Change of Greenery BlogThings to See and Do in Napa Valley that's GREEN!

Are you thinking of biking in this lovely wine valley? Here is something that most people do not consider and that is…

It usually occurs quite often in the afternoons around 3-5pm more or less and it’s completely unpredictable. Today the winds were at 23mph. The trees start shaking and leaves tend to swirl around in the parking lots. The dust starts to swirl in the vineyards so don’t forget to bring your sunglasses for your bike ride. On the way home from work on Hwy 29 going South, my little Nissan Cube tends to sway. A few days ago, someone almost hit me as his car rolled into my lane.

Most of my bike riders tell me that our electric bikes “saves” them against the wind on their way back to the finish point. It also helps with climbing the hills of Napa! Woot! Woot!

Last weekend I saw a couple off the Silverado Trail with “regular” bikes. I could tell she was on vacation because her bicycle was a rental. Well guess what she was doing? She was WALKING her bike and I’m sure little did she know that she was about to go up a hill. I could tell she was exhausted too. Poor thing!

Some people may balk at electric bikes, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it! We’ve even had a hotel guest INSISTING another guest that they do not want to ride a regular bike on their vacation. She yapped, “If there are electric bikes around then TAKE THEM… NEVER do a long tour on regular bikes! I will NEVER do a bike tour on vacation ever again unless it was with an electric bike!”

(For the record, she was never a client of ours – she was talking about her bike tour in Washington. She claimed it almost ruined her vacation from exerting too much energy).

We weren’t listed as 9 New Reasons to Love Napa Valley for nothing ya know!

The $7 million dollar renovations at the Napa Valley Marriott has just been completed and I had a chance to see the new digs. I am happy to report that it looks pretty amazing… very chic and modern. The new restaurant, VINeleven, looks fantastic with a circular bar and a HUGE showcase wine fridge in the back. I was able to take a look at the blueprints last year, but no one can ever imagine the final look so this was a mighty surprise to see the new makeover. What I really love is the new Starbucks kiosk with prepared food from Executive Chef Brian Whitmer’s kitchen. So if you need a yummy picnic to put in your bike basket, this is the place to get it! Also grab a Starbucks from here before your bike ride if you need a pick-me-up!

Other things that I love about this new 4-star hotel is:

- The open restaurant with TVs and booths
- The circular bar
- The two seating areas
- The pool and the large doors that will eventually open up so people can mingle outside
- There’s a concierge lounge as well that I haven’t seen finished yet, but it looks very “VIP-ish”. Hopefully I’ll post some of those pictures soon.

One of the sitting areas by check-in

The "lounging" area

Little stands for your drinks

The circular bar

The wine fridge behind the bar

All the employees who I’ve talked to so far all have high energy about the new renovations.  The vibe is definitely there. So there are some key points that I would like to mention about this property that some people may not know about.

- There is an abundance of parking! No valet parking necessary… which I love. I know there are quite a few hotels where there is no parking and you MUST valet park (I will not name names here) but I find it quite irritating when I am forced to valet park because sometimes I don’t have the patience to wait 10 mins more or less for them to find my car and PAY for it. Especially San Francisco where you HAVE to pay usually $50+.

- If you have an electric car, there are car chargers across the street!!!! There are 2 designated spaces (if not 4) at the Park N’ Ride. I had written a post about it before, but it got lost through WordPress updates. I’ll write it again soon!

- The VINE Bus Route is also across the street! It can take you to Downtown Yountville, Downtown St. Helena, Downtown Calistoga and everywhere in between. Yes, it actually does stop at wineries that are along Hwy 29 such as Mondavi and BV. So if you are on a budget and are limited on time to see a couple a places, this might be your best best. Just an FYI, it’s $1.35 per ride and the few times that I’ve been on it in a year, it’s never been packed… once I was on it by myself. Oh yeah, just a head’s up — each bus has bike racks for two so you can take our electric bikes up north to Calistoga and hit up the wineries that are off the beaten path.

- There is a hiking and mountain biking park that is walking/driving distance from the Marriott. It’s alittle over a mile to get to. Unfortunately I’ve only been there once to bike ride and the views were quite stunning! 360 views to be exact.

- Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s across the street. Need I say more?

- Wine Tasting from different wineries from 5-6pm in the lobby at the hotel for guests. From what I understand, they’re all different each night.

On top of everything that I mentioned, there’s also a pool, a spa, a fitness center and electric bikes. If you don’t know who I am, I am the “bike girl” located on the property (I am not employed by The Marriott, I am employed by Change of Greenery). You can find me behind the Napa Marriott Spa where I’ll be shooting visitors off on bikes to every direction. We have bike maps that go North, East, South and West.

This hotel really does have it all and honestly I’m thinking of staying here for my birthday next month. It’s going to be an amazing year at this hotel!

Also, I just got word that our electric bike riders can get 10% off of their rooms. It’s the Marriott’s Spirit to Preserve.

Email me at marriottoffer@changeofgreenery.com and I’ll email it to you.

Dogs in Napa Valley

Want to know what you can do in Napa Valley that’s different? How about renting an electric bicycle from Change of Greenery? Our ebikes go in excess of 30+ miles using pedal assist and we have 30+ different partners where you can make pitstops and get all these great incentives! Also, we provide roadside assistance should you get a flat and we also do wine and retail pickup from our participating green partners!

For the month of September and October, we are currently offering $10 off. Please use promo code “CRUSH” or you can call us directly at 707-596-0499 and tell us you read about our Napa Crush special! Also, please feel free to read our Yelp reviews!

We are located at the #1 hotel in Napa… The Napa Valley Marriott Hotel and Spa!

See you soon!

Oakland Raiders in Napa

Did you know that every year The Oakland Raiders (ya know – the awesome football team in The SF Bay Area) have training camp in Napa? They ALL stay at the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa every year as they play BEHIND the hotel. There are wooden fences so you can’t see them from the hotel, but if you rent an electric bike from us, you might be able to get a good view of them as I am sure the parking lots will be packed around the high school where they play. I also discovered a new spot… but it’s my secret!

I’m sure there will be plenty of parked cars at the field that they play at, so you just might as well rent an ebike from us, watch them play for a bit and whizz on over to Silverado Trail and check out Judd’s Hill Winery and Trefethen Vineyards!

The Raiders check into the hotel in about 2 weeks, so you may catch a glimpse of them around the hotel.  So book now before all the rooms are sold out!

Then, come reserve your ebike at www.changeofgreenery.com…

The Return from Bubbling Well Pet Memorial Park

I’ve never heard of the Bubbling Well Pet Cemetery until a private jet pilot had told me about it. He and his male co-worker made the trek last year and thought to himself, “I wish my family was here to see this!” Present day, he came back with his lovely wife and 2 beautiful daughters and off they went on the egreenery electric bikes. When they returned, the father had told me a funny story of how he passed up a 51-year old cyclist on a $6,000 Cannondale and one-by-one they all whizzed right past him on Atlas Peak Road. When the family took a break, the avid cyclist asked them how they did it and they explained that they were on ebikes. The professional biker laughed and said, “OH! I thought it was me! I thought I was losing my touch!” and they all laughed together.

I’ve never been to the Bubbling Well Pet Memorial Park, but I heard there are many cyclists that make this steep climb. Here is their info:

Bubbling Well Pet Memorial Park

Bubbling Well Pet Memorial Park
2462 Atlas Peak Rd
Napa, CA 94558

Google Map It from the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel and Spa

They stopped at Reynolds Family Winery on Silverado Trail (the parents went tasting and the girls rode the ebikes around their property). Afterwards, they rode further north to Oak Knoll Road and back to Solano Ave to return the bikes. They came back with blackberries that they picked in the fields. I don’t know where they picked them at, but I think they’re growing in abundance in Napa because I see them hovering over my patio from my neighbor’s yard…

The pilot and his family checked out on Sunday (3 days after their bike ride) and saw me on his way out. He said his kids STILL couldn’t stop talking about the bikes! That’s what we love to hear!

How do I begin?

