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...

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...

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...

 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 .

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 .

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 B...

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...

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 tast...