Vancouver Get Together
May 21, 2001, 4:21 pm
#46
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: YVR
Programs: ACSEMM QRGold SPGLifetimePlat FairmontPlat HyattD AMEXCenturion SerenaPlat TalkBoard Founding Member
Posts: 8,963
Had a nice weekend here in Vancouver...great so many could make it to our beautiful city!
Nice to finally meet up with so many I only know online or through email. It is always a surprise putting a screen name to a face!
Dorian
Nice to finally meet up with so many I only know online or through email. It is always a surprise putting a screen name to a face!
Dorian
May 21, 2001, 5:11 pm
#48
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: DCA: Go Nats! BWI/CLE: Go Tribe!
Programs: US3, WN, UA, AA, CO
Posts: 1,272
I had a wonderful time too; I sat with many of the Canadians, who are as nice and polite as any you'd see on Due South! 
I can't wait for the next time my schedule permits a get together!
I can't wait for the next time my schedule permits a get together!
May 21, 2001, 6:27 pm
#49
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Seattle
Programs: Ephesians 4:31-32
Posts: 10,690
What a very pleasant time we had in Vancouver--which is a fabulous walking city. Nice and flat (well compared to Seattle) and compact.
Major kudos to Tropical Flyer who did an amazing job of pulling off a totally hitchless weekend. Well done!
Sunday morning we walked down to the Hyatt and joined for brunch at an excellent Chinese restaurant. Tropical ordered for us (in Chinese) and we all enjoyed wonderful taste treats (too many I might add).
We left very, very full in the tummy but not hit hard in the pocket book. Lovely.
We walked back to our hotel and had the pleasure of Goldlust's company on our return drive to Seattle. What a delightful young man he is. We stopped at the Duty Free at the truck crossin (where there was no line) and I stocked up on enough anti-wrinkle cream to hold me for a few months so I guess I won't get too wrinkly before summer passes.
Oh, did I say earlier that we had a very nice suite at the Westin Grand Hotel. It is a good place. Nice rooms and a good location-three blocks from Eatons.
Also convenient to Harbor Place and everything else in Vancouver. We didn't drive our car once all weekend long. Good walking.
Major kudos to Tropical Flyer who did an amazing job of pulling off a totally hitchless weekend. Well done!
Sunday morning we walked down to the Hyatt and joined for brunch at an excellent Chinese restaurant. Tropical ordered for us (in Chinese) and we all enjoyed wonderful taste treats (too many I might add).
We left very, very full in the tummy but not hit hard in the pocket book. Lovely.We walked back to our hotel and had the pleasure of Goldlust's company on our return drive to Seattle. What a delightful young man he is. We stopped at the Duty Free at the truck crossin (where there was no line) and I stocked up on enough anti-wrinkle cream to hold me for a few months so I guess I won't get too wrinkly before summer passes.
Oh, did I say earlier that we had a very nice suite at the Westin Grand Hotel. It is a good place. Nice rooms and a good location-three blocks from Eatons.
Also convenient to Harbor Place and everything else in Vancouver. We didn't drive our car once all weekend long. Good walking.
May 21, 2001, 7:03 pm
#52
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Copenhagen
Programs: British Airways Gold (oneWorld Emerald), Starwood Preferred Guest Platinum
Posts: 1,713
It is now 02:44am here and I touched down at CPH about 12 hours ago. Went to sleep fast and just woke up a couple of hours ago.
My flight home was quite good despite it being and coach. I managed to check-in at the business class counter by pretending to be * Gold - she even put a priority tag on my bag
I will post a full trip report soon. Just want to say that I had a fantastic time in Vancouver with you guys!
Great meeting new folks and seeing others again. Special thanks to TravelWeary and Mike; Punki, Hunki and Peregrine for going so much out of your way to help me get back and forth between Seattle and Vancouver and to Tom911 for providing me with a bed Saturday night.
Also thanks to Ken Haamer and Shadow for driving me and others folks around.
Furthermore to the Village Idiot for taking me around Vancouver in search of a bank (in vain) and to all the rest of you for being so nice!
(I know this isn't the Oscars)
------------------
Goldlust
[This message has been edited by Goldlust (edited 05-25-2001).]
