Want to make your next wine tasting special?

Then please consider visiting one of our favorite Amador County wineries, Villa Toscano for their one of their Fall Futures Release Parties. The menus are wonderful, the wine is excellent, and best of all, Villa Toscano is less than an hour away from most parts of Sacramento.

For a list of available dates, menus and wine selections, simply click here.

Luxx Limo chosen as Sacramento Affliate of Carmel Car

We are pleased to announce that Luxury Limousines has been chosen to be the exclusive Sacramento Area Affiliate of Carmel Car. We now join limo providers to offer one stop shopping in 43 cities across the country.

Carmel's affiliates also provide ground transportation services to Orbitz, American Express as well as several airlines. For more information, check out the official press release.

This is one ride I am glad we didn't get!

Cory Eugene Gill walked into the Comerica Bank in Dallas last Friday morning and handed a teller a note demanding money. Upon leaving the bank with his ill-gotten gain, Cory entered the passenger side of a black limousine and made his getaway.

While I have to give Cory a "10" on style points, I can only give him a "1" for brains. You see, limousine companies keep detailed records of their passenger pick ups and drop offs. Apparently Cory didn't realize this as he was caught this morning in Tulsa while waiting for another limo at the same location where the first limo had dropped him off.

The Power of the Internet

During Saturday nights Jimmy Buffett concert in Vegas, a performer I had never seen before came on stage for Margaritaville. After the concert ended, I ask several other Parrotheads if they knew who he was - however, either they didn't know or they were to "under the weather", to have even noticed him.

Luckily, I snapped a picture of him - he is shown here in a black shirt standing to the left of Mac McAnally.

Upon my return home, I put on my CSI hat and did a little snooping on the net - and in less than 25 minutes I was able to figure out that he is Frank Marshall, an Oscar nominated Producer and Director. Unfortunately, his Producing credits include the last summers horrible Indiana Jones movie. His tie to Jimmy? He was the Producer to the equally bad movie "Hoot" which Jimmy appeared in.

Now I will be able to sleep tonight - and if I can't, all I have to do is pop in one of Frank's films!. Thank god (and/or Al Gore) for the Internet!

Las Vegas Limos (maybe next time I will just drive!)

Just got back into town from a quick trip to Vegas, and I was once again reminded why I got into the limo business. Here are some of my limo experiences while there:

Our driver who picked us up from the airport was on time and very professional. But boy did his car reek of cigarette smoke. I guess that might have been his way of preparing my lungs for the upcoming assault they would face in the casinos, but all in all, I would rather not had the smell of cigarette smokebe my first memory of this Vegas trip.

Our driver who picked us up later and took us to a concert (yes, fellow Parrotheads, I saw Jimmy again - and trust me, twice in one week is not to much), was very nice, but had no clue were the back entrance was to Mandalay Bay nor where the MGM Garden Theater was. I guess that would be forgivable if he was a newbie, but he claimed he had been driving in Vegas for seven years. Oh, and my door handle didn't work.

And to top things off, while sitting at a poker table last night, the player next to me was talking to his friend who was sitting behind him. I was trying not to listen in, but they had both been drinking and they were a little loud. Just as the friend was about to leave, I heard him say that he only had one "run" tonight. In limo slang, a "run" is a ride or trip with passengers. I couldn't believe what I was hearing so I ask the player next to me if in fact his friend was a limo driver - and he said yes he was. I inquired if he was really going to drive intoxicated, and he said yes, adding that he had told his friend not to before he always did anyway.

Like the title of this post, I think maybe I will just drive the next time!)

Our friends from In the Mix enjoy a nightout courtesy of Luxxury Limousines

Here is what they had to say:

We want to thank Luxury Limousines of Sacramento for providing a night to never be forgotten! We had such a wonderful experience, our chauffeur Nick was truly a class act! We will be using your services again and referring Luxury Limousines to our clients as well.

Again thank you!

Justin & Kisty

For more information about In the Mix Mobile DJ Service, check out their website. For information about the wonderful photographer who took this picture, check out Carmen's site by clicking here, or her blog, which is listed to the right of this post.

Another star in our cars!

Yesterday we had the most famous of the Stone Poneys in one of our cars. Can't say what she was doing in town, but I still like to think how wonderful it would been if she had been referring to me when she sang Warren Zevon's "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" especially the line that goes "Yes, he really worked me over good, He was a credit to his gender"!

