Ding Dong, the bells are ringing!

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. This is when we dust off the boxes and take out the old ornaments, each wrapped carefully the year before. Memories come flooding in, kids handprints, first Christmas, homemade Christmas Tree Angels.

It's the time of giving. Yes, we give all year, but during this season, we step it up. More money for church, the Bell Ringers, people in need. We give anonymously because we know it's more about the gift, and less about us. It feels good!

(I had to include the above picture- after all, they weren't allowed to ring their bells in front of a certain barber shop. I love that they were creative with this and waved pictures of bells!)

Families playing together make the best memories of all..

..the sunsets this time of
year can be amazing!

Segway Napa donates to many fundraisers. If you see a gift certificate at
one of these, you can get a pretty good deal. A recent one was a Yountville Wine & Cheese tour for 2. They bought it for $75. Normal price would be $180! These do expire as they are a donation.

What does not expire are Gift Certificates that are purchased directly from us. So you needn't worry if your loved one doesn't use it right away. They can wait until Spring, or Fall- whenever they choose! Our Seasonal special is Buy One Tour, get One 1/2 Off. It's a great deal and makes a great present if you want to save it for later. Judging by how many people have bought one this
month -it's a hot ticket item! :)
http://www.segwaynapa.com/

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!
Cheer!
Gale
Segway Napa

Segway into the Season of Giving!

November left Napa with a wind storm which resulted in downed trees, power outages - and shops losing out on the big weekend after Thanksgiving spending spree. Luckily it only lasted until 4 pm. Good thing too, since the parade started at 5!

Segway Napa participated again in the Light Parade - handing out awesome savings coupons. Did you get one? It expires on December 31, 2009. We do this once a year, during the parade. If you missed out - don't worry - we have various specials going through April.

December has been chilly, getting as low as 21 degrees! Even so, we've had a lot of segway riders braving the cold to see Napa in this unique, fun way. We love our customers - you are truly adventerous!

Something that surprised me - mustard blooming in Carneros! This is the earliest I can remember it blooming! I've seen it often in late December, but not during the first week.

Are you looking for that special unique gift? Consider a Segway Napa Gift Certificate. With our 25% Christmas special (and Hanukkah :) it's a win/win.

December is a time for giving - this year we have received many requests for gift certificates for Christmas presents. Assuming the last order was also a Christmas Gift, I offered cute Christmas stickers to make it festive. The lady laughed and said that would be great, except this was a Hanukkah gift! I couldn't find any Hanukkah stickers :( but hopefully the present will be well received.

Speaking of giving- Small Lots Big Wines is holding their monthly tasting this Sunday (Dec. 13th) at the Rutherford Grange, featuring "Wines That Give Back" - it's a very cool event with some very amazing wines being poured. (like Cloud's Rest) Wineries will be taking wine orders, a portion of profits go to the charity of their choice. There will also be baked goods, art, jewelry and wine swag. And - weather permitting, free segway lessons. So, if you're in the valley and still need some gifts, stop by! 2pm - 6 pm. $15 at the door.

Contact: www.segwaynapa.com, segwaynapa@aol.com, 707-254-9773

Bring It!~ Crush is here at last . . .

Don't let this picture upset you - the grapes are getting thinned to allow for maximum sun exposure to the rest of the red grapes to bring you the very best wine Napa has to offer!

Wow, things are definitely hopping here in the valley - harvest has started - traffic is getting heavy, and the mood is happy! The wineries are the happiest - since '08 yielded so little- this year there are tons of grapes for sale on the market. I guess the vineyard owners are not too happy about that! Unfortunately, you can't please all the people all the time.

Most wineries are crushing white. Some have even started on the reds.

Segway Napa can get you up close and personal to those red grapes - if you're not afraid to get your hands dirty, that is. Our Yountville tour is probably the most popular this time of year - Harvest is a great time to be in the valley - you can actually smell the grapes fermenting as you glide along the side roads.

If you've glided with us before - be on the lookout for some mail from Segway Napa - that is if you gave us your address :)

Do you like history - Check out our history articles at http://www.smalllotsbigwines.com/ Small Lots Big Wines is your concierge to unique boutique wineries in Napa and Sonoma - they can arrange a very special day with owners and winemakers. Here is link to our September article- http://napa.smalllotsbigwines.com/napa-history/napas-white-grape-roots

Summer is coming to a close, our family discount is good until September 22nd - so if you have kids - now is the time to take advantage of our kids tour for 1/2 off. But if you miss us this year, there's always next year!

Until then, happy gliding to you all!

Segway to Summer Happiness!

mmm, summer, fresh berry pies, sun kissed cheeks, 4th of July, baseball, hot August nights, ah - segways! A new family tradition! Our Summer Family Special is a big hit with families making Napa their vacation destination - we have more kids riding segways this year then ever. Talk about making a memorable family experience! Brings back fond memories of our family vacation two years ago in San Antonio. Segwaying around the Alamo! We had a big family get together with 11 people - the youngest was 2- too young for a segway - so dad rented a bike with a trailer and came along for the fun! If you plan to visit Napa this summer, be sure to experience some of our down home events: Parades, Fairs, Farmer's Markets, Free Concerts in the Park, Town & County Fair, Movie nights outdoors in the Park, etc.




