018 H-D or its affiliates. HARLEY-DAVIDSON, HARLEY, H-D, and the Bar and Shield Logo are among the trademarks of H-D U.S.A., LLC. Third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

 TO UNWIND

MOVES YOU IN WAYS YOU’VE NEVER BEEN MOVED BEFORE.

If you want to make short work of twisting roads, take a ride on the all-new FXDR™ 114. This is where Milwaukee Eight® 6 torque and a drag racing inspired air intake meet weight saving components like an all-new cast aluminum swing arm and the agile ride of the Softail® frame and suspension. From stoplight to switchback, it’ll give you a ride like nothing else.

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Take a test ride. h-d.com/testride

Editor in Chief “I have never gone on a real trip, never taken a holiday.The best holiday for me is spent in my workshops when nearly everybody else is on vacation.”

– Enzo Ferrari

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would like to personally thank Mr. Ferrari for his dedication to spending much of his life in the garage and crafting automobile masterpieces equal to any of those created by the great masters of art. His handiwork has inspired and continues to inspire all who cherish the beauty of automobile design and precision engineering. But if I can be so bold, I think he may have missed the point on why we as human beings need and love automobiles. At its core it boils down to two simple words- fun mobility.

Automobiles are nothing if they don’t do what they are intended for and that is to move us safely, swiftly and satisfyingly from point A to point B. This is why companies like Uber and Lyft are quickly replacing more traditional taxis as the preferred ride-sharing services globally. They have upped the swift and satisfying factor to levels previously unheard of and are working hard to achieve safe travel for all.

The same can be said for autonomous vehicles. I fully endorse the notion of getting into a vehicle during rush hour times, instructing it to take me to the office and either working, watching a video, catching up on social media or getting some extra rest is much better than having to deal with the aggravation of bumper-to-bumper traffic.

But while building a dream car in the garage, ride-sharing my way around town or letting the vehicle drive me to and from work all sounds amazing, we might be forgetting the best part of what the automobile was designed for and that is to get us on the road and see what fun adventures await around the next corner. Of course, you can let someone or something do the driving for you and that can be great in the moment. We do that with every issue of VICARIOUS as our talented writers and photographers live the dream and put you in the passenger seat along side them.

If that’s where it stops, however, I would propose that we haven’t actually done our job very well. Our goal is to motivate you to create your own incredible adventures, challenge yourself and those in your circle to get out and experience all the world has available to you and do it with steering wheel in hand and your foot on the accelerator.

Don’t live your whole life in a garage or the back seat of a ride-share or autonomous vehicle, but rather embrace what fun mobility really means. It may seem a little counter-culture in some circles, but creating your own driving masterpiece is an artform that should always be cherished. In his own way, I am certain Mr. Ferrari would agree.

Jeff Voth Editor in Chief, VICARIOUS jvoth@vicariousmag.com

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u o y e v a e l l l i w it

s es l h c ee p s

) er ll te y or st a to in u o y rn tu en (th

3,000 miles of all-season highways. Seven epic drives through rugged wilderness lined with parks, historic sites and wildlife. Yukon — for those who don’t want to be where they’ve already been.

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TRAVELYUKON.COM

Editor at Large The journey is part of the experience -- an expression of the seriousness of one’s intent. One doesn’t take the A train to Mecca.”

– Anthony Bourdain

W

ith a new year and new decade approaching, many of us will take time over the holidays to reflect and resolve.

I’ve always found it odd that that singular stroke of midnight to end December should mean more than any other throughout the year, but shorter days and colder weather seem a proper catalyst for meditative states.

Or maybe it’s just our natural tendency to become introspective, while warming fireside, after a hearty meal, a dram or two in hand. Regardless, the aim always seems to be towards bettering ourselves.

Personally, I like to use the downtime to take stock of where I’ve been and where I’d like to go next. I love pouring over old magazines, getting lost in lands I’ve yet to see, then plotting adventurous routes on squiggly, dotted lines of old maps and trying to suss which one might be next. I find visiting the exploration of others and the mental preparation for travel energizes and inspires me to tackle (or keep on top of), those other more mundane items always in need of resolve -- eat less, get to the gym more often, spend more time with friends and family, put down the damned phone -- and I know I’m not alone.

You’ve no doubt noticed that this publication has big plans for the coming year. There are pins on our map, with a destination in mind: Print.

It’s a lofty goal. Given the current climate for pulp n’ paper rags, you may think we’re crazy, but we believe we have something special here and we’ve resolved to make everything we do around here even bigger and better for 2020.

With a little luck, some of the adventures I have swirling ‘round my melon may make it onto those pages.

So, what are your plans for this coming year? If you need some inspiration, we will always welcome you to live VICARIOUS-ly through us ;)

Matt Neundorf VICARIOUS

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Harold Island, Lake Muskoka

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Contents 8

Two Simple Words- Fun Mobility Editor in Chief

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The Journey Is Part Of The Experience

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Contents

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Contributors

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Turn-key Tourist

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Island Hopping In The Cadillac XT6

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2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon 4x4

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Japan Three Ways

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2020 Lincoln Corsair In Osoyoos, B.C.

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Chris Pfaff: A Car Guy For Life

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The Kingdom Of Jordan

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Canyon Carving In A Shelby GT500

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2020 Audi Q7 In Ireland

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Nova Scotia With Dice

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Montana- The Treasure State

Editor at Large

Our Team Cofounder, Editor in Chief

Jeff Voth

Cofounder, Production Manager

Peter Hessels Editor at Large

Matthew Neundorf

Featured Hotels Discovered

Featured Car

Featured Road First Drive

Perspective

Featured Region Special Feature First Drive

Discovered Discovered

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2019 Kawasaki W800

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Oregon At Its Best

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Madrid Spain

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Southern California Glam

130

BMW i3 BEV

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Last Words

Featured Motorcycle

Contributing Writers

Peter Bleakney Steven Bochenek Lisa Calvi Justin Del Giudice Dan Heyman James Kerr Kevin Mio Matthew Neundorf Kelly Taylor Stephanie Wallcraft Lesley Wimbush

Discovered Dining Out

Discovered

Electric Avenue Exit Lane

VICARIOUS is a division of Wide Open Media. No part of this publication may be copied or reprinted without the written consent of the publisher. The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher, editors and staff.

Customer service: sales@vicariousmag.com | Published in Canada To subscribe, visit www.vicariousmag.com Cover Photo: Peter Hessels Cover Location: Sunriver, Oregon Coordinates: 43°44’36.8”N 121°54’01.9”W

Design & Layout

Peter Hessels Contributing Photographer

Peter Hessels Director of Sales

Jeff Voth 905.327.3944 jvoth@vicariousmag.com

Contributors D an H eyman Years of magazine reading, movie watching (Gone in 60 Seconds ftw!) and Hot Wheels collecting has given Vancouver, BC native Dan Heyman what some would say is an unhealthy obsession with all things motorcar.

His dream drive? A 1971 Porsche 917K racer on Circuit de La Sarthe in Le Mans, France.

Dan is especially passionate about his photography, having won the published photo of the year award from the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) where he serves on the board of directors.

S tephanie W allcraft Stephanie is a multiple award-winning automotive journalist and is the President of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). She was raised by an auto worker and spent her childhood honing her affinity for all things fast on four wheels in the grandstands at the Molson Indy.

Today, she can most often be found either breathing ethanol fumes in grimy pit lanes, camping her way across Canada on road trips with her daughter, test-driving new vehicles in far-flung locales, or -- very occasionally -- relaxing at her home in the west end of Toronto.

P eter B leakney Having been a car nut for as long as he can remember, Peter Bleakney contributed regularly to the Toronto Star Wheels from 1995 to 2016, after which he started working with Post Media Driving. Peter has won the Wakefield Castrol Award for Journalism in vehicle testing and two Pirelli Photography awards. He also contributes regularly to Autotrader.ca and the Robb Report.

Peter is also a professional bass player, having played and recorded with Anne Murray for 24 years, done numerous Toronto musical theatre productions and even performed with Editor in Chief Jeff Voth, who sings his arse off.

L isa C alvi Lisa became fascinated with vehicles during her formative years in Europe. Returning to North America, the fascination continued. She combined her passion for writing, travel and cars during a four-year assignment with Carguide Magazine.

Since 2011, her bi-weekly column, Lady Driven, appears in Atlantic Canada’s Saltwire Network, including the Halifax Chronicle-Herald. Lisa runs an event management company, Odyssey International Limited, which takes her on motoring adventures across the continent and provides fodder for her stories.

L esley W imbush A multiple-award winning automotive writer and illustrator from Ontario, Canada, Lesley has been published in every major newspaper in the country. When not driving test cars, Lesley’s time is spent wrenching on, or lapping with their ”eclectic” fleet, ranging from an 82 hp Mazda 323 to a Porsche Cayman S. With a rather diverse taste for horsepower -Lesley’s probably the only auto journalist to have ever won a horse race.

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Featured Hotels

Turn-key Tourist

S tory | J eff V oth

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turn-key (adjective): of or involving the provision of a complete service that is ready for immediate use.

M andarin O riental , L ago

di

C omo , I taly

The crackle and wail of a Ferrari 488 Pista Spider rounding a corner at speed may be a unique sound in most corners of the world, but in Lake Como, it has the potential to be as commonplace as a rumbling Cummins diesel engine in western Canada. New on the scene, the 5-star Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como resides on the eastern shore in the picturesque town of Blevio. Getting here is just a short 55 minute drive from Milan or a 10-minute jog from the town center of Como.

A total of 75 rooms define the resort including 21 guest rooms, 52 suites and junior suites and 2 villas. All are situated to provide exceptional views of the garden or lake; the choice is yours. Many feature private balconies, a terrace or easy access to the gardens. Natural wood floors and muted wall colours offer a casual yet sophisticated elegance with a touch of oriental flare. Light pours into the room and you are never far away from the crystal blue waters of the lake.

Dinner is served at the Michelin-starred L˜ARIA restaurant under the watchful eye of Executive Chef Vincenzo Guarino. Mediterranean influences combine to serve refined Italian cuisine in an open kitchen setting for guests to see the magic at work. Of course, the open-aired terrace is the perfect setting for a romantic dinner. Casual dining is served at CO.MO Bar & Bistrot, with a full drink menu and lakeside seating under the lights.

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como offers a full range of services spread over 1,300 sqm. A 16 metre outdoor swimming pool is a magnet for guests of the hotel and there are plenty of recreational activities available lakeside such as kayaking, boat rides and seaplane excursions.

Address: Via Caronti, 69, 22020 Blevio, Italy Website: www.mandarinoriental.com/lake-como/blevio/luxury-hotel

C hablé M aroma , M exico If the goal of a resort is to provide guests with the opportunity to really escape off the beaten path, listing the kilometre number as your official address is a sure way to get things started in the right direction. The address at Chablé Maroma in Mexico simply says Km. 51; not 52, not 50 and not a business address number. Be sure to check your mileage, or you may just drive right past. For those who arrive, the only thing left to do is to find a beach chair and their favourite pair of sunglasses.

There are no standard hotel rooms at the resort, rather it is characterized by exclusive villas and suites, including the exotic Presidential villa. Mayan culture is celebrated throughout the resort, with a focus on working in harmony with the jungle and surrounding beach setting. Warm wood accents are featured on the walls and floors. Villas highlight xucun stone, markble and galzrza quarried stone. Colours are light and natural, striking a harmonious balance between modern-day guest requirements and a back-to-nature approach.

Dining is considered an artform at Chablé Maroma. Two restaurants, KABAN and BU’UL, along with the Raw Bar By BU’UL, take their inspiration from Chef Jorge Vallejo and his top-rated restaurant Quintonil in Mexico City. Under the care of Executive Chef Luis Quiroz, the menu here changes daily and is based on what the guests want rather than just dictating what will be served. Homemade breads, a juice bar and full menu of vegetarian and vegan options are always available.

The Spa also incorporates the wellness of Mayan culture. Getting in touch with nature and in tune with the rhythms of life is a way to honour the past and present. A full menu of services is available, with the three goals of Purification, Balance and Transformation defining the Signature Treatment Programs. For those looking for a little more excitement, there is much to see and do in the area surrounding the hotel with Playa Del Carmen a short drive away. But then it might just be the best thing to do at Chablé Maroma is to simply do nothing at all.

Address: Carretera Federal Cancún – Tulum Km. 51 Punta Maroma, Quintana Roo Website: www.chablemaroma.com 15

H otel J oaquin , L aguna B each , C alifornia If the notion of walking on the beach where Hollywood’s elite have strolled since the early 1900’s is what you would call a little piece of paradise, Hotel Joaquin has a room with a view you may want to reserve.

With the tagline, “Soul is our style”, it’s not hard to imagine this might be the best place to recharge your personal batteries and that of your Tesla, before heading to L.A. for a night of big city fun and excitement.

Purchased in 2016 by Auric Road, the original Motor Inn at Laguna Beach has been completely reborn as a Pacific Coast resort retreat. Designed

by Studio Robert McKinley, rooms range in size from the compact and elegant SEL and CRES to the spacious and sophisticated BARTO, LA VUE and SOLEIL. Some feature mountain views, others face the ocean, but all showcase sunshine and Pacific breezes along with natural wood elements, bright white interiors and deep, comfy bedding.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner, or just hanging out for drinks in the late afternoon and evening takes place at Saline. The Mediterranean inspired menu is designed to energize guests for a busy day of activities, or to relax at day’s end with low alcohol cocktails so you wake in the morning refreshed and ready for new adventures. Poolside spritzers and backgammon games in your double daybed are the perfect recipe for a tranquil stay.

Walk two minutes and the staff will set you up oceanside at beautiful Shaw’s Cove. Here you can also take advantage of the snorkelling, surfing and kayaking options available at the Adventure Outpost. Take a city bike for a ride, or jump in the passenger seat of a 90’s Land Rover to start your trek up Laguna’s Top of the World trail, eventually reaching the summit on foot. It is all designed to allow guests to renew and get plugged back into what’s most important.