My flight home was quite good despite it being and coach. I managed to check-in at the business class counter by pretending to be * Gold - she even put a priority tag on my bag
I will post a full trip report soon. Just want to say that I had a fantastic time in Vancouver with you guys!
Great meeting new folks and seeing others again. Special thanks to TravelWeary and Mike; Punki, Hunki and Peregrine for going so much out of your way to help me get back and forth between Seattle and Vancouver and to Tom911 for providing me with a bed Saturday night.
Also thanks to Ken Haamer and Shadow for driving me and others folks around.
Furthermore to the Village Idiot for taking me around Vancouver in search of a bank (in vain) and to all the rest of you for being so nice!
(I know this isn't the Oscars)
------------------
Goldlust
[This message has been edited by Goldlust (edited 05-25-2001).]
May 22, 2001, 1:49 am
#54
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: YVR
Posts: 9,999
I've thought for a day about what I wanted to post, but I still don't know. I do know that I was thrilled more than I could have imagined to meet so many wonderful people. What an eclectic, interesting, great, and just plain amazing group of people. We were even blessed with a few non-FTers (hey Fisch, when's the wedding?) and we even had a mystery FTer show up. (Who was that masked man?)
My special thanks to TropicalFlyer and CocoaNut for giving me the opportunity to show off my wonderful city, and to finally meet everyone. Special thanks too to Oz, Joh, and Goldlust for coming so far just to be with us. And thank you thank you thank you to everyone else for coming. I'd like to name them all, but there were just so many!
It was also great to meet all the Canadians, (especially the YVR bunch, who, though we all live in the same city, have never met.) Dorian (the next James Bond), Fisch (up and coming, fast), Academic (pretty sharp for the ivory tower), Shareholder (more refined than royalty), BlondeBomber (what can I say that hasn't already been said), and of course, Village Idiot (who gives me something to look up to.) The next time we're all cussin' and swearin' and swingin' at each other, I'll at least know what my target looks like, and where to hit them. (Oh oh oh... and our honourary Canadian, Goldlust. Even though he lives in a strange place with strange customs and big hats, he still flies Air Canada.)
Thank you all.
My special thanks to TropicalFlyer and CocoaNut for giving me the opportunity to show off my wonderful city, and to finally meet everyone. Special thanks too to Oz, Joh, and Goldlust for coming so far just to be with us. And thank you thank you thank you to everyone else for coming. I'd like to name them all, but there were just so many!
It was also great to meet all the Canadians, (especially the YVR bunch, who, though we all live in the same city, have never met.) Dorian (the next James Bond), Fisch (up and coming, fast), Academic (pretty sharp for the ivory tower), Shareholder (more refined than royalty), BlondeBomber (what can I say that hasn't already been said), and of course, Village Idiot (who gives me something to look up to.) The next time we're all cussin' and swearin' and swingin' at each other, I'll at least know what my target looks like, and where to hit them. (Oh oh oh... and our honourary Canadian, Goldlust. Even though he lives in a strange place with strange customs and big hats, he still flies Air Canada.)
Thank you all.
May 22, 2001, 4:26 am
#55
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Honolulu, HI
Posts: 23
Originally posted by Ling:
Where are the pictures!!
Where are the pictures!!
I had a grrrreat time and met old friends and new, particularly Ken HAAmer and Village Idiot (dump the Audi, honey) and BlondeBomber and Shadow. Thanks to Ken and Shadow for driving on Saturday, and of course big thanks to TropicalFlyer for organizing it all. Vancouver is a lovely city in which to tour, meet friends, and dine.
Am finally home in Honolulu -- ran like the wind after my flight from YVR was delayed an hour and a half to try to make standby on the 4:45 to HNL, but alas, they took only one standby, and it wasn't I (I got this from a poor woman who had been passed over for standby on the 1:40, the 4:445, and who was then trying for the 6:40).
To my chagrin, even though I brought home boxes of chocolates from Daniel Le Chocolat Belge, House of Brussels, Over the Moon, and Purdy's, I appear - how embarrassing -- to have underbought. I need a lot more chocolate than this to last me until June. Oh well. The fine chocolate is just one of many reasons to make a return trip to lovely Vancouver!
