Tag Archives: Road Trip

Sip Trips #260: March Mania (Part 2)

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We continue the Sip Family’s Vancouver Island odyssey, leaving Victoria to go ‘up island’. Let’s see what we got up to for the second half of our vacation, as well as finishing the month back at home:

Our next port of call was in the Nanaimo/Ladysmith area. After returning from an afternoon at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre, we had dinner at Nanaimo’s Longwood Brewpub. I selected the Scottish Ale to go with my Brewmaster Salad (smoked salmon, chicken, baby shrimp, mixed greens, carrot, cucumber, tomato, feta). I loved the smoked salmon in this dish and would suggest taking the chicken out, in favour of more salmon.

Prior to our journey to Tofino the next day, we quickly stopped at the Old Town Bakery in Ladysmith for Mini Egg Nanaimo Bars and a Peanut Butter Cinnamon Bun. Before reaching Tofino, we also visited Alberni Brewing in Port Alberni. I took advantage of their Beer & Burger for $20 on Tuesdays, choosing the amazing Crispy Chicken Burger to go with my Alberni Blanc pint. The Sip Family also shared a Pretzel Pull Apart.

Reaching Tofino late, we didn’t venture into the tiny town until the next morning. With the Siplings hungry for some breakfast and Mrs. Sip and I wanting something in our stomachs before drinking, we went to the Rhino Bakery, where Triple Chocolate Donuts were eaten by the kids – and some for the Sip Advisor too. I also had the café’s California Chicken Club, which was the perfect meal for a guy who doesn’t love traditional breakfasts.

Up next, was Tofino Brewing, which was already filling up at their noon opening. I opted for the Ethereal IPA, while Mrs. Sip went with the Cosmic Wave Double IPA after sampling a couple brew options.

Unsure of how to spend our three days in that area, we made our way to Ucluelet, drawn the local aquarium, brewery and family restaurant. At Ucluelet Brewing, Mrs. Sip and I shared happy hour pints of In the Mist Marzen and Resurrection Red Irish Red Ale.

We finished our day in Ucluelet with dinner at Howler’s Restaurant, which offers arcade games, billiards and other activities in a family-friendly setting. Being the driver, I merely had a sip of Mrs. Sip’s Dark N’ Stormy, which was the perfect drink for a day filled with constantly changing weather. To eat, we shared a pound of Sesame Daebak Wings ($10 for Wing Wednesday) and two-piece Howler’s Wild Cod Fish & Chips. I also finished off Boy Sip’s order of Chainsaw Popcorn Chicken.

Our final full day began with checking out the Tofino Distillery, where we ordered the Cheeky Tiki (Gin, Beach Fire Cinnamon Liqueur, pineapple, mango, coconut, lime) and Strawberry Whiskey Sour (lemon, strawberry syrup, egg white, bitters), while finishing with a Mini Cocktail Flight: Gin Strawberry Lemonade, Astro (Limoncello, cranberry, lime), Demon Dog (Psychedelic Jellyfish Absinthe, San Pellegrino Blood Orange, lime, bitters).

Following that, Mrs. Sip had to do some work, so I took the kids out for a late lunch/happy hour at Browns Socialhouse. My meal of Social Ale and Steakhouse Sliders was good and the waterfront setting of this restaurant offered much to look at when I wasn’t on dad duty. My only complaint was this Browns didn’t have my usual Sesame Ginger Gyoza, but that offered the opportunity to try something different and I was not disappointed.

For our last dinner, we ate at Roar, inside our Hotel Zed accommodation. My feast started with The Last Wave (Tequila, Maraschino Liqueur, Yellow Chartreuse, Cointreau, lime, habanero chili, pineapple shrub), followed by a serving of Good Night Out/Hotel Zed Quad Hopped Hazy IPA, brewed by Small Gods Brewing. For food, Mrs. Sip and I split the Cedar Planked Salmon, with a side of Seared Scallops.

