MrAndrewBradley

9 Months of Fun

2021-11-11T14:21:00.001-08:00

If you were to ask me how the last nine months have been, I would probably say pretty boring, but looking back at a few pictures it does look like I have done a few fun things since February after all and I cannot wait for what's ahead in the coming weeks.

1. Virtual Napa Marathon ... because of the swag (in July 2022 I'll be pacing a brand new WineShine Half Marathon)

2. An Easter gathering in Lodi spent outside with family

3. I worked a lot, including running multiple virtual events across the country giving high school students the opportunity to learn more about a possible future career in healthcare by learning from oral surgeons, doctors, nurses, and others

4. So many virtual wine tastings, some of my favorite continue to be with Bogle and Rombauer (also I watched the horse Rombauer win the Kentucky Derby, so I had to bring out a bottle of chardonnay).

5. There was also wine tasting. Bogle (their new picnic and seated wine flights are both great), Heringer Estates, Mi Sueño, Fontanella, Ironstone Vineyards, Locke Vineyards, Stevenot, and Chandon (with amazing tacos)

6. We raked a lot of pine needs at the Bradley Lodge, keeping it safe from potential fires

7. I went to Leatherby's a few times

8. Had the opportunity to go to a Sacramento River Cats game with friends

9. I ran ... as of today nearly 3,400 miles for the year, well on my way to 3,650+

10. Transcendence Theater "Under the Stars" at B.R. Cohn with my neighbors was a great night of Broadway in a vineyard setting

11. There were a few meals out. Boon Fly Cafe, La Calenda, Hog Island Oyster's at Oxbow Public Market, and Carpe Diem

12. Tasted some great wine and BBQ at Charles Krug during the Cochon Heritage Fire event

13. Went to a concert featuring Matt Nathanson to benefit Napa's Alaina's Voice Foundation

14. Visited the brand new Four Seasons Napa Valley in Calistoga before they opened for a tour and breakfast at Truss

15. Celebrated my parent's 50th wedding anniversary in Aptos and had a very special family dinner at Shadowbrook in Capitola

The least fun thing (and most expensive) ... a new air conditioner after finding out the one that came with my five year old house was way more than five years old.

See all the pictures here.

New at Fort Bradley and Beyond

2021-02-15T18:59:00.002-08:00

While we may be living through a pandemic, I have managed to stay busy with some projects at Fort Bradley, new furniture, providing safe Halloween treats, celebrating Christmas, and much more.

The major project was removing the carpet from the two upstairs bedrooms in my house and replacing it with a new luxury vinyl plank flooring that works well with the existing tile (that looks like hardwood) in the the main living spaces throughout my house. Then I sold the couch that I have had since Fort Bradley began in Roseville and replaced it with a new, larger sofa (and lots of throw pillows). To go along with the new couch, I replaced a side table/dresser and wine cabinet with a new bar cabinet. While my parents helped with so much, I made sure to feed them well and we had some great wines too, plus we celebrated my birthday together in Napa a few weeks after the flooring went it with wine tasting throughout the Napa Valley, stopping at Rombauer, Spring Mountain Vineyards, and Fontanella.

For Halloween, I tried out the new TV in my garage (which also hosted a neighborhood virtual wine tasting ... and one day hopefully will host other TV viewings), and provided a safe place to pass out Halloween candy to the many thankful children looking for a small sense of normalcy in a not so normal world. There was also a quick trip to San Francisco to see a masked dinosaur and more at the California Academy of Sciences.

The new continued with a stop at a stop at a high school friend's family winery (Story) in the Sierra Foothills, new sunglasses, a Polar Pizza thanks for a co-worker, and even a series of virtual races thanks to the Napa Valley Marathon.

Along with all the new decor, I wanted something that could memorialize my two home purchases, and thanks to Etsy, I found two personalized items. A cutting board with the Sacramento skyline etched into it commemorates my first home in Roseville, while a wine barrel themed tray symbolizes my home in Napa.

See all the pictures here.

The First 7 Months of 2020

2020-07-26T16:54:00.002-07:00

Evidently there was a world before the pandemic. I injured a toe on New Year's Day, so was stopped from running for three months, but overcame the injury and finished running every street in the city of Napa. There was wine tasting with friends and neighbors, there was the Napa Lighted Art Festival. There were meals out, including La Calenda in Yountville. There was a trip to the Bradley Lodge with family and since I was injured, I didn't get to run the Napa Valley Marathon, but I did get to volunteer at the finish line (I think I'll stick to volunteering in the future too).

Then the pandemic hit. Grocery store shelves were empty, but I did get a few essentials and I began working from home. At first it was for two weeks, now it's been almost 20. My temporary desk started at the dining room table, but eventually with some online shopping moved to my master bedroom. Meetings, church, and happy hours are online now and I think the change has been pretty seamless.

I've kept my "bubble" pretty small, really limiting it to the people who I live with and my family, especially when it comes life inside a house or building. I do make time to see people outside at a distance though. My neighbors and I walk a few times week (sometime with a beverage in hand) and my parents backyard has become a socially distant gathering place for friends, neighbors, family, and even watching sports (now that they're back on).

