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

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.

So you want to get to Napa Valley without a car, eh?

There is a relatively new kid in town, called the VINE 29 Express Bus, which is a Napa commuter bus that leaves 4 times in the morning from Napa Valley and 4 times from a Bay Area BART station in the early evenings (The El Cerrito del Norte BART station to be exact).

This route is actually ideal for Bay Area residents who want to get to Napa Valley for a quick weekend escape on a Friday evening and leave early Monday or Tuesday morning. So let’s say you leave your house in Berkeley around 3pm on Friday. You can take the BART to the El Cerrito del Norte BART station, jump on the commuter 29 VINE Express bus at 4:10 or 5:10pm, arrive in Napa in about an hour and then take it back home  Monday in the AM (from 4:40am – 8:22am).

You can find some great hotel deals around the new Park and Ride at Solano & Marriott stop such as The Napa Valley Redwood Inn, The Chablis Inn and of course, The Napa Valley Marriott. All of these hotels are walking distance from this stop and it is perfect to use this stop to jump on the 10N Bus ($1.25 per ride) to use for sightseeing on the weekend (St. Helena, Bothe State Park, Calistoga, etc)… but more on that in another post.

Napa Vine Bus

I was actually able to utilize the VINE Commuter 29 Express Bus, www.ridethevine.com, from San Francisco last week (San Francisco to Napa Valley). The total price is a whopping $5 each way and you can also snack on the bus! Here are some great routes to take along with some prices… This is of course for people who don’t want to spend $200.00 for a cab ride to/from Oakland or San Francisco Airports. It takes approximately 1.15 hours to get to/from Oakland Airport and around 2 hours to/from San Francisco Airport and that’s only if there is hardly any traffic! Plus, let’s not forget there is a toll on the way to Napa for $5.00.

From BART to VINE Napa - when you exit the BART station, go directly across to the island and find the VINE bus line sign

Park and Ride Solano & Marriott

FOR TRAVELERS:

If you are coming from OAK (Oakland Airport) or SFO (San Francisco International Airport), there are commuter buses on WEEKDAYS only. You will need to take the BART (our Bay Area subway) to El Cerrito del Norte BART stop.

San Francisco BART Map

From OAK:

- Take bus shuttle (AirBart) to Oakland Airport BART. Don’t worry… they run every 10 minutes.
- Oakland Airport BART, take the “Richmond line”, which is either red or orange on the map.
- Get off at El Cerrito del Norte BART.
- The Vine 29 Express Bus comes at 4:10pm, 5:10pm, 5:55pm and 6:45pm. Don’t be late!*

Cost: $6.00 BART + $5.00 Commuter VINE = $11.00

From SFO:

- Take the SFO BART, located inside the airport, and any BART and head towards San Francisco. Make sure you get on the red or orange line before leaving Oakland. You have 10 chances.
- – Get off at El Cerrito del Norte BART.
- The Vine 29 Express Bus comes at 4:10pm, 5:10pm, 5:55pm and 6:45pm. Don’t be late!*

Cost: $9.05 BART + $5.00 Commuter VINE = $13.05

*If you’re late, find the Vallejo bus stop and take Route 80. They run every 30 minutes from 5:15am – 10:54pm Monday-Friday.
- Get off at York & Marin and find the VINE 10N bus line.
- The VINE 10N bus leaves every hour starting at 1:50pm – 8:50pm from this stop.
- The VINE 10N bus line stops at various places… but it can take you all the way to Calistoga!

This route also applies for EAST BAY RESIDENTS.

For San Francisco residents:
- Jump on a BART train and head up to Embarcadero stop
- Go the the Ferry Building and jump on the Baylink ferry to Vallejo
- Take  the Vallejo ferry, find the 10N bus line and it will take you all the way to Napa town > St. Helena > Calistoga.

Cost: $13.00 Vallejo Ferry + $1.25 VINE 10N bus = $14.25 plus your BART fare.

You can actually get to Napa Valley from Sacramento via Super Shuttle for $80.00 RT as well.

The Wine Train also has a fantastic deal for people who are coming from San Francisco if you give them a day’s notice for $45 RT per person plus cost of the lunch or wine tour package. Check out their website for more details.

Napa Valley Car Free

For more ideas on using NOT to use your vehicle, check out Napa Valley Car Free.