After checking out of the hotel, we began our return journey to the Duke Point ferry terminal, stopping at two breweries along the way. First, at Twin City Brewing in Port Alberni, I had the Poindexter Hop Swap Pale Ale, while sharing a P.A. Pepperoni Pizza with Mrs. Sip and fighting the Siplings for a scrap of their Biergarten Pretzel. We also had a quick drink at Wolf Brewing in Nanaimo, drawn to the location as Girl Sip is a wolf lover. Here, we downed the Black & Tan (Golden Honey Ale/Dark Malt Porter), with an order of Pretzel Sticks with Beer Cheese. For the road, Mrs. Sip bought a tall can four-pack of their Smoked Doppelbock, which was the feature beer of the week, meaning she got a second four-pack free. Eight beers for $18 seemed like a very good deal to us!

Back home and returning to the regular routine always sucks, so Mrs. Sip and I made sure to take advantage of it being our 24th dating anniversary. We started with early dinner at El Santo, which offers all night happy hour on Mondays and Tuesdays. I munched on Quesabirria, while also sampling Mrs. Sip’s Chili Relleno. To drink, I had a Main Street IPA… not sure which one, but it was good.

That wraps our very busy March. It was enough to make one go mad, but we had so much fun exploring Vancouver Island and even with our time at home before and after the vacation. April will certainly be lighter, but there’s still some fun stuff on the horizon!

Sip Trips #259: March Mania (Part 1)

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March was an incredibly busy month, highlighted by our 10-day excursion to Vancouver Island. There’s so much to discuss, so I’ve decided to split the Sip Family’s activities over two parts. Let’s get right to part one:

Prior to attending a Vancouver Canucks game with a friend, we took advantage of Wing Wednesday at The Pint, where half price chicken wings and cheap pitchers of beer were available. I went with the Hotiyaki Boneless Wings, which were really good. We also split two pitcher of Phillips Tilt Lager, for the very digestible price of $17 per jug. It had been years since I’d visited The Pint and now I will return when possible, especially on Wednesdays.

As for the game itself, I’ve written before about how ridiculous the pricing is for beverages and this was a prime example. A double Spiced Rum and Coke set me back $20, while a Container Manifest Hazy Pale Ale came it at an absurd $28. That’s reason enough to perhaps not renew our quarter-season memberships for 2026-27.

The following week, we met an out-of-town visitor at Naan Club in Coquitlam. The service here was slow, but accurate and the food was really good. I paired the Chicken Sliders with some Masala Fries and enjoyed the combo. I went out on a limb and tried the Masala Coke, asking them to add a shot of Old Monk Rum to the concoction. It was definitely an interesting blend of ingredients, although I might be one and done with this drink selection.

I also got around to sampling the new Hockey Hero Burger at McDonald’s. I liked the three beef patties and bacon, but was surprised you couldn’t add pickles to the sandwich. $8-plus for the item only seemed like a fair price, but the full meal is $15, while you have to fork over $20 if you want the souvenir mini stick. These costs are kind of bonkers for fast food.

As the kid’s spring break began, we met with friends at Kelly O’Bryans. After mulling other options, I went with the standard Chicken Lips N’ Fries, which is such a good meal and something the restaurant is known for. I also enjoyed servings of the Steamworks Hazy Pale Ale and Steel & Oak Red Pilsner, before we let the kiddos run around at the nearby Pier Park playground.

Meeting up with another set of friends the next day, we hit happy hour at The Notorious Grey Fox. I ordered the Notorious Lager, followed by the Shaketown Bruce the Spruce Tip IPA. To eat, I had the Hawaiian Flatbread, which all made for a filling meal.

St. Patrick’s Day saw us head to the ferry and arrive on Vancouver Island. Our first stop of the journey was Brentwood Bay Brewskys Taphouse, where I got into the Irish spirit with a pint of Deadhead Ghost of Paddy Murphy Irish Red and Irish Stir Fry (basically a hash with chorizo, cabbage, potatoes, bacon, etc.), which was a very good dish. This was followed by a visit to the Victoria Butterfly Gardens and dinner at a friend’s place.