We'll see what the next few months hold. More work, more family time, more wine, and more running are the current plans. A trip to New Zealand and Australia that was planned for early 2021 is probably going to have to wait though.

See all the pictures here.

Wine, Running, Food, and Snow

2019-12-31T20:07:00.000-08:00

The last part of 2019 was nearly a blur. I finished the year by running through a lot of neighborhoods (two of my running friends ran every street in Napa, I ran about half of them). My total runs for the year, added up to 2,500 miles. There were also many opportunities to enjoy some great wines in Clarksburg, Lodi, and Napa. I even joined a couple more wine clubs, including Scribner Bend and Fontenella, plus a mail-order wine club with NakedWines.

Beyond that ... there were runs in San Francisco (Bridge to Bridge 12K), volunteering for the VineRUNNER Beer 5K, a couple of runs along the coast and through the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Ice cream at Marianne's in Santa Cruz, a few massive power outages thanks for wildfire concerns, and a very spooky neighborhood Halloween Party. I was also able to make it to a few of my favorite annual events including Blues, Brews, and BBQ, the Main Street Car Reunion, while also getting to the Napa Valley Model Train Museum for the first time. There was more wine with neighbors at Beringer and Provenance, a Cal Poly Alumni event in the middle of a Napa Valley vineyard near my house, a pizza with nearly every topping from MOD Pizza, and a shrimp boil with neighbors who wanted to try out an Instant Pot recipe. Christmas and Thanksgiving were enjoyed at the Bradley Lodge with family, plus I made a few of my favorite desserts for a running cookie exchange, neighbors, and co-workers.

It's been a fun couple of months and I'm looking forward to a fabulous 2020.

See all the pictures here

Cruis'n the Baltic

2019-08-04T14:57:00.000-07:00

It had been planned for 18 months and I was just looking forward to getting on a plane and getting on the ship. I wasn't sure what to expect ... which made the trip even more spectacular. From a few days in Amsterdam to the beautiful Celebrity Reflection to new discoveries in every port, it was a spectacular trip.

A few of the highlights:
Amsterdam, Netherlands: The I AMSTERDAM sign ... while it has moved from it's original location (right next to our hotel), I found it. I had visited Anne Frank's House on a previous visit to the city, so we were able to do a few different things including just walking around the city (I also took a few runs), a canal cruise, and a hop-on-hop-off bus tour of the countryside. It's a beautiful place.

Celebrity Reflection: From the food to the service to the amenities of the ship, everything was amazing. Some of the shipboard highlights ... the lawn, yes there is real grass outside and even a tree growing inside.

Warnemunde, Germany: While some use the port of Warnemunde to take a very long train ride to Berlin, we decided to stay closer to the ship, taking a tour of Rostock (including a brewery, where we enjoyed a few beers and a pretzel), followed by a cruise back to Warnemunde. The coastal town of Warnemude was beautiful with boats along the canal serving fresh seafood right from the dock, bright flowers and so much more.

Helsinki, Finland: The home of saunas ... lots of them. It was already warm enough outside, so we didn't go inside any of them, but we did take a bike ride around the city, checking out some of the sites.

St. Petersburg, Russia: A spectacular city and my first visit to Russia. The Hermitage Museum is an obvious highlight including seeing the Return of the Prodigal Son painting by Rembrandt. I was also stunned by the amazing parquet floors (which actually match the ceilings in most cases). We also visited a church which has more than 7,000 square meters of mosaics lining the walls, ceiling and floor. On our second day we went to Peterhof Palace, to see their gardens and famous gravity fed fountains (all the water starts from uphill, which means that there are no motors helping the hundreds of fountains on the grounds).

Tallinn, Estonia: A mid-evil city, fun to walk up and town the streets, enjoy fish and chips and just explore.

Stockholm, Sweden: Tied with Russia for my favorite port city. The journey to get to the harbor is stunning as you go through hundreds of islands, then the actual city is just as magical. Beyond the Nobel Prize Museum, the true highlight was the Vasa Museum. While the ship only sailed for a few minutes before it sank on it's inaugural voyage, it's truly is a work of art and the museum is impressive (it was literally built around the ship).

Copenhagen, Denmark: The home of the Little Mermaid (the story and the statue, the Disney movie came later). The city is bright and colorful. A boat ride through it's canals was fun, walking through the streets offered some fun stops and the hop-on-hop-off bus provided a great narration to give us a little bit of history and context of what we were seeing.

All-in-all it was a great cruise and I'm looking forward to the next one ... Australia/New Zealand in 2021 on the Celebrity Eclipse.

See all the pictures here

Another Marathon, Angel Island and Wine

2019-07-14T20:49:00.004-07:00

It's been a fun last couple of months. First, there was my second marathon (26.2 miles is still a very long way) in Fremont. Then there was a run with beer and tacos at the finish line and the opportunity to see Aladdin the musical in Sacramento.

There was a quick trip to the Bradley Lodge for Memorial Day ... we got snow! Work has been fun with two team building activities ... the first to Angel Island (on the same day my sister-in-law and nephew were there) and then to Driven Raceway (indoor go-karts).

