Escape Room
This section chronicles our family’s love of escape rooms, from cracking a record 23 rooms in 2025 (82 total since 2016) to quirky trip logs detailing each puzzle, travel stop and post‑game reflection. It’s an ever‑growing diary of teamwork, hints and shared victories.
- Saturday and coffee shops downtown open later. Find Columbuse Cafe open at 7am. The WiFi is good and appreciate them being open.
- Transfer to Structure Coffee when open at 8am.
- Pack up and check out of Sonder.
- Drive to Laval for our long planned escape room for today.
- Experience Magnifico at Escaparium Laval — the #1 rated escape room in the world.
- Lunch at Birdhouse.
- Ice cream at Gaufres et Glaces for last opportunity for super good Canadian dipped cones.
- Cross into United States at 4:46pm.
- Arrive at Airbnb at 6:06 PM.
- Everyone finds there various rooms.
- Pizza ordered in for dinner.
- Pool and hot tub evening.
- Turn in for the evening.
- Tammy went out and returned with pastries for breakfast.
- Checking out storm damage at cabin via cameras. Some tree damage from very heavy winds overnight.
- Drive to Mont Sainte-Anne. Left place too late.
- Arrived late to drop off Tammy, Mazie, and Tyler for their Canyoning-Quebec excursion. 😬
- Jamie explores mountain area and decides to spend his time hiking. Jamie takes Télécabine gondola up and does Les Chemin des belvédères loop. Then take La Pichard intending to descend to bottom but after 1 mile and descending 800 feet in the sun turn back and return to summit to take Télécabine gondola down.
- We all meet up in cafe at resort.
- Unplanned ice cream visit to Sammys and it is delicious.
- Unplanned stop to see Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.
- Visit Montmorency Falls, the upper area, and check out the suspended bridge above the falls.
- Go to Ile d’Orleans.
- Amazing strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries from Ferme le Bunker.
- A double cheeseburger so good Tyler ordered a second, and classic poutine from Casse-croûte Roquette.
- Stop at 3 Poules en Ligne.
- Stopped at Saint-Jean-de-l’Île-d’Orléans.
- stopped in Sainte famille and visited the Boulangerie Boulin and Petite Marche.
- Stopped in Sainte Petronille had ice cream at cafe next door to the Chocolaterie de l’Île d’Orléans and walked along the pier.
- Finished driving the Ile d’Orleans loop.
- A second stop at Ferme le Bunker for more fruit for tomorrow.
- Returned to Montmorency Falls to walk the boardwalk and see it from the bottom.
- Returned to Cabinet Mysteriis to do Screaming Metal escape room!
- Relaxed morning. Tyler and Mazie sleep in. Tammy on a run. Jamie having fun with some projects.
- 10:30 AM Breakfast at La Buche.
- Walk around the Old City and explore.
- Walk the promenade by the Fairmont past the Tobaggan Slides.
- Descend stairs to Côte de la Montagne.
- Explore Parc Montmorency.
- Descend stairs to Rue Sous-le-Fort.
- Explore shops in lower area.
- Made our way to Beauchamp Art Gallery and found a piece of art we all liked.
- Returned back to Airbnb.
- Jamie goes to Strøm Nordic Spa for an afternoon of relaxing and a massage. On the way there descend the Cap-Blanc Staircase, all 398 steps of it.
- Tammy, Mazie, and Tyler went out of town and did an afternoon with horses.
- All meet at Nina Pizza Napolitaine for dinner.
- Take Lyft to Cabinet Mysteriis to do two escape rooms: Dreamwalkers and 2002: A Bovine Odyssey.
- Take Lyft back to Airbnb.
The Experiment at Escape Room Alexandria
We made a stop at Escape Room Alexandria today and did “The Experiment”. We successfully solved the room and escaped with 6m 46s on the clock. The room had a cool flow starting with a set of puzzles that we were able to divide and do in parallel. Then we hit a whole different set of puzzles that required more communication and coordination. We had a fun time puzzling through everything and ultimately escaping.
Afterward we were able to chat with Lindsay, one of the owners, and shared a ton of great rooms that we’ve done. She has done over two hundred rooms and she also knew the folks that run Copper Cat, which is where we got the recommendation for this stop. Room 80!
QMSB Trip - Day 8
Also Olson Family Vacation 2025 Day 4.
Go to day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 or see index.
Magnifico at Escaparium
Today we did the World