Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park

Making the most of a warm, sunny September day, we packed a picnic lunch and our two Brompton bikes into our smartcar and headed south about 16 km to Elk/Beaver Regional Park. The park is home to the Victoria City Rowing Club and we see various craft out on the water.
Confused by the map and signage, we cycled about 10k around the lakes using some trails that were not designated for cycling. There were many dog walkers and hikers on the paths and no one seemed bothered by the fact that technically speaking, we shouldn't have been there on bikes. We were careful not to inconvenience other park users and I walked my bike in some sections where the path was narrow with rougher terrain.
It's a great location for walking but the bike portion of the trail is only 5km so we'll seek out other local spots for longer cycle rides.

Flight Path Cycle Ride

We cycled up to Hospital Hill and spotted two shopping bags with notes attached, one saying free zucchini and the other free cucumbers.  I take the last two zucchini and leave a note thanking the generous gardener.

There are many folks out riding and walking the Flight Path today, including a guy who points out a pair of osprey calling to each other from the treetops.

It's interesting to watch Air Canada, WestJet, small aircraft and helicopters taking off and landing while biking around Victoria International Airport. We stop at Patricia Bay to watch egrets and herons fishing and complete one and a third circuits (about 12k or 7.5 miles) before heading off to brunch at Melinda's Biscotti (see next post).

Fords & Friends Car Show at Heritage Acres

We set off at about 8:20 am on our Brompton bikes for the approximately 10 km ride south on the Lochside Trail to Heritage Acres. The going is easy with few surprises, other than rabbits crossing the path.

The Early Ford V8 Club #109 Victoria hosted its 38th annual show and shine event at this ideally located venue, just off Highway 17 and the Lochside Trail.  We pay $5 each and the gate ticket collector mentions that the number of cars registered is slightly lower than in previous years as there was another show being held locally the same day.  But we were not disappointed.

Grouped amongst the trees in front of the heritage buildings were a range of vehicles from Model Ts to drag racers to muscle cars. We pick up coffee for a dollar from the Lion's Club food truck and chat with various folk.  Food options at these events are usually limited to hot dogs and burgers so we'd packed our own lunch.

Heritage Acres is owned and operated by the Saanich Historical Artifact Society (SHAS) and houses marvelous exhibits of domestic, commercial and agricultural items collected and donated by local families. Seeing spinning wheels, shoemaking lasts and milk bottles on display made me realize what interesting "artifacts" I've got at home. Hubby is taken with the array of tools and machinery in the society's workshop and asks the familiar question, "Where was it made?" multiple times. 

While looking at the models in the Hatch Tramcar Shed, I hear local band Rukus strike up Brown Eyed Girl and my feet start moving. Some older ladies beckon me to join them dancing on the grass in front of the stage and we keep the groove going through several oldies covers. 

A big hit with the kids at Heritage Acres are rides around the park provided by Vancouver Island Model Engineers (VIME) on their miniature trains.  There are so many different models chugging along that it's difficult to count them, but I'm estimating about eight were running today. Rides are by donation and the wait lines were long so I'm sure they will agree that they've benefitted from the car show which has attracted folks of all ages to the site.