The phone has been ringing off the hook and all I can say is that we will get back to you asap. I’m currently carrying an appointment book everywhere I go and pick up the phone when I can. We have plenty of availability as we have a fleet of bikes at The Napa Valley Marriott (I mean – where else would you go?).

To make the best of the situation, we’re answering the most common questions right here and right now….

YES – we have baby trailers and tag-alongs but we don’t want your kids at risk with our bike loops… this is Napa of course and we care about your safety! But we do have them! The safest places are behind the Napa Valley Marriott in residential and vineyard areas…

YES – you can rent one of our electric bikes and bring a regular bike and still get 2-for-1 wine tastings with our partners! Yes, yes, bring your bike enthused partner and see who can go faster (We know who will win! *Wink! Wink!*!). We’ve been there and done that!

YES to kids over over 5’2 with a parent riding along side.

YES to adults who are 5’0 – 6’3.

YES you HAVE to sign a waiver. For FASTER expedition, HAVE this waiver… so either you want to wait in the queue to sign the waiver OR you sign it now and we’ll get you rolling ASAP! We MUST have a VALID credit card as a deposit.

YES you CAN get a DUI on a bike. This is wine TASTING and not wine GUZZLING! Safety is always a first!

YES – we use lithium-ion battery! Static Charge!

NO – it’s not recommended to ride this bike if you’ve never ridden a bike before!

NO – You CANNOT go 30+ miles on THROTTLE mode. You’ll use your battery life faster (let’s say 15 miles for a 150 pound person on regular terrain if you use the throttle mode 100% of the time). It hasn’t been tested only because no one has ever done it. I can say that a 140 pounder can go 30 miles with 30% throttle mode and 70% pedal assist. So yes, if you weigh 200 pounds, you’ll probably do about 25 miles on pedal assist with no inclines. Just take that with a grain of salt! It’s all about the weight! I just recently had a family of 4 do 27-miles with mountain inclines with 20% throttle mode and they came back with lots of battery life left. Granted, they all weighed an average of 160 lbs.

NO – there are no restaurants on Silverado Loop Trail. You must go to either Yountville or Downtown Napa!

Please watch the YouVideo before you rent a bike just so you’ll get a hint of what we’re all about!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huWKzfvYl9c]

Any other questions?

Please email us at changeofgreenery@gmail.com. Even if you want to make reservations. Our phones are literally off the hook! We will get back to you because we love you for being green!

Check out our partners and our Napa Valley Bike Maps!

For a Change of Scenery – Try Change of Greenery… Get out of your car and onto some ebikes! ONLY in Napa Valley!

BTW, for the record – we are AWESOME…

I met the owner of The Cottages of Napa Valley and he told me that our ebike riders can picnic on their property. You can call them before heading out or ask one of Change of Greenery’s staff members to call just to make sure there’s no one is utilizing the tables. I actually got a tour of this unique place last week and it was gorgeous! When you rent an ebike from Change of Greenery, you can get 10% your picnic basket from Characters BBQ menu from the Napa Valley Marriott or get 15% off your food bill from The Red Hen Cantina. They are both on the way to The Cottages of Napa Valley… approximately 3 miles from where we are located… 1/2 way to Domaine Chandon!

The Cottages of Napa Valley

Please call (707) 252-7810 ahead in advance for availability!

From The Napa Valley Marriott’s Facebook Page.

Their Facebook page is awesome because they’re always having contests for freebies unlike any other that I’ve seen! So become a fan as well as becoming a Change of Greenery fan!

Ever since I created that 27-mile bike loop, I’ve sent 16 ebike riders on that loop. It’s only been 2 days since it’s been on every since bike that we have in stock. I have to admit… it’s probably the most beautiful loop that I have created. An older nurse practitioner (in her 60s?) went on that loop with her 30ish year old daughter. Once you make that turn on Oakville Grade, you will see an amazing view of Napa Valley and when you coast down, your mind is just boggled (Do I brake or do I look at the breathtaking view?!!). Just for you future bike riders who are taking this loop, make sure you use ONLY pedal-assist! I know people tend to get excited over the throttle, but let me tell ya, I’ve had 3 ebike riders (out of 16) who winded up losing their battery power before making it back. The best way to maximize your battery life is to use pedal-assist versus throttling (Think of it as 30 miles vs 15 miles). Both will take you to a max speed of 18mph (but really it goes around 20).

