October was busy, with many Halloween events on the calendar. That said, there wasn’t a whole lot of going to places (compared to other months, at least) for drinks and meals. Let’s see what the Sip Family got up to in a mixed bag month:

For the (Canadian) Thanksgiving long weekend, we surprised the Sipplings with another voyage to the Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound, Washington. Our journey began with an overnight stay in nearby Olympia, where we once again had a nice dinner at Red Lobster. Enjoying the Sesame-Soy Salmon Bowl so much last time, I ordered the entrée again, paired with a Blue Moon Wheat Ale.

For this trip, we only stayed at the Lodge for two nights (our first expedition was for four nights) and we’ve come to the conclusion that three nights is the perfect stay duration. Mrs. Sip purchased the Sip & Savor Pass again, which offered an appetizer at the Wood Fired Grill, $40 arcade game card, two tiki drinks at Grizzly Robs, a wine/beer package (we selected the ‘Kids Snoring, More Pinot Noir-ing’ truffles and Pinot Noir option), and two Mimosas or Bloody Marys at Loose Moose.

Upon arriving at the resort, we needed some lunch, so visited the Wood Fired Grill, using our free appy on the Jumbo Chicken Wings (Korean and Hickory BBQ flavours). While I enjoyed a Great Wolf LIT (Long Island Iced Tea), Mrs. Sip drank a Lodge Mojito. For dinner the following night, we tried The Cantina. I had a very filling Carnitas Burrito, washed down by a Sam Adams Summer Ale.

On our way home, we returned to Olympia to visit the Well 80 Brewhouse. I had very good L.A. Street Truck Style Drive-In Fries, while sharing the Mahalo Chicken Bites with Mrs. Sip. I later combined leftovers of the two for another good meal. To drink at the brewery, we had servings of the Muffin Man’s Thai Farm Saison and Volle Pulle! Hefeweizen.

The following weekend, I joined some friends for a guy’s night out, beginning with dinner at The Story Café in Richmond. The eatery had an odd $65 minimum per person policy, but it wasn’t hard to get to that amount, with drinks, appies, mains and dessert for some. My beers for the evening included the Strange Fellows Jongleur Wit, East Van Humble Hive Honey Brown and Hoyne Dark Matter (my dessert). To eat, I went with Garlic Escargot and a very tasty Great Canadian Burger.

After our feast, we walked over to the River Rock Casino, which was full of interesting clientele (folks getting kicked out as we arrived, another getting sick outside later in the night) and had a bizarre liquor serving rule, where you had to wait an hour for your next serving, after ordering a shot or double drink. The shots we ordered were necessary after one of the guys in our group put $20 into a slot machine on a whim and it turned into $1,200, following a 100 free games win. The drinks I did have while we were at the casino were a trio of their featured cocktails.

That wraps the month. I’m not sure yet if November will see a return to our normal level of activity or not. Already schedule is a guy’s weekend away and the Sip Family spending a week at a Mexican all-inclusive. There will also be a soft lean into Christmas, so I’m betting it’ll be busy!