Madonna comes to Oakland

Madonna will bring her "Sticky and Sweet Tour" to Oakland's Oracle Arena on Saturday November 1st and Sunday, November 2nd.

If you already have tickets, then now is the time to book your limo, as we are selling out fast. If you don't have your tickets - let us arrange them for you. Just call our office, and within minutes we will have you set up for a memorable evening.

(Editor's Note: That is not one of our cars (but I wished it was!)

The Haines Brothers have done it again!

Just got back from a pre-opening cocktail party at the Haines Brothers newest restaurant, Tre.

It takes a lot to wow me, but Matt and Fred did it and more! Located at Howe and Hurley (in a building that used to be part of the infamous "Triangle") the place has been transferred into an upscale restaurant and club that will be catering to a "mature" audience. It has something for everyone - including a large central bar and separate smaller bars that feature the finest tequila at one, whiskey and scotches at another and wines at a third. There is also a cigar bar and a private patio to puff away in.

Best of all (at least in my opinion) is a private table in the kitchen where there is no menu - you are served whatever Chief Charley and his crew whip up for you. I always wondered why Charley was having me sample food that wasn't on the menu at his prior restaurant - now I know that I was simply a guinea pig for his creations. And judging from what I sampled tonight, he has perfected his recipes!

Tre opens to the public on Tuesday and will be serving food until 1AM.

"More than 1,200" good reasons to let us take you to the airport

The Sacramento Bee reported today that Sacramento Airport Officials will close "more than 1,200 parking spaces" to make room for the construction of the new terminal. The actual number is still a little bit of a mystery - the officials acknowledged that 770 spaces will be lost from the Terminal B hourly parking lot, but would only confirm "more than 500 spaces" would be lost in Terminal B's daily lot.

While officials will open 2,000 "extra" parking spots will be made available when necessary (i.e. Thanksgiving and Christmas"), these spots will be in the overflow area of Terminal A's lots - in other words, somewhere near bum.... Egypt.

One way to avoid this problem is simply to let Luxury Limousines pick you up at your door, and drop you of in front of your terminal, and return you in the same manner. No hunting for parking places, slepping luggage, or running for the Shuttle Bus you just missed.

The 'Gal" dressed up in the Parrot Costume

I just confirmed that the "gal" referred to in yesterday's review of the Jimmy Buffett concert in the San Jose Mercury News was in fact our very own Cassandra.

Picutred here on her way to the concert with my friends Kyle and Mesja, one can only hope that this is not her only 15 mintues of fame!

Fins Up!

Fins were up last night at Shoreline in Mountain View as Jimmy Buffett and his Coral Reefers made their annual stop in Northern California. While not as intimate as last years amazing concert at the legendary Fillmore, this was still a wonderful event. The weather cooperated as it was unseasonably mild. The "Reeferettes" quickly shed the jackets they wore while coming onto the stage, and Jimmy seemed comfortable performing in his trademark barefoot style.

Our thanks go out to the wonderful people at Prestige Events for once again coming through with great food, Angelina and Mesja for making some incredible Margaritas, and most of all to our bus driver Rick who repeatedly found restrooms seemingly at a moments notice and got us there just in time for Hot, Hot, Hot.

Click here for a review of the show and yes, the reference to "the gal dressed in a parrot costume" may very well have been Cassandra from our group!

100th Post!

Hardly seems possible, but this is my 100th post on this blog!

Anyway, today's subject actually deals with tomorrow's big event - the Jimmy Buffett Concert at Shoreline. I went on line to check the time of the concert, and low and behold not only could I check the concert time, but also got a bird's eye view of the venue courtesy of Jimmy's website and Google. For those interested, click here, and then onto Shoreline - caution - this link probably won't be active for long!

2nd Quarter Environmental Sustainability Report

We just received our 2nd quarter 2008 Environmental Sustainability Report from Green Ride Global. I am pleased to announce that the report shows substantial continued improvement. Through driver education and training, we have improved our average miles per gallon from 11.1 to 13.4. This represents an increase of almost 21%.

For the first year to date, our total fleet emissions decreased by 16%. We are extremely proud of these results, and will continue our efforts in environmental leadership.

