Saturday 14 July 2007

Exploring Glen Valley (instead of Amerivespa)



I spent some of this weekend regretting missing the Amerivespa in Seattle.

I’ve never gone to Amerivespa before but since I’ve been riding and blogging, I feel that I have a potential connection to the scooting world and thought that being in Seattle this weekend would have been incredible. There are lots of people that I would like to meet in person - Dave from SCTRCST, Little Billy, Orin from Scootin’ Old Skool, and many more.

I also was toying with the idea of figuring out a route from Vancouver by Seattle on a 50 cc scooter. I had even gone to Google Maps and checked out a route avoiding highways.

But. alas, we had good friends arrive from Scotland and, as well, I had previously volunteered for a bike patrol shift on Sunday.

So, instead of feeling grumpy about things, I decided to go for a ride.



I went across the Albion ferry once again and rode to an area between Langley and Abbotsford called Glen Valley.

Usually, I take fairly busy routes with traffic, people, etc. Today’s ride, however, was very peaceful. There were few cars on the road and no people, just trees, fields, and sunshine.



While riding, I saw a sign for the Fort Wine Company. I took a slight detour and headed towards this winery which is situated in an area of farms. As I approached the parking lot, I was pleasantly surprised to see a fair in progress complete with tents, people in costume, samples of food and... wine.



There were a few wine tasting booths, each with several types of wine to sample. I was careful to have only a couple as I didn’t want the wine to affect my driving.

The Fort’s wines are all fruit based wines (blueberry, cranberry, etc,) and I tried one or two but really don’t like fruit wines (other than grapes, of course!).

The next wine, made my a company called Township 7, was quite good - the rosé was crisp and clear and the merlot was actually very nice.

After leaving the winery (which was a bit of a chore as their parking lot was thick with gravel), I continued on to Glen Valley Regional Park. This is actually a couple of parks on the shore of the Fraser River. There were picnic tables and benches and I found it to be a nice place to sit down in the shade and have a brief rest.



I spent another hour or so exploring the area. I really enjoyed the peaceful roads and picturesque scenery as the wind breezed over me.

Later, I was back on the Albion ferry, headed for home. On this ferry, motorcycles get to go to the front of the line, avoiding the long car line ups. I was chatting to a guy with a big Harley about a seal we saw in the river. I haven’t quite figured out how motorcyclists and scooterists generally feel about each other but I’ve found that my experiences with motorcyclists - whether they are weekend riders or Hell’s Angels - to be a pretty friendly group of people.



After returning home, I felt refreshed and looking forward to my next exploration. But I was still a little bit sad about that Amerivespa thing....

6 comments:

vespajitsu said...

Dave,
Sorry you missed out but it looks like you made up for it. If you've visited my blog lately, you'll see where I've been for vacation along with our Vespas. I'm finally riding in an area that rivals yours for beauty!
Cody

Bill Sommers said...

I don't feel so bad. My plan to attend Amerivespa fell through, and I regret missing the opportunity. Although it would have be a terrific experience, I just didn't have enough time to spend there. I too took a local ride to ease my dismay.

That would have been sweet though, riding the 50cc to Seattle! What an adventure.

Have fun,
Bill

DaveM said...

Dave,
I too was hoping to meet you meet you in person and hear more about your blogging and riding. There were a ton of Canadian representatives, but to tell the truth, it was a bit overwhelming. How about 300+ riders doing the Vashon Island ride on Sunday. I spoke with Orin (Scootin ol Skool) and Ben (honkytonk dragon), but never ran into some other bloggers who I understand were there, Like Bryan Bedell. Oh well, there will be other rallies.
DaveM

Dave Dixon said...

Cody

Sounds like you're on a great holiday - with very different scenery. Glad you are enjoying the pictures.


Bill
I feel better now that I had company in not being able to get to Amerivespa!

I still think that I will tackle a Seattle trek - some day!

DaveM
It's too bad you didn't get to meet that many bloggers in Seattle - I was looking forward to some more interviews as I've really enjoyed the ones you've done so far.

Steve Williams said...

Someday I might make it to Amerivespa too....

This looks like a great ride. Everytime I read about one of your trips I always smile. Great routes and on a 50cc Vespa!

Steve Williams
Scooter in the Sticks

Dave Dixon said...

Steve
With your recent award for your blog and your several interviews over the past little while, you might need a handler to keep the paparazzi away from you if you went to Amerivespa! You're quite the celebrity in the scooter world right now!

I don't seem to go on really long trips but do manage to find lots to see within a couple hours ride....