Address: 985 North Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA Website: www.hoteljoaquin.com

C asa C aminada , F ürstenau , S witzerland Switzerland is a country that typically flies under the radar when it comes to great driving experiences. But it shouldn’t. In fact, it is one of the hidden gems of the world as the roads are expertly paved, the mountain tunnels stunning in their engineering complexity and the views breathtaking at every turn. Located one hour outside of famous St. Moritz, (drive the Julier Pass, it’s a must) Casa Caminada in Fürstenau is a newly-opened resurrected barn on the property of a 16 th Century castle. That in itself offers guests a unique stay, but the story gets even more delicious with a 3 Michelin Stars restaurant anchoring the property under the intense scrutiny of the owner, Chef Andreas Caminada.

Natural light floods the 10 exposed, rough-hewn beam rooms available for guests of the hotel. The design is simple in concept, with wood floors, walls and ceilings staying true to the original barn use for the building.

Each room features a king-size bed, a freestanding bathtub, a few chairs and an outside deck with mountain views separated by floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors. This is minimalism Swiss-style and it is beautiful.

The restaurant is equally uncomplicated, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it is anything less than world-class. Spoons are the recommended cutlery, so guests can enjoy every savoury bite of their renowned Capuns (dough, sausage and cheese wrapped in Swiss chard) and Maluns, leaving nothing behind. Chef Mathias Kotzbeck perfected his craft at Schloss Schauenstein and IGNIV St. Moritz and works with the celebrated staff to create a truly exceptional dining experience.

Activities are never in short supply. Skiing is always an option in Switzerland during the winter months. The nearby 14-km Domleschg Castle Trail is a must see, so too the Romanesque Sallkirche St. Martin in Zillis, a church built between 1109-1114. Golfers will enjoy the course at Bad Ragaz, there is hiking on the Piz Beverin or sipping wine in the celebrated region of Bündner Herrschaft. All are within a one-hour drive.

Address: Genuss Werkstatt GmbH, Schlossgass 77, 7414 Fürstenau, Switzerland Website: www.casacaminada.com

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O ak B ay B each H otel , V ictoria , B.C. The drive into Oak Bay Beach Hotel winds through a series of city streets and past oceanside parks, with coffee shops at every corner and pedestrians crowding sidewalks. It feels more suburban than getaway, but this makes the surprise of arriving at the hotel even more enticing.

A grand fountain anchors the round, interlocking brick driveway where doorman arrive to take your luggage and escort you in. Floor to ceiling windows face the Pacific Ocean, the view is stunning. This is B.C. at its best.

The original hotel was constructed as a Victorian Mansion and dates back to 1927. Fire destroyed the building in 1930, but it was quickly rebuilt and continued on as the place to see and be seen until 2006 when it closed to undergo a complete, modern-day resort renovation. Today, a total of 100 rooms range in size from standard guest rooms to one bedroom suites and the two-level 1,072-1,225 sq. ft Penthouse suites.

Furnishings are designed to be comfy with thick duvets, earth-toned colours and dark wood fireplace surrounds.

Dining takes place in three locations. Locals are well-versed in what’s on the menu or on tap at the Snug Pub with its indoor and outdoor seating areas. Like the pub, the formal dining room faces the ocean, with floorto-ceiling windows, natural wood trim and a grand fireplace adding to the warmth and charm. Kate’s Café is set to reopen in Spring 2020 providing the ideal coffee and snack for those on the go.

Activities at the hotel are in no short supply. A large free-form pool overlooks the Pacific Ocean and offers poolside dining when you need a quick bite. Take advantage of the adjacent mineral pools, or just lounge and enjoy the view. The top-rated Boathouse Spa offers a full menu of services and is Victoria’s only oceanfront spa. Pets are welcomed as V.I.P. guests with pet-friendly rooms available and there are plenty of island and ocean activities in the area to take advantage of. This is B.C. and the opportunities for exploration and fun are endless.

Address: 1175 Beach Drive, Victoria, B.C. Website: www.oakbaybeachhotel.com

O ne &O nly M andarina

COMING SOON!

Luxury has a new name in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico as the One&Only Mandarina is set to open in June 2020 just a short drive north of Puerto Vallarta. With cliff-side views of the Pacific Ocean, this exclusive resort will be the foundation of the billion dollar Mandarina development redefining this popular tourist destination.

With nature as the backdrop, a total of 104 freestanding villas float above the jungle treetops or reside cliffside overlooking the private beach below. If the ocean doesn’t woo you with its crystal blue waters, take a dip in your private plunge pool, a feature of every villa. In addition to the resort accommodations, a total of 54 private homes are available on the property, one of the first for One&Only.

Dining takes place at the Jetty Beach Club located on the private beach.

The celebrity chef inspired menu highlights local ingredients that embrace regional flavours while delivering a truly Mexican dining experience. Fresh fish is brought in daily and the adults only dining experience is further enhanced by its unique cliffside location.

The list of available activities is long, with whale watching, ocean fishing, watersports of all kinds, jungle hiking just some of what is designed to keep guests active. Relax at the onsite One&Only Spa with six private, enclosed treatment rooms and a full menu of services available. A stateof-the-art fitness room, outdoor exercise facility and outdoor yoga palapa further define this exclusive resort.

Address: Riviera, 63779 Lo de Marcos, Nayarit, Mexico Website: www.oneandonlyresorts.com/mandarina

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Discovered

Les ĂŽles-de-la-Madeleine I s l a n d H o p p i n g I n T h e C a d i l l a c XT 6

S tory | S tephanie W allcraft

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T

o reach Quebec’s Îles-de-la-Madeleine in relative comfort, it’s not a bad idea to drive.

It certainly takes a while. The route requires going through New Brunswick and then across the bridge into Prince Edward Island, and from there it takes almost two more hours to reach the eastern port town of Souris. And then you wait for the ferry to depart, and then you sail for roughly five hours before reaching the archipelago’s port of Cap-aux-Meules.

But flying isn’t much less of a challenge. No matter where you start from, you’ll eventually need to get to the airport in Quebec City. (I have a friend who flew to the islands from Moncton, just on the other side of the Confederation Bridge, and his itinerary took him from Moncton to Montreal to Quebec City.

Yes, seriously.) Once you’re there, you’ll most likely board a multistop flight that lands in Gaspé and, depending on the weather, may or may not continue on to its final stop on the islands.

If all goes well, flying does take less time than driving from most major cities in Eastern Canada. But if it doesn’t – and it often doesn’t – it can take a lot longer.

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By driving instead, you disembark in Cap-aux-Meules, marvel at the fact that the first thing you see is a Tim Hortons – believe it or not, according to a Quebecois colleague, this location does so well that he tried to buy a coffee here once and they were sold out – and then you’re free to explore the islands in the comfort and familiarity of whatever vehicle you choose to bring along for the ride.

Is it worth all of this effort? A thousand times, yes. There’s an enormous amount to be learned from this tiny patch of land in the middle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which is growing ever tinier as the rigours of climate change batter its shores. They form a microcosm of the many careful balancing acts that exist in Canadian culture, from the differences between Acadian and Quebecois French to their delicate co-existence with the few tiny English-speaking settlements established in isolated corners by shipwrecked castaways.

My most recent journey through the islands was made colourful by the rainbow of brightly coloured cottages, the friendly smiles of the locals, and the newest SUV by Cadillac, the XT6. This is the brand’s new three-row crossover that offers an alternative

for those who have a family to move, find the Escalade to be over-the-top, and aren’t interested in buying European.

The brand hasn’t shied away from bold design cues here, particularly on the Sport model with its high-gloss black finishes and clear glass taillights to complement the visually dramatic carbon fibre or gloss wood inserts and the chrome and piano black touch points. The Sport model starts at $63,798 and should be the priority test drive for those who value dynamic drive feel thanks to the active dampers that smooth out the archipelago’s winter-ravaged roads, a twin-clutch all-wheel drive system that independently provides power to each rear wheel, and active yaw control that delivers torque to the outside rear wheel on cornering for improved performance.

“The Premium Luxury model is also all-wheel drive, albeit with a less sophisticated single-clutch system and spring dampers, and starts at $60,998.”

Both models come with the same nine-speed automatic transmission and engine, a naturally aspirated 3.6-litre V6 that makes 310 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque while saving fuel on the highway by deactivating two cylinders. Standard equipment includes heated and ventilated power-adjusting front seats, a

heated steering wheel, power-folding third-row seats, 20-inch alloy wheels, a hands-free power liftgate, and plenty of safety technologies. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are included in the infotainment system, which is now powered by a nicely weighted rotary controller, and an in-car Wi-Fi hotspot can be added to an OnStar subscription.

In the pleasantly quiet cabin, while playing some favourite tunes on the Bose audio system and cruising Quebec Highway 199 – which takes all of an hour to drive from end to end – it’s a joy to take in some of the most interesting destinations on the islands.

At Le Fumoir d’Antan, which directly translates as The Historic Smokehouse – traditional century-old methods are used to smoke fish caught in the surrounding waters, most notably herring. This sounds challenging to the palate, and it’s true that it’s an acquired taste if you eat it straight, but the marinated version sold in the shop is wonderful as a substitute for anchovy in a Caesar salad dressing. (Another reason to drive: you don’t have to check your bag to get this stuff home.)

Just down the road, the Fromagerie du Pied-de-Vent produces a variety of cheeses made unique by the salted sea air and the windswept island flora consumed by the farm’s cattle. While many are available on the mainland, it’s especially nice to buy the soft-ripened cheeses direct from the fromagerie while they’re fresh – and if you arrive on one of the two days per week when they’re made, cheese curds are available as well.

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On Highway 199 in Havre-aux-Maisons, Verre Soufflé La Méduse is a fascinating stop any day of the week to peruse its delicately crafted blown glass creations, but it’s especially interesting if you luck into a moment when an artisan is working in the shop. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer a wide-angle view of the production process, from heating the glass to dip-dying it using coloured crystals and then forming it skilfully by hand.

At the southern end of the islands in Havre-Aubert, the last kilometre of Highway 199 is lined with numerous artisans and cafés, but one that stands out is Atelier Côtier. A selection

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of sculptures, created from sand collected from the islands’ beaches and formed using stamps and hand tools, is on display alongside numerous other local artworks.

And at the northernmost end of the highway is Auberge La Salicorne. On its face, this is a simple-looking hotel. But the staff organize endless excursions throughout the tourist months, from sea kayaking along the red rock cliffsides to, if you time your visit correctly, picking wild blueberries from the sand dunes in the nearby Pointe de l’Est National Wildlife Area.

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There’s so much to see and do on these islands that it would be easy to spend three or four days here without getting bored, and that’s before taking time to simply slow down to island pace.

After all, that’s not hard to do: if your accommodations are in the right location, you can watch the sun rise, stay put for an entire day, and then cross the street to watch the sun set.

And as you board the ferry to make the drive home, you’ll have plenty of time to relive your memories of this uniquely Canadian destination that’s truly a rarified gem.

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Featured Car

P hotography | P eter H essels 28

2020 Jeep GLADIATOR

RUBICON 4x4

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S pecs

3.6L Pentastar VVT V6 285 horsepower 260 lb-ft of torque 8-speed automatic

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Subscribe to VICARIOUS today!

If taking the road less travelled still seems overcrowded, we understand. Drive or ride with us each issue and see what it means to truly experience adventure in every corner!

VICARIOUS magazine is packed full of stories and photographs from our award-winning writers and photographers.

Published seasonally 4 times per year, we promise to make every issue unforgettable.

Sign-up is easy, just follow this link and subscribe today: www.vicariousmag.com It’s great to have you along for the ride. Let the adventure begin!

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Featured Road

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Japan Three Ways O n e M i l l i o n R e a s o n s T o V i s it S tory

and

P hotography | D an H eyman

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I

t should come as no surprise that there are many takeaways from a trip to Japan, especially for first timers. The lights. The branding. The culture. The way manic city life blends in to serene zen-life seemingly in the blink of an eye, probably because you’re travelling at 200 miles-per-hour on a Shinkansen bullet train.

The tiny kei cars, trucks and vans. The fact that it’s harder to find a traditional western Kit-Kat bar than it is to find one flavoured like wasabi, sake, or strawberry cheesecake.

I could go on but the one thing I will always say about Japan is that while New York City may be the city that never sleeps, it’s hard to imagine the country of Japan ever sleeping, even though it seems that most shops don’t open until 10 AM on weekdays.

It’s a go-go-go kind of place, but more than any other country I’ve ever visited, the trick becomes A) to make sense of it all and B) to find out how to slow it down from time to time, even when in the bustling metropolis of Tokyo.

Which is why the following is kind of a “Japan three ways” thing; three ways to get around the country that do a surprising job of mixing the speedy with the serene.

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1

1 Take a walk

The first leg of our adventure has us in the capital city of Tokyo, a city of about 8.5 trillion people (actually, more like 13.5 million but it’s so dense that it may as well be in the trillions). More specifically, it has us in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, a gorgeous establishment in the Nihonbashi business district.

We start here not because of the gorgeous fittings or the rainfall shower that starts about three feet above your head, but because it offers a view of just how far-reaching Tokyo is. Yes; Manhattan is big, and Los Angeles’ urban sprawl is well-documented. Forget “urban sprawl” when looking out of the 30th storey at the Mandarin, though; it’s more like “skyscraper sprawl” as a look out there shows multiple buildings with multiple storeys stretching out multiple miles past the horizon. You simply cannot see the end of it and it’s almost mesmerizing.

So what to do, then, in this concrete jungle of concrete jungles? Well, head down to street level, of course!

It’s on the ground where everything comes to life, a life that shines that much brighter since it’s in the shadow of such behemoths.

If asked to use one word as a descriptor for the Tokyo street experience, it would be “neon”. Neon is everywhere. After all: if your storefront doesn’t have neon and the guys either side of you do, well, people are going to have a hard time seeing your place, aren’t they? So you’ve got neon atop neon and that extends well past the main drag.

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Take the Shibuya area, for example. We’ll get to the famous intersection in a moment but it’s essentially the Times Square of Tokyo, and that’s only the beginning. Yes; there are stacks of video screens on each corner – just like you’d see in Times Square – but it’s not like once you turn off there it’s all shadows.

