Returning Home With Land Rover

It's been a while since I came home to Colorado. A few years ago I found myself on a career path that led me to southern California. Since the move, I've only returned once. So when the opportunity came up to support the public relations team in Telluride for a couple weeks, I jumped on it. They call it the "Land Rover Colorado Experience," I call it home, writes Sean Gorman, Technical Trainer, Jaguar Land Rover University.

If you've never been here to Telluride, it's a different place. I grew up in a resort town in the central Rocky Mountains near Breckenridge. Telluride is a destination like no other. It still has the feel of a mining camp, while embracing the luxury feel found in towns like Aspen. It's truly one‑of‑a‑kind, which made it the perfect destination to showcase Land Rover's 2011 LR4 and Range Rover.

Some people find the town a bit odd. Parking costs $.50 an hour, you can take your dog into a restaurant and parking in the middle of the main street is an accepted practice. The pace is slow and the people friendly. I however, enjoy the eccentrics of a place like this.

Land Rover came here because of the fantastic old mining roads in the area. It provides a great proving ground to show off the capabilities of the new product, while enjoying the amazing scenery from the luxurious interiors of Land Rover's vehicles. The old roads mostly have heavily modified four wheel drives and just watching the peoples' reaction when they see a caravan of brand new shiny Range Rovers and Land Rovers tackling the hard trails is worth the drive alone.

Where I grew up, there were very few options for cars. A good majority of the residents owned Range Rovers because they simply were the most reliable cars to tackle any type of terrain. Whether it was trekking through multiple feet of snow or climbing the infamous mountains that Colorado is known for, Range Rovers were ideal.

Nothing has changed much in twenty years. This is an environment where cars get used. Even if you have a brand new Range Rover, it probably will only get washed a few times a year. People purchase them, with the intention of making sure they can haul all their gear, friends and dogs to wherever the next adventure awaits. It's not a status symbol, it's a tool. It's a vital piece of gear.

My job here has been easy. I was asked to be on hand to handle any vehicle related issues. Considering that we haven't had any breakdowns, or vehicle damage, I'm happy to report that it has been pretty stress free.

I'm now preparing to return to California and all I keep thinking about is how much I'm going to miss Telluride and Colorado all together. The homesick feeling is already starting to set in. This experience has been unforgettable and the friendships gained, I'm sure, will last a lifetime.

The people involved with the Land Rover brand are some of the greatest, most talented people I know. Land Rover really is the only vehicle designed for extraordinary people, to allow them to do extraordinary things. This has been a great trip; one that I am grateful to have been a part of!