Beehive Limo from the Movie Jackass 2

Continuing with our series of funny limo videos, here is prime example of why we don't buy used limos!

We are at it again!

Following on the heels of our highly successful Raiders contest, be listening to Sports 1140 for your chance to win six tickets to see the red hot Sharks take on The Flames on Thursday, November 14th.

Transportation to and from the game will of course be provided by Luxury Limousines. If you have ever driven to the Sharktank and back, you can appreciate just how nice it will be to relax and enjoy a cold one or two on your way to San Jose.

The Sharks are currently the only 4-0 team in the NHL, and are allowing only an average of one goal per game. This promotion starts soon, so be sure to listen to Grant and Mike each day.

Why?

Why am I not in this picture? I guess an even better question is why are YOU not in a picture like this?

Well, you could be! Just reserve one of our limos (this one happens to be our 13 passenger Excursion) mix with some of your friends, and voila!, an instant party!

Congratulations Jesse Aguilar!

Jesse is the winner of our KHTK Raiders Promotion. Jesse along with five family members or friends will be riding in a Luxury Limousine to this Sunday's Raiders game when the men in silver and black take on Brett Farve and the New York Jets.

Jesse is a true Raiders fan and was a unanimous pick by the KHTK team. Here is a portion of his winning email:

As you can tell from my screen name I am a Raiders Fan! I have been since I can remember watching football as a child with my father. I have passed it down to my 17 year old son and my two daughters. My four year old doesn't even know what football is yet really but when she sees anyone playing football on TV she says "Go Raiders" It was one of her first phrases!

Deadline is tomorrow to win tickets to see Brett Farve and The Jets

Entries for our Sports 1140 contest to see the Raiders take on future Hall of Famer Brett Farve this Sunday are due by 7PM tomorrow. All you have to do is email sportsline@khtk.com and tell them why you deserve to win tickets for yourself and five friends AND Luxury Limousine service to and from the game. For more details click here.

Placer County Wines

I must admit that I have yet to try a Placer County Wine, but that will likely change next Saturday when I attend the Kobra - Cursh 29 Wine & Art Party in Downtown Roseville.

In what promises to be an annual event, ten Placer County Wineries will be pouring tastings of their latest offerings, and over 100 local artists will be showing their two and three dimensional work. In addition, food will be provided by Crush 29 and their will be live music from four different bands. This is an outdoor event, so dress accordingly, and of course, please consider arriving in style and safety in one of our limousines.

Maybe I am getting a little to addicted to blogging!

Yesterday's Wall Street Journal featured this "Pepper and Salt" cartoon, that made me laugh out loud. I have seriously thought about blogging as I am being seated in a restaurant or for that matter wherever I am going or doing. Is this an addiction? I am not sure, but I am sure having fun doing it!

Cocktails in Sacramento

I almost always find something of interest in Bob Shallit's articles in the Bee, and today is no exception. In it, Bob reports that "The Tasting Panel" which is a magazine for bartenders and restaurateurs has recognized Rio City Cafe, Ella, L Wine Lounge, Zocalo and Lounge on 20 for for their "friendly competition" to produce the "next hot concoction". Long considered a back water, apparently we are now considered to be "newly hip"!

If you would like to check out some of these concoctions, what better way to do it that in one of Luxury Limousines (especially now that our local "DUI Fixer" is behind bars!).

Congratulations to Gregorio Gutierrez - Luxury Limousines Employee of the Month!

Gregorio, aka Gregg is pictured here with Make a Wish Child Chris, who had this to say about him, "Greg Gutierrez was awesome. Thank you for sending him to help with my wish. He was always ready when we needed him. I will never forget my Make a Wish day. Thank you gain for all of your services".

In addition to this compliment, Ozzie, our General Manager had this to say "Greg has shown great initiative and dedication to Luxury Limousines - he has an infectious smile and a can do attitude. He has received numerous compliments from our clients on his professionalism and smooth driving"

When not behind the wheel, Greg spends his free time with his wife and three children, ages 13, 16 & 19.

Luxx Limo in the Spotlight!

Luxury Limousines is in the "Spotlight" this week as the featured vendor on the Dynamite Weddings website.

We are proud to be among the few very wedding professionals to be part of the Dynamite Team - if you are planning a wedding or know someone who is, we strongly recommend you check out their vendor list and also their very informative blog, "The Daily Dynamite", a link to which is one the left side of this page.

