I was in Cincinnati, Ohio last weekend for a weekend of test driving and travel adventure with Buick. Tapped to join the Buick Bucket List Challenged, I joined blogger from around the country on a weekend test drive of the 2014 Buick Regal. The Buick team allowed us to bring a friend so I chose to bring my friend Sasha, who just wrapped a stint on the reality show competition WhoDunnIt on ABC.
We flew from Reagan National Airport to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport on Delta Airlines, a flight that took just under two hours. Prior to departure, we spent our wait time in the Delta Sky Club lounge, where we knocked back some cocktails and noshed on snacks.
We were picked up in the new Buick Enclave, a stunning SUV from the Buick line-up, from the airport to the 21c Museum Hotel (read review here).
The airport is about a 20 minute drive from downtown Cincinnati. Located on Walnut Street, the hotel was central to all the hottest lounges and night clubs, as well as the Cincinnati Bengals stadium.
For dinner on our first night, we were shuttled to the American Signs Museum, founded in 1999 by former Signs of the Times magazine editor and publisher, Tod Swormstedt. The museum was renamed the American Signs Museum in 2005. The museum boasts a beautiful collection of vintage neon signs and well-known signs from companies like McDonald’s, Buick, drugstores and even popular highways.
Buick also brought two vintage cars – the Super and the Riviera – that we all drooled over. In its 110 year history, the car brand has produced some of the most impressive and durable cars seen on the road. With its new lineup of cars and SUVs for 2014, the Buick tradition of excellence continues.
We learned about the new Buick line-up over dinner with Nancy Huber, the Regal Product Engineering Manager and Doug Osterhoff, the Regal Marketing Manager.
The next morning, we were ushered to a line-up of Buick Regals and asked to take our pick. This car would be ours for the day. We chose one of two driving experiences. As a Bourbon drinker, I chose to participate in the Woodford Reserve tour and Kentucky Race Park horseback riding bucket list challenges, both these experiences have actually been on my must try list.
Sasha was our driver for the day. Before taking off on our adventure, we discovered that the destinations for day were programed into the car’s navigation, making our turn-by-turn instructions very easy. The keyless entry and start was a bonus. With the press of a button, we were off on the road.
One of the features we loved on the Buick Regal is the auto cruise control, which allows you to drive on the highway at a set speed. The car pretty much drives itself. The car speeds up when there is no one in front of you and alerts you via a beeping system if there is someone in your blind spot.
Our first stop was the Woodford Reserve Distillery in Kentucky, where we took a tour of the small batch bourbon facility and learned the history behind the label. After that, we drove to the Holly Hill Inn, a five star farm-to-table restaurant in Kentucky, for a three course lunch. Our final stop was at the Kentucky Horse Park, where we took a 35 minute horseback ride through the property.
We finished off the day driving back to Ohio in a violent rainstorm, which the Buick Regal handled marvelously. This car is a beauty and from the technical reviews from Car & Driver and other automotive magazines, it is a real gem and a must have.