The storefronts, the restaurants -- and yes, the neon -- continues to the point where you had better watch yourself before you get lost in the maze of retail, light, bars and vending machines.

Vending machines? Oh yes. They are everywhere here, selling everything from Coke to hot tea in plastic bottles – go figure.

You’d expect the ones in train stations and waiting rooms, but it’s when they start appearing in the middle of an open-air parkade or just along some random wall in an alleyway that you start to realize that you’re in the wrong business, and that you should be a vending contractor in Japan. You’d make a killing, to be sure.

Maybe that’s what Cheryl Crow had in mind when she hitched that ride she wrote about in Every Day is a Winding Road…

You’d think, then, that with all this vending (and all these 7-Eleven locations – they’re more numerous in Tokyo than Tim Horton’s franchises are in Canadian towns) and all these storefronts, litter would be absolutely everywhere. But you’d be wrong. As manic as Tokyo is, it’s almost impeccably clean even though you’ll rarely spot a refuse bin outside of a private establishment. A lot of it comes down to cultural coding; It’s frowned upon to eat while walking through public, for example, so there’s a big percentage of garbage removed from the public sector.

Which makes sense as you prepare to cross Shibuya Crossing outside of Shibuya Station, which sees about 2,500 people cross every time a scramble crossing (vehicle traffic stopped in all directions) is activated. You don’t want to be making your way through here with your elbows out as you munch on a sandwich, that’s for sure. You wouldn’t make it past the midpoint.

Plus, with so much to see, you wouldn’t want to have your head down in a sandwich anyway. Much better to keep it up as you walk through Don Quijote, part of a chain of multi-storey stores that are one part dollar store, one part electronics giant and one part Trader Joe’s, all under one roof so that you can get lost in here just as easily as you can get lost in and around Shibuya station. Trust us, though; if you’re hard up for gifts as you near the end of your trip you’ll find something here, we guarantee it.

Thing is, big as that store is, it’s not one we would have found had we not just taken the time to stroll through the city. In Tokyo, just as in any small- or medium-sized town, it’s nice to not have a schedule, and just let whimsy whisk you forth.

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2 Take a train

That is, of course, until you decide to take a ride on one of those famous Shinkansen trains we spoke of earlier. Scheduling is king here.

You’ll likely know them better as “bullet trains”, but the term actually translates to “main line” as these are the trains that connect one end of this long island to the other. You’ll know them as “bullet” because of their speed and their shape, which is ultra-aerodynamic – like, space shuttle-levels of aerodynamic – like a bullet. They’ve got pointy noses at each end and usually sixteen cars in-between. They are divided into classes but most seats have electrical outlets and there is Wi-Fi on-board; these are frequented by Japanese businesspeople, after all, many of whom take them every day to and from the office.

Which is good because more than likely, they’ll be on time.

They’ll be on time because these trains are accurate – no hyperbole here – to the second. Legend has it that when one of the operators was one minute late – just one minute – they called the transit bureau…to apologize. This is punctuality at its finest and you should ignore it at your peril.

Which can be tough because the way to the platform in many of these stations – especially the main Tokyo Station where we set off from – is no easy task. Not because it’s hard to find your platform – they’re actually quite well marked and there are maps – but because of what you encounter on the way from the station’s main entrance to your platform.

Remember how big a deal retail is? Well, Tokyo Station isn’t exempt as you may as well be walking through not a train station, but a mall. You’ll encounter stores for Nike shoes, those Kit Kats we talked about, a Garrett’s popcorn stand – yes, the very same Garrett’s popcorn you’ll find in its native Chicago – even a Tomica store, which makes diecast models of cars as common as Ferraris, to as eclectic as a Nissan Skyline police car or a flatbed truck with a giant hamburger load. It’s a shopper’s paradise here, and you can see why a train will be missed from time to time.

Eventually, you get to your platform and you’ll likely notice quite a large barrier between you and the track. The reasons for its existence are obvious, but it’s not until one of these behemoths run through here that you fully understand just why they’re so necessary.

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You see, Shinkansen trains don’t tend to be of the milk-run variety – more stops means a slower ride as well as more potential for delays – so they come through some stations at 100 per cent top speed. They don’t slow down at all meaning you have a train, travelling at 285 km/h, ripping past where you’re standing about 10 feet away. The air being disturbed ‘round the train won’t quite bowl you over but you will feel it, and it’s a magnificent display of raw power that NASCAR wishes it could replicate.

Once on, though, serenity is the order of the day. Seat comfort reaches airliner levels, you won’t hear the wind rushing past you, and the ride is so well-controlled you won’t feel the train roll to and from as it moves through turns. That being said: all the seats do face forward because rear-facing seats can mean more motion sickness. Attendants actually have to go through the train once it reaches the end of the line to spin each chair ‘round. This is a seamless operation and you can understand why the control centres look to be lifted from NORAD.

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The hardest part, we found, was actually getting off the train.

Unlike the seats, the time you have once at your destination is not airline-like and you have about three minutes to gather your things, get out of your seat and get off. There are no checks and balances here; if you don’t leave your seat, you’re off to the next station. Which, because you’re on a main line, is likely a whole other town away. It’s not like you can just get off and head in the other direction, either; you’re stranded until the next one, whenever that is.

For us, that stop was Atami station, about 100 km south of Tokyo and standing at the foot of a driving road any petrolhead would dream of: The Izu Skyline.

Take a drive

While the name “Skyline” undoubtedly conjures up images of certain all- or rear-wheel-driven Nissans tearing up the racetrack or drawing eyeballs at the local car meets, it’s actually a different Japanese legend we’ll be turning to for our drive on the Izu: the Mazda MX-5 Miata. With its near perfect weight distribution, rear-wheel-drive powertrain and six-speed manual gearbox, it is the car for work like this.

It’s also small, which is good if you’re not used to driving on the left-hand side of the road.

Allow me to explain.

You see, if you’ve driven for years on the right side, you develop a certain muscle memory and sense of perspective. Even if you drive many different cars, your intuition should kind of give you an idea of where to place your car in any given situation, whether it be when in your lane on the freeway, or when entering a tight alley.

That tends to go out of the window a little when you move to the other side of the car, and I found myself sticking very close to the centre line to ensure that I wasn’t wandering too far the other way.

Challenge number two, of course, is getting your left hand to do what you want it to when it comes time to change gears. Even though you’re sat on the other side of the vehicle, the pedals and shift pattern are aligned the same way you’re used to, but that wasn’t the problem.

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The real problem, as it turned out, was actually getting my right hand to do what I wanted it to because all of a sudden, it was the dominant hand when it came to steering. Only really an issue when shifting gears – which is something you should be doing before a turn anyway – it’s still one that led to a few hair-raising moments of quick correction.

Yes; ideally, you want to be done all your shifting and braking before you enter a turn, but this is no racetrack. This is a spiny stretch of tarmac that does kind of serve as a passage between cities but really seems to exist only to give people that love a good drive something to do. And maybe to raise a few Yen while it’s at it because it is a toll road. Standing in the shadow of Mount Fuji, it’s an ultra-bendy whippersnapper of a stretch that offers a little bit of everything; off camber work, long sweepers, tight hairpins and a straight or two for passing. Luckily for us, Japanese motorists are a polite bunch, indicating, slowing and moving off to the shoulder seemingly the minute they catch you in their mirrors.

there’s little delay between the time you tip in, to the time you reach that next turn entry.

It doesn’t take much of this to start to understand why the Japanese have developed cars as great as the MX-5 and Skyline GT-R. They use test tracks to be sure, but when you have roads that are as thrilling and well-kept as this and with respect being a major theme in Japanese culture, you had better build a car that does them justice.

As a result, we were allowed to pass back and forth over about 42 kilometres of this, just letting these marvels of modern motoring flow with the incredibly smooth tarmac below and through the scenery all around us.

Which is no small ask. I’ve driven many spectacular driving roads in my day but from The Tail of The Dragon in Tennessee, to the Angeles Crest in California, to the Côte d’Azur in France, I’ve never experienced something that looks so gnarly on the map, but is so manicured and well kept in reality. It’s glassy smooth but grippy even though it was a little damp, and it’s well-marked and signed and full of all those neat little things you’ve seen in video games set in Japan over the years; red paint that rises off the tarmac to caution you about a particularly dangerous turn, huge Japanese characters spanning many metres of tarmac ahead and more road signs than a construction site are the orders of the day, and they all serve to give the sense, like the neon in Tokyo or the quiet prowess of the Shinkansen, that you’re in a place that sometimes doesn’t feel entirely of this world.

It really is the perfect car for this, the MX-5. The steering is direct, the transmission easy to slot and the naturally-aspirated four-banger while not that powerful, is responsive enough that

Which, when you think about, is what travelling is all about.

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Speaking of Mazda…

If you find the time, try snagging a Shinkansen to Hiroshima, the place where it all began when it comes to the MX-5. Mazdas are still built out of the factory there, and there’s a great little museum worth visiting if you’re a fan not just of Mazdas, but of automotive engineering history as well thanks to all the work and experimentation the firm’s done with rotary engines.

It also houses one of the most important Mazdas ever built: the 1,000,000th car to roll off the line, a 1963 Carol 600 microcar.

You see, more than just a number, this little Carol shows how this city, once devastated by the events at the end of World War II, continued to operate and how the Japanese public had rebounded enough for one of its many automakers – albeit one of its smallest automakers – to see the need to build 1,000,000 cars.

Today, the fantastic Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park sits just below the epicentre of the airborne atomic blast. It’s as moving as you’d expect, but the part that really got to me revolves around paper cranes that serve as a memory of Sadako Sasaki, one of the victims of the bombing. She was a young girl and while she survived the initial blast, she proceeded to develop leukemia a few years later. The story goes that during her time in hospital, she folded and delivered paper cranes – little origami birds – to others around her to help lift their spirits. As a result, she has gained a kind of legendary status when discussing the effects of the bombings on – and, more importantly, the subsequent recovery of -- the Japanese people.

Today, paper cranes donated by visitors are stored in cases surrounding a memorial to her in the park. They do fill and when that time comes, the paper gets repurposed to craft memorial postcards and other recycled goods.

It’s a fantastic memory and as I stood and admired the monument, I pictured young Sadaki, driving somewhere in a little Gold Mazda Carol, bright pink cherry blossoms lining the road all the way to the horizon.

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First Drive

2020 Lincoln Corsair O s oyo o s I s N a pa O f T h e N o rth

S tory | L esley W imbush

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his southernmost town in the Okanagan Valley owes its name to its original inhabitants, the Syilx Indians, who called it sẁiẁs (pronounced ‘soo-yoos’) meaning “place where two lakes meet”.

Osoyoos boasts Canada’s lowest annual precipitation, and warmest climate – making it our only living desert. It’s also ideal wine growing country. And on a cold November day when folks back home are shovelling out their driveways – it’s a fine place to spend a couple of days driving a new luxury vehicle.

Lincoln’s new Corsair is the latest addition to their crossover portfolio, replacing the outgoing MKC. The compact crossover tucks in between the flagship Navigator and midsize Aviator, rounding off a lineup that has been very successful for Lincoln. Ditching their alphanumeric naming strategy has coincided with a renaissance of sorts for Lincoln, which is finally coming into its own as a luxury brand.

It makes a good first impression.

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The Corsair’s design is tasteful, eschewing the brash and bling that has earmarked most domestic luxury brands in the past.

Instead of shouting “look at me!”, the Corsair has an elegant presence of understated luxury. Our test vehicles were all loaded, top-spec AWD Reserve models in a colour palette ranging from deep Burgundy to Ceramic off-white. Optional adaptive LED headlights frame a tasteful chain-mail-esque grille underscored on either side by a swath of LED running lights above a sliver of chrome. Subtle character lines in the sheet metal add visual drama, and the chrome badge on its front shoulder is a nice touch. The arched roofline ends in a jaunty spoiler, beneath which the narrow taillights span the entire width of the rear deck – much like Porsche’s new rear end treatment, which emphasizes the width of the vehicle by dividing it into horizontal planes.

Lincoln refers to its cabins as “sanctuaries” and have taken great pains to relax and help alleviate passenger fatigue.

Attractive without being overtly flashy, our tester’s “cashew black” cabin was upholstered in rich, creamy leather with contrasting black trim. The design is predominantly simple and clean without curves or flourishes. The dash is made up of stacked, horizontal planes, finished in contrasting leather and brushed metal trim. An eight-inch tablet-style touchscreen rises from the dash and beneath it a floating centre stack finished in piano black houses the simple knobcontrols for climate and sound system. At the top of the console is a strip of gear selection buttons, which clears up space in the centre console for extra cubbies, cupholders, USB ports and wireless charging.

Replacing traditional gauges is a single digital screen. One

notable feature is the head-up display, which is clearly legible through polarized sunglasses. Lincoln achieved this by coating the windshield with a film that helps block out diminishing glare.

The 24-way seats are ridiculously comfortable, plump, cushiony and supportive, and blessed with a fully adjustable massage function. Controls are the same straightforward, door-located design used by Mercedes, with a separate button to bring up the massage and climate function on the touchscreen.

The back seats are comfortable with plenty of head and legroom, slide six inches fore and aft to increase passenger or trunk space, and fold down (though not completely flat) to accommodate larger cargo.

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In this competitive segment, buyers expect an abundance of sophisticated technology. The Corsair’s tech list impresses with a roster of standard or available features which includes automatic parking, and even smartphone remote parking for pulling out or backing into tight spaces, adaptive, speedsensitive headlights, and CoPilot 360 Plus which includes evasive steering, intelligent adaptive cruise control with lane-centering and speed sign recognition. For those who are constantly misplacing their keys, there’s a new app that will let you use your smartphone as a key fob to unlock and start the car. This customizable function lets you program time and limits for valet parking.

Through the valley and up into the arid Osoyoos desert, the Corsair proved to be a comfortable, capable cruiser. Although it shares architecture with the Ford Escape, the suspension is uniquely tuned and features an independent rear setup with upgraded bushings. The ride is supple, and compliant, and any body lean while cornering is well-controlled without wallowing rebound. The steering wheel is fat and grippy with well-defined thumb rests and ergonomically simple cruise and volume controls. Likewise, the infotainment system, which is straightforward and easy to operate. It’s a big departure from the previous Lincoln previous interfaces, which were infuriating in their complexity.