We've been keeping a close eye on the grapes - they are starting to turn a beautiful deep purple. The sparkling wine grapes will probably be picked this month. Most of harvest is Sept-Oct. We have a boutique winery that we visit during harvest that allows guests to participate - it's fun to punch down the grapes in the bins! Get your hands stained - great reminder for a few days of the fun you had!







Small Lots, Big Wines finally re launched their site. Want to go to some fantastic hidden secrets of the Napa Valley? Small Lots will point the way. I recently scheduled a tasting at Bourassa Cellars. At first I had misgivings, I mean, seriously, going to a Corporate Park? But once you're inside you're beamed into a small, intimate winery, the ambiance makes you feel very special - and the wines are amazing - I can't wait to go back!!

Summer Family Fun with Segway Napa!

Although June usually means summer weather - not so this year in the Napa Valley, at least not yet. We've had rain and thunder showers - cool mornings, overcast, breezy - people are digging through their clothes to find some winter gear! April and May had some temps over 100, we've been lucky this month to see anything over 70. My Aunt Polly said she went through Markleeville two days ago and got caught in a snow storm! In June! In California!

(TIP: you can click on the pictures to see a larger size, just remember to click the back button when you are done)

Usually summer brings hot weather - always summer brings families. Remember that song - "School's Out For Summer!" - here's a YouTube from the 70's with the Muppets! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWABJzHrGww

But I digress - what I want to say is - in celebration of families - Segway Napa is offering our SUMMER SPECIAL - all tours 1/2 off for kids *12-17 yrs old (*or at least 85lbs). We're very pro-family at Segway Napa - All our kids pitch in to help with the business.

Some of said kids probably have not been happy with the overcast cool days - but the grapes have been very happy with the cool mornings. Bud break is over, pollination is over - all that's left now is to grow. The grapes are getting to be about the size of a baby pea . Here are some pictures to show how much they have grown since last month!

We hope too see you soon!

Segway Napa

June calendar for downtown Napa:

Every Wednesday night- Art and wine at the Napa Mill

Every Thursday night- Chef's Market in Downtown Napa (1st Street)

Every Friday night - 3 bands live at the Veterans Park (Main and Third Street)

June 27th - outdoor movie - Shrek at the Veterans Park

St. Helena: 1st Friday of the month- May-October - Cheers! St. Helena

Segway Napa Mustard Madness!

March Mustard Madness!

It’s that time of the year in Napa, when the rains give way to seas of purple, yellow and green.

The hills a hue of emerald, with waves of purple lupin and yellow mustard. It’s breathtaking in so many ways.

A prefect time of the year to visit. The Mustard Festival http://www.mustardfestival.org/ is in full swing, with a Marketplace Weekend, Jazz Weekend, A Tate of Yountville, and photo finish at Mumm Napa.
Lot’s of pictures! I want you to see the valley in all it’s splendor.
Cheers!
Segway Napa

Extreme Segway - Mount St. Helena

I was asked if I would be willing to do a private Segway Tour up Mount St. Helena.

View to the East

At first I thought "no, that's way too steep, and I don't think the segways can make it".

Eventually I gave in, and am SO glad I did. It was amazing - so beautiful.

The Napa Valley was covered with clouds, but high on the mountain the sun shone and you could see forever!

We now offer this special tour to experienced riders. The tour must be paid in advance- since there is a lot of prep getting the segways up there. Still a great deal at $125 per person - 3.5 hours. Minimum two riders. The tour includes a snack and amazing photo opps!

Hope to see you on the mountain!

Cheers!

Segway Napa

707-254-9773

segwaynapa@aol.com

December in the Napa Valley

December – a time for Giving.
The wisdom of the Bible tells us there is a time for everything. Reaping, sowing, living, December is the time for giving. Our favorite charities at Segway Napa are Compassion International and Segs 4 Vets. Speaking of charities (nice segue, huh?) have you checked out the website to Small Lot Wine Tours? www.smalllotwinetours.com They are featuring 4 different wineries in the valley that give back.
1. Ehlers Estate-Heart Warming
2. Hill Family Estate
3. Humanitas-Drink Charitably
4. Clark-Claudon-Cab Cares

With our struggling economy, it’s difficult to find that extra dollar to donate. I gave up my latte’s for a week – that was NOT easy! And buying a bottle of good Napa Valley wine where the proceeds go to good causes, well, that IS easy!

December, so far, has been a very slow month for us – we have had one Team Building tour.

Well, we did expect that to happen, so we were prepared. It was a lot of fun, gliding in the vineyards. The lone vine you see, it's called an Old Soldier and is located in the famous ToKalon Vineyard. It was planted in the 1940's.

These photos show what Napa Valley looks like in December – still very pretty! The video is not great quality - heck, it was done with a pocket digital - however, you can hear the bells ringing from the Carmelite Monastary. It was so pretty to be out in the vineyards and hear the song of the bells.

Wait until you see March, with all the mustard in bloom!!!
Merry Christmas to all of you!
Segway Napa

HINT: You can click on the pictures to see their full size - just be sure to hit the back button to get back to the website.