The Rorer’s Experience

Mercedes-Benz raffle winner knows thrill of the ride

By: Stuart Rorer

WIN-WIN-WIN.
Buy a Rotary Club Mercedes-Benz raffle ticket and the charities supported by the Lakeway Rotary Club win, the establishments in our community that participate win through increased patronage, and you win a new Mercedes Benz. Well, that last one isn’t a guarantee – but it happens to be last year – and it could happen to you if you pick up a ticket.
A ticket which, by the way, essentially pays for itself if you eat out at the various restaurants or use services at the locations that provide sponsorship.
So once you win, what do you get? A new Mercedes Benz. That in and of itself is a pretty nice prize. But the extra bonus is that you receive travel to Europe to pick it up and five nights lodging while you’re there. Every trip is different.
My wife, Erika, and I chose to follow the Mercedes suggested route from Stuttgart (Sindelfingen) through the Black Forest and Bavaria but added a few extra days in Austria and Munich. We started with a test drive at the plant which was essentially a 140mph rollercoaster ride in an S400 hybrid going through banked turn and slaloms that took us about 15 minutes to recover from.
Once our C350 was ready – I did a little upgrade and yes, you do drive your car while you’re there – we started our trek.
From Baden Baden, home of the oldest casinos in Europe, to the Black Forest for wines and cuckoo clocks, to the mountain lodge in the Austrian Alps and the to Salzburg and Munich, it’s hard to say what we enjoyed most.
In the Black Forest, the hiking was relaxing and the scenery was breath-taking. In Austria, we enjoyed touring the castles and ruins and exploring a unique ice cave. And in Salzburg and Munich we toured the cities and represented Lakeway as best as we could in the sprawing beer halls.