The cabin is impressively quiet. Aside from laminated sandwich glass, the Corsair is equipped with noise cancelling technology, which uses opposing sound waves through the 14-speaker Revel audio system to cancel out any wind or road noise. The firewall has an extra composite sound barrier with an air pocket between to provide further insulation. The result is a quiet environment that boasts the sort of acoustic hush associated with premium luxury vehicles.

After a long day of driving, we arrive at our overnight destination, Spirit Ridge Resort and Spa, which sits on traditional land of the Syilx people of the Okanagan Nation.

The first Canadian property to join Hyatt’s Unbound Collection, the resort is located in what’s known as the “Napa of the North”, perched above rolling vineyards and overlooking Osoyoos Lake. Claiming to “embrace the Osoyoos Indian Band’s culture through art, language, food, and stories, Spirit Ridge features an Indigenous owned winery and museum.

Guests enjoy vast suites complete with kitchen, fireplace and laundry facilities and spectacular views of the Monashee Mountains.

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In the Okanagan First Nation’s traditional stories, there are four food chiefs: Skimxist or Black Bear (chief of animals, representing self-sacrifice, leadership, giving), Ntytikxw Chinook Salmon (water creatures, perseverance, hard work), Speetlum Bitterroot (plants below the round, relationships to the land) and Seeya Saskatoon Berry (plants above the ground, growth, strength, community). The resort’s restaurant, “The Bear, the Fish, the Root, and the Berry” pays homage to those chiefs with traditional Indigenous cuisine like rangeland Bison, juniper brushed duck breast, wild rice, beans and squash. There’s also a selection of fine wines from the Indigenous-owned Nk’Mip Cellars Winery.

With a noon departure time, there was a variety of activities to amuse ourselves with before clambering back in the cars.

A few laps of the outdoor pool with breathtaking views of the mountains, shooting a few holes at the Sonora Dunes golf course, having a birds-eye view of Osoyoos via helicopter, or embracing your inner cowboy with a horseback ride through the foothills were just a few of the activities on offer.

Our return route took us through some curvy coastline roads, and “intelligent” cruise control proved an impressive driver’s aid as dusk fell and visibility reduced, keeping the car centred in its lane and a safe distance from other vehicles.

Speed limit recognition can be adjusted to accommodate those who tend to drive 5, 10, 15 and so on above the limit.

If the speed limit is 80, and suddenly drops to 60, the system will adjust the car’s speed and allow the added “tolerance” you’ve entered onto the display screen.

The Corsair offers two engine choices, both turbocharged –

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a 250hp/280 lb-ft 2.0L base unit; and the upper trim level’s 2.3 litre turbo-four with 295hp and 310 lb-ft. of torque.

Both are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Our tester’s 2.3L 4 cylinder was plenty peppy enough, and the optional drive modes and adaptive suspension could be switched to “Excite” mode for quicker responsiveness.

Fuel economy is reasonable at 11.1L/100 km city/8.1 highway/9.8 combined for the 2.0L and 11.1/8.2/9.8 for the 2.3L. We achieved 10.3L/100 km overall.

Although the Corsair is available in other markets in frontwheel-drive configuration, all Canadian Corsairs are AWD only. The base Corsair starts at $44,700, and the Reserve at $50,000. Prices climb dramatically with options; the Equipment Group (Elements Package, Lincoln CoPilot 360+) is $4,100, and the loaded Equipment Group (Elements Package, CoPilot 360+, Technology Package, Adaptive Suspension, 24-way Seats, 2.3 litre engine) is $11,350.

The Corsair, whose name is derived from a pirate’s ship, is based on the same modular platform as the new Ford Escape. But it was very clear to us after 2 days spent behind the wheel that that’s about the only similarity they share. It may be positioned as the entry-level conquest vehicle for Lincoln, but they’ve obviously wasted no effort to ensure that it’s as well-crafted and luxurious as their most premium offerings. This new entry into the compact premium crossover segment could very well become Lincoln’s bread and butter car - but it will have to go up against the likes of BMW X3, Audi Q3, Mercedes-Benz GLC and Volvo XC40.

With sleek styling, luxurious cabin, and a few tech options not offered by competitors, the Corsair is well poised to take on the most competitive segment in the market.

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OFFICIAL FERRARI DEALER

Ferrari Of Alberta 8230 Blackfoot Trail SE Calgary, AB T2J 7E1

Tel. 1. 403. 273. 6060 Fax. 1. 403. 273. 5959

ferrariofalberta.com

Perspective

“I’ve Been A Car Guy My Whole Life” C hri s P fa f f – P r e s i d e n t P fa f f A u t o

S tory | J eff V oth

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CEO

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he son of Hans Pfaff, a Canadian retail and motorsports icon, Chris Pfaff is a futurist and entrepreneur intent on changing how people buy vehicles in today’s highly-competitive luxury car marketplace. His plan is to simplify the process, offer one price, eliminate negotiation and deliver a new vehicle within three hours of purchasing. It’s a lofty goal and it’s working at Pfaff Auto across Canada.

We sat down with Chris recently to learn more about who he is on a personal level, what motivates him today and where the automotive retail industry needs to go for future success.

VC: What does it mean to you to have the Pfaff last name and carry on the entrepreneurial legacies of your father?

No pressure I guess.

Chris: (Laughs) I think it was just natural, I’ve been in it my whole life. I was that 6 year old kid looking at my dad, he had a Porsche franchise and would bring those cars home and so it was very exciting to me. I’ve been a car guy through-andthrough my whole life, so I never really had to think about, it was just a passion that came from being excited by being around it.

VC: What made you decide to get involved with the business and add your name to the family ledger? Did you have a choice or was it an expectation?

Chris: I know I’ve heard this question asked of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button by Ron Dennis where he asked them, what was that key point that took you to where you want and they both had very interesting answers. My answer might be that in Grade 3, for some reason, my teacher said, “Your dad’s a Volkswagen dealer right?” I said yes and she said, “I am looking for a Volkswagen Beetle.” I said I would talk to my dad and get all the stuff, so I brought the brochures and then we met and she was in between a Ford Mustang and a Volkswagen Beetle. She bought the Beetle. And I think she bought the Beetle because I was looking at her with big blue eyes and saying will you buy this car, and so I love that part of it. That was my first deal. Going to the track with my father and all that stuff as well, it was just so natural for me.

I couldn’t not get involved.

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VC: As a young man growing up surrounded by your father, cars, tech, sales staff and most likely being privy to many insightful discussions about the challenges associated with creating and strengthening a brand, what are some of the more valuable lessons you learned through these experiences?

Chris: That’s a good question. You know, people ask me, did I sit here when we started and say, I want to build an automotive brand. I didn’t have that clear intent, we just wanted to get better at how we did business. We wanted to be the best and we wanted to give a better experience to customers and we wanted to highlight the emotional appeal of the cars that we sold. Somehow within that we started getting involved in motorsports and raced against our competing dealers and we had a little success with it.

We started to grow the automotive business and it helps if your name has only five letters.

When my dad was selling cars and managing a dealership at Yonge and St. Clair and he moved to Newmarket and bought the store, people said Hans, we love dealing with you, but that is the middle of nowhere. He said, never mind, we’ll pick up your car and deliver it for service and he would take cars to the city to show them, so they never really had to come to the dealership.

It didn’t sound like much, but back then it was unique, people didn’t do that, so valet service was very big for us.

VC: Who are you listening to and watching with interest these days? Does anyone stand out for you?

Chris: Industry-wise, I look up to the Penske organization in the US, follow Lithia Motors and some of the big publicly traded companies and what their strategies are. We are nowhere near the size of those companies, but that’s an advantage, because we can be a lot more nimble than they can I think. That’s one and two, I look at the new retail models like Amazon, Apple and I look at how they do business and how that appeals to consumers and how that could resonate with automotive consumers as we go forward.

VC: Do you have a few favourite vehicles that have inspired you over the years?

Chris: Porsche for me would be the biggest as they are a significant part of our business. The Porsche 911, again I grew up in one as a kid and so that car has always been a part of me. I just drove a turbo for the last few months and am driving the new 911 now, so that’s definitely a big one for me. But I am a car nut, so McLaren’s, it’s been great to be involved with that. The Audi’s, I still have an S5 and an RS4 because of the 8-cylinder engine, nothing sounds like that or the Porsche GT3 RS. As for classics, I own a 1986 black Porsche 911 Coupe. I first ordered that car new when I was working for Mercedes-Benz, sold it and bought it back three years ago from my neighbour at the cottage.

VC: You are a Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame inductee and you have a Motorsports division in your company.

Why is important to maintain this connection to racing in a world that sometimes seems less interested in driving and more interested in just arriving?

Chris: I think motorsports in this new world maybe becomes even more important, as a recreation and as an appreciation of cars. I think that as we deal with intense urban areas with stop and go traffic and we deal with new types of vehicles, electric vehicles and others that, perhaps, don’t have the same passion as conventional cars, that track events and motorsports becomes even more important for people.

We are seeing so much focus from the manufacturers in having motorsports divisions; Porsche has been doing it for a long time, but McLaren is also doing it, BMW, MercedesBenz, Audi all really emphasize it with their dealers and so it very important. It is better for the relationship we have with manufacturers, it is great for our employees to boost their morale, getting them excited so they can rally around something. It’s good on so many levels. If we are a winning racing team, I think it builds credibility for the dealership.

Many of the people who work on the racing team here at Pfaff are full-time employees, so it helps with our DNA.

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VC: Does the coming shift towards electric-powered vehicles enhance or detract from the fun-to-drive DNA? Chris: I don’t know, I’m torn on the issue. I am interested to drive the new Porsche Taycan on the track and on the street. Some of the cars I have driven to date, the electric cars, haven’t done it for me. I get it, I get the reason and the rationale, there is something neat about them in a way, the silence and stuff, it’s cool. But I would argue you’re not a pure car guy if you can like an electric car. It’s not emotional.

Maybe once my kids start driving and they don’t know anything other than electric vehicles, maybe they are going to find it passionate.

VC: As someone with a storied history in automotive sales, was there an ah-ha! moment that made you decide to change the way people purchase vehicles?

Chris: I went down and experienced upfront pricing, negotiation-free car buying in Minnesota with a group that has been doing it for 20 years and I was completely blown away. I’ve been to a few other companies along the way and said, I’d like to work here myself, it seems like fun. I would say once I saw that and started looking at retail trends, the way consumers want to do business, the transparency of information, I knew as soon as I got back from the trip we needed to do business this way.

We were there in May 2018 and it took us a month or 6 weeks of talking about it when we got back and we said guys we’re doing this. It’s a big change, it’s risky, but I think the risk is bigger not doing anything. Consumers keep telling us in all kinds of research, including our own, they hate negotiating, they hate the time it takes to purchase a car, those are two of the biggest pain points. Time is the big one, they just want to get it done. If you are a great negotiator, are you going to end up thousands of dollars better than the next person? We look at all the dealerships and we see what the profits are and it is typically a few hundred dollars on an Audi A4. Why are we wasting everyone’s time? For a couple of hundred bucks, it doesn’t make sense.

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VC: How has the response been by your sales team?

Chris: I laugh at myself for not having realized this better. So, we have a lot of new salespeople come into the business, great personality, they know their product and yet they struggle with selling cars. I would think, you’re a natural.

Some caught on, some didn’t make it and they left, but what we are finding now is we are taking people, they are in our system for 2 months and they are selling 20-25 cars because they don’t have to negotiate. They hated it, they weren’t good at it, and it would take them quite awhile to learn how to negotiate. Now that it isn’t part of the process, they are taking off like crazy. Why I laugh at myself is I honestly didn’t realize these people were struggling, but it’s been an amazing change. The top salespeople have taken to it quickly, the middle ones are still struggling a little with the change.

VC: How does the Pfaff Future Retail model revolutionize things beyond not having to negotiate to buy a vehicle?

Chris: Aside from just taking away negotiation, we’re trying to take it from a three hour process to maybe an hour. The ultimate vision is you could pick up a car that’s in stock within three hours of buying it, rather than waiting a week to get your car. There are no fees, the price is the price and you can return the car within three days if you’re not happy and get your money back, new or used. We try to reduce the risk to the consumer that they haven’t made the right decision.

The trade value is transparent and if we give you our best number on the trade and you decide not to buy a car from us, we will still honour that number.

VC: What are some of the challenges you face in bringing this to market?

Chris: There are two main things. One is, I know the concept is good, but how well you execute on it is critical. We’ve centralized inventory at the same time so new and used vehicle pricing is now centralized and not at the dealership level. It’s very collaborative with the dealer, of course.

Second is sustaining it. We found that some stores took off out of the gate, then six to eight weeks later it’s not the same situation. What we found is, if your not following the rigid process of explaining it to the customer when they walk in, customers are used to having to negotiate. So we right away ask them have they ever been to a Pfaff store, this is how we do business today and tell them right away up front so they know. A lot of customers still don’t believe us and I don’t blame them. We’ve had people walk out to the lot, turn around and say, I thought you were going to chase me. They ask for floor mats or no deal, we say I’m sorry, this is our best price and they say we have a deal because you didn’t budge one penny from what you said.

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VC: Do you enjoy pushing the envelope in an industry that is typically slow to change?

Chris: Do I enjoy it? I think it is necessary and I am glad we are doing it earlier on than most. Everyone asks me where we are at with this and I say I regret we didn’t do it sooner.

There is a BMW store in Denver, Colorado that has been doing this successfully since 1991 and they are a sizeable store selling 1,500 cars a year.

VC: Without giving away company secrets, where do you see Pfaff Auto in 10 years?

Chris: One thing is we are trying to expand our independent businesses like our leasing company, the body shop is successful, we are expanding that, our rental car business that will take into account subscription services and shared vehicles. So we are looking at other revenue opportunities, not just at the dealership level.

VC: When you are away from the responsibilities of being the President and CEO of Pfaff Auto, what do you do for fun?