Our first full day in Victoria was also Boy Sip’s 6th birthday. We began the festivities with the Haunted Manor Mini Golf, which is one of the neatest mini golf courses I’ve ever been able to play. Many of the holes have players use other devices rather than always swinging a putter. Following our round, we shared a Yonni’s Pretzel, while Mrs. Sip and I had glasses of Hoyne Dark Matter. The rest of Boy Sip’s birthday was filled with all his favourites, from Chicken McNuggets and cheese pizza, to swimming and Marvel movies, with a few treats sprinkled in here and there.

The next day began with a visit to Miniature World, where we viewed the many dioramas on exhibit. This location lacked the hidden naughty and funny finds of the Miniature World in Hamburg, Germany, but it was still impressive to see all the work that goes into these sets.

That evening, we walked to Pinhalla, where we lucked out with a table amongst mostly reserved spots for their trivia night. Over pints of Driftwood White Bark Witbier and Fat Tug IPA, as well as a yummy Char Siu Banh Mi Sandwich, Mrs. Sip and I played the trivia offered by ThinkTank. I liked that each team was given a mini tablet for ease of seeing/hearing questions. A neighbouring team won a round and gave us their pinball tokens for the Siplings to use! Tokens cost 50 cents each, with most games costing two tokens to play. The tokens (we also bought a set) didn’t last long, but the Siplings loved playing the machines available.

The Superflux Cabana was our starting point the next day. We lucked out and came while the eatery was offering $10 flights (3 x 6oz) and half price burgers from 12-1 (Friday through Sunday). So, I got the Cabana Burger with Fries, as Mrs. Sip and I both put together flights to cover much of their menu: Happyness IPA, Mesa Hazy IPA, Coconuts Stout, Easy Tiger Pale Ale, Colour & Shape Hazy IPA, and The Creamery Blueberry Pancakes. This drinking stop was largely made to give Mrs. Sip the courage to hold the inhabitants of our next stop, the Bug Zoo!

For dinner that afternoon, we went to Craft Beer Market, where I paired the Mount Arrowsmith Ridgeline Hazy IPA with the Teriyaki Salmon Zen Bowl, a dish that was right up my alley. The bowl was so good it has encouraged me to return to the Vancouver location, after many years of not going following our move from Downtown Vancouver. Following dinner, we made sure the Siplings got some amazing desserts at Chocolats Favoris on Sweet Street.

Another day, another meal, this time with us trying the Sticky Wicket Pub. I had penciled the Crispy Chicken Caesar Wrap in for my order the night before, but was thrown a curve ball when Mrs. Sip asked if I could go with Cream of Squash Soup as my side instead of fries. The joke was on her though, as I quite enjoyed the soup myself. To drink, I went with the Small Gods Promised Land Hazy Pale Ale, which was very good.

That wrapped our Victoria stay and we were off “up island” to other locales. While we didn’t get to as many Victoria breweries as I had originally hoped (Driftwood, Whistle Buoy, etc.), we would make up for that on our other island getaway stops, as seen in part two soon.

Sip Trips #249: Wicked Weekends

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Well, August was pretty wild and flew by at break-neck speed. Was it fun? Sure. Was it a little overwhelming? Two things can be true at the same time. Here’s what the Sip Family got up to during most of the month, with our week in Disneyland at the end saved for another Sip Trips update:

With the Siplings still away with Ma and Pa Sip, Mrs. Sip and I took off to Peachland for the August long weekend. On our drive there, we stopped for dinner at Stallones Kitchen & Bar in Hope. I went full Stallone/Rambo, ordering the Stallones Burger and Mountainview First Blood Orange Wheat Ale. We had fantastic food and service at this restaurant, while the live music was very good. A great find by Mrs. Sip as we approached the town and were in need of sustenance.

Our time in Peachland was largely spent visiting a friend whose family has a beautiful place there. We did squeeze in a visit to the amazingly-themed Crown & Thieves Winery. Their tasting room is so cool it has to be experienced in person. Best of all, our $15 tasting fees were waived with a bottle purchase each, which wasn’t hard to do given the great wines available. We received excellent service from our scoundrel (aka server) and will definitely return, hoping to one day check out their onsite speakeasy basement bar.