Fourth of July was also celebrated ... first with one of my fastest 10k's at the Kenwood Footrace, then the Napa Parade, followed by a concert and fireworks in the park.

Wine was also a highlight (as always). I was able to visit Kunde for the first time before going to my second White Party at Chalk Hill, and got to see one of my original roommates at Azur. My neighbors and I also enjoyed some wine at our neighborhood park, plus two trips to The Village, once for Festival Napa Valley and the second time for lunch and a tasting at the Foley Food & Wine Society, plus a great outdoor tasting at Bouchaine.

See all the pictures here

Napa Marathon, Cooking Classes and Beyond

2019-04-15T20:06:00.000-07:00

As I finished up my last few days as a full-time team member at the resort, I filled them with fun, exploration and more.

First ... I ran my first marathon. The Napa Valley Marathon was a lot of fun, and it was great to have my family there at the finish line. It was even better to go wine tasting right after (we rode the gondola up to Sterling for wine tasting and to check out the beautiful views).

Second ... There there were a few cooking classes at The Village. They're so much fun and it's amazing what a team can cook. I also tried a few of the spiked milkshakes (The Elvis and Irish Car Bomb) at Crush.

Third ... A quick trip to the Bradley Lodge, complete with great food, amazing Napa Valley and Clarksburg wines, and a few runs through snow lined streets.

Next a few wine tasting events ... an industry preview event at Louis Martini. The remodeled tasting room facility is stunning. I can't wait to do another tasting there in the future. It also helps that they have a few Cal Poly Alumni on their team. I also attended an event at the Wine Foundry with their new brand, Anarchist Wines. The wines are always good and they had pizza, games and more to make for a fun event and great opportunity to meet a few fellow wine lovers. Not photographed this year, but there was also a great event at Beringer in and around the historic Rhine House.

Finally ... I got to see my nephew play a few basketball games ... and wrapped up my brief period of not working with a very relaxing massage inside the Estate Cave.

A new chapter, and a new job start tomorrow.

See all the pictures here

Lighted Art Festival, Premiere Napa Valley, TV and Running

2019-02-25T20:27:00.002-08:00

Beyond running nearly 400 miles since January 1 in preparation for my first marathon this Sunday, I've found a little bit of time to have fun too.

Only in its second year, the Napa Lighted Art Festival is one of my favorite annual community events. Downtown Napa and beyond is lit up for all to see, this year beyond the buildings, the hot air balloons lit up the sky and even my resort had an amazing art piece.

I always love showcasing our chefs on TV and had the opportunity to do so twice in Sacramento as we opened our new Food & Wine Center. The classes (both hands-on and demonstration) are going well and many are already selling out.

Then there is wine ... you can never go wrong with wine. I had my first visit to Fontanella Family Winery, plus visited Alpha Omega, Benessere and Laird as part of Napa Neighbor Day. I also visited Charles Krug to see some friends and was fortunate enough to attend some events that were part of Premiere Napa Valley at Charles Krug, Auberge du Soleil, Eleven Eleven, Cliff Lede Vineyards, Hall St. Helena, and Silverado Vineyards.

See all the pictures here

CREAM, Running, Cookies and More

2018-12-16T22:24:00.001-08:00

Over the last few weeks I've continued to keep busy with running, working and even made a few trips east to Sacramento and Lodi.

1. CREAM Napa opened and I was among the first in line, I've been waiting for it to open since the "Coming Soon" sign went out in April 2016.
2. Halloween at The Village mean a fun harvest festival, followed by handing out candy to the 60+ kids that came to by door on Halloween night.
3. Went to The Barlow in Sebastopol, it's a fun spot with shops, restaurants and tasting rooms.
4. Headed to Sacramento for the Steiner Family Vineyards wine pick up party ... and my birthday
5. The Village Christmas Tree went up and had an amazing tree lighting with more than 1,500 in attendance.
6. Dinner at Morimoto ... one of the perks of living in the Napa Valley
7. I made cookies, lots of cookies
8. We had a cousins Christmas in Roseville complete with pizza, Christmas lights and a photo on the stairs.
9. I worked with our chefs at a few events, including taking the food truck to St. Helena and providing some delicious food and cookies at an industry holiday party at Inglenook.
10. I ran a lot ... reaching (and still going) my goal of 2,018 miles for 2018.
11. There was also a trip to Lodi where we celebrated the life of my great aunt, while also taking time to celebrate a birthday at Wine & Roses and pick up some wine at Oak Farm Vineyards.
See all the pictures here

Oops ...

2018-10-22T20:09:00.000-07:00

I'm going to blame opening a new resort with nine tasting rooms and a lot of events for not posting in nearly 5 months.

We'll start with June ...

