You know you have a hit on your hands when the third time is as much fun as the first. On a cold and overcast Sunday morning in May, eleven VCOM riders headed from our usual Sunday meeting place Starbucks at Stone Creek over San Juan Grade Road for our third trek to San Juan Bautista. The weather became a little warmer as we climbed the hill and dropped into downtown SJB. The burgers at JJ's provided needed sustenance for the return trip. Great time!

Big thanks to Belinda Dostal for driving the SAG Wagon, no rescues or repairs were needed, but it was good knowing she was back there.

All photos by Bill Sabo

2009 marked the third year that VCOM has been part of Pacific Grove's Good Old Days Parade. We seem to have more fun each year!

As usual, in the midst of rainy days, parade day dawned crisp and clear. Sixteen scoots assembled at our usual staging area and enjoyed VCOM member Roger Vandevert's great Moto-Espresso coffee along with juice and coffee cake before lining up with the other parade entries for our 10am start. All the scoots were decked out with flags, but one stood above the rest. Winner of the unofficial parade bunting award for 2009 went to Gay Ann (at left) who is a member of Vespa Club of Santa Cruz and VCOM. Maybe she'll be the inspiration for future decorative competitions? Let's hope so!

Roger works hard to keep up with demand.

VCOM Pres Cameron Stormes enjoys a morning pick-me-up... no reflection on Roger's coffee. Cam brought his own cup.

One Cushman scoot, lovingly resurected from near scrap by VCOM member Evil Bob, found its way to parade day. When VCOM says, "...all scoots welcome...", we mean it!

The final staging area gave us plenty of time to get in the spirit of things.

After the parade, a number of the group took off for a ride through Cannery Row and down Alvarado Street in Monterey, ending back in Pacific Grove for a flag-waving, horn-honking tour of the coastline to Asilomar beach. A perfect end to a super day!

At right: At the end of the day, VCOM pres Cam Stromes talks with member Mike Gunn as he gets ready to ride his GT200 home to Fresno. Now here's a serious scooter rider!

More images to follow...

On a crystal Sunday morning, eleven club members and friends took off from Stone Creek Starbucks for a leasurely ride down HWY 1 to enjoy lunch at River Inn. We had a mix of scoots and motorcycles, almost-vintage and new. On the day, the traffic was surprisingly light even though several groups of bikes and hot-rods had gathered at the Inn.

Can you imagine a more beautiful place to ride?

Presidents past and present: Founding VCOM president Roger Vandevert (on left with the faded Vespa shirt) and current president Cameron Stormes discuss club strategy by the river.

The Inn was packed, so our group opted to load up on what are possibly the Peninsula's best burritos from the deli next door. The shade by the water provided a relaxing setting.

The wind stayed away providing a ride home as pleasureable as the ride out. It's not unusual for the wind to come up in the early afternoon making for some white-knuckle moments on a light scoot. The day was the perfect combination of weather, view, venue, and folks. Great ride!

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