Sunday, April 14, 2013

Valencia & Dom: Uraling in Vancouver

Dom is Uraling to Alaska and I was fortunate that he was able to enjoy a short stay in Vancouver.    I had been following his Spot so when he was getting close I headed outside just in time to catch him


turning Valencia around to park on the street . Of course we had to pose for a few photos


The Valencia colour of his Hack is so photogenic beside my black Vstrom


It's been nearly 2 years since we had last met in a Cabin in the middle of nowhere near Kalispel, Montana where we shared a few days of our vacation together.   We wanted to make the most of our time so we decided that rather than ride behind each other and be alone,  we would just hop in my car so we could talk for a few hours and I gave him a whirlwind tour of some of Vancouver's highlights


He sent me a photo and asked if we could get a photo of our local mountains from "that" perspective, but unfortunately there were too many clouds and the mountains were hiding.  We ended up walking around False Creek, onto the Cambie Street bridge, then we drove downtown, around English Bay, Part of Stanley Park, Robson & Denman Streets, DTES: Downtown East Side.  The hours flew by and soon we had to head to Yaletown for dinner with Sonja & Roland (link here)  and  (here2)   


Of course I had to take him to some of the places where I have photographed before and he recognized these places from previous photos

The next day (today, Sunday) we had a big breakfast and then headed to a place famous for their BBQ pork and crispy pork bellies.   We headed to Steveston to the Government Wharf to savour these delicacies


What better place to have a snack with full stomachs and enjoy the view of the water and fishing boats


It may be Spring  but there is still a chill in the air but notice, there is NO SNOW.  


It is always sad to have to say our good-byes but the time had come for Dom to leave.  His Hack is all packed up


and here he is backing up and heading out .   A final wave and he's off . . .


Alaska Here I come . . .    He told me that he has to rush and get there before the snow is gone.

Dom, safe travels to you and Valencia and I hope our paths will cross again . . .

You are welcome to come back anytime


26 comments:

  1. So cool that you could catch up with Dom on his way North. It's a bit far out of his way to stop in here...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Andrew:

      Actually, if there were one sidecar on each side, like pontoons and some paddles on the rear wheels, he could make it over to your side of the world. If there's a way, Dom would figure it out

      Delete
  2. I had a great time Bob! You and Yvonne are outstanding hosts! Just remember, your money will be no good in Colorado!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dom:

      I had the waitress "on my side". No problem at all, anytime. Was glad to have you stop by. Wished you weren't in such a rush to find snow. Have a good trip

      Delete
  3. Bob, the list of bloggers you haven't met is soon going to be very, very short. The good news for those folks is that they'll soon be shortlisted. Everyone wants to be shortlisted.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. David:

      What else is there in life but to meet people, eat and ride. I just wished that we could all live a bit closer.

      Delete
  4. So good that you and Dom could meet and catch up for a few days.

    I am glad the weather cooperated too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Trobairitz:

      the weather worked out great. The sun came out a bit on Saturday but it was forecast for thunder storms. We had Hail on the North Shore mountains. I was lucky that he managed to hit town on the Weekend so we had lots of time to show him around on his first visit to Vancouver

      Delete
  5. No Snow.... sure rub it in! It's nice that he could stop by and you guys could visit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Erik:

      we don't wish to rub it in too much. One day we will be on your receiving line and the tables will turn . . .

      You should store a bike here and then fly out a few times during the Winter to do some riding

      Delete
  6. Your driveway has grass! (I'm sorry, easily distracted)

    You look comfortable on the Ural. It sounds like you had a great time. I think that there will still be plenty of snow by the time Dom gets up here. I was looking at the northern BC webcams and they are getting snow as we speak...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Richard:

      I must say that the newer Urals look and perform much better than the older models. It was nice to see how the reverse gear worked.

      We still have to be careful on the grass, it hasn't had enough time to "bond" to the ground yet. There will be snow once he gets near Whistler and there are snow warnings in Dawson Creek and it was snowing in Prince George just a day ago. BUT then again, Dom loves snow . . .

      Delete
    2. Richard ... you saw grass, I saw blossoms on the trees lining the street.
      Bob glad you had the chance to meet up with Dom again (though, I've no idea why he's after snow.)

      Delete
    3. Karen:

      Those are Japanese cherry blossom trees. Vancouver has a sister city in Japan and they gave us a gift of these trees many years ago and since then they line many streets with this type of tree. Our street was done not many years ago.

      I am positive we will be meeting again . . .

      Delete
    4. I'm with Karen, I got distracted by the tree blossoms too, been too long since we've seen that...

      Delete
    5. Suzu:

      we have some streets with larger trees and lots of blossoms. So colourful with all the pinks

      Delete
  7. I just want to know who's running the pool on whether Dom's URAL makes it to Alaska in one piece?

    Knowing him he has every part and tool possible onboard and a new engine and trans on a pallet ready to ship overnight as a moment's notice.

    Glad you guys got to meet. He was a gracious host when I was in Denver.

    Steve Williams
    Scooter in the Sticks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Steve:

      You're right! He rides prepared but he has extended warranty so he only has to make it to the closest dealer.

      I'm glad he had a chance to visit us in Vancouver. The last time we met was in Montana where we stayed with his family while on vacation in Glacier NP

      Delete
  8. That one pic from False Creek reminds me of an afternoon at the public market on Granville Island. Great views from there, and what a selection of delicacies in the market!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John:

      We were time challenged but we did visit Granville Island briefly. It's hard to squeeze everything in given only a few hours. I wanted to show him so much. We only touched the surface but at least we managed to chat while in the car

      Delete
  9. Oranges in BC. Definitely Spring time. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Lori:

      I must say that Dom's Ural seems to be very well made. Not like the earlier versions I have seen. And Orange is definitely a great colour

      Delete
  10. Very cool sidecar....:-). looks like it works better than some trunks I've seen. Good for him!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pat:

      I can just imagine Scootard piloting the bike, with you fast asleep in the sidecar on your way to Oklahoma, towing the trailer with your scooter behind.

      Delete
  11. So cool seeing Dom cross paths with so many fellow bloggers. It was really nice to see him again even if for only a short visit. It looks like the weather was decent enough for you guys to adventure around Vancouver a bit and not get too wet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kari:

      I still remember the good time we had in that little cabin and all I can remember is that both of you were "TRAPPED" in the upstairs bedroom. You know what I mean. If there is another iMBC2014 you have to come along.

      Too bad you were busy last summer. I was wondering where you were.

      Hope all is going well with Rachel's treatment and be able to head home soon

      Delete