Chris: (Laughs) I have young kids, so that is a big focus of mine right now and it’s a pleasure. I’m very active running, that’s my religion in the morning.

VC: Our magazine is all about the adventure of driving.

Where are some of your favourite places in Ontario to drive?

Chris: I think my favourite one is driving from Toronto to Ottawa on the northern route through the hills and stuff, I love that area, it’s beautiful. There are some great roads up there, so I’ve done that 4 or 5 times where I had to go to Ottawa and decided I wouldn’t fly and actually drove the backroads on purpose. Even though it was longer, it was fun.

I haven’t done it awhile; I need to do it again.

VC: Last question. With all the different brands that you sell, if you had to choose one in which to spend a Sunday afternoon, what would you choose?

Chris: I get asked that question a lot, but I honestly have to answer it depends on my mood. For my top three, I would take the Audi S5 or RS4, I want to hear that engine, I want to shift gears. The Porsche GT3 RS for sure, my 2008 green one and a McLaren, the Senna or the 720. I could just go on, of course, there are a lot of great cars to chose from at Pfaff.

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Featured Region

‘Welcome to Jordan!’ A mman

and

P etra

come to life

S tory | J ustin D el G iudice P hotography | E rin D el G iudice

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have never really considered the Middle East as a travel destination. It’s easy to get swept up in media reports or politics and dismiss that entire region as a potential vacation option without digging deeper into what it may offer. Luckily, my wife is not that type of person and convinced me that we should visit Jordan.

In mid-September, we left behind the few remaining summer days in Toronto and flew to Amman, the capital of Jordan. Amman is a city that is immediately striking as it sprawls across a collection of hills adorned with buildings and ancient ruins demonstrating a mix of Arab, Byzantine and Roman influences. Our hotel, the W Amman, was within the ninth circle of the city and was one of a handful of newly built towers that dotted the skyline. It also features a gorgeous rooftop bar and its design draws influence from the local street art scene that has been bourgeoning within Amman over the past few years.

To explore the city, we used Uber or taxi. Public transit is largely inconvenient and buses run infrequently. Driving in Amman is an option but traffic is heavy at most hours and parking is hard to come by. Add to that the fact most drivers in Amman view lane markers and turn signals as optional as they honk and speed around the city’s notoriously tight and winding streets. It can be intimidating.

We hired a ride to the top of Amman to see its ancient ruins, most notably the Citadel, and to gain a spectacular 360° view of the city. The 6,000 seat, Roman Theater built during the 2nd century AD was also a highlight as it stood at the center of the Hashemite Plaza.

To experience Amman’s nightlife, we ventured to Al Rainbow Street where many great restaurants and cafes are open late. We arrived at Sufra restaurant at 7:00 p.m. only to find there was no space, so we made a reservation to return for 9:30. A few streets over we discovered Books@ Cafe, an establishment frequented by both locals and tourists (LGBTQ+ friendly). The main floor bookshop sold books in Arabic and English, with a large section devoted to cookbooks and cuisines of the Levant region.

At the far side of the shop was a staircase leading to the space’s rooftop bar. While overlooking the hills of Amman we drank blond ales from Carakale Brewing Company, Jordan’s first microbrewery, and smoked Shisha (flavoured tobacco) with our server stopping every-so-often to rotate and replenish the hot coals feeding the hookah. To whet our appetites for Sufra, we ordered a plate of hummus complete with whole chickpeas and fresh olive oil pooled at the centre of the dish. If not to fulfill all of our senses, the Muslim call to prayer sounded out in unison from mosques across the city blanketing the night sky – a calming and surreal experience.

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Returning to Sufra restaurant, we sat at a table in the restaurant’s courtyard. The lush greenery within the courtyard paired with its elegant fountain stood in stark contrast to Amman’s dry, harsh backdrop. The meal was elegant, yet comforting as we ordered traditional Jordanian homemade dishes filled with lamb, dates, and enticing Middle Eastern spices.

After our short stint in Amman we made our way towards Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. We rented a car and drove through the Jordanian desert, taking a couple of detours from the King’s Highway, which connects Amman to Petra, to explore a few of Jordan’s other tourist attractions.

First was Mount Nebo, a view that is sure to amaze and is documented as the place where Moses and the Israelites were first able to see the Promised Land of Israel. Even if you’re not interested in this type of history, being able to take in nearly the entire region from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea at once is breathtaking. We also stopped at Bethany Upon the Jordan, the site of Jesus’ baptism and a hotspot for religious pilgrims who filled the narrow river in

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all-white gowns from both the Jordanian and Palestinian side to perform their own baptisms.

Continuing on the road towards Petra we were stopped multiple times at random roadside checkpoints managed by the Jordanian Army. In Amman, the soldiers spoke English and after reviewing our travel documents offered us a friendly,

“Welcome to Jordan!”, a phrase we would hear nearly everywhere we went during our time in the country.

We arrived in Petra that evening and checked into our room at the Hotel Mövenpick Petra Resort. Book early as hotels in the area are in high demand and were undoubtedly the priciest we encountered on our trip. In addition to its phenomenal rooftop bistro that specializes in Jordanian barbeque, the Mövenpick is an excellent choice because of its location, just a short walk from the entrance to Petra.

Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and its archaeological city features two major landmarks along its main path, the Treasury, a key location shown in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and the Monastery. The Treasury is just 1.5 hours hike return from the main entrance, while the Monastery is about five hours return. As you progress into the hike, the local Bedouins who are riding back and forth will continually offer you a camel, donkey or horseback ride and while it’s tempting given the 30 degrees+ heat, we opted to hike. We made our way through the walled chasms known as the Siq to reach the Treasury, a mausoleum dedicated to a Nabatean King dating back to the 1st Century AD and carved into the rose-coloured sandstone that dominates the area.

Moving past the throngs of people, you can see the ornate detail carved into the rock face. If you have the time, consider booking the Petra at Night tour as the valley is filled with candles, offering an entirely different experience.

As you continue from the Treasury to the Monastery we passed many other sights including tombs, an amphitheatre, long-abandoned villages, and a temple along the relatively flat, sandy pathway. The hike to the Monastery takes an additional few hours as we climbed approximately 800 steps that twist alongside the mountain.

The hike up to the Monastery is by no means lonely as we shared it with other tourists, feral cats, goats, and Bedouin peoples as they sell refreshments (you’ll pay the $6 for a cold Gatorade, trust me), trinkets, and guide people up by donkey ride. As we ascended the last set of stairs and attempted to catch our breath, the beauty of the Monastery staggered us. Although similar to the Treasury, it’s much larger in stature and because not nearly as many people brave the trek to the top it feels almost as if you’re sharing the accomplishment with some close friends rather than strangers. The hike back down is speedier but because we left in the morning, at this point we were battling the hot afternoon sun and exhausted. It became clear to us why many people allocate two days for Petra so that they can hike at a more leisurely pace and even visit some of the offshoot trails from the main path.

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Last on our list for Jordan was Aqaba. Aqaba is a city on the Red Sea known for its beaches, snorkelling and tourist resorts. Palm trees line the streets and the vibe is much different from the rest of Jordan, moving at a much slower pace especially when compared to Amman. Aqaba is home to the Royal family of Jordan and as we drove to the border crossing, our taxi driver pointed out the gates to the palace of King Hussein II. Aqaba is also one of three land border crossings into Israel, as it shares the Red Sea with its neighbour Eilat. Although Israel and Jordan have a peace agreement, the border is not open to vehicles and after being dropped off at the border entrance, we loaded our luggage onto a cart and hiked the couple hundred meters to cross into Israeli territory by foot, ending our time in Jordan.

Jordan is an excellent starting point for those wanting to visit the Middle East for the first time. The people are friendly with a laidback attitude towards tourists, and many speak English. With a rich mix of history, culture, adventure, and nightlife, Jordan has something for every type of traveller.

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Special Feature

Canyon Carving With The GT500 Shelby Mustang C arroll W ould B e P roud S tory

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and

P hotography | James Kerr

T

here are many great roads for car enthusiasts in North America but few are within minutes of the centre of a major city. An exception to that can be found on California Highway 2, known better to locals as Angeles Crest Highway. Picking up a 2020 Shelby GT500 Mustang in downtown L.A., we accelerated up the ramp onto Freeway 110 North and quickly found out that the supercharged 760 horsepower from this 5.2 litre V8 will take you from 30 kph to “go directly to jail” speeds in an eyeblink!

Knowing that I didn’t bring enough money for bail, a judicious press of the brake pedal brings the Brembo calipers (6-piston in front and 4-piston rear) in contact with the huge brake rotors. The car scrubs off speed so fast it gets the adrenaline flowing almost as much as its acceleration will.

This straight line performance at any speed is jaw dropping but the steering still feels a little heavy.

Was this the right car to test the twisty canyon roads that lead up to the top of Angeles Crest highway?

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Merging onto California Highway 2, the road leads you north east through residential areas and a few minutes later you are on a two lane road starting the climb through hills into the canyon. Opened in 1956 as a route through the San Gabriel Mountains, the Angeles Crest highway is 106 kilometres long, ending where it joins State Route 138 and from LA it climbs from just above sea level to over 2,400 metres, making this one of the highest roads in Southern California. Some of the eastern part of the road is often closed in winter due to rock fall and slide conditions so many enthusiasts only go part way before turning around to enjoy the road the other direction.

Most of the drive is through protected park land and there are few side roads and even fewer buildings. Our destination is Newcombs Ranch at mile marker 50.93 for good food and refreshments, a popular stopping point on the road that caters to enthusiasts. On the weekend you will find hundreds of motorcyclists, car clubs of many makes and individual enthusiasts parked around the restaurant and discussing the finer points of vehicles and the road over a late breakfast or lunch.

As we started into the curves, it was important to remember some etiquette rules of the road. These “rules” are generally unwritten but I found some posted more formally at the entrance to the restaurant at Newcombs Ranch.

First, there are few passing opportunities on the highway but there are many turn outs along the route. Don’t pass on a solid yellow line. Instead wait for the vehicle ahead to pull off the road into a turn out. If you see another vehicle in your rear view mirror, pull off the road yourself. There will always be faster drivers than you and on a warm weekend the road will have hundreds of motorcycles and car clubs on that stretch of road. Instead, spend a few minutes to enjoy the scenery, both natural and mechanical from the viewpoints at pull offs. Watching other cars and motorcycles go by is like viewing a mobile auto show – customs, hot rods, supercars, and motorcycles motor past in an almost endless stream.

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Stay in your lane and don’t make U-turns. This is common sense with the amount of traffic on the road on weekends, almost all of them there for the corners. If you miss a viewpoint, there will be another just a short distance ahead.

Treat others with respect. There is limited cell phone coverage through the canyon and the person you just passed may be the person you need help from if you have an accident or run into mechanical problems. Hint: Watch for rock on the road around corners. The pavement is smooth and clean but there is always the possibility of a pointy rock on the road ruining a tire or more. Look out for cyclists and even the occasional small motorhome. Fortunately, the twisty road discourages drivers of trucks and bigger motorhomes from going that route. The more challenging the road, the more important these common-sense rules are.

Carving corners isn’t about speed. It is about feeling the responsiveness of the throttle and predictability of the brake pedal, taking the perfect line around a corner by turning in at the right time and accelerating smoothly away. Smoothness is the key!

When you get it all right, it brings an instant smile to your face.

The GT500 is an instant hit! Throttle response is immediate and the seven-speed dual clutch transmission shifts rapidly using the paddle-shifters. With the torque of this engine, you could leave the transmission in Drive range but it is so much fun to shift up and down and hear the perfect rev matching of the engine to vehicle speed.

The supercharger adds about 100 pounds to the front of the vehicle but this Shelby GT500 follows a line like it is on tracks. Even when pushed hard around a tight corner there was no sense of the front or rear ends losing traction.

I have no problem saying this car’s capabilities are way more advanced than my own driving skills are, especially on a public road. My experience in the Shelby GT500 Mustang brings an ear to ear grin to me every time I think of that drive.

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Many many years ago I had the fortune to take the latest Shelby Mustang around a tight slalom course with Carroll Shelby as a passenger. I will never forget what he said: “You can tell a lot about a car at low speeds”. We went on to discuss suspension bushing flex, shock damping and steering inputs. Looking back, those simple words were very wise – it is easier to feel how a vehicle handles while at lower speeds rather than sense it all at racing speeds. The engineers and test drivers designing the suspension of the 2020 GT500 must have been listening.

It is a master of carving the corners on Angeles Crest highway.

I am sure Carroll would approve.

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First Drive

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2020 Audi Q7 O n T he R ing O f K erry

S tory | P eter B leakney

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saw landfall though the window of the charter plane - and it was green. Not just any green, but an iridescent, glowing kind of green that brings to mind jade and emeralds. Ah yes, the Emerald Island. Of course! No hyperbole there. From aloft, southwest Ireland appears to be the very definition of lush, verdant fertility.

We landed at Kerry Airport, and the mission for the day was to drive the famed Ring of Kerry (N70) in Audi’s refreshed 2020 Q7 luxury SUV. The Ring of Kerry, a popular tourist destination, is a 179-kilometer scenic drive that circles the Iveragh Peninsula in Ireland’s County Kerry. Highlights include Killarney National Park, the Skellig Islands, the Cliffs of Moher and Dingle Peninsula. You can also find some pretty fine Irish Stew along the way, and a well poured Guinness at the end of the day.

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If you’ve never driven on the left side of the road, the Ring of Kerry might not be the best place to start.

The combination of very narrow roads, very wide tour buses, and breathtaking vistas that lure you into the occasional concentration lapse make for a challenging experience. And my aim was to enjoy the scenery - not be part of it.

Complicating matters was the fact that these Audi Q7s had their steering wheels on the left side (which is the right… er, correct side for us). On the plus side, this positioning made it easier when squeezed up against rock face by a passing bus.

Which is where I found myself within just a few kilometers of leaving Kerry on our clockwise tour.

There’s a very good reason why this part of Ireland is so green.

Rain. Lots of it. The sun was breaking through at the start of our day, but things soon devolved into a steady overcast with low hanging mist, punctuated by the occasional downpour.