1. I went to the retirement sale for Bourassa Vineyards to get some great wines at a deep discount and lots of free wine barrels for my house, my parents and others.
2. Toured the brand new resort as I helped move boxes, clean, make beds and do a variety of other things to help get it open.
3. Saw an old friend at his new restaurant in Windsor, Tisza Bistro.
4. Went to Chalk Hill's Annual White Party ... so much fun (although I did cheat and had some red wine too).
5. My cousin flew out from Texas for the day for a Giant's game, so we took full advantage of the day, saw the game (with amazing seats), walked along the Embarcadero and indulged in ice cream at Ghiradelli Square.
6. Found my inner zen during Wellness Wednesday on the Vineyard Deck.
See all the pictures here

July and August didn't slow down at all ...

1. I ran to the 4th of July Parade in Napa after spending time with my family at the Bradley Lodge.
2. We took the new resort Food Truck to its first public event, Napa's PorchFest.
3. Had my first wine tasting and the brand new Foley Food & Wine Society Tasting Room at The Village.
4. Opened a brand new resort!
5. Took visiting journalists around Napa and included stops at both Gott's Roadside and Di Rosa.
6. Enjoyed some lobster and wine.
7. Went back to Sacramento for Bogle's annual Paella party with the chef from Zocalo.
8. Helped with 3 photo and video shoots at the new resort and all around Napa.
9. Walked around downtown Napa (legally) with beer during Blues, Brews and BBQ.
10. Helped at the first concert at The Village, as well as many other events.
11. Went with my "neighbor squad" to Broadway Under the Stars at Jack London State Park, so cool and can't wait to go again next year.
See all the pictures here

September and October continued ...

1. A trip to the Bradley Lodge.
2. Vegan + Vino... a wine dinner featuring Chef Chloe in the Estate Cave.
3. Broadway at the Vista ... a wine dinner featuring performers from Phantom of the Opera and Hamilton paired with Fumanelli wines. My parents, grandma and neighbors all came too.
4. Lots of running (currently at over 1,700 miles for the year, goal is 2,018 for 2018).
5. Climbed aboard the Hop Train, sipping beers and bites from Palisades while chatting with friends from The Vine radio station.
6. Headed to by brother's house to see my parents, niece and nephews.
7. A photo shoot that spanned both resorts with my friends from downtown Napa.
8. Paleo + Pours .... yes another wine dinner, this one with wines from Alpha Omega and Danielle Walker from Against All Grain.
9. A trip to San Francisco with Visit California for a media reception. I was also able to get in an early morning run from my hotel to the Golden Gate Bridge.
10. Back to back to back events at Luna Vineyards, Trefethen and Industry Night at The Village.
See all the pictures here

Falcons, Giants, Yoga and Running

2018-05-31T15:23:00.000-07:00

It has been another fun few months with new experiences, fun outings, lots of running, plus maybe a little wine and food along the way.

Falconry demonstration at Bouchaine Vineyards
Magazine release party at Wheeler Family Farms in St. Helena
Easter Brunch for nearly 700, followed by Easter at Uptown with Hillside Church
A run followed by beer
Two estate sales in Lodi, followed by wine and beer
A Sac Republic soccer game
A very muddy run
Happy hour in the Rhine House at Beringer in St. Helena
VineRunners 15th Anniversary, complete with wine and Paella
Three TV segments in Sacramento with three different chefs
Yoga on the Vineyard Deck as part of a new Wellness Wednesday series
Helped at the March of Dimes walk in Sacramento
Two Sunday SF Giants games, one with amazing seats close to the field, the other in the Vintner's Suite, complete with food and wine (the Giants won both games)
Comedy with David Spade at Graton Casino
Trip to the Bradley Lodge for making our property fire safe and also a few runs with my newest cousin in law and cousin through Big Trees State Park

See all the pictures here

Yountville Live

2018-03-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

Living in the Napa Valley continues to have its benefits. First I helped at the Silver Oak Winemaker Dinner in the Estate Cave of The Meritage, although I didn't taste the wines this year, I did eat every dish ... and as always, they did not disappoint. Next it was a quick afternoon of wine tasting at Provenance Vineyards, one of my favorites for a casual tasting in Rutherford, and a quick stop to show some co-workers the beauty of Inglenook. For the weekend a friend came to town and after long runs, watching movies and eating delicious pizza from Forge, we headed to Yountville Live. The Taste of Yountville featured food and wine from great restaurants and wineries in Yountville and St. Helena, plus my hometown airport, SMF.
See all the pictures here.

Sayulita Wedding

2018-03-04T19:54:00.000-08:00

I wasn't sure what to expect for my first international/destination wedding, but it surpassed all expectations. It was a week of fun with my entire family for my cousins wedding in Sayulita, Mexico. We started with in-flight beverages, followed by a grocery store trip for the essentials (vino and cerveza), then it was time for serious relaxation. Our "casita" was actually a huge mansion with a pool, entertaining spaces, and four bedrooms spread across four buildings on four levels (I got a very good stair workout every day). The wedding festivities included a welcome party with tasty tacos, a catamaran ride where we even saw whales, the wedding ceremony and lots of time to spend with the 40 or so friends and family that made the trip. My family also went zip-lining through the trees, and spent a few extra days on the beach, relaxing and making memories.
See all the pictures here.