The following weekend, reunited with the Siplings, we were off to Vancouver Island. Once arriving via ferry, we made our way to Rusted Rake Brewing in Nanoose Bay. This was another very cool setting, offering farm-to-table brews and food. To drink, I enjoyed a pint of The Wandering Scotsman’s Spruce Tip IPA. To eat, Mrs. Sip and I shared the Cornbread, Burnt Ends and Chicken & Pickles. We also tried tasters of their It’s Farming Saison and Willem Wets His Whistle Belgian Witbier.

The next day, we had lunch at Fern + Cedar Brewing in Qualicum Beach. Between games of cornhole with Boy Sip and Mrs. Sip, I managed to have the Green Mountain State NEIPA, along with a yummy Teriyaki Salmon dish.

Not content to leave the other brewery in the area off our visit list, we travelled over to Love Shack Libations, ordering two flights to cover their entire available lineup. My favourite drink here was the Juice Bigalow Hazy Mango Pineapple Ale.

Back on the mainland, our next weekend was spent staying at a friend’s place, as mutual friends from the U.K. visited. While out in the Langley area, we had a meal at The Barley Merchant. Over the course of the feast, I had servings of the North Point Strawberry Blonde Ale and Category 12 Fuzzy Peach IPA. My main dish of the Karai Ahi Noodle Salad was good, but I felt the meal didn’t know if it wanted to be a salad or a noodle bowl, incorporating ingredients of each. I guess it came as advertised as a “noodle salad”.

Later that weekend, we hit up Locality Brewing, letting all the kids run wild at the farm location. While there, I drank the Rhuberry Wheat Ale, Lean on Me DIPA and Black Tea Lager, all of which were tasty in their own way. Mrs. Sip and I split the Bison Poutine from Stampede Burger food truck and will have to go back sometime when they have their expanded catering menu, featuring Po’Boy sandwiches and other interesting items.

Our last outing while our friends were in town was to the PNE. I tried a California Sushi Taco from one of the many food trucks onsite, pairing the dish with a glass of Parallel 49 Trash Panda Hazy IPA, which made for a good combo.

That wraps most of August, a month where we didn’t spend a single weekend at home. The next Sip Trips, my 250th entry in the series, will be a special one as I dissect our week-long voyage to the Disneyland Resort!

Sip Trips #244: Theme Park Therapy

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March was very busy, with half the month taken up by our road trip to Southern California, including visits to the Disneyland and Legoland resorts. There’s much to cover, so let’s get right to it:

Our first activity of March was a date night offered by the visiting Ma and Pa Sip. Mrs. Sip desired doing a local pub trivia, so we found ourselves at Hops for the occasion. We really enjoyed the trivia here, presented by Vancouver Trivia Party. It was challenging, but not to a ridiculous level. Over the course of the event, I enjoyed two pints of Granville Island Lions Winter Ale. One other trivia note, I would love to see a trivia that divides team scores by the number of players on the team. I feel Mrs. Sip and I would win a lot of the events we attend as a duo if that was the case.

As the middle of the month approached, we were on the road, SoCal bound. Along the way, we stopped in places like Springfield, Oregon and Sacramento, California, completing the journey to Anaheim in just three days. Along the way, I picked up drinking supplies such as Kirkland Dark Rum and Hard Seltzers (Black Cherry, Lime, Mango, Raspberry). Later in the vacation, we would restock our supplies with a case of Truly Unruly Hard Seltzer (Tropical Twist, Berry Blast, Citrus Crush, Strawberry Smash) and bottles of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum and 1800 Pineapple Ultimate Margarita.

Finally at our first destination, we met up with Cousin Sip and her brood for a day visiting nearby Irvine. While the kids played in bouncy castles and rode the carousel at Great Park, the adults took advantage of the onsite beer garden. Next up was a trip to Left Coast Brewing, where I tried both the 949 Heff American-Style Hefeweizen and Bacon on Shift Bacon Porter. To eat, Mrs. Sip and I split the Slider Combo – Smoked Brisket and Tri Tip were our choices – while the Sipplings snacked on the Chicken Popper Plate, which was like a kid’s dream charcuterie platter, complete with popcorn chicken, fries and potato chips. Ah, who am I kidding, that’s my dream charcuterie platter!

