Date: Fri, 9 Jun 1995 21:40:58 -0700 (PDT)
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: "Tobin T. Copley" <tobin@freenet.vancouver.bc.ca>
Subject: GNATT: Vancouver Pizza lunch report
GNATT Pizza, Vancouver, Canada
June 9, 1995
Hello everyone!!
Today David Scwarze, his lovely partner Shelley, and Pete Sellers rolled
into Vancouver for the Official Vancouver GNATT Pizza Lunch. Christa and
I arrived at Coach's Corner Pizza about 20 minutes early, and found
David, Shelley, and Pete already in the parking lot. We pulled in
honked, and went over to welcome the gang to Vancouver (well, ok, Burnaby).
Many thanks to Harry Yates for recommending this venue--it was absolutely
perfect! Great pizza, very friendly staff, and easy access from the
freeway for our out-of-town friends. Unfortunately, Harry was not able
to make it, as he had received some time off and had headed East to do
some camping in the Kootenays the night before.
David's '73 Safare Custom camper was even more amazing than when I saw it
last at the Big Sur, CA meet in January. His solar panels were pretty
trick, he has a CB on the dash just below the headlight switch, and (eat
your heart out, Martha) he has a working microwave! In fact, both David
AND Pete have microwaves in their vehicles, although I'm not sure if
Pete's needs "shore power" to operate. Pete's Eurovan was really nice,
with an awning, add-a-room type tent, and a 2.5L five cylider
powerplant. Sounded pretty smooth, and Pete was zipping around real
fast. Pete also managed to load his car with an unbelievable amount of
stuff, and he was hauling all this stuff around the country. Did I
mention the microwave? Pete was a long way from home: he started for
BBTA from his home in Virginia May 24.
As it was an unbearably hot day (well, 78 F is a heat wave in
Vancouver!), we decided to retire to the restaurant and talk over some
brews. A few minutes later, Sailboarder-guy Mark Sadul pulls up in his
'78 Transporter, complete with mast on the roof and board inside! Mark
joins us, and we have Spring Pale Ales all around. Christa, Shelley and
I split a vegitarian pizza, David and Mark split one with meat stuff on
it, and Pete just couldn't resist the Halibut and Chips. Good VW travel
talk all around. Christa and I show the others our US/Mex/Canada Big
Trip photo album to the others, and it is well received. Then it's time
to pay up and move back to the parking lot to stick our noses in everyone
else's buses.
I covet the Schwarzemeister's BBTA Longest Distance Driven Award he has
on his dashboard. Maybe next year C and I will go and pick one up!
After much poking about, Mark leaves to go back to work :( . The others
would like to see a little bit of vancouver while they're in town, so we
caravan to my place in the West End, where we drop off Christa 'cause she
has to catch some zzzz before working later that night. Because it's
mid-afternoon by now, we decide it would by silly to drive toward
Tsawwassen for the ferry to vancouver Island now, since they would only
get stuck in Friday afternoon rush hour and sit in their cars stuck in
traffic for a couple (or more) hours.
We drive down to Sunset Beach and take the False Creek Ferry to Granville
Island for some sightseeing and shopping. Shelley buys a candle and hand
bag, Pete buys Salmon Jerky and Smoked Salmon. We return to Sunset
Beach, and try to call Alistair Bell to tell him GNATT is runninglate.
No dice; can't find his number. Pete decides to head south to Whidbey
Island, maybe to meet up with david again at Port Angeles the next day.
david and Shelley decide to crash Alistair's place even if they can't
warn him they're late (or even that they're coming at all!).
We caravan out of the city towards Hwy 99 in moderate traffic. I pull
off at the entrace to the Oak Street Bridge, and wave them on south. Way
to go, GNATT!!
I encourage everyone remotely close to the GNATT route to try an join up,
even if it's just for a few miles. The GNATT route and schedule should
be in the list archives, and is also on David's web homepage (sorry, don't
have the address handy right now).
A great day with great folks. Let's do it again sometime!
Tobin
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Tobin T. Copley Currently =============
(604) 689-2660 Occupationally /_| |__||__| :| putta
tobin@freenet.vancouver.bc.ca Challenged! O| | putta
'-()-------()-'
Circum-continental USA, Mexico, Canada 15,000 miles... '76 VW Camper! (Mango)
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