Holidays, Wine and Photos

2018-02-21T21:56:00.001-08:00

Living and working in the Napa Valley continues to provide endless opportunities for fun, while the holidays provided an opportunity to be with family at the Bradley Lodge.

First there were photo shoots ... first at Vista Collina Resort (the new property we are building directly across the street from The Meritage), then there was yoga and painting on the Vineyard Deck of The Meritage.

Before heading to the Bradley Lodge for Christmas, I was able to help with a holiday desserts baking class lead by our pastry chef ... including making homemade marshmallows. Once at the Lodge there were long runs through Big Trees State Park, a Christmas Eve Service at Chapel in the Pines, making noodles with gram, and lots of great wine was had while enjoying time with family.

I had to leave the Lodge early in the morning, but for good reason ... a private tasting at Charles Krug for a winemaker dinner. I always love visiting wineries and Charles Krug, founded in 1882 is a favorite.

2018 started with a goal ... run, 2,018 miles. To do that I started the year off with a run up the west side of the Napa Valley and have continued with some of the longest runs of my life, including a 20 mile run through Coombsville and multiple 16 mile runs from Napa to Yountville on the Napa Valley Vine Trail.

Each year the Napa Valley Vintners put on a couple of events designed for Napa residents. With a friend in town, we went to some wineries I have wanted to go to for awhile and one that I hadn't been to in awhile. We made stops at Markham, Flora Springs, Grgich Hills and Silenus.

To wrap up the 2 months since my last blog, there was a trip to Platform 8 in Yountville with co-workers, and nachos with homemade chips, a Super Bowl tradition for me, along with margaritas, pizza, and a long standing tradition of going to the Bradley Lodge for President's Day Weekend. Although there wasn't much snow, we still were able to ski at Bear Valley, have some great wines, and enjoy spending time with family.

See all the pictures here.

Fires, Wine and Adventures

2017-12-20T20:06:00.004-08:00

I've honest been overwhelmed over the last few weeks and months. It started our peacefully with a trip to my grandma's house and lunch at Pietro's in Lodi. Then it all changed with the fires in Napa and Sonoma County. I went to sleep on a windy night and awoke to smoke filled skies. I worked 18 hours most days, 23 hours on one day, but it was an honor to work for a hotel that did so much to help the community that we call home. It was an amazing experience to be able to serve our community and provide them a little slice of peace during an extremely difficult time.

There were also wine tasting adventures and a birthday celebration that kept on going. It started with a quick trip to Orange County for meetings, then a locals tasting at Freemark Abbey, with quick stops at both Beringer and V. Sattui just to look around. A FAM Tour with Hotels.com, we tasted at Trinitas, ran through Carneros and enjoyed an intimate dinner for 5 in our Estate Cave. The Napa Valley Film Festival provided an excellent weekend of entertainment and libations, followed by a birthday trip on the Napa Valley Wine Train with stops at St. Supery, Beringer and Raymond. Next up I was off to cooking school with co-workers as we prepared our own dinner at Silverado Cooking School.

Then there was a "surprise" office birthday celebration and potluck ... the cake and all the dishes prepared with very tasty. I had a few friends come to town for a weekend of wine tasting as we explored parts of the Napa Valley that I hadn't been to before ... Kuleto, Rombauer, Robert Sinskey and a sunset tasting at Davis Estate. With stops the next day at Chandon and the Fremont Diner.

Visit California provided perhaps the best last minute invite of the month, asking if I would join them for the Grateful Table event, happening on the Napa-Sonoma county line and supporting fire relief efforts. The table was set for 500, the wine, the food and the beautiful scenery did not disappoint.

Next up, I headed up to the mountains to celebrate Thanksgiving at the Bradley Lodge. I brought the wine, my mom and grandma did the cooking and it was a great weekend away. The unseasonably warm weather did have a benefit ... I could run and found my way to the North Grove Trail at Big Trees State Park where I saw the Pioneer Cabin Tree that had fallen last winter for the first time. Back in Napa I decorated my house for Christmas, before heading back to Sacramento for wine tastings at Bogle, Oak Farm Vineyards and Jeremy Wine Co, a Lincoln Brewster concert and beautiful morning runs along the Sacramento River. We also headed to Old Sacramento to see the Theater of Lights and had dinner at Ten 22.

I finished up the whirlwind with a tour of our new construction project, a yoga photo shoot, a sip and paint experience (and photo shoot), a party at our spa for the community, a hot air balloon trip high above the Napa Valley, two holiday parties for work (including one at the new Archer), a dinner at Charlie Palmer Steakhouse, a cocktail class featuring Hennessy, a night run through downtown Napa to see the Napa Lighted Art Festival, and a lunch at Castello di Amorosa.

There are many more adventures to be had, I'm looking forward to finishing up 2017 and starting 2018 soon.

See all the pictures here.