Not too many people know about this so please do share! See you around Napa!

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!

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!

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.

This awesome pair loved their ebike tour! They spent the entire day on the egreenery bikes and Joe is reeeeeaallllly interested in purchasing one now! He even sent me a fantastic email stating how amazing the bikes were and Jane told me that it was the most fun they had on their 4-day Napa vacation! We’re glad we can assist (pedal-assist that is!).

Joe & Jane

Thanks Joe for wearing the green shirt on your ride – OH so appropriate! See you guys next time!

Napa Valley Gay Pride Week 2010

“You Can Leave Your Hat On!” LGBTQ Pride event is going on for one week from June 13 – June 20, 2010. You can purchase your ticket here. Proceeds from this event will be donated to the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life on behalf of Team Unity League. Get a group of people together and rent electric bicycles in Napa and parade around town with the Napa Valley Green Card any day of the week for this special celebration! Already bringing a bike? No problem! Find a non-cycling buddy to ride with you and benefit from the card!

Ideas for an electric bike in Napa during this event:

Sunday, June 13 - Ride to Fuller Park from The Napa Valley Marriott for the LGBTQ Family Picnic and head over to Ceja Vineyards, Toolbox Wine Company, Gustavo Thrace, Mason Cellars, Taste at Oxbow for complimentary wine tastings and 2-for-1 wine tastings.

Thursday, June 16 – It’s Pride Night at The Chef’s Market – Ride Your Electric Bike and eat, drink and be merry!

Sunday, June 20 – Ride your electric bike to Bardessono for the “Ibiza Chill Out by the pool” after the “Recovery Brunch” at The Napa Valley Marriott Hotel and Spa, where we are conveniently located and see the gorgeous scenery along Solano Ave and make a pitstop over to Trefethen Vineyards, O’Brien’s Estate and Domaine Chandon for 2-for-1 wine tastings!

Change of Greenery’s electric bike rentals are $75.00 for the entire day and this includes a basket for all your goodies, a combination lock, helmet, roadside assistance and wine pickup. These bikes go in excess of 30 miles and we have 30 partners for you to choose from to get complimentary wine tastings, 2-for-1 wine tastings, a free piece of chocolate from Anette’s at The Public Oxbow Market and more.

Mention PFLAG and we’ll donate 10% to PFLAG North Bay.

Also note – anyone dressing like Cher will get a complimentary all-day bike rental!!

We want Cher on a bike!

The Crazy 8 riding down Yountville-Crossing

What a treat to have these bike riders toil around Napa Valley on our electric bikes last Saturday! Bruce, “the ringleader” asked me earlier, “Where to go?” and I instantly thought of my last few riders raving about O’Brien’s Estate Winery and I knew Mr. O’Brien would not let them down! I quickly called the estate ahead in advance to make sure they got in. I also made lunch reservations for them at the phenomenal Hurley’s Restaurant. They have an amazing patio smack dab in the middle of Yountville that’s just perfect for people watching on Washington St! After shooting off more ebike riders on their Napa Valley ebike trek, I had some free time in the afternoon and thought it would be fantastic to pull out the Canon SLR and take shots around the valley of my “Crazy 8″! I dubbed them “The Crazy 8″ because as soon as they jumped out of their Jeep convertible to pick up the ebikes in the morning, they all jumped on the ebikes and the boys were just whizzing along fearlessly and flying by in the parking lot! I stood there saying to myself, “Ummmm…. Guys??!!!”

Here are some shots I took of them at Hurley’s and driving down Yountville towards beautiful Silverado Trail. I am not by any means a professional photographer, but I’m slowly but surely learning!

The fun part of the short photo shoot was watching them cruise past the “regular” bike riders effortlessly and picking up their wine purchases from O’Brien’s and Domaine Chandon. Hey – you can send me to Domaine Chandon anytime! I love going through their beautiful property!!!

ebikes in Yountville

Hurley's Restaurant, Yountville, CA

Enjoying the sun on the patio

Let's Go Here!

Leaving Ma(i)sonry and Yountville

Whizzing down Yountville-Cross on an electric bike

Luscious Napa Valley Greenery!

Fearless Bruce, the adventure seeker!

Thanks Crazy 8 for letting me take photos of you guys!  You guys are too much fun and way too awesome! I hope to see you again on your next trip to Napa!