Yet you couldn’t ask for a more appropriate mood. Just south of Kerry we entered Killarney National Park, and here the landscape opens up to a lonely, rocky moor that beckons with harshness and beauty in equal measure. Squint hard and you can almost see an invading party of Vikings coming to do their worst.

While the Ring of Kerry might seem like an odd place for Audi to introduce its redone full-size Q7 SUV to the international press, there was method to this madness. Already one of the best driving of this ilk, the updated Q7 benefits from quicker-ratio steering and better body control thanks to newly available active roll stabilization that keeps this big ‘un flat and poised in the corners. And never was the ride jarring.

Once through this inland landscape of rock and wonder, we reached the ocean and traced the rugged coastline. Passing through such charmingly named places as Parknasilla, Castlecove and Beenarourke, we found ourselves looking down on Waterville and out over the Atlantic Ocean. Billed as one of Ireland’s most spectacular views, it is worth taking the trek down to this quaint little seaside village.

We soon pulled into the town of Cahersiveen where we lunched at The Oratory Pizza and Wine Bar. The Oratory is housed within an old Church of Ireland green sandstone structure dating from 1863. Boutique pizza is the house specialty, but how could I not pick the Irish Stew that beckoned from the menu? It proved to be a fine choice for this moody, blustery day.

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Across the road is a fabulous shop full of old brass maritime fittings and other weird brick-a-brack. Fittingly, there were a few old-timers out front on some benches. We struck up a conversation and talk jokingly turned to an old rivalry. “It’s not the English we don’t like, it’s the British.”

While the base 2020 Q7 carries forward with its 248 hp, 273 lb-ft 2.0L TFSI turbo-four cylinder, V6 models ditch the old 3.0L supercharged engine for Audi’s newer 3.0L turbocharged V6 paired with a 48-volt mild hybrid system. It twists out 340 horsepower and 368 lb-ft from 1370 to 4500 rpm - that’s up 11 ponies and 43 lb-ft over the outgoing unit.

It’s hooked to an eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox, and quattro all-wheel-drive gets the power to the ground. Indeed, the V6 versions we drove here were swift, smooth and quiet.

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Inside, all 2020 Q7 models get Audi’s new dash architecture that replaces the long-serving MMI interface with dual central haptic-feedback touchscreens. It’s a slick looking setup and generally functions well, although as is the case with these new systems with acres of digital real estate, basic tactile functionality takes a hit. Case in point - while piloting this rather large crossover over the always winding and narrow route, my attempts at changing the interior temperature via prods on the touch panel were mostly inaccurate and distracting. And that’s all I’ll say about that.

A few kilometers up the coast from Cahersiveen you’ll want to drop into Kerry Bog Village - a charming clutch of thatched cottages and period farm equipment that gives visitors a taste of what rural life was like in Ireland in the late 19th century. You’ll also see some Kerry Bog Ponies, a moorland breed unique to the region that almost reached extinction in the 1990s.

At the day’s end we looped back into Kerry’s airport. There was one thing left to do, and that was quaff a Guinness - the dry stout that is the pride of Ireland. Naturally the airport has a little pub, and of course they serve this dark elixir that dates back to the mid 1700s. The bartender poured my pint and set it down in front of her beside the tap. It sat there for a good three minutes. Had she forgotten about me? Was it something I said?

I was just about to ask her to hand it over in a very polite Canadian way when she put the glass back under the tap and expertly topped it off with a foamy head worthy of a magazine shoot.

It was almost too perfect to drink.

Almost.

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Discovered

Dicey Nova Scotia M it s u bi s hi E c l i p s e C r o s s R o a d T ri p

S tory

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P hotography | L isa C alvi

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s life as a human but a chance moment on Earth? Do things happen for a reason or is life simply a roll of the dice? I have a good life, a loving husband, a cool and challenging job where no two days are alike. I’ve worked hard but appreciate I’ve been lucky.

roads and driving conditions the province would throw at us.

Why this mid-summer contemplation? A last-minute schedule change meant six open days and a chance for reflection. What better way for a human to contemplate life but a mid-summer road trip?

Fun and games were in order. We would roll a die each evening, which would decide the theme of the following day. We dubbed our 100-hour vacation ‘Dicey Nova Scotia’.

I had no desire to leave Nova Scotia during its resplendent summer, but I wanted to drive to a place I’ve never driven, do one thing I’ve never done that would take me out of my comfort zone and watch a sunrise every day.

What to drive? That was easy. The driveway offered a new Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Black Edition, whose 18-inch blackpainted alloy wheels, glossy black exterior and interior details and signature Black Edition badging, would match pretty much everything in my closet.

I figured the stylish crossover, equipped with Mitsubishi’s all-wheel drive (S-AWC), the number one reason why consumers are buying this vehicle, would handle whatever

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The jaunty Eclipse Cross lead Mitsubishi’s July sales. Knowing it just received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick rating added even more assurance.

Rolling a 1 meant everything that day had to relate to food.

If we rolled a 2, we had to insert some music and/or dancing into our road trip that day. A 3 was for friends and fellowship - meaning we had to talk to complete strangers at some point in our travels, obviously not difficult in friendly Nova Scotia. Rolling a 4 meant we had to learn about the culture of the area.

Friends from Ontario, Tracey Clark and Ron Fine, would join husband, Garry, and me for the first few days. We had never travelled together before but figured a road trip was the perfect way to get better-acquainted. We rolled a 3 for our first day together – Perfect. Friends and Fellowship.

The first-time visitors to NS were enthusiastic, cheerful and eager to see as much as possible.

First, and requisite Nova Scotia stop: Peggy’s Cove. We were all completely charmed by the lighthouse, the magnificent rocks, the sparkling ocean and, oh, those best-ever lobster rolls we devoured from U-Cook Lobster Food Truck.

Departing Halifax early the next morning, our first highlight would be a front-seat viewing of the Tidal Bore at Truro.

The elegance of the tidal wave that unfurls its way up the Salmon River from the Bay of Fundy is a must-see-and-hear phenomenon that belies the force of nature that causes the highest tides in the world, twice a day, every day for millennia.

From there, I plied the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross across the province to drive a couple of roads I’ve never driven before.

Routes 245 and 337 wraps around the coastline from New Glasgow to Cape George to Antigonish. At Arisaig, we perched high atop a bluff at Steinhart Distillery, feasted on schnitzel from the on-site Schnitzel Shack (say that five times fast!) and gazed across the Northumberland Strait at Prince Edward Island in the hazy distance.

The bottle of hand-crafted maple vodka that followed me home is waiting for a special occasion when we’re ready to relive the magic.

Cape Breton, with its world-class curb appeal, had to be on the Dicey Nova Scotia list. I was excited to throw the Eclipse Cross into the tight corners of the dramatic and renowned twisty, turny Cabot Trail, one of the planet’s top drives.

Veering off the Cabot Trail up to Meat Cove is worth the detour and follows road trip rule #1 - always drive to the end of the road.

On the western side of Cape Breton Island, we got out of the Mitsubishi at a breath-taking overlook and were rewarded with jaw-dropping views of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

The four of us felt pretty lucky as we inhaled the warm air that floated up the side of the mountain, the coastline in all its rugged glory splayed out before us, stretching into the summer haze.

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We were lucky to have scored cozy cabins at the lovely Normaway Inn, a hidden gem tucked away in the Margaree Valley. We felt even more so when we found out about the entertainment that evening in the Inn’s famous Barn. The fiddling madness of Ashley MacIsaac blew us all away, as did Mary Elizabeth MacInnis’ genius fingers on the keys and the sweet notes belted out by her talented daughter, Sarah MacInnis.

I’m sure the cheers and applause from the 150 or so humans crammed into the Barn that sultry evening could be heard clear over to Inverness.

Cape Breton really is about kitchen parties, fiddles and dancing. With square-dance caller Bill Cameron on the microphone, even clumsiest of dancers (me) could feel like a pro. ‘Gents on the left, ladies on the right… Turn to your own…’.

Dancing while Ashley fiddled was one of those unexpected magical moments of our Dicey Nova Scotia 100-hour vacation.

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Before dawn the next day, another magical moment, when I opened the door of our quaint cabin. I felt like the only soul awake in the world, except for the horses in the nearby field.

With the sun not yet up and a fog laying across the valley, I pattered across the dewy grass. Just as I reached the field, a meow behind me heralded a black and white cat, making a beeline for my ankles. I stooped to chat and pat the friendly feline. Two of the magnificent horses swooped down their giant heads to get in on the action. I felt like Dr. Doolittle.

We bid a sad farewell to Ron and Tracey, my kindred maploving spirit. We rearranged ourselves in the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, remarking how comfortable it had been despite carrying four adults with their dancing, hiking and road-tripping gear and how the handsome vehicle had done such a good job getting us down the road in Black Edition style.

The slick Tarmac Black paint was covered in dust and dirt from being decidedly off-tarmac. Our road machine wore a look that said

Mission accomplished, what else have you got?

Dicey Nova Scotia wasn’t over yet. We motored to the other end of the province, excited about the last two days of our 100-hour getaway. We rolled a 6 for Adventure the next day.

Another misty, foggy morning, this time on Geier Lake, I awoke after being lulled asleep by a bullfrog symphony, in a rustic, quintessentially Canadian, cabin at historic Milford House. Each cabin is lakeside with its own wharf, also known as the perfect sunrise yoga platform.

Driving to Digby Neck, a jut of land hanging off the coast, reaching into the awesome Bay of Fundy, was an adventure involving two ferry rides. On Brier Island at the very tip of the province, I found a plaque dedicated to adventurerextraordinaire, Captain Joshua Slocum, who had lived nearby before becoming the first man to sail around the world alone in the 1890s.

Adventure, of course, is relative. For this city girl, taking a canoe onto a lake, not falling in and paddling it myself was my out-of-my-comfort-zone mission. Mission accomplished.

I also built a fire, did yoga on the ocean floor and watched the sunrise every day. And I ate pancakes.

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Then I rolled a 5 for Romance. Obviously, the adventure ends here for you, my dear reader.

I bid a silent thank you to our small but mighty province for offering up such varied roads and wondrous geography. And the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross for its superb handling of 1,875 kilometres and getting us to Nova Scotia’s tranquil coves, hidden beaches, sculpted coastlines, reversing rivers, lush valleys, rocky lakes and mystical capes where the roads end.

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BEGIN WHE RE THE

ROAD ENDS

V I S I T U TA H . C O M

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Discovered

Montana - The Treasure State R o u g h C u t R o l l s - R oyc e C u l l i n a n S tory | S tephanie W allcraft

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Why on Earth would a Canadian want to go to Montana in the middle of winter?

It’s a fair question. We have plenty of snow and cold to go around, along with white-capped mountains, ice-crusted lakes, foothills lined with pine trees that look dusted with sugar, and just about all of the other things that make Montana a winter lover’s destination.

For the record, I’m a strong proponent of this attitude.

We have an abundance of cultural and geological riches in Canada at every time of year, and people often don’t take the time to explore them, even those who call this country home.

But once in a while, we do encounter things abroad that are just a little bit different than anything you can find here. I found such a place in Montana at The Ranch at Rock Creek.

Before all of Alberta protests: yes, the rancher culture is alive and well in the Wild Rose Province. There’s even Bar U Ranch, a National Historic Site dedicated to preserving the practice, where visitors can spend a day immersing themselves in what life was like for cattle-rounding prairie settlers more than a century ago. I visited with my daughter during the summer before last, and it’s truly a treasure.

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The Ranch at Rock Creek, though, is an entirely different experience. It offers a five-star accommodation with an aesthetic punctuated by leather and untreated wood, roaring fires and cowboy boots, and a list of westerninspired activities as long and diverse as the people who will want to frequent them, from horseback riding to fly fishing, and clay shooting to long hikes in snappy air along snowlined trails dotted with wildlife. The food is rustic and hearty yet upscale: smoked ribs and chicken with baked beans, potatoes au gratin, and organic meatloaf.

This special place is tucked away in the Rock Creek Valley, roughly an hour and a half from the closest airport in Missoula – a drive that could be a challenge for those uninitiated in winter driving but is made suitably easier and more luxurious by the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

Marking the brand’s first foray in the SUV space, the Cullinan makes Rolls-Royce’s renowned hand-built details available with all-wheel drive. The 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 engine, which produces a massive 571 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque fully available at 1600 rpm, is mounted into an aluminum platform this vehicle shares with its stablemate, the Phantom.

Rolls-Royce vehicles are famous for feeling as though they’re floating on air, and in spite of its heft, the Cullinan is no exception. Using GPS positioning, the ZF eight-speed automatic transmission predicts the need to shift based on the car’s location and pending road conditions. This, along with the air suspension and rear-axle steering, smooth out even the roughest of routes.

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And like all Rolls-Royce vehicles, the only limits to design are in the size of your imagination and your pocketbook.

A wide array of stitching and piping options is available to go along with liberal use of colour in premium leather and open-pore wood. Heating in each of the seats, which can also be equipped with a massage function, wraps around to the armrests for cold-weather comfort. Lambswool carpets and a monogrammed umbrella mounted into the door frame carry on the brand’s signature touches.

There are two second-row configurations to choose from.

One is a bench seat, which incorporates a Rolls-Royce first 60-40 split that would be convenient for a side trip from the Ranch at Rock Creek to the nearby Discovery Ski Area and its excellent alpine and Nordic skiing. The other is a pair of individual seats, split in the middle by a fixed centre console that can hold champagne flutes, a whisky decanter with glasses, and a refrigerator. With both setups, a tray table and tablet system can emerge from the front row seatbacks with the push of a button.

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Along the route to the ranch, shortly after turning off the I-90 in Drummond, is a tucked-away piece of Americana: Parker’s Restaurant, an unassuming-looking place where the burger menu lands on your table in a binder with over 100 choices. Toppings range from beetroot and fried eggs to Caesar salad, Tater Tots, peanut butter and banana, and even a full hot dog on a hoagie. Or, you can just order a plain cheeseburger. They do that, too.

And just a few minutes away from the ranch is the village of Philipsburg, which has refined the essence of small-town Western America into an art. Shops full of antiques and memorabilia line the main street alongside bakeries and a Christmas Emporium, but the highlight is The Sweet Palace.

