Bougiegrnk's Travels: Who knew!

So, it turns out that there are over 180 wineries in the Walla Walla River valley and at the base of the nearby Blue Mountains. We were pleasantly surprised to learn this – it was clearly obvious as we drove into town seeing vineyards dotting the highway.

While we would not typically pony up the scratch for a winery tour – we would just visit some on our own – a visionary entrepreneur changed our mind. A year ago, Jim and his wife decided to make Walla Walla their ultimate retirement location after reading how it was the friendliest town in the US. Wanting to establish his own business here, he bought one of the very first Model S Tesla fully electric cars to be his vehicle for conducting winery tours. What a genius!

So, we couldn’t pass up the chance to be chauffeured while experiencing what Elon Musk has created. Jim escorted us for 4 hours to several vineyards, most of which their owners were actually manning the tasting rooms. While shuttling us around, Jim gave us some really nice insight into the Walla Walla area and what makes it such a vibrant destination. In addition, he made sure that we got a chance to see what the Model S Tesla could do. The entire package was so compelling!

Jim made sure we saw how all the electronics kept you safe and sound in this very versatile vehicle. Literally a mean sports car in an SUV body, Jim configured his Model S with 7-person seating – 2 front seats, 3 midsection seats, and two more in the rear. Looking at the vehicle when it arrived I could not believe he was able to accommodate 6 guests – until I got inside and saw the unbelievably smart, innovative use of space.

Then Jim started to show off. When we hit a downtown tasting room, he deliberately found a single parking space between two other parked cars. He took his hands off the steering wheel and the Model S, assuming he wanted to park, lined itself up against the car in front, and let him know on screen monitor that it was ready to park. He hit the park button, and the Model S expertly backed itself in. When we got out, it was precisely in the middle of the parking space, and perfectly aligned near but not touching the curb. Jim admitted that he was fully capable of such expert parking, but chooses not to!

In the last demo, Jim took us out on Highway 12. He let go of the wheel again and hit a button telling the Model S to stay a set distance behind the car in front. As that car changed speed, so did the Model S, keeping the space between constant. The Model S uses a combination of GPS and cameras that read lane markings to steer itself precisely centered in the lane. At some point, Jim turned on the left turn signal, which alerted the Model S that is was OK to pass the car it was following. The Model S changes lanes by itself, centering now in the left lane. The Model S accelerated to the speed that Jim had originally told it, passed the car, and then by itself, changed back into the right lane once clear of the passed vehicle, using turn signals appropriately.