A Belated Christmas Gift

A friend of mine (Amanda) had mentioned a few weeks back wanting to get our girls tickets to see Taylor Swift in concert next September as Christmas gifts.  Because I'm a "Swifty," the idea sounded great!  However, I have been to two concerts with Karson, and I hate to admit it, but she's kind of drag.  We didn't make it through the entire Taylor Swift "Speak Now" concert in 2011 and ended up leaving around 11 p.m.  She was only '9' at the time so I guess I can understand her being tired and ready to go.  However, we  went to see Katy Perry in concert this year, age 12, and she was tired and ready to go around the same time.  Concerts and staying up late just aren't her thing.  I told Amanda, I just didn't want to spend that kind of money again knowing she probably wouldn't have much fun.  The tickets for the concert are going for $150+.  That's a big chunk of change for two of us.  I tried to see if I could even get us tickets on the day of the presale, and the only ones even accessible were in the nose bleeds at Bridgestone.  It just wasn't meant to be. 

 I had heard about this place in Nashville called The Escape Game - an entertainment experience.  Basically, you are locked in a room for one hour and have to look for clues, codes, work puzzles to try and figure out how to escape before your time is up - 60:00.  Both Karson and Elizabeth, her daughter, love shows like Snapped and CSI - figuring out clues and solving cases.  They went to a murder/mystery dinner theater for Elizabeth's birthday last spring.  I knew this would be right up there alley and a little less costly =).

 

Last night was the big event.  Our room was called The Heist.  The premise surrounding it is there is lost piece of art and the ALR (Art Loss Registry) is trying to locate it.  Our group was connected in heist of this painting.  If we find and return it, we would be absolved from involvement.  If not, we would be charged as part of the criminal mastermind plan for stealing it.  Essentially your job is to find the painting in 60 minutes or less, and you are provided with three clues/hints to assist along the way (at your request).  The painting contains a code that allows you to exit the game and WIN.  Unfortunately....

If we'd had about 15 more minutes, I believe we would've figured it out.  For obvious reasons, pictures in the room itself are not allowed, and I don't want to spoil anyone's adventure.  I love the HEIST but knew it would be difficult with only a 27% escape rate.  The girls want to try Nashville Esacpe or the Underground Playground next time - the success rate is higher for both.

The Escape Game for more details.

Our group of six - two additional people joined our game which is designed for seven people.

We ended our evening with a trip to P.F. Chang's and soothed our loss in Chinese food and a Great Wall of Chocolate for dessert.  Afterwards, we headed over to Opry Mills for some retail therapy.  Because the loss was so devastating, the girls took up smoking (aka, Bubble Gum Cigarettes from It's Sugar). We hope to visit Nashville and The Escape Game again soon.  The girls are anxious for more!