While it looks like any other candy store from the outside, step through the door and you’ll encounter a veritable cornucopia of sweet delights lining shelves that seem to go on forever. Stay for more than five minutes and you’re sure to hear someone exclaim,

“I haven’t seen this candy since I was a kid!”

Plenty of people prefer to hibernate their way through the winter months. But for those who choose to get out and enjoy them, driving around rural Montana in one of the world’s most luxurious SUVs is an awfully pleasant way to go about it.

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Featured Motorcycle

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2019 Kawasaki W800 Cafe

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S pecs

773cc SOHC Vertical Twin 35kW (48ps) 46 lb-ft of torque 222 kg

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OREGON

Your adventure awaits.

traveloregon.com

Discovered

Oregon At Its Best T h e S c e n ic B y way s S tat e

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In my experience, when you tell people you are going on a trip, they will have one of 3 different reactions to the idea of location. 1. They get outwardly excited while withholding their jealousy and can’t wait until you return so they can experience it vicariously. 2. They have no idea where in the world your destination is and feign excitement briefly before changing the subject as to avoid embarrassment. 3. They see no value in visiting that location and promptly respond with the question, “Why?” all the while sporting an incredulous look of perplexity on their face.

I received the latter more times than I can remember when announcing my trip to the coastal state of Oregon. Many times, people had no idea there is a state that separates Washington and California. But, while people were perplexed and straining to be excited about the destination, I was legitimately looking forward to visiting the section of earth that I’d skipped on so many west coast trips. As the trip progressed though, the thing that made me scratch my head was how to categorize this incredibly diverse state.

My chariot for this 3600+ km trek through pioneer land, the 2019 Acura MDX A-Spec, provided a great deal more creature comforts than the horse and buggies that first ventured over this terrain (If you’ve ever played Oregon Trail, you know what I’m talking about.). This AWD, 3.5 Litre V6, capable of hauling 8 people, might have been the perfect choice for this week’s eye-opening trip.

Let’s start with the hotels.

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Perched atop a 200ft cliff overlooking a railroad track and the Columbia River, my villa for the first night was Columbia Cliff Villas, a stop that tempted me to cancel the rest of the trip so I could just stay here. This 3 bedroom condo was complete with multiple fireplaces and TVs, full kitchen, dining table set comfortably for 10, patio doors inviting you to a private balcony, huge master bedroom with expansive walk-in closet patio doors, ensuite featuring soaker tub, spacious double sink vanity, walk in shower. I’m still not sure I discovered everything that room had to offer as I got rather distracted by the panoramic view of the river and mountains.

Night two didn’t share the picturesque views but, The Landing Hotel in La Grande held its own charms. This upscale, boutique establishment was trimmed in rustic modern decor, offering spacious rooms and leaving little to be desired. The first floor restaurant and bar didn’t hurt either, but we’ll get to that.

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The third evening provided me with a different flavour.

Joseph Oregon is home to roughly 1,000 people, its largest employer is a bronze foundry, and the drive down main street feels like the residents are still living in 1883 when the town was platted. But then there’s The Jennings Hotel. Previously a derelict apartment building, a successful Kickstarter campaign funded the transition into a hotel fit for any hipster. Each room has a unique theme as a different artist was hired for everyone, bringing the interiors to the 21st Century all while being respectful of the town’s culture and history. Did I mention there is no staff on site and everything is processed through Airbnb?

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If there is any chance Joseph is too populated for your liking, maybe night four is for you. The drive snaked through the canyons and brought me to the hamlet of Halfway. Population: 288. But don’t worry, the rest stop for this night is still another 12 miles from town, up the mountain, past the mines and into the ghost town of Cornucopia. There sits the Cornucopia Lodge.

Used as a vacation destination, hunting cabin or snowmobile trip retreat - The Cornucopia Lodge is a homey, rustic getaway that you can’t help but fall in love with. The main cabin features a large hangout space, dining area, fireplace and everything else you might need to weather the storm. Lodging doesn’t happen here though, you have to drive a little farther into the woods to your very own, off the grid, cabin. Expect one thing out here; unwinding.

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Wilson Ranches Retreat is the escape for night five. A functional and working ranch, there was no one there to greet me but my expansive room in the simple basement.

The morning was a different story though. A home cooked breakfast spread fit for royalty, fantastic company with the owner and other guests, followed by a 2.5 hour horseback ride to check on the cattle and see the views.

This is what I expected out of Oregon; the fun doesn’t stop here though.

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Night six takes a turn of the 2-wheeled persuasion.

DiamondStone Guest Lodges is a purpose built house that can be divided into 5 rental units or one large getaway. The unique feature about this destination is that it doubles as an eclectic motorcycle rental agency called MotoFantasy. Out of the great variety of bikes offered, I had the pleasure of taking the 2015 Norton Commando 961 SE out for a 5 hour ride. Unlike any bike I’ve ridden, the visceral experience of this machine added to the incredible views and silky smooth twisties of the asphalt.

As my trip starts winding down, night seven still has a treat in store. Sandy Salmon Bed and Breakfast is that treat. An incredibly warm, custom built log home complete with equally warm hosts, I was truly glad I hadn’t cancelled the trip after seeing the first stop. The room is cozy, well suited for any traveller. I’m sure the view from the private balcony was great, I unfortunately arrived too late and left too early to enjoy it. After a 5 a.m. breakfast with my gracious hosts, I was on my way back north.

Now, the places to stay aren’t the only reason I can’t wait to return. It’s the whole experience.

From passing a convoy of Amazon Prime trucks racing to the distribution center in Portland, to the endless corners on Hells Canyon Byway without a soul in sight, the experiences never disappoint.

Waking up to a gorgeous sunrise, hiking in a t-shirt, touring on two wheels, and putting the AWD of the Acura MDX to the ultimate test through 13 cm of snow on a curvy mountain pass all within a few hours, seems par for the course out here. I learned so much about the history of the state from the discovery centre to understand that, while times have changed and life has gotten more comfortable, Oregon has always been a challenging state. This is what gives it such a rich history and character.

What was once a barren land deemed useful only for passing through, farming, or mining, has now become a destination on the map full of character. The Stein Distillery in Joseph, where the master distiller grows all of his own grains, is a brand unique to Oregon. The restaurant at The Landing Hotel, where the head chef

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goes to the extreme of harvesting salt with his own hands from the ocean to be used in the food, seems incredibly out of place in this small town, but fits perfectly in any road trip passing through. Broder Ost, a Scandinavian inspired breakfast/coffee shop, seemed very peculiar for the town of Hood River, but it’s busy, loud, tight and a delicious way to start the day.

Not to be forgotten are the staples of any trip: breweries and wood-fired pizza of which there seemed to be at least a couple in every town. No excuse to go hungry here.

All in all, Oregon was nothing like I thought it to be and yet it was exactly as I expected. There were more upscale and luxury options than I was expecting. With an environment as rich as this, from the Painted Hills to the John Day Fossil Beds, to the luscious mountain trails, it takes creativity and resiliency to make it feel like home.

And that’s exactly what the people here have done, made me part of their family.

Seriously! You have GOT to drive these roads.

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Dining Out

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Madrid, Spain

S pa n i s h G a s tr o n o m y I n c l u d i n g T a pa s

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ADRID — In some of the darkest corners of this city shine the brightest lights in food. There are restaurants at every turn, on the busiest streets and the not-sobusy alleyways, and it’s easy to find excellent selections everywhere. Still, looking for that off-the-beaten-path surprise tends to yield the best results, not only in great dishes but also in value.

The Spanish capital — the 10th most livable city in the world, according to Monocle magazine — has roots dating back eons. There remains today structures from as early as the 900s. It’s believed the oldest building in the city dates back to the 1500s. It is not uncommon to see buildings with cornerstones dating back to the 1700s.

The food is one reason for its livability, the main is its walkability. Of course, walkability in the urban planning sense isn’t about going for strolls, it’s about being able to walk with purpose. Need milk? A supermarket is not far away. Taking the train to Toledo as we did? Walk to a subway station and get dropped off inside the train station.

As for those restaurants, our favourite has to also be the oldest restaurant in the world. Sobrino de Botîn, founded in 1725, still serves up roast suckling pig and roast lamb done the same way as nearly 300 years ago, in a wood-burning oven legend says has never gone cold. They are just as delicious as when Ernest Hemingway wrote the restaurant into The Sun Also Rises. The pork and lamb are each €24, other entrees are less, so it’s hardly prohibitively expensive.

There are other restaurants that are arguably older — St. Peter Stiftskulinarium in Salzburg, Austria dates back to 803 — but Botín earns the title from the Guinness Book of World Records because it has operated continuously in the same location, with the same interior.

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Finding true value in food requires stepping away from the hustle and the tourist traps.

Take our snacks at Casa Toni, for instance. It’s an out-of-theway dive not far from Puerta del Sol and would be easy to pass by, yet the shrimp in garlic and chili and the patatas bravas are outstanding. Both are tapas-sized, but reasonable.

Two beers, shrimp and patatas for about €20.

Then there’s Valdemeso, a tapas joint just off the Calle Gran Via. Cheap, delicious plates of octopus, shrimp, tortilla or pork brochettes starting at €5.

Central Madrid is where the action is, and if you come to Madrid, I recommend finding lodgings here. The pedestrian is king in Madrid, with many streets closed to cars forming charming open-air shopping, dining and entertainment corridors.

Must-see locations downtown include Puerta del Sol, which is a vast plaza with closed streets radiating outward in a fan north of Calle Mayor. It’s where the city’s street system began, and a marker highlights the geometric centre of those streets. It’s here where you find the city’s symbol statue, El oso y el madrono, or the bear and the tree. The city was built in a forest inundated with bears and these trees bearing fruit similar to strawberries.

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Just down the road from Sol is Plaza Mayor, another plaza is enclosed on all sides by residential buildings. Around the inner circumference are a large number of restaurants, shops and services.

Tapas, those little plates of food that started off as slices of ham to keep flies out of glasses of wine, are everywhere, and you can still get some for free when you order drinks.

Yet the old saw about no free lunch applies. When you order your first drinks, you will generally get a small bowl of potato chips or popcorn. When you’re onto rounds two and more, the tapas get progressively better. Puts a new twist on the phrase frequent flier.

If you’re not wanting to get wasted to get fed, you can order tapas off the menu, too. One of the best deals was at a steakhouse called Lomo, like Botîn just steps away from Plaza Mayor. Fifteen tapas and two beers for €30 per couple. The selection can vary, but typically includes croquets, morcilla (blood sausage), tortilla (more like a potato frittata than what we know as tortillas), brochettes of pork, olives, and other tasty treats.

If you go to Lomo, however, you have to try the steak. You can get either filet mignon, striploin or rib-eye, and the meat comes thickly cut and blue. It’s served on a sizzling hot rock with flaky sea salt: cut off a piece and hold it on the rock until it’s the temperature you like. The meat is typically served with peppers: small, green peppers that look like miniature jalapenos but are savoury, flavourful and not at all spicy.

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It might be tempting to think a place called Steakburger wouldn’t offer much in the way of a Spanish twist. That would be a mistake. This chain — we counted five locations, likely there are many more — serves up burgers unlike anything in North America. Thick, juicy patties of grass-fed beef or ox (get the ox, seriously) are so packed with flavour, so tender and so juicy, you’ll be coming back for more.

Downtown Madrid is an enormously expensive place to live, with small apartments starting around €700,000, or more than a C$1 million. Yet despite that, or perhaps because of it, other costs are surprisingly reasonable. After a long day watching the World Archery Youth Championship, we needed something quick and simple back at the apartment: delicious pre-made, take-and-bake pizzas, less than €2 each.

Beers less than a euro each.

As another example of how cost-effective some parts of Madrid life can be, one day, we decided to splurge and go for a €3 bottle of wine. We had been quite happy with a Tempranillo we had picked up for €1.50.

Other sights to see include Buen Retiro Park, on the eastern edge of downtown. This massive park is home to the Crystal Palace, as well as a large lake next to a monument to Alfonso XII, who was king of Spain from 1864-1885. You can rent a rowboat for the lake, bikes for the bike paths and grab a bite to eat at a number of stops. The park’s sprawling canopy of trees makes it a cool place to hang out on a hot summer day.

Lastly, the royal palace is worth the €12 admission. The 1.4 million square foot palace was constructed between 1738 and 1755 on the site of a former Muslim fortress. While deemed the official residence of King Felipe VI, it is only pressed into royal service for state functions. It is otherwise, essentially, a museum. The last monarch to live in the palace was King Alfonso XIII, who ruled from 1886 to 1931. Visitors cannot take photos of most of the rooms, but you get to see such things as the king’s dressing room, the royal dining hall, the royal family’s private chapel and the royal armoury, noteworthy for the number of child-sized suits of armour, in addition to a collection of historic weapons.

For dessert, what better way to end the day, and this story, than with churros and chocolate. The place to go is Chocolateria San Gines, founded in 1894. It’s open 24 hours, cranking out wheels of churro all day long. You get six pieces, about six inches long, and a cup of melted chocolate.

Not too sweet and packed with flavour.

Just like Madrid.

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Discovered

Southern California Glam C r u i s i n g T h e P a ci f ic C o a s t H i g hway

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even years ago, my wife and I ventured to the sunny shores of California and embarked on a road trip from beautiful San Francisco to the bright lights of Hollywood.

Rather than using the fastest route, however, I particularly enjoyed the scenic and twisty Pacific Coast Highway in the Ford Mustang we had rented.

Fast forward to 2019 and we finally finished that drive south - with an extra person in tow - this time starting in Los Angeles and snaking our way to scenic San Diego, again using the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) to enjoy the ocean views.

And to make sure we fit in while in California, I couldn’t think of a better way to enjoy the fresh ocean air and scenic surroundings than in a 2019 BMW 740i. This luxury sedan afforded us with tremendous comfort for the road trip, with our son having the best seat of all as he was chauffeured around California for a week.