Another word about safety...

In light of yesterday's horrific bus accident near Colusa, I thought it would be appropriate to once again mention how we at Luxury Limousines evaluate the driving records of our chauffeurs.

During the interview process, we receive a criminal background check as well as a print out of potential chauffeur's DMV records. Any prior criminal convictions, or any serious traffic violation immediately disqualifies them from driving for us. In addition, we are enrolled in the CHP's "Pull Program" which provides us with immediate notifications if any of our drivers subsequently receives a traffic violation. Our insurance company is also provided with a list of our drivers and they independently conduct their own background investigations.

Our Chauffeurs also must take a pre-employment drug test and are subject to monthly random drug and alcohol tests. The bottom line is this, drivers with records such as the one who was behind the wheel of the Colusa crash need to not even apply at Luxury Limousines as they will never be hired.

Finally, all of us at Luxury Limousines wish to express our deepest sympathy to the injured and to the families of those killed in the crash. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Know Before You Go

Recently, several state agencies participated in a strike force operation at the Sacramento International Airport. 127 Commercial Vehicles were inspected by various agencies including taxicabs, hotel shuttles, limos, airport shuttles and charter buses. Here are the staggering results:

Of the 80 cabs that were inspected, 11% were found to have meter violations - either the meter inspections had expired, or worse, there evidence of inspection at all.

43 vehicles were inspected by the CHP. As a result, 32 violations of the vehicle code were found, one of which was so serious the CHP immediately removed the vehicles from service.

The airport authorities themselves pulled 12 transponders from the vehicles they inspected. Such an action effectively bars these vehicles from future airport pickups or drop-offs.

The bottom line is this, before you hire any commercial vehicle, check out their operating licenses. To check out Luxury Limousines click here.

Tasting Room Reviews

SF Gate, which is the online home of the San Francisco Chronicle, has an excellent series of articles called "The Tasting Room".

Two of the most recent articles feature a couple of my personal favorite wineries, BV and Charles Krug. I found both reviews to be spot on - BV's employees are described as "no-nonsense, but knowledgeable", while the staff at Krug (aka the Original Mondavi Winery) were "playful" and the entire group "agreed that we could have spent the entire afternoon bantering with the easygoing and knowledgeable employees" (I am quite sure my friend Ralph Murray (no relation unfortunately) was involved in that description!).

The reviews not only describe the "vibe" of the tasting rooms, but also the types of wines you can expect to taste as well as describing the options your group will have upon arrival. For example, BV actually has two rooms - one for current releases and one for their "reserve" wines. Had I known that the first time I went there, I might have been tempted to skip the current releases and head straight for the reserve room.

Nice Job Alexander!

I just received a complimentary note from one of the volunteers for Make a Wish. In the note she writes that the wish family was so impressed with their chauffeur, Alexander, that they actually called the volunteer from the back of the limo to compliment him.

This is exactly the type of service that we look for in our chauffeurs. Great job Alex!

Luxx Limo Named as Official Limo Company of the Exotic Zone Ball!

We are pleased to announce that we were just named as the Official Limousine Company of the Exotic Zone Ball. The Zone Ball is the Sacramento Areas premier Halloween Party and should not be missed.

The Ball is being held at Cal Expo on October 25th. It will feature a Costume Contest ($2,500 grand prize and $5,000 in total prizes!), Mechanical Bull Riding and a Human Petting Zoo (and these are just the features that I can write about!).

Book now as we will surely sell out.

Avis skirts safety issues

Avis (aka "we try harder") is now offering an option of providing a chauffeur along with its rental cars. This sounds like a great idea, until you dig a little deeper. First of all, their rental cars are not licensed as either taxis or limos. Consequently, the vehicles are not subject to the same safety inspection rules, nor are they permitted on airport properties.

Second, the chauffeurs are being furnished by a third party contractor, and are not subject to the rigours background checks and random drug testing that our industries chauffeurs go through.

In one recent incident documented by the owner of another limo company, a car rented from Avis and with a chauffeur provided by a company called "We Drive U" was stopped on three separate occasions and was cited twice for different violations.

As the old saying goes, "Let the Buyer Beware" especially when the seller appears to be trying a little to hard to be something they are not.