Running for Real

2017-10-04T20:13:00.000-07:00

I haven't actually run in a true race situation since high school, so it was time to see what I could do. I ran the Napa Half Marathon and placed in the top 10 (wine was waiting on the finish line), then ran the Bridge to Bridge (beer was waiting on the finish line) in SF finishing in the top 50, but a few people started after me and ran slightly faster, so I ended up at 51, but top 40 men. Now it's time to rest (and recover from a potential stress fracture or two in my legs - I got x-rays today, so hopefully will have results tomorrow). Beyond running there was a cooking segment on KCRA/My58 where we made scallops, two cooking classes (desserts and seafood), a Crawfish Dinner, a winemaker dinner with Newton Vineyards, and a tour of our massive construction project for a story with the Napa Register.

See all the pictures here.

Adventure

2017-09-21T19:36:00.003-07:00

Life is often an adventure and the last month has been full of activity ...
Jesuit Alumni Run (I would have done well if I wasn't racing against former State Champions and Olympians) ... White Water Rafting with W.E.T. followed by dinner at Auburn Alehouse ... a tour of The Village at Meritage Resort, Napa Valley ... a Harvest Party at Luna Vineyards ... a dinner with Schramsberg ... live cooking segments with Fox40, Good Day Sacramento and KCRA/My58, a Beer Pairing dinner with Lagunitas Brewing ... Wine Tasting at Trinchero, followed by a tour of vineyards for Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and wine tasting at Liana Estates ... History of Napa in 8 Glasses at CIA Copia and dinner with a friend at Gott's ... Helped at a charity event ... an Office Potluck ... and running, lots of running.

See all the pictures here.

2017-08-06T19:13:00.001-07:00

Living in the Napa Valley has its perks ...
- Wine Tasting at Provenance Vineyards
- Lunch in SF with a friend at a rooftop restaurant
- Running through vineyards
- A quick trip to the Bradley Lodge for 4th of July weekend
- Biking and Kayaking through Carneros with with Getaway Adventures with stops at Saintsbury and Etude.
- A visit to the Wine Train to learn about all the trips they now offer
- Cal Poly Alumni Bochee Ball Tournament in Yountville
- Wine tasting at Festival Napa Valley
- Wine Tasting at Caymus Vineyards
- Lunch at Rutherford Grill
- Dinner with Paul Hobbs in the Estate Cave

See all the pictures here.

Mother's Day, Wine, Bradley Lodge and Sacramento

2017-06-17T15:33:00.001-07:00

It's been another couple weeks full of wine, food ... and something new ... I actually left Napa a few times. We had a fabulous weekend of events for Mother's Day with Veuve Clicquot including a brunch (complete with cookies). I tried out a new restaurant at the River Terrace Inn, Alba, that was really good, hopefully I'll be back with friends in the future, maybe for Taco Tuesday, I was there on Meatloaf Monday. There was also a little bit of wine tasting with a friend that makes his own wine with friends. There was also a meeting at JAM Cellars (think Butter Chardonnay), a drive up to Calistoga to see the Napa Valley's version of Old Faithful, a 1 mile run in record time, and fish tacos.

There were also a couple trips out of the Napa Valley. I headed to the Bradley Lodge where we raked and burned pine needles, but also had some fun. We hiked around Boards Crossing, walked into Big Trees State Park, went to a craft fair ... and had milkshakes at Giant Burger. Beyond the Lodge, I also headed to Sacramento for a dentist appointment, which gave me some time to hang at my parents house and with friends too. We did a wine tasting with my trial kit from Tasting Room (a really cool online wine club), walked around the Golden 1 Center and downtown Sacramento after a trip to IKEA and breakfast at the Iron Grill, and I got in a run along the Sacramento River before church at Bayside and dinner at Red Robin. I may have also had the opportunity to go to a North Face demo sale ... North Face plastic wine glasses and a couple new jackets are now mine.
See all the pictures here.

Flavor!, Wine Tasting, Running, Easter, Giants Game

2017-05-06T21:18:00.001-07:00

It's been a month and a half since my last blog update ... I used to be so good when I lived in Roseville, but since moving to Napa my blog hasn't gotten as much attention ... oops. Here's a quick post of some of the fun things that I've been up to since the last post (note this only includes the fun parts, I don't want to bore you).

1. Flavor! Napa Valley at CIA at COPIA and CIA in St. Helena
2. Lots of running ... (and eating ... and making cookies) ... and I created a running map for guests at work.
3. Watching hot air balloons fly and land never gets old, it is truly one of the best parts about mornings in the Napa Valley.
4. Cooking ... I did make cookies, but also Tater-Tot Casserole from my childhood ... and maybe a few too many stops at Baskin Robbins and Ben & Jerry's.
5. Candy ... tried a new Chocolatier in the Napa ... (La Forêt Chocolate)
6. Wine Tasting ... Kieu Hoang, Trefethen, Duckhorn ... my credit card bill has been higher since moving to Napa. Also a few wines at a art show for Tim Howe Studios.
7. Beer ... it's not just about wine in Napa, we have beer too and I've been to Fieldwork a few too many times.
8. Read my friends book and you should too. The Magic of Motherhood.
9. Conference ... some meetings do involve food and I had the opportunity to attend a conference at the Upper Valley Campus of Napa Valley College where we got to try food prepared by students and even try their wine.
10. New Food ... Crush Lounge launched a new menu, I've enjoyed some of the items a few times with media, bloggers and co-workers. My favorite ... S'mores Bar, so good.
11. Easter ... celebrated the day before with family in Lodi and with 400+ of my closest friends in Napa.
12. Oops ... was running and fell. My hand and knee didn't look so good, but are pretty much all healed now.
13. Lunch ... had the opportunity to enjoy an industry tasting of lunch at Signorello Estate, tour was great, food and wine pairing with lunch was fantastic.
14. Sonoma ... headed to Sonoma for an evening event at Viansa. The views from the tasting room/winery are spectacular.
15. Giants ... spent a beautiful evening at AT&T Park watching the Giants win with my brother.
16. Afternoon in the Vineyards ... a few times a year the Napa Valley Vintners host events for the community. This time I visited the vineyards of Faust and Black Stallion, hearing from vineyard managers and winemakers about what makes their wines and the wines of the Napa Valley so special.
See all the pictures here.