Our time at Disneyland, which included eight days over two separate stints, was largely spent enjoying all the offerings of the California Food & Wine Festival. And by “all the offerings”, I really mean that. We tried almost every item available, using our Sip and Savor passes.

Food we tried, included (with my ranking in brackets): Mini LA Street Dog (5), Birria Mac & Cheese (4), Sirloin Gruyere Mac & Cheese (4.5), Smoked Hawaiian Pizza (4.25), Chicken Taquitos Ahogados (3.75), Loaded Carnitas Pretzel Bites (4.5), Musubi Fried Rice (5), AsaDOS (3.5), Shrimp Papas Locas (4.25), Salsa Verde Chicharron Tacos (4), Burrata Toast (4), Mickey Snickers Macaron (4.5), Café De Olla Tres Leches Cake (1.5), Lemon Pepper Wings (3.75), and Corn Chip Chili Pie with Impossible Beef (3.5).

Our favourites, by far, were the Mini LA Street Dog and Musubi Fried Rice, with both being enjoyed multiple times. The Café De Olla Tres Leches Cake was rated so low because despite looking great, Mrs. Sip and I aren’t fans of coffee, so didn’t fully appreciate this dessert. About the only item that was on my list that I didn’t get my hands on was the Thai-inspired Burrito. I noted to Mrs. Sip that our next Disneyland adventure will be interesting food wise, as with our last two treks featuring the Lunar New Year and Food & Wine Festivals, we haven’t really been able to focus on our traditional edible favourites.

We also drank our way through the park, enjoying beverages such as the Cantarito-style Paloma, Watermelon Cucumber Mojito, 4 Sons CocoNutorious Coconut Amber Ale, Latitude 33 Honey Hips Honey Ale, Endless Summer Cherry Cola Hard Seltzer, Seaborn Lavender Lemonade, Hamilton Family Tow Mango Double IPA, Stereo Perfect Day IPA, Cocktail Flight (Lychee Melon, California Wine, Strawberry and Cola), Pickle Whiskey Sour, Craftwell Hibiscus Lemonade, Strawberry Horchata with Rum, Bottle Logic Paloma Hard Seltzer, Sierra Nevada Sunny Little Thing, New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Juice Force Hazy Imperial IPA, Brewery X Baja Breeze, Tarantula Hazy Liquid Candy IPA, Topa Topa Chief Peak IPA, Karl Strauss Boat Shoes Hazy IPA, and Guava Lychee Cocktail.

Some notes here, I can’t believe how much beers cost in the park now. When Mrs. Sip and I first started drinking at Disneyland, you could fetch a brew for about $8. Now, the price has doubled, which is so much worse for our Canadian currency conversion. I’ve begun looking for the best ‘bang for your buck’ deals around the park, typically finding it with hard seltzers and cocktails that offer a higher alcohol content with surprisingly lower prices. For example, the Paloma Hard Seltzer is the best deal in the park, at 12% ABV for only $12. Similarly, the Brewery X Baja Breeze comes in at 10% ABV for $13.50. I should also mention how much I enjoyed the Cantarito-style Paloma and Pickle Whiskey Sour, both limited edition items as part of the Food & Wine Festival. The 4 Sons CocoNutorious Coconut Amber Ale was also very good, presented as part of the Festival’s Beer Garden.

Among our escapades in the park was sitting down at the Magic Key Terrace. We used to frequent this oasis among the chaos long before it was exclusive to annual pass holders, so it was interesting to return. Neither the food nor drink menu really impressed me, but I did try the one cocktail I had highlighted in my research for the trip, the Shipwreck (White Rum, Passion Fruit Liqueur, Orgeat, Coconut Milk, Lime Juice, Dark Rum Float, Aromatic Bitters), despite not enjoying coconut milk or cocktails that contain milky substances. While not a bad drink, I should have stuck to my preferences. Mrs. Sip ordered the Drop In… If You Dare (Gin, Elderflower Liqueur, Lemon Juice, Maraschino Cherry Mix) and Nutmeg secret menu cocktail (Dark Rum, Frangelico, Irish Crème, Apricot Liqueur).

