Tuesday 16 February 2016

Pre-Fishing Trip Rituals: Vancouver Escape Room

By Thomas Quine (Vancouver Dawn Panorama) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons



It’s hard not to get overly excited as the days get crossed off the calendar. And no—I’m not talking about counting down to the holidays. I’m talking about marking X’s as my fishing trip with Escott Sportsfishing gets nearer and nearer.

Before my four days at Escott Lodge with my friends begin, I also always make sure to get in some quality time with the family. It used to be enough to take the kids for an afternoon at Granville Island’s Kids Market, but now that they’re getting older, it’s time to kick the pre–fishing trip tradition up several notches.

The best thing I’ve found for this year is a session at a Vancouver escape room—the latest entertainment craze. Since my kids are well into the scary stuff (just like the old man), it’s got to be Krakit Escape Game for us.

Located right by Lougheed Town Centre Skytrain station, Krakit offers rotating horror-themed escape rooms, including the Zombie Apocalypse, the Asylum, and the Saw Room (and they’re happy to adjust the scare level, if any little ones aren’t up to full fright level yet).

The only bad part about playing an escape game with the kids is facing the fact they might solve the puzzles before I do. But being outwitted by a nine-year-old is well worth it when it means we all get to jump into an experience together—in a way a movie night just can’t provide.

By adding a pre-trip tradition to my yearly fishing trip, I get to make some serious memories both with my friends as we haul in salmon after salmon, and at the same time I get to cement some special moments with the family as well. (And it’s certainly makes them as excited for my annual trip to Escott Sportfishing as I am.)

Before I know it, the boys will be old enough to take part in both parts of the tradition: the pre-trip family time and the fishing adventure in beautiful Haida Gwaii.

You can learn more about Krakit Vancouver Escape Game here.