Snow, Beach, Wine and Runs

2017-03-19T21:36:00.001-07:00

In the last month or so I've been to the Bradley Lodge to spend time with family (and find snow), to Santa Barbara for some time at Bacara, and have been able to enjoy some pretty spectacular wines while also keeping up with my cardio goals ... running lots.

It started at the Bradley Lodge for President's Day Weekend, a family tradition that I haven't been able to go to for the last couple of years. Although we got we didn't have any fresh snow at the lodge, it was was nice to enjoy a beer while looking at snow out the window (it was a blizzard) at Bear Valley, and we had our share of wine and food throughout the weekend, including a trip to Murphys. With no snow I was able do some of the mountain runs that I love the most and was even greeted by my youngest nephew at the end of a couple of them.

Back in Napa there were wine tastings, nights out, and some long runs. As part of our winemaker dinner series I often get to go to the wineries in advance for a tasting with our F&B/Culinary teams and I am never disappointed. We tasted amazing wines and got some exclusive access to the wineries, the wines and the winemakers that many are not able to. We started in Sonoma County at Paul Hobbs, then had to stop next door at Merry Edwards. The following week we drove north, past Calistoga to Peter Michael Winery and again made a few extra stops, including an impromptu tasting with the winemaker at Crocker & Starr, followed by lunch at Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen. We finished our tastings at Schramsberg, where I've been before, but this time got to see more of the spectacular caves that house hundreds of thousands of bottles of sparkling just waiting for the right moment to be riddled, corked and brought back out to see the light of day (and our glasses). Beyond tastings, I was also invited to attend a fun event at Raymond Vineyards.

There was also a trip south to San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach and Santa Barbara. We were able to take some time to go to one of my SLO favorites ... Splash Cafe, I ran to the Oceano Dunes (somehow I never actually made it there while in college). Before getting to Bacara we stopped at Hollister Brewing ... I had some very yummy Fish Tacos, then we were off check-in. They always treat me well and this time was no exception. We had a suite and a double queen guestroom awaiting us with a beautiful view of their magnificent pool and the Pacific Ocean. The next day we had the pool (and a cabana) to ourselves as my niece and nephews swam for almost the entire day ... and I was able to experience a Natura Bissé Facial in the "Bubble." The bubble is filled with ultra pure air to help the skin even more ... and even your lungs. It was 50 minutes of Bacara Bliss for sure. It was also fun to get a quick tour of their new fine dining restaurant, Angel Oak. My entire family had a great time and I hope that we're able to make it back again in the future for a quick getaway.

Back to my "normal" life in Napa ... there were also some very long runs including a 10 mile run and a half marathon (I beat my previous solo half marathon time by 16 minutes ... I credit pretty views for that), tried out Tannery Bend Beerworks on opening day, and we moved offices. I love my new office and I think I've already been even more productive since moving in just 5 days ago.

See all the pictures here.

Beach, Awards, Runs ... and Cake

2017-02-12T18:27:00.000-08:00

I was fortunate enough to spend some time in Huntington Beach in January for work. I love our Orange County properties and this trip gave me the opportunity to stay at Pasea for a week, then head to meetings a few miles south at the Balboa Bay Resort and Newport Beach Country Club. I took full advantage of staying across the street from the beach with a quick run with my account manager from a new advertising/marketing firm, spent some time in restaurants at Pacific City Mall, and just enjoyed time with co-workers and hearing the waves crash on the beach from a distance. I also won an award, so that was cool ... small issue, didn't know I was even nominated for the category, so I wasn't in the room when they were looking for me.

Back in Northern California I spent a day getting all the paperwork together for my tax guy, ran a lot, went to the gym (loving InShape Napa), enjoyed a tasting with Trinitas, learned about what makes Napa so special for wine grapes from the Napa Valley Vintners, and headed to Sacramento to celebrate my grandma's 91st birthday.

See all the pictures here.

