Multitasking

Video provided by Black Swan Gondola

My friend Drew put this up last month, and I've been meaning to post it here.
More and more these days, businesses are finding that drone video footage is a great way for promoting their products or services.
That's definitely the case with gondolas.
Drew got into drones early, and we've had some fun conversations about them.
The thing about this video that surprised me was that Drew did the drone piloting WHILE also rowing his gondola.
Now THAT'S multitasking!

Two Guys Go to Tahoe

photos by Eddie Rivera

 

Eddie Rivera and Kyle Wolting of The Gondola Company of Newport

decided to drop in on Drew Ste. Marie at his servizio on the

blue waters of Lake Tahoe today.

 

They sent me some photos, which have left me profoundly jealous.

 

In the above photo, we see Kyle rowing on the Venice-built gondola

known as "Giallo".

Eddie snapped the photo while rowing "Theresa".

Both gondoliers were heading out of the jetty at the Tahoe Keys Marina.

 

And here we see Eddie at the dock with signage and boats in the background.

 
 At one time this gondola was painted yellow, and in serious disrepair,
until a friend of mine worked his magic and brought her back to life. 
The passengers seem happy too.

 

 
And here they are:
Kyle on the left, Eddie on the right, and Drew in the middle.

To learn more about the Lake Tahoe gondola operation, check out www.tahoeamore.com

Perfect Moment in Tahoe

photo by Cody Wright

A photographer in Tahoe who works with Drew at Tahoe Amore,
captured this two-boat shot near sunset. 
The boat in the foreground was a marriage proposal,
and I'm sure that this photo represents one of those perfect moments
in the life of those two passengers.

Two for Tahoe

Our friend Drew in Tahoe has added a second gondola to his fleet
for the next couple of months.
Congrats to Tahoe Amore on the new addition (if only for a while).
It's nice to see that things are going well up there.

Umbrellas in Tahoe

What do you do when it rains during your gondola cruise?
You break out an umbrella (or two).

In the words of Drew Sainte Marie:
       "Who says us Gondoliers can't multitask!?"

Shot by a Pro in Tahoe

photo by Mike Herron

Professional photographer Mike Herron managed to be in the right place
at the right time to capture this nice "golden hour" shot of Drew Sainte Marie on Lake Tahoe.

Tahoe Press: "There’s a New Gondola in Town!"

Drew up in Tahoe was featured in a fun article in The Tahoe Journal:
"Ciao, Tahoe Amore! There’s a New Gondola in Town!"
It's a fun read, and the kind of press all gondola operators enjoy getting.

Golf Tournament Coverage

Video shamelessly swiped by someone other than the Gondola Blog staff

(who then sent it to the Gondola Blog).

 

I can hear it now over the walkie talkies:
"Alright, go to commercial...oh wait! Get a shot of that gondola!"

 

What do you do when there's a celebrity golf tournament near your gondola operation? You row over there and be as visible as possible, of course.

Today our friend Drew up in Tahoe managed to be in the "right place, at the right time" and as I would expect - was just too eye-catching for the camera operators to pass up.

Nice job, Drew!

Friendly Neighborhood Gondolier

The quality on this might not be the highest, but that's because it was
one of those "oh, hey - there's the gondola" photos, taken last night by
one of the residents in South Lake Tahoe.

Drew Sainte Marie of Gondola Amore has been there for just over
two months and he's winning over the locals. In this case it was a
cell phone snap of the "Friendly Neighborhood Gondolier" as he rowed by.

Gettin' the Exposure

Drew Sainte Marie in South Lake Tahoe is working hard

to get on the radar up there.

Here's a nice local feature that ought to help.

This just went up today online - it will air on TV tomorrow.

Looking Great in Tahoe!

photo by Niki Ross

Drew Sainte Marie, the gondolier who has been busy with his new operation in South Lake Tahoe, hosted a couple...and photographer on his gondola recently.
Tahoe-based pro photographer Niki Ross stepped aboard and took some dynamic images - showing us all just how beautiful Drew's location is.

You can see the whole set of photos at: 
Venetian Gondola Lifestyle Portrait Session
Niki also gave a nice write-up.
If her clients are smart, they'll book portrait sessions on the boat.
Couples always look great when they're sitting in a gondola.

For more information on Niki Ross, see:
http://www.nikirossphotography.com/

Tahoe Amore's website is:
http://www.tahoeamore.com/

Tahoe Skies

photo by Drew Sainte Marie

Out on the water this evening in Tahoe, Drew snapped this beautiful
shot of the sunset's light painting the clouds with brilliant colors.

Drew's in the News

Drew Sainte Marie up in Tahoe was on TV this morning

on Fox 11 (KRXI) with host Samantha Boatman.

Here's a link to the video:
http://foxreno.com/news/features/mornings-on-fox-11/stories/tahoe-amore-brings-italy-you-1937.shtml#.VUKgRS50fpc

The boat's in the water and ready for cruises.
Looking good, Drew!

Surprise...SNOW!!!

Drew Sainte Marie pulled into his new neighborhood in South Lake Tahoe,
after a long drive.
It had been long and tiring. 
My guess is that it was stressful and challenging in many ways,
and that he slept quite well that night.

The next morning, he woke up and found a surprise on his boat:
Snow, and a fair amount of it.
six to eight inches by his estimation.

 

Ah, but Drew was prepared: his boat was covered well, so the cleanup went well and it was all back to normal in a short time (as was the weather).

 

 

As you can see, once the sun came out, the neighborhood was well on the way to looking more like it should in late April.

 

Meanwhile, Drew is meeting people and making connections - getting ready for a launch this week and hopefully a great first season.

Tahoe is Ticking

I received this image today from my friend Chris:

No, the final destination for the gondola is not the desert.
This is "Teresa".  If she looks familiar, you may have seen her in Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard, Ventura County. 
Mark Schooling of Gondola Paradiso launched his business with this gondola.
She will soon be replaced by another remarkable boat in Oxnard.
In the mean time, Teresa will soon be launched into Lake Tahoe.
Drew Sainte Marie, who has been rowing for years at the Gondola Getaway in Long Beach, is not just launching a boat. 
Like Mark Schooling, he's launching a business:
Tahoe Amore

The clock is ticking.
things are moving closer and closer to that point where we have another gondola operation in the U.S.
Just tonight, Drew posted that he and the gondola had arrived safely.
I don't have an official arrival photo, but here's the part where he was backing up to hitch up to the trailer.

Yes, that's Chris supervising things.
I have to take a moment to give some big props to Chris - he restored Teresa with expert care, has done the same with another gondola, which saw her first passengers on Valentine's Day since the restoration.

Many Southern California gondola operators are excited to see this launching, hoping that things go as well for Drew in Tahoe as they have for our friend in Oxnard. 
Perhaps the boat brings some luck with her.

Good luck to you, Drew.
And take good care of Teresa.