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 6^th 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.