Wine Tasting in Napa

2017-01-15T18:06:00.000-08:00

One would think that living in Napa I would go wine tasting a lot more than I actually do. It's actually a pretty rare event for me to go to wineries on my off time. Yes I go sometimes for work, but on the weekends I stay home, go to the gym and otherwise avoid leaving home. That said, when friends are in town, I take the opportunity to visit new places, head to my favorites, and check out some of the ones that I help send our guests to. With friends in town I headed to Clos du Val, Robert Baile, Luna, Silver Oak (and toured with the winemaker as part of the Napa Valley Vintners "morning in the winery" program), Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Bourassa, Jessup Cellars, Peju and Delectus. All were fabulous (although I'm partial to ones that include cheese ... so if you're in Yountville ... Jessup is a great tasting ... with a few days advance reservation Bourassa also does a food pairing). I also don't normally go out to eat alone, so this was a good opportunity to go to Soda Canyon, Southside Cafe, Gott's Roadside, Foodshed, Dean and DeLuca, and the Napa General Store.
Wine and food pictures.

Cruising South

2016-12-27T17:49:00.000-08:00

It was a cruise meant to check items off the bucket list and it was amazing. Before the trip I had dinner with my brother and sister-in-law in Napa at the new CIA Copia Restaurant. It's a fun "tapas style" concept, they bring every menu item to your table and you decide what you want to try and what you want to pass on for each course. The next morning I woke up early and headed to SFO for a my flight east. Although it wasn't the original flights scheduled (mechanical issues) and my bag didn't quite make it with me, I did make it and my bag followed me a little while later.

We got onto the cruise ship, the Celebrity Infinity, and our journey south began. We took a really fun galley tour ... saw them making all the fresh breads, pastas, salads, pastries and much more, spent lots of time relaxing and there is nothing better than watching the sun rise and set from a cruise ship. There was also a little bit of learning, I really enjoyed the guest speakers including "Panama Bill" who spoke extensively about the Panama Canal, its history and how it worked; and MickeyLive who made learning fun throughout the journey with talks on many of the ports and he hosted a morning sunrise club. At the end he made CDs of pictures for everyone that wanted them (complimentary if you gave three or more pictures) and was always available to answer questions.

Our first stop ... Cartagena, Columbia. My parents and I have been there a few times on different cruises, but this was my first time going to the monastery on the top of the hill for some great city views, plus their port is just fun to walk through with beautiful parrots, peacocks and flamingos.

Stop two ... Colon and the Panama Canal. I'd been to the Panama Canal, but this was my first time going through it on a ship. It was amazing. I didn't know what to expect, but it was fascinating and I think I walked the entire ship multiple times just to get views of every point in the journey from a different vantage point ... the upper decks, our balcony, the outdoor deck around the middle of the ship, the bow, and even the back of the ship.

Stop three ... Manta, Ecuador. After sailing into the Southern Hemisphere we made it to Ecuador. The city was still recovering from a large earthquake, but in most parts that we visited it seemed to be business as usual. We headed to the best fish market I've ever been too (they literally pull the boats onto the beach about 100 feet away from the market), then took a taxi all around the city, up into the mountains/rain forest, had a beer on the beach, and saw where they make "Panama" hats ... yep, Panama hats aren't really Panama hats, they're Montecristi hats.

Stop four ... Lima, Peru. We skipped some of the typical tourist things (I want to go back to see some of them) in favor of spending time with a longtime family friend. She took us to her house where we met her son and husband, then we went to a local fruit/vegetable market ... she let us try some things and also they have the largest carrots I've ever seen in my life. We kept walking through town to another shopping market, then took the bus back to her house and headed to lunch. El Bolivariano Restaurant was a great choice, we let her order for us and she picked some very tasty main dishes and drinks.

Stop five ... Arica, Chile. The driest spot on earth ... they 0.03 inches of rain a year, which is great for seeing some of the archeological sites of the area including geoglyphs and the oldest mummies on earth (older than the ones in Egypt). We also had a fabulous lunch, before heading to the coast and walking through beautiful seaside caves. We then headed up to the top of a hill to see a very large Chilean flag and sweeping views of the coastline.

Stop six ... Valparaíso and Santiago, Chile. It was sad to be at the end, but Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Casablanca and Santiago were a very sweet ending. First ... the coastal cities are beautiful, we took a walking tour through Valparaíso, saw the graffiti (it's famous and well done) along many of the streets, took a funicular up to the top of one of the hills, then headed to Viña del Mar for lunch at Fellini's after seeing the only Easter Island Moai that has made it off the island. Next up we headed inland to the Casablanca wine region of Chile for a stop at Indomita. I wish I had more room in my suitcase ... the wine was great and it was only $6-$9 per bottle. We kept on heading inland, saw the Andes mountains in the distance and made it to Santiago for a quick city tour (due to some safety concerns we didn't get out too often, but we did walk to the top of a hill inside of a park to see the city from the center) and then headed to the airport for our trip home.

All of the cruise pictures here.

Thanksgiving and Snow

2016-12-07T18:42:00.001-08:00

It was a fun Thanksgiving at the Bradley Lodge. I took a few very long runs through Big Trees State Park (had to run off all the great food), we had fun at the Dorrington Christmas Tree Lighting, and we played in the snow. It was the perfect way to spend time with family before heading back to Napa for more runs and to decorate Fort Bradley II for Christmas.
Link to photos.