CocoaNut
May 22, 2001, 8:12 pm
#56
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton Honours Gold, KLM Gold
Posts: 574
Just a 'Thank You' firstly for Tropical Flyer and Cocoa Nut for a very well organised weekend and website. And thanks for the special gift for travelling the furthest for the weekend - I really shared with Goldlust who also travelled a very long way. Great venue choices, and the large name tags made it really easy to mix among folks.
Glen and I had a great time meeting some old friends like Tom911, and many new faces. The Friday night drinks DID finally happen with Village Idiot and EPS, and actually the Cactus Club really was not lame at all. (Neither was Hooters!) Nice catching up once again with Punki, Joe, Dominic, and Shareholder on Saturday afternoon, also BlondeBomber and Ken hAAmer, and thanks again for the rides Ken!
Sunday after brunch we were chaperoned around Vancouver area all afternoon by Horizons in his rental car, who has visited Vancouver 52 times, so he knows it better than most locals I bet. A really beautiful city. And a fun evening watching the sun set over the harbour, the sea planes and the snow cap mountains, over 'several' bottles of good stuff with Travel Weary and Michael and Horizons. (And special thanks Horizons for coming out to SFO airport to farewell us off late Monday evening.) A great friendly bunch of people, and thanks to all we met for your pleasant company, and the weekend passed far too quickly for me.
Glen and I had a great time meeting some old friends like Tom911, and many new faces. The Friday night drinks DID finally happen with Village Idiot and EPS, and actually the Cactus Club really was not lame at all. (Neither was Hooters!) Nice catching up once again with Punki, Joe, Dominic, and Shareholder on Saturday afternoon, also BlondeBomber and Ken hAAmer, and thanks again for the rides Ken!
Sunday after brunch we were chaperoned around Vancouver area all afternoon by Horizons in his rental car, who has visited Vancouver 52 times, so he knows it better than most locals I bet. A really beautiful city. And a fun evening watching the sun set over the harbour, the sea planes and the snow cap mountains, over 'several' bottles of good stuff with Travel Weary and Michael and Horizons. (And special thanks Horizons for coming out to SFO airport to farewell us off late Monday evening.) A great friendly bunch of people, and thanks to all we met for your pleasant company, and the weekend passed far too quickly for me.
May 22, 2001, 8:45 pm
#57
In Memoriam
Join Date: May 1999
Location: PVD
Posts: 1,560
Michael and I also want to thank Sylvia and everyone else for putting this great weekend together. It was one of my favorite FT events--I think because I met so many new people as well as my favorite faithfuls like Punki, Joe, and Peregrine, Shadow and Jackie (well we waved at each other). I especially enjoyed my closest dinner companions--all new to me Tom911, KevinB, and Captain Mike. It was fun to meet and hoist some Oz bubbly with the gracious OzStamps, Joh and Horizons. Thanks to Goldlust for interesting conversation on the drive north. It DOES feel like the Oscars and there are too many to mention.
May 23, 2001, 10:51 am
#58
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 1999
Programs: FB Silver going for Gold
Posts: 21,835
Originally posted by TravelWeary:
And where's a good place to shop for (and/or taste) Canadian wine?
And where's a good place to shop for (and/or taste) Canadian wine?
For future reference, Edgmont Village Wines is said to be one of the best stockers of B.C. VQA-quality wines. I haven't visited the place myself as the North Shore might as well be in Seattle for me.
May 25, 2001, 1:24 am
#59
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Honolulu,HI, USA
Programs: UA 1K 3MM
Posts: 839
I want to thank everyone for coming to YVR and making our get together such a great success. I want to especially thank Ken hAAmer for helping people (including me) get from place to place and Shadow for sharing tour driving duties.
I'm happy to see that people had a good time and a safe trip home. I am sure the non-Canadians enjoyed the exchange rate immensely.
FYI: I've already found a couple of new places for the next YVR get together. Dates TBA.
TF
[This message has been edited by TropicalFlyer (edited 05-25-2001).]
I'm happy to see that people had a good time and a safe trip home. I am sure the non-Canadians enjoyed the exchange rate immensely.
FYI: I've already found a couple of new places for the next YVR get together. Dates TBA.
TF
[This message has been edited by TropicalFlyer (edited 05-25-2001).]