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The drive from L.A. to San Diego is not particularly long, and you can take the “shortcut” by using the interstate the whole way, but that would mean missing some beautiful vistas. Opting for the PCH is a no brainer but be warned, this portion isn’t as twisty as the drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles. But that didn’t take away from the pleasure of driving along the coast in the 740i, which has a very soft ride that absorbs almost any bumps before they can get to you and, when called upon, can handle the sinuous sections of the road.

And with large windows all around you, it makes it easy to soak up the views, and there is no shortage of those on this drive.

On the PCH, you pass miles and miles of beaches, the first of which is Seal Beach, then Sunset Beach and Huntington Beach, which has long stretches of oceanfront where you can park and spend the day in the water.

If the beach isn’t your thing, across the PCH is the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve where you can enjoy a nature walk and bird watching.

Once into the more populated areas of Huntington Beach, it is impossible to miss the gorgeous oceanfront residences and local eateries (we passed on this stop to eat, as it was still too early in the day).

The next beach on the road was Newport Beach, which is equally scenic. Veering off the PCH onto the Balboa Peninsula, you drive through a quaint part of town with tons of unique beachfront homes, shops and restaurants.

We settled on Sancho’s Tacos on West Balboa Blvd. for some lunch and enjoyed the wide selection of delicious Mexican cuisine, from tacos to nachos with carnita and much more. It was delicious and a stop I would highly recommend.

However, if like us, you have a 5 year old who is a picky eater, there’s a solution close by in Gina’s Pizza. I mean, what kid doesn’t love pizza? So in we went to get a slice, where the gentleman at the counter was exceedingly polite, giving

us the history of Gina’s Pizza and some advice for the rest of our trip into San Diego.

Fully satisfied and better educated about our road trip, we got back onto Highway 1 and continued south where you hit Laguna Beach, with the ocean to your right and Crystal Cove State Parks peaks to your left.

Shortly after Laguna Beach, Highway 1 becomes more of a boulevard so we decided to hit Interstate 5 to head straight into San Diego before rush hour to make sure we made it in time for the first pitch at Petco Park. Located downtown near the waterfront, it was a good way to spend our first night in California, even if it was surprisingly cool for a late July night.

With no baseball team in our hometown anymore, it was a nostalgic night for my wife and me.

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The next day, it was time to hop back into the 7 Series to explore the greater San Diego area, which has no shortage of things to do and see.

Our first excursion was a short drive north to the scenic town of La Jolla, which is right on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, with steep cliffs, beaches and … seals.

Yes, seals. And we aren’t talking about the United States Navy Seals.

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Nope, these are the real deal. And with hundreds of them lining the beaches of La Jolla, they are an attraction that is hard to miss. Not only because of how big they are, but they are loud and smelly!

At night, we ventured into San Diego’s Little Italy, which is several blocks long and lined with dozens of restaurants, cafes, gellaterias and more. There’s also live entertainment on a pedestrian only section, which is a great way to cap off an evening.

It’s also quite an experience to see them in their habitat. But be warned, getting around by car near La Jolla’s beaches was difficult on a Tuesday, so it must be near impossible on a weekend. Thankfully, the scenery more than makes you forget how far you have to walk to get back to your car.

Anyone who knows San Diego has probably heard of the city’s world famous San Diego zoo. But did you know that it’s part of Balboa Park, a massive 1,200-acre plot of land near the centre of town that also features museums, theatres, gardens and more. It’s spectacular.

One feature we really enjoyed was a walk through the colourful artists’ market, where we got to watch artists make clay pottery, blow glass into vases and countless other stunning artworks – one of which used an old car as a canvas.

You can spend an entire day just walking around the park, or enjoy some its attractions, which we did as we took in the Museum of Natural History for some up close and personal time with fossils, gems and one very long Anaconda!

Thankfully, it was dead.

The star attraction of Balboa Park is the zoo, however. It’s a can’t miss, whether you are a kid or not. I mean who doesn’t want to get up close and personal with an elephant getting a pedicure, or hear a lion’s roar or see penguins swimming around. There are thousands of animals in the zoo spread out over a massive space, so thank goodness there’s a bus to help you get around.

After a few days of enjoying the sights of San Diego, it was time to relax on the beach. A trip to California would not be complete without that.

From San Diego, you have a few options for beaches: Pacific Beach, Mission Bay and Coronado.

We opted for Coronado, mainly so I could take the 740i over the Coronado Bridge, which rises high into the air, offering views of downtown San Diego on one side and the sprawling San Diego Naval Base on the other.

And Coronado itself, a 20-minute drive from the hotel, is a picturesque town, with Orange Ave. lined with shops and restaurants for local and tourists alike.

And the beach is phenomenal with powdery sand that literally glitters like gold when wet. The water is a bit cold for my liking, but our son took to his new boogie board like a fish in water – 2 days of pure joy for $14. Best money we spent the whole trip!

A short walk from the beach is a host of restaurants, with our choice for lunch being Village Pizzeria, a New York-style pie sold by the slice or in sizes that border on obscene. The BBQ chicken wings are a can’t miss either.

Sadly, all good things – and vacations – must come to an end, so after a few days by the ocean, it was time to pack up the 7 Series and head back up to Los Angeles for the flight home.

It took seven years to complete a fantastic road trip in California, but the wait was definitely worth it.

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Electric Avenue

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The BMW i3 BEV E l e ctric A v e n u e - S t o p # 1

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The First Stop on Electric Avenue: An Urban Adventure In, and Inner Argument About, the BMW i3 BEV. Welcome to what VICARIOUS is calling Electric Avenue, at least until the cease and desist order is served by Eddy Grant’s lawyers. This is the first in a series about electric vehicles (EVs). Everything from their growing relevance in a polluted world to the tacit agreements of all manufacturers to co-grow the wider infrastructure, to individual test drives. Sometimes, like today, all of the above.

Why? EVs will soon provide automated solutions for last-mile commuting in cities where, according to the UN, 55% of the world’s population now abides. The technology is pretty much there. It’s just a matter of time for the insurance industry and governments to catch up. So, the subject is newsworthy. But mostly, like the other stories in this glossy publication, Electric Avenue will deliver stories of adventure on the road.

The adventures just may be interior, like today’s, and philosophical. (Stick with us: this is relevant.).

First up for Electric Avenue? The BMW i3.

The i3 concept was first introduced to North America in 2011 with and perhaps overshadowed by BMW’s gullwinged electric sex and cure for andropause, the i8. I was there in New York as a guest of BMW and recall how the nerdier i3, whose opposing side doors open like a space-age liquor cabinet, received cursory attention from others. But I wasn’t fooled. This boxy office-on-wheels is an eccentric wolf in electric sheep’s clothing.

Here’s how much I love it. During the recent week that I tested it, I also bought a pretty little MINI Cooper, our family’s first new vehicle purchase since 2010. But I only had eyes for i3. While the MINI collected falling leaves on our parking pad, I used the i3 to commute to the colleges I teach at part-time. En route, I reviewed the day’s lecture about Aristotle’s three modes persuasion.

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In short there are really only three ways to convince listeners to accept your argument. First comes logos, the appeal to reason, using clearly constructed logic. It’s all those facts you need to come to a fully informed decision. While logos is an important tactic to employ in an argument, it’s rarely enough. Consider all those hours discussing your recently spent reading, listening and discussing positions, only to vote the same way your parents and grandparents did.

Next, pathos is the appeal to the emotions. See above re voting? Given the state of the world these days, it won’t surprise you that there’ve been plenty of studies proving that facts don’t change minds, but stories do. An effective debater uses both logos and pathos, appealing to the mind and heart. Finally, the ethos, the character of the speaker.

Do you trust the source who’s arguing? During a quiet ride in an oversized beer case that handles corners better than an Olympic figure skater, I pondered the tactics in terms of car purchases.

How would Aristotelian philosophy argue the i3 as a sensible city car?

Let’s start with ethos. Do you trust the source, BMW, to produce EVs? Let’s look at their history. The i3 and i8 have been on the market for 8 years. So, while they weren’t the first major manufacturer to the EV party, you couldn’t even call them fashionably late. Moreover, BMW has always championed the driving experience itself over any other aspect of ownership, as evidenced in their long-time slogan, The Ultimate Driving Machine. (Here in the GTA, they even bought the street name that their office is on, calling their address Ultimate Drive. That’s consistency!) Despite looking like a bread box and an ice cream truck had a baby, the i3 is a rear-wheel drive that leaps from 0 to 100kph in about 7 seconds. BMW came to the party, not late, and bearing flowers and decent plonk. They have the ethos.

So, what about logos, the appeal to reason, employing facts?

Well everyone knows BMW is a premium brand. People see that logo and expect you spent a wad for the car regardless of its price. All EVs are costly but the i3, at least relatively speaking, is relatively cheap, starting at $44,950.

Which leads to the second but more salient point regarding price: It won’t take long to save enough to justify the price.

Travis, the young man who handled the paperwork for my new MINI used to drive an i3 on a daily roundtrip commute from Stoney Creek to St. Catharines in Southern Ontario.

“My commute was 103ish kilometers (each way) … there was a jump of around $30/month on my energy bill and I would sometimes plug in at work. Using the various modes, you’re able to stretch out the range as much as possible for those times when needed. I would often give myself more time to get to work and take some nice back roads so I could drive under 90 in EcoPro+.”

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Consider that: over 200km, five days a week for $30 per month in “fuel”. That’s motorcycle level consumption numbers! Mind it costs more in winter. Travis’s i3 included an option that does for range anxiety what Prozac does for your other anxieties. People (albeit understandably) worry that their EV will run out of juice before they have the time and wherewithal to recharge it. The 2019 BMW i3 has a range of about 170km running on juice, far more than the average commute but far less than your Teslas or Chevrolet

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Volts. And less than Travis’s daily commute. However, an optional range extender can, well, extend the range! It’s a tiny gasoline engine that kicks in when your battery is low, technically turning some i3s into hybrids, but unlike your typical hybrid this engine charges an electric generator to power the battery, extending the electric drive.

So, the i3’s cheapish, pays for itself fairly fast and needn’t induce range anxiety. All logical points, although maybe the third belongs below.

Which leads to neatly to pathos: the appeal to emotions.

While many of us love to drive, almost nobody likes being obstructed by traffic. For instance, where I live in the GTA, the drivers are jerks. Well, maybe not ALL the drivers, just the ones who are on the road when I am. They would harsh even the most zen driver’s mellow. You need a solution and the i3 could well be it.

Not fettered by an internal combustion engine, the i3 doesn’t ladder up through a series of gears. It’s either on or off. And when it’s on, you can choose to achieve maximum torque at the speed of envy. See above re leaping to 100 km/h in 7 seconds.

In the city, the i3 always wins that unspoken race to the next traffic light, an uplifting story appealing to emotions if ever there was one. Its low centre of gravity, courtesy of a series of flat batteries woven into the chassis floor, vacuums you to the road and makes those leaps easy, controllable, and fun.

Better still, given that the i3 looks like its designers took inspiration from a Styrofoam cooler and a computer mouse, no one expects you to pass them. So, you rarely need to utterly explode and waste power. Hmmm: does that point belong in another section? Maybe I need to re-evaluate the day’s lesson but we’re already here at the college. The i3 quietly makes time fly.

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Exit Lane Cars are on the decline? Oh-kei then While the Tokyo Auto Show is full of all sorts of crazy stuff – an entire kiosk dedicated to Tomica diecast cars; a Paris-Dakar Rally racing truck that towers above everyone even without being on a raised platform; a Toyota segue that looks like a broomstick – yes, a broomstick -- and more, and more, and more.

But do you know what stand actually had me the most transfixed? It was the Daihatsu stand.

For those that don’t know Daihatsu is one of the oldest manufacturers in Japan, having been in operation under the Hatsudoki Seizo name since 1907. It’s now a subsidiary of Toyota but their line-up continues to include mainly cars from the smallest category in Japan, called kei.

Kei vehicles are microcars, vans and trucks with engines no larger than 660 cc (often turbocharged) and can be no longer than 3,490 mm, no wider than 1,490 mm. As long as your vehicle fits these specs, you can have it take on any form you want, be it a van, a flatbed truck, or a roadster. And on the Daihatsu stand, there were four of them: The WaiWai, the IcoIco, the WakuWaku (pictured to the right) and the TsumuTsumu.

They run the gamut from vans, to little sport ‘utes, to a truck-like thing and all are cool and so different that I was smitten. The WakuWaku gets blocky styling and way-cool orange highlights on the body panels and wheels, while the IcoIco is a box on wheels with seats lining either side, and the driver up front. The TsumuTsumu, meanwhile, is a truck-like thing with a sliding rear “pod” and has its own drone. I’m not sure why it has its own drone, but I don’t care. It’s cool, and that’s what matters.

That’s the intangible stuff. Tangibly, kei cars work in urban environments because they are easy to manoeuvre, efficient enough and surprisingly spacious inside, usually due to their mostly boxy shape. Which brings me to the North American car market. As sales continue to slide, I think that these kei cars may be just the ticket to right the ship once again.

Take my hometown of Vancouver. For a city of around a million people, it has quite a small footprint meaning its population density is roughly double that of Los Angeles. After all; its downtown core is basically an island, meaning it can only grow upwards and densify.

In Vancouver, people have started to take notice; a restaurant in the area has a fleet of them emblazoned with its logo, and I’ve seen landscaping company trucks painted in olive drab and with awesome spotlight and roof rack add-ons.

And I have to tell you: after spending a week in Japan, these people are way ahead of the curve. Kei cars may be normal in Japan, but they’re ultra-cool and hip in Canada, just the kind of spunk young buyers – oh, that elusive group of young buyers – look for not just in cars, but in headphones, sneakers, and backpacks.

It’s not that manufacturers haven’t tried; Nissan brought the Cube here, the now-defunct Scion brand had the xB and Kia continues to do fairly well with their Soul. Yes; that’s a little bigger than the vehicles we’re talking about, but the idea behind it is the same. It’s not that the other two were bad, it’s just that like the Tucker Torpedo, they were ahead of their time. And I think the time is now to revisit the world of kei. I would love to see manufacturers take the plunge and instead of kinda-sorta building compact CUVs out of hatchback platforms, do a kei van.

S tory | D an H eyman

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