Grouse Mountain Moment Contest - Aug. 4

About a generation ago, the Grouse Mountain Skyride was a new attraction in Vancouver. The Grouse Nest Restaurant was among the premier locations for scenic views of Vancouver and stellar romantic dinners. In the early 1970s it never occurred to us that anyone would every elect to voluntarily walk up to the mountain summit. Back then the only "grind" we knew of was the sort that we put in our electric coffee percolators. Very competent engineers had given Vancouver a first-rate cable car ride up the face of a local ski hill. Why would anyone consider another means of scaling Grouse Mountain? On warm summer evenings, adorned in polyester leisure suits, floor length dresses and platform heels, young couples waited in long lines for their turn to ride the gondola to the top of Vancouver for one of the city's most coveted dining experiences. Awaiting diners at the summit was the meal Vancouverites, particularly those seeking to impress their dates, bragged about at the office water cooler. No, we didn't queue up for fresh shellfish or cedar-planked salmon; instead we coveted a meal of Cornish game hen baked in a clay shell shaped like a grouse. Neatly attired waiters brought the little clay birds to the diners' tables with great ceremony the clay shell was carefully cracked revealing its steamy contents. I couldn't tell you whether this impressive game was tasty or not. The fact that my date (now husband of 35 years) cared enough to book a reservation to share the beauty of the city below completely overwhelmed the taste of the food. My daughter now brags that she has "done the Grouse Grind". Little does she realize that she wouldn't even be here if it weren't for those tasty little clay-baked game birds served up at Vancouver's renowned Grouse Nest. I mean, really, who wouldn't marry the man who took you to the top of Vancouver, floating above the trees?

PRIZE: Dinner at The Observatory for 2