Outside the park, we had one lunch at Ballast Point in the Downtown Disney area of the resort. I had the Poke Bowl, which I had previously enjoyed last year. To drink, I went with the Aloha Sculpin IPA, which paired nicely with my meal.

In between our two stints at Disneyland, we spent a weekend at Legoland, including staying at the resort’s Castle Hotel. Over the course of our stay, we ate at the Knights Smokehouse Barbecue inside the park, which has some of the best Chicken Strips I’ve ever eaten. Mrs. Sip and I combined our food with servings of the Latitude 33 Blood Orange IPA and Stone Delicious Hazy IPA. We also had a meal at the restaurant in our hotel, the Dragon’s Den. I ordered the Castle Burger with House Salad (about some of the only greens I had over our two-week expedition), with a pint of Thorn Hopster Hop Hazy IPA.

On our voyage home, we had one dinner at Red Lobster. I had been craving the Sesame-Soy Salmon Bowl for some time and of course ate it on this occasion. We had stumbled upon the restaurant’s happy hour when we sat down, so it was very easy to order a pint of Blue Moon with my main course. Our meal was completed with sharing the Brownie Overboard dessert.

That puts a bow on a wild and frenetic March. April has a lot to live up to, but maybe it’s a good thing to have a quieter month every once in a while. Other than Easter, which will have its fair share of extracurriculars, I can’t think of much else of note on the horizon.

Sip Trips #232: Escondido Escape

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The bulk of March was spent travelling to and staying in Escondido, California. Here’s what we got up to on our road trip to the Golden State, as well as the lead up to the Spring Break getaway:

Early in the month, following one of Girl Sip’s ringette games, the Sip Family had dinner at White Spot. I had the Legendary Burger with Caesar Salad, paired with the beverage version of a Caesar, which is typically a Sunday special in these parts.

A couple days later, my work treated us to lunch at Catch 122 in North Vancouver. I ordered the Bulgogi Steak N Egg, which was a fantastic dish. Unfortunately, given it was a work function, only water was consumed during the meal.

Work

That weekend, with our vehicle in for servicing, Mrs. Sip and I had lunch at Milestones in Langley. I tried the Steak Sandwich with Cajun Fries, combined with a pint of Blue Moon. I loved the flavours going on with the sandwich, but the steak was really chewy. The fries were also quite good.

That night, Mrs. Sip and I had a Canucks game to attend and discovered that you can get cheaper drinks in the SportsBar Live! portion of the arena and even ask for them to be put in to-go cups. We plan to utilize this more often in the future.

Next up, we hit the road for my first ever long distance driving trip (ie. multiple stops to get to our destination) behind the wheel. We left early in the morning and got a really good start, finally making our first stop of the journey in Salem, Oregon, at For Tomorrow We Die Brewing. There, I had the Hootenanny Herb & Spice Beer, while Mrs. Sip ordered the Kiss the Girl Amber Ale. To share, we had the BBQ Pork Sliders and Samosas, which made for a good feast.

Road Trip

Another hour of driving and we were at stay one of the trek in Springfield, Oregon. For dinner, we met up with Ma and Pa Sip – who were also driving to Escondido – at Hop Valley Brewing. Mrs. Sip and I shared again, going with the BLTA with Tater Tots as our side. The sandwich was absolutely loaded with bacon, which I appreciated. To drink, I enjoyed the Stash Panda IPA.

Our next stay was in Dickson, California, so we could visit the nearby Jelly Belly Tour and Museum the next morning. The experience was very good, especially for the Sipplings. My only complaint was I wish their café offered beers and other beverages, which would have been nice to enjoy as Pa Sip and I got the kids set up with lunch, while Mrs. Sip and Ma Sip did Wine and Chocolate Tasting offered.

Stay three was spent in Kettleman City, California. We had dinner at Wild Jack’s Tex Mex BBQ, which allowed the kids to run around and play as we ate, drank and all enjoyed time outside the vehicle. Our meal included the Brisket Sandwich, Beer Battered Cheese Curds and some other sides ordered by Ma and Pa Sip. My beverage of choice was a bottle of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Driving

On our final day of driving, I made a point of visiting the Rainforest Café in Ontario, California, so the Sipplings could experience the restaurant. My Modelo Especiale came in a souvenir glass, which I didn’t really need, but there didn’t seem to be any glassware option. Mrs. Sip got the Mongoose Mai Tai, also in a souvenir glass. To eat, we split the Tuki’s Turkey Club.

