Valentine’s Day Poker Run – 2020.02.15
Queen of Hearts is Wild
Saturday, February 15th
What a great event! Mother nature backed us up with perfect weather, and the activities committee put together such a fun and well-organized event, that it just made for a really enjoyable Saturday morning.
We gathered at the Outback/Chuy’s lot where we were briefed on the day’s poker run rules, which were simple- the cards were sealed in individual envelopes, which we would draw randomly at each stop. Along with our sealed card, we also received directions to the next location, where we would draw another sealed card, and a new set of directions, until the route was complete and we all met at the final, yet unknown destination for lunch.
Because of the number of participants, we were divided into two teams, red and blue, which represented the color of the card deck we were drawing from. Luckily, we didn’t need to know the first thing about playing poker, it was just a fun way to keep score with the random draws.
We left Chuy’s armed with our first draw and set of directions, and learned that we were headed for the Odyssey Restaurant in the San Fernando Valley- the location of the second draw.
As each participant arrived at the Odyssey, we circled through the tree-lined drive, and took our turns drawing the second card and directions that would slingshot us out the 118 freeway to Simi Valley and the parking lot of the Junkyard Restaurant.
As promised, this stop allowed for another random card draw and more directions that took us out through Moorpark, and over the twisty, fun turns of Balcom Canyon. Staying on the prescribed route, we soon rolled into Santa Paula and Bunnin Chevrolet, our main prize sponsor for the day’s event. This stop not only provided us with our fourth draw, but allowed for a short break to stretch and enjoy some club-provided refreshments.
Back on the road with a new set of directions, we found ourselves en route to the little town of Piru, and the site of the historic Newhall Mansion. Here we picked our fifth and final card envelope, along with the last set of directions that pointed us back to Santa Clarita and the Route 66 Restaurant, where we would have lunch and find out how our luck played out.
As previously mentioned, we had been divided into two teams, Red and Blue. At the restaurant, each team came forward and our individual collection of sealed envelopes were opened to reveal the hand we were dealt- or drawn as the case may be.
When all the cards were on the table, the winner’s circle looked like this:
First Place Winners:
Blue Deck – Raul Bonilla. He also had the overall high hand, and won a free oil change from Bunnin Chevy!
Red Deck – Dennis & Leslie Monden
Second Place Winners:
Blue Deck – Sheila Percivalle
Red Deck – Brian & Kathy de Avila
Queen of Hearts Are Wild Winners:
Blue Queen – Dennis & Leslie Monden
Red Queen – Ken & Michelle Veasman
All of the winners received a bottle or wine, compliments of Jim and Donna Webster.
We also want to give a big, thunderous, round of applause to our activities committee, and a special thank you to Jimmy Webster for all of his help putting this event together!
Well played team, well played!
We gathered on a perfect So-Cal Saturday morning at the Copperhill Walmart for coffee and chatter before the drivers’ meeting where we were promised to be taken west along Highway 126 towards the coast. There, we would be given additional instructions.
Normally a trip to any courthouse comes with an expected level of anxiety in anticipation of the bureaucratic experience that awaits us, but not for this trip. 
January 27th gave us a gloriously beautiful morning with jackets only optional wear. As I pulled into the Chuy’s lot, well early of the start time, I found over a dozen Corvettes already assembled with nearly that many arriving soon thereafter. The SCVCC was eager to hit the road for parts unknown. Was it “drive to eat” or “eat after the drive”? I say the latter, with everyone ready to roll.
The headcount totaled 42, with 22 Corvettes, as Donna Webster briefed us on our route, but not giving a clue about our destination. We followed our instructions and the four taillights in front and drove south on I-5 and then transitioned to I-210 into Pasadena, then east on the 210 until we exited at Myrtle to turn north. The route was familiar and many of us figured Jake’s Roadhouse in Monrovia was where we were going.
Jake’s is a great destination, famous for their lemon raspberry pancakes, but also specializing in barbecue foods and sandwiches along with a friendly staff and never-ending buckets of peanuts.
Jake’s was new to many of our group , but for those of us who have eaten there before it was a treat. Living in Awesometown, Monrovia has an old-town flavor we don’t often experience. Our early arrival afforded us plenty of seating for a leisurely time together and as we completed our breakfast time, the confirmation about Jake’s being a great choice was seen in the waiting room and outside with scores of people waiting to be seated.
Something definitely was up, as we were told to turn LEFT on Newhall Ranch Road as we exited instead of the usual outbound right. Being good caravanners, we followed instructions and the Corvette ahead, eastbound, giving our community a great parade of Corvettes to enjoy early on Sunday morning.
We reached Bouquet Canyon and proceeded right to Cinema Drive for another right and then into the lot of Mama’s Table at 23340 Cinema Drive. Our hosts at Mama’s were waiting as we descended on the location and filled the place, with big appetites from our 3.6-mile drive.
Some of us waited a while to be served, but some were generally pleased at how quickly their orders came. Ask the Websters, they will tell you why they choose Mama’s Table over a particular restaurant in Weatherford, Oklahoma.
There was an added bonus as we waited and visited and ate. The Indianapolis 500 was televised on the nearby widescreen! We witnessed Chevrolet’s latest Corvette set the pace for this year’s race. The new 2019 Corvette ZR1 is the most powerful Corvette to ever set the race’s pace, and it’s the most powerful pace car to ever run at Indy with its 6.2-liter supercharged V8 sending 755 hp to the rear wheels.