Here is what this loop looks like:

Oakville Grade View

Oakville Grade View

Other things you’ll see:

Yup, this route is becoming VERY popular and pictures doesn’t do it any justice!! For people who don’t want to go through Silverado Trail to Oak Knoll Ave after The Oakville Grade, you can go south through the town of Yountville towards Napa. You’ll be able to make pitstops at any of the 5 partners, Domaine Chandon (2-for-1 bubbly tasting there) and onto a bike path back onto Solano Ave. and back to The Napa Valley Marriott. For the record, it’s approximately 6 miles from Domaine Chandon back to the hotel.

Change of Greenery Electric Bicycle Rentals and More is going to be SLAMMED this weekend but we still have a few more bikes left so reserve now! We are excited that the Napa summer season is here! The weather IS amazing! Today, we reserved bikes for a family of 4 and they don’t want to do wine tasting tomorrow and they want to go off the beaten path, so we  decided to create a fun 27-mile bike loop for them that doesn’t have as many partners like the Silverado Loop.

Dry Creek Road Bike Loop

Behind the Napa Valley Marriott is a long road called Dry Creek Road which slowly but surely inclines in the hills. Once you make a right on Oakville Grade from Dry Creek, you’ll be going higher and higher until you see some amazing breath taking views of Napa Valley and then it’s a roller coaster ride thereafter! I do have our partners’ location just in case you want to stop and take a break – grab some water or a snack! Our partners are more than happy to help our bike riders out in anyway possible!

When using our mountain ebikes on inclines, put the ebikes in 1st or 2nd gear and use the pedal-assist. Trust me when I say that it helps out tremendously as I rode this climb last week with ease! NO WAY, NO HOW would I be able to do this with a regular bike… nor would I attempt to because of the lack of cell phone coverage if I did this alone.

Since I have mapped out some of our partners on the map, I did put some cute warning signs on the map! Since O’Brien’s Estate Winery is within the vicinity, I enclosed their location, but gave a nice little forewarning…

Do Not Go Here!

O’Brien’s Estate Winery has been The #1 Favorite for Change of Greenery’s bike riders for the past 2 months. Not kidding. I told a couple today to avoid that place as I’ve heard soooooo many good things about O’Brien’s from our ebike riders, that I feel that our other winery partners aren’t getting a chance. Well guess what? The couple today winded up going to O’Brien’s Estate Winery LAST. I called them close to 7pm because I was getting worried about them (Wineries tend to have their last pour at  4:30pm and I was FEARING the WORST!). When I got a hold of them via cell phone, they told me they have been hanging out with Bart O’Brien since 5:15pm! They came over after they closed and Mr. O’Brien let them in! Talk about customer service! Sheesh! I’m tellin’ ya – there’s always a party at O’Brien’s and I hope it might have something to do with the egreenery bikes because when the O’Brien clan sees that they pulled up with the bikes, it’s just a fabulous celebration! You just have to go there to see what it’s about I suppose…

I also got a nice handwritten note in regards to Page Wine Cellars in Yountville, CA telling me that they had an AMAZING time there from Egan. They were so impressed with their wines, they became wine club members! Yay! It’s seldom that I get a handwritten note so I was appreciative! I met Egan last week and WOW – what a genuinely nice guy! Highly recommended to visit!

Also, if you decide to do this 27-mile Dry Creek Road, be sure to check out Baldacci’s Vineyards, which is the first vineyard on the right when you get on Silverado Trail. They have a 60 degree cave so they would be PERFECT to visit to get a cool break after doing those climbs! Mike and Fran are the peeps to ask for.

Baldacci's Vineyards

I’m pretty positive that if you tell them you just did the Oakville Grade incline, they’ll understand why you URGENTLY need to visit the cave! Heehoo! Yeah – they ROCK!

Ebikes and partners go hand in hand!!!

BTW, I think we’re going to be launching some fantastic fun around Napa on Sundays, so stay tuned!