MrAndrewBradley

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 ...

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 Fon...

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...

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 t...

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,...

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...

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...

  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...

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 ...

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...

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 ...

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 .

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 .

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 s...

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...

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.