There are two types of people in New York: those who talk about doing a fall foliage trip every year… and those who do it.

This is the story of Maya and Leo, who, after five consecutive Octobers of saying, “We should do Vermont this year,” finally did.

With the help of DEFEND.NYC’s Defender 110 X-Dynamic, of course.

Friday Morning: Cue the Autumn Playlist

It started the way all great plans do: over overpriced lattes and an impulse text that read, “I booked the Defender. We leave tomorrow.”

The Defender showed up like it owned the season. Gondwana Stone against the amber sunrise. Heated seats are ready. Terrain Response dialed in.

Trunk loaded with boots, sweaters, way too many snacks, and one very enthusiastic Golden Retriever named Benny (don’t worry, DEFEND.NYC allowed it this time — hypothetically).

The Drive: Route 100 and Beyond

Vermont’s Route 100 is a love letter written by Mother Nature. Rolling hills. Fiery reds. Blazing yellows. Every curve was another postcard.

The Defender didn’t flinch—gravel roads, muddy shortcuts, steep inclines—it took it all in stride while Maya yelled things like “PULL OVER! LOOK AT THAT TREE!” approximately every 12 minutes.

Leo became an expert at spotting farm stands. Fresh cider. Maple donuts. Artisan cheese. They were developing a food coma before even reaching the cabin.

Cabin in the Woods: Pinterest Comes to Life

The Airbnb was a log cabin straight out of a filmmaker’s mood board. Wood stove. Hot tub. String lights. A guestbook filled with gratitude and doodles of moose.

The Defender sat out front like a magazine ad for “Rugged, But Make It Sexy.”

That night was cider by the fire, Fleetwood Mac on the Bluetooth, and Benny snoring so loud he practically rattled the windowpanes.

Saturday: The Scenic Overload

After a breakfast of pancakes smothered in locally harvested maple syrup (because, when in Vermont…), they loaded into the Defender for a day of unapologetic leaf-peeping.

They hit Smugglers’ Notch. The Kancamagus Highway. A waterfall they found purely by accident when Leo misread Google Maps.

Every pull-off became a photoshoot: every covered bridge required a slow cruise and at least three different angles for Instagram.

And the Defender? Smooth. Comfortable. Stoic. Like it had personally been waiting all year for this assignment.

Small Towns, Big Vibes

They wandered into Stowe for apple pie and cider tastings. Found a tiny bookstore where Maya bought a poetry collection titled “Odes to October.”

Locals commented on the Defender more than once.

“Is that yours?”

“For the weekend,” Leo would answer with a grin that said “And it feels right.”

The Return: Slow on Purpose

Sunday came too soon. But instead of rushing back, they made it a point to drive the longest, slowest, most scenic route possible.

They stopped at a farm sanctuary. Bought jams from a roadside stand. Took one last detour just to say goodbye to the mountains.

The Defender rolled back into the city with mud on its tires and the smell of pine still clinging to the seats.

Why DEFEND.NYC?

Because some trips deserve more than a basic rental.

The Defender 110 X-Dynamic wasn’t just transportation. It was the third character in their story—reliable, iconic, and every bit as photogenic as the fall foliage.

Booked through Turo, but delivered with the care and attention that only DEFEND.NYC provides.

It wasn’t about the miles. It was about the moments. The memories. The chance to step out of the routine and into something a little more cinematic.