Minibus chauffeur takes care of all the details for passenger comfort, fun
Published in the June 11-24, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Staff Report
Photo by Marty Cheek
Riders in Morton-Padilla and Barefoot’s wine tour give thumbs up for the experience.
Morgan Hill neighbors Deborah Morton-Padilla and Ruth Barefoot share May 31 as their birthday. To celebrate the happy occasion this year, they invited friends for a relaxing afternoon outing riding in a California Passport minibus for a wine-tasting and picnicking tour of the South Valley region
“It was really fun,” said Morton-Padilla who works as the human resource director at locally-based Anritsu. “It was fun to be able to go with someone just chauffeuring you around and not having to worry about driving or having to have one person be the designated driver.”
The birthday wine tour started around 11 a.m. that pleasant Saturday morning when Chauffeur Al Furtado pulled California Passport’s shuttle, a Mercedes Sprinter minibus that holds up to 14 people, to a stop in the Morgan Village neighborhood where two birthday women live. Nine celebrators boarded the vehicle and Furtado poured champagne for a Happy Birthday toast to Morton-Padilla and Barefoot. In comfort, the group listened to the vehicle’s stereo playing country and classic rock music as they rode to Leal Winery in Hollister. There they tasted various vinos and ate a picnic lunch of salad and Subway sandwiches under olive trees. Following this, they got back into the minibus and soon found themselves winding through the scenic Cienega Road to Calera Wine. Hidden on a hill with a scenic overlook of San Benito County’s rugged mountain landscape, Calera is noted for its pinot noir which the group sampled in the tasting room. The third and final winery stop for the birthday group was Sarah’s Vineyard on Hecker Pass Road. There, the friends relaxed in the sunshine with their glasses of vino while watching people play bocce ball. Furtado drove the group back home shortly after 5 p.m. with everyone feeling relaxed and happy with the day’s excursion.
“The bus was really comfortable with a lot of good space,” Morton-Padilla said. “The seats were very comfortable and the visibility was really great with all the windows and it was easy to talk with everybody. And Al was wonderful. He was so accommodating and helpful and super nice to all of us. He was not intrusive at all but he kept us moving to all of the three places that we went to.”
Barefoot, a special projects coordinator for the San Jose Library, agreed the quality of the minibus and the professionalism of the chauffeur added to the experience. “The vehicle was nice and clean and we all had fun with the driver,” she said. “He was polite and professional all the way through. He kind of understood the whole winery thing. He really knew his route. Oh my gosh, he knew his route.”
Barefoot said she would recommend California Passport to other people looking to experience the South Valley’s wine region in a relaxing way. The minibus tour of wineries is also perfect for corporate and department team building as well as for tourists who want a fun and easy way to visit Santa Clara County’s wineries, she said. “They would enjoy the same sort of approach to visiting wineries and also visiting the countryside,” she said. “The views of the hills and the countryside and the farmland, it was just nice to drive through that area.”
California Passport is owned by Ana Lelescu who started the Morgan Hill-based business. Lelescu personally works with her clients to accommodate their transportation and recreation needs. Whether a group wants to do an excursion to celebrate birthday parties or weddings, or simply go on a wine-picnic tour or Henry W. Coe State Park nature hike, she will work with them to provide a full service experience to make their adventure a memorable one.
“We have a vehicle that’s kind of laid-back so you feel not stuffy but very comfortable,” Lelescu said. “My husband is involved in making sure of the maintenance of the vehicle, that it’s running safely. The CHP comes every 45 days to check our vehicle and we have it checked out regularly here in town.”
Most customers are from the South Valley region, she said. “Primarily, the trips that we do are local family. And for us to be part of their celebrations is the most amazing thing.”
“The greatest benefit hands down with California Passport is being able to provide our clients with the ease to really thoroughly enjoy themselves and not have to worry about driving,” said chauffeur Furtado. “They can drink as much as they want and I make sure they arrive home safely. I pick them up at home and drop them back off at home. We give them peace of mind.”
