Tour the Green Mountain State in Style with New BMW Z4 Country Driving Tours of Vermont
Bristol, VT (PRWEB) July 17, 2014 -- Country Driving Tours of Vermont is showcasing a new way to see the back roads of the Green Mountain State: behind the wheel of a sporty convertible BMW Z4, with the guidance of a local expert. The company offers three unique tours, all of which outfit participants in their own car, while a travel professional leads them on a personalized Vermont adventure, starting in the town of Bristol.
“With its meandering roads, quirky general stores, boutique wineries, rolling farmland and covered bridges, nothing says ‘Vermont’ like a drive through its idyllic countryside,” said Sue Small, who founded Country Driving Tours of Vermont along with her husband, George Landis.
On each tour, guests drive a luxury sports car while following Landis, who is also in a BMW Z4, while they communicate via two-way radio.
“Our convertibles really let you experience the sights, smells and excitement of Vermont,” said Landis. “With the top down and the wind blowing through your hair, it’s a really fun machine to handle.”
In addition to Country Driving Tours of Vermont, the couple also owns Dreamhouse Country Inn, an historic bed and breakfast in Bristol. Since opening the B&B in 2007, Small says the two of them have played the role of “unofficial” tour guides, regularly suggesting scenic roads, funky shops, localvore restaurants and watering holes for guests to visit. In 2013, they decided that visitors could have a richer touring experience if Landis, himself, showed them where to go rather than telling them.
While brainstorming the type of tour business they’d like to create, the couple thought back to a recent visit to Florence, Italy. There, they’d taken a guided tour in a vintage Fiat through the hills and valleys of the Italian countryside, while following a guide who was driving ahead of them, sharing stories over the radio. They loved the privacy and control of being in their own vehicle, mixed with the comfort and security of following a local around to off-the-beaten-path picks. They decided that was what they wanted to offer their guests in Bristol, and Country Driving Tours of Vermont was born.
Each Vermont tour takes guests on a drive through history, filling them in on the role that the state played in the American Revolution and all the way through the Civil War. Along the way, Landis shares stories about Ethan Allen and other historic figures, the Underground Railroad and the thousands of shipwrecks (and even a monster) in Lake Champlain, and so much more.
“My goal, in leading visitors through this colorful state, isn’t just to play role of tour guide, but also be a great storyteller,” said Landis. “Guests can sit back and let me do the talking and navigating, while they look, listen and lose themselves a little, along the way. Plus, they get to drive a Z4—that’s not something that everyone gets to experience every day.”
With its fleet of convertible BMW Z4s (named Fritzi, Bruno and Deiter), Country Driving Tours of Vermont offers the following tours:
• The Picnic Tour: Zip through the spectacular Vermont countryside, taking in views of Camel’s Hump and the Champlain Valley as the guide fills you in on how Vermont came to be such a unique place. Along the way, guests will see villages, mountains, a covered bridge and taste delectable maple frozen yogurt and local wine, before relaxing for a gourmet picnic. (Four-hour tour is $350 per car).
• The Dinner Tour: Just in time for sunset, zoom through lush valleys, pass over a covered bridge above a rambling river and meander through renowned sites, including the University of Vermont’s Morgan Horse Farm, as the tour guide discusses the history of the area and all of its charms. Cap the night off with a French meal at one of the region’s finest restaurants, Tourterelle. (Five-hour tour is $400 per car).
• The Classic Tour: Cruise through Bristol, the funkiest town in Vermont, and then head up and down the sharp, curvy roads of the Green Mountains, past waterfalls, covered bridges and the homestead of Robert Frost. Shopping and food await guests at the quirky Warren General Store, before following a rustic road back to the inn. (Three-and-a-half hour tour is $300 per car).
To learn more about Country Driving Tours of Vermont, visit http://www.countrydrivingtours.com.
About Country Driving Tours of Vermont
Country Driving Tours of Vermont is a tour company in Bristol, Vermont, that outfits guests in a convertible BMW Z4 and leads them on an informative drive through the country roads of Vermont. Participants follow behind a local tour guide and resident expert, who communicates with them via two-way radio. Tours stop for locally grown food, shopping and notable historic sights. The business, which launched in 2013, is owned by a husband and wife team, Sue Small and George Landis, who also own Dreamhouse Country Inn, an historic bed and breakfast in Bristol, Vermont. To learn more about Country Driving Tours of Vermont, visit countrydrivingtours.com or call (802) 453-2805.
Sue Small, Country Driving Tours of Vermont, http://countrydrivingtours.com, +1 404.822.4862, [email protected]
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