Finally, we arrived in Escondido and it was time to kick back a little… after a thorough supply shopping excursion, of course. For drinks, I picked up the White Claw Variety 24 Pack, which I greatly enjoyed, given it had a fantastic variety of flavours (Watermelon, Blackberry, Black Cherry, Mango, Peach, Tangerine). I also snagged the Lagunitas VarietI-PAck (IPA, Hazy Wonder IPA, A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Wheat IPA, Island Beats Tropical IPA) and a bottle of Trader Joe’s Rum of the God’s Amber.

The next day was Boy Sip’s fourth birthday, so we spent the occasion at Legoland. For lunch, we dropped into the Knights Smokehouse BBQ, where I had the Tarantula Hill Cali Day IPA. The Sip Family shared the delicious Smoked Haven Platter (Brisket, Pulled Pork, Ribs), along with sides of Fries, Potato Salad and Cornbread. We also got some Chicken Strips for the table, which were so good I went back for them on our next visit (the Sip Family bought year passes, given they had a buy three, get one free deal going on). Best of all, a side of Chicken Strips were only $5. The eatery’s Smoky BBQ Sauce was also tremendous.

Lego

After a few days off to enjoy the Welk Resort we were staying at, we visited the nearby Deer Park Winery & Auto Museum. There, as most of our group enjoyed some of the vineyard’s wares, I sat down to a can of Mother Earth Cali Creamin’ Vanilla Cream Ale, reminding me how good this beer is.

Looking to restock some of our supplies, Cousin Sip and I did some more shopping at a Vons grocery store. There, I picked up a 1.75-litre bottle of Sailor Jerry’s Spiced Rum (for only $20!!!), along with the Mother Earth Cali Combo Mixed 12-Pack (Peaches & Cream, Vanilla Cream Ale, Orange Creamsicle) and Ashland Hard Seltzer case (Raspberry Lemonade, Watermelon, Mango Strawberry, Tropical Cherry).

On the last day for some of our group, we travelled to Temecula to hit up some of the breweries there. Boy Sip and I played a number of games at Black Market Brewing, as I enjoyed an Enemy Within Dragonfruit IPA. We also stopped at 8-Bit Brewing, where I had The Oregon Pale Hazy Pale Ale. We had tried to go to Garage Brewing, but minors weren’t allowed because they don’t have a food menu. This was too bad, as we had a couple good trips to their previous location in 2018, when they offered a great pizza menu.

Drinks

One other brewery stop we made was to Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, which is a massive facility. This was Boy Sip’s 100th brewery, so celebrations were in order as I loved my Wagyu Luxe Burger, paired with a Space Bar Friends Altbier. The bistro has an interesting online ordering system, which practically eliminates the need for a server.

A few days later, we returned to Temecula, this time to the Old Town area, so we could enjoy some Mexican fare. Mrs. Sip selected Landeros Mexican Grill + Cantina for our lunch, where I had the Tacos de Queso Birria and a pint of Pizza Port Chronic Ale.

Sadly, it was time to pack up and make the haul back home, starting on Easter Sunday. Along our way home, we had dinner at Pea Soup Andersen’s in Santa Nella, California (also our stopping point for the night), where I ate the “Rich Boy” Triple Decker Club with Potato Salad. This is another place I would have loved to enjoy an adult beverage, but that wasn’t an option in the dining area.

Returning Home

Our last stay was spent in Eugene, Oregon, where we went for a meal at Red Lobster so Mrs. Sip could partake in Lobsterfest. I really enjoyed what’s become my usual order at the chain, the Sesame-Soy Salmon Bowl, along with a pint of Blue Moon.

That wraps a pretty epic March. April doesn’t have nearly the same content on the calendar, but I’m sure we’ll find a way to have fun, as we always do!