Basic HTML Version
chewing up the outback and gleaming
in Hollywood driveways. That the sporty
Evoque fits in either scenario but can also
tear up city streets, thanks to coupe-style
handling andacceleration (and, to adegree,
fuel economy), is undeniably appealing.
Fortified by our seafood lunch, we keep
the ocean on our le before cu ing inland,
where, tempted by the Evoque’s evident
sure-footedness, I start tackling tight
curves more aggressively thanmy copilot
appreciates. I’ve been told that many car
commercials are filmed here, and while
trying to re-create the moves from a few,
I suggest Kris concentrate on the scenery
and busy himself with the iPod. We began
the journey, as all good road-trippers
should, with a mix of drive-worthy tunes,
but aswe findourselves dipping inandout
of pockets of sunlit fog, the forest ge ing
taller and denser, the storybook landscape
calls for something heavier on the reverb.
Fleet Foxes, with its soaring PacificNorth-
west harmonies, does the trick.
A er cruising along the 101 for a while,
we turn off to pick up the aptly named
2012 RANGE ROVER EVOQUE COUPE
The bells and whistles
Avenue of the Giants. It’s there that Kris
realizes his favorite out of all the car’s
features: its panoramic roof, through
which he can peer up at the cathedral
of redwoods. And it’s there that I realize
why this place gets top billing in Woody
Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.” It’s
truly humbling.
We stop to stretch our legs on a half-
hour hike in the Rockefeller Forest,
renowned for its old-growth trees. The
redwoods, with their gnarled, knotty
trunks, aren’t especially beautiful up close,
butwhat they lack in aesthetics theymore
than make up for in size, some boasting
hollows bigger than my first apartment.
We take a couple of goofy photos, noting
how easily something so majestic can
devolve into comedy, as evidenced by the
numerous shops in the area with names
like “The Legend of Bigfoot” selling wood
carvings of cartoon characters. (When we
pull off at one, the driver of a brand-new
midsize SUV wanders over to confess, in
a tone dripping with buyer’s remorse, “I
didn’t know there was a new Range …”)
After cooling off with a brisk dip in
a secluded river, we’re again bound for
the coast—this time to end our day’s
journey in Eureka, where we check into
the Carter House Inns, home to the
acclaimed Restaurant 301. We pick a bo le
of wine from the list of 3,500—whichKris,
whose nerves are still frayed, appreciates
keenly—and order an extravagant meal
that includes Humboldt Bay oysters and
locally raised duck. But not beforemaking
sure the Evoque is safely out of sight of
the kitchen.
Hemispheres
executive editor
SAM POLCER
’s
beat-up pickup truck attracts stares, too—but
for entirely different reasons.
TREES COMPANY
The Avenue of the Giants, a 31-mile stretch of road in California’s Humboldt
Redwoods State Park, is lined with trees that can grow as tall as 370 feet
Starting Price:
$44,995
Engine:
A 240-hp
turbocharged direct-
fuel-injected 2.0L
four-cylinder engine
means power and
good mileage for an
SUV (28 mpg high-
way/18 mpg city).
Performance:
Selectable programs
for different terrains,
along with an agile
suspension, full-time
intelligent all-wheel
drive and manual
override paddle shift-
ers, make this one
of the world’s most
luxurious rally cars.
Perks:
The design is
highly customizable,
thanks to options
that include 10 exte-
rior colors, while an
8-inch touchscreen
control panel and an
11-speaker Meridian
sound system will
please tech-savvy
road-trippers.
30
JANUARY 2012
•
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
p029-030_HEM0112_RoadTrip.indd 30
05/1