Thursday, July 8, 2010

Lonsdale Quay, North Vancouver

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Being in the northern hemisphere on opposites sides of the continent from Key West, Florida we also have our Quays (pronounced "KEYS") . So if Key West were actually in Canada it would be called Quay West (pronounced "Key West") . As part of the British Commonwealth we must have adopted the British way.

It was last week that we spent nearly a whole day at the Quay and we got there very early.

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There was hardly any souls in sight as we made our way to the food court to grab a breakfast of bacon & eggs

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As we made our way down the isles we noticed that there were few vendors actually open at this early hour . I am told that a Beavertail is a Canadian confection with lots of sugar but I have never experienced one. Perhaps one day

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My stomach started to make weird noises and I was starting to panic. I needed substenance soon

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(Mrs Skoot checking out the breakfast menu)

Later in the day you would be hard pressed to obtain a table in this busy area, but for now the world is your oyster

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With so many tables at your disposal it is hard to choose a suitable spot

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We finally made our decision and chose the table in the left corner with a view of both sides

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Not that it mattered for there was nothing to see. We had arrived too early . Today was our Corvette show and shine at Waterfront Park which is adjacent to Lonsdale Quay where there is ample shopping . Every year our Club (BCCorvetteclub.ca) puts on this show and I follow the same routine. Get there early to park my 'Vette in a good spot and have a quick breakfast. It is an excellent location on the grass with a view of the Vancouver skyline in the background

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For those of you who are not car affectionados there is a reason for everything and why hoods and trunks are open or not. There are trophies for every class based upon the years of the cars and a people's choice award. If you are registered you will get ballots for each class and can vote for your choice. If you wish your 'Vette to be judged then you will grant full access to your car and keep the hood and trunk open for inspection. You can't imagine how spotless some of these engine compartments are, or the suspension or undercarriage.

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Since this is my Blog I just had to include a photo of my 'Vette but I don't wish to be a slave to my car and prefer it not to be judged. I hardly have any time to even wash it. I prefer to use my extra time to ride my Wee instead , or to do my chores such as cutting the grass

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Here's another compressed view showing you the Vancouver skyline

After the show and shine we were invited to a private BBQ at one of the member's home.

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There were 'Vettes parked all over the place and we had a fine time socializing and planing our next adventure

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This particular venue is usually held on the first Sunday in July. We have a more or less standing reservation with the North Vancouver parks board for our exclusive use of this park, for a fee (of course). The Lonsdale Quay is a popular place for both tourists and the locals. There is lots to do and many vendors sell dustcatchers. There is a hotel on site and shopping on nearly 3 levels in the main building. Access by car, bus or ferry from the downtown area.

The Quay is also a destination and they try hard to have artists perform throughout the summer. We are lucky that every year they have an Elvis tribute artist perform on this same weekend and we look forward to his performance. Mrs Skoot loves anything Elvis and can often be found dancing to the music

I wish to introduce you to Steve "Elvis" Elliott . I met Steve a few years ago and often bump into him at various 60's venues and car shows. He is a recent Grand champion having won the Elvis competition in Pentiction a few years ago.

http://elviselite.com/

If you go to his site you will find out more about him. Better yet, book him for a private party. I can assure you that he is a wonderful entertainer and I am proud to say that " I knew him when . . . "

Turn your speakers up and sing along




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Nothing stops the march of time and this year is no different . As you get older you find that "time flies" .

Not that anyone is interested but tomorrow is my birthday. I am XX years old and I feel it. I am falling apart. I am trying hard to keep the pieces together for a few more years but I notice more aches and pains than usual. Nothing special is being planned, perhaps a Hamburger somewhere, or have left overs at home. We'll cross that bridge when the time comes. In the meantime I go to work as usual and see if I get any surprises when I get home.

8 comments:

  1. Bob,

    Allow me to wish you a fabulous birthday in advance. What on earth do you buy for the man who has everything - gorgeous car, great bike, every farkle under the sun, wonderful (and clearly tolerant) wife. There must be something....

    Isn't it about time you retired and had even more fun?

    Have a great day, my friend! I'd shout you a few good wines if we were closer!

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  2. Wow! Shy about your age! Aren't you a little old to be worrying about that? I'll be 53 in October if that makes a difference.

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  3. Happy Birthday Bob!! Great photos, you always show the brighter side of Vancouver making me want to visit again.

    My reasoning for time passing faster as we get older is when we are four years old, one year is one fourth of our life; but when we reach forty, one year is one fortieth of our life and so on. A much smaller fraction of time, but fortunately I have 36 years more experience, knowledge, wisdom and fun than that snot nosed four year old I was.

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  4. Happy Birthday Bobskoot. Hope you had a super day.

    Thanks for the write-up on your car show. I have to admit, I am glad we moved out of Penticton before the Elvis convention moved in.

    See you next week.

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  5. I have to apologize a bit about not bothering you with many comments on your blog recently. I was twaching 2 classes in June and was busier than I wanted to be.
    Happy Birthday though, and hope the day was fun. I know you are a bit older than me, but I can certainly appreciate how it might feel. It gets frustrating when your mind still acts and feels like you were 20 yrs old, but the body doesn't want to cooperate.
    Looks like a fun day with the Vette friends.
    No Quays here in Wichita, but there are some in Kansas City because the Missouri river is more navigable than the Arkansas river which passes through our city.
    I'm not sure of your objection to an almost empty restaurant. I don't think I would mind at all. Eating in relative peace without a lot of noise would be enjoyable to me.
    And you have to be pretty excited about your upcoming trip. I'm excited for you and look forward to reading about it. Take care and have a wonderful trip.

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  6. Dear Bobskoot:

    I hope you had a fun and memorable Happy 67th Birthday. Ooops! Was I supposed to keep your age a secret?

    The car looks cool, and whether it is clean or not, it looks like it could easily compete with the others in the field.

    Bob, a "Beavertail" is a big gooey danish-ey sort of breakfast pastry, best consumed with a gallon of hot coffee. I ate a few dozen of these things when I used to stay at Whistler. There was a guy who used to sell them in the center of that Hollywood set town, from a pushcart. Is was the only breakfast in that place cheaper than $17 (US).

    When do you leave for Oregon? When are you and Michael Beattie running into each other?

    Fondest regards,
    Jack • reep • Toad
    Twisted Roads

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  7. I laughed - almost the first thing you said in this post was about food. I think you need help for your food addiction - I have heard of "Food Addicts Anonymous" so you should give them a call. God, what if you really are addicted to food?? Love the car and I don't blame you for leaving the hood down. Using you time wisely is about enjoying driving the car, not enjoying keeping it immaculately clean in the engine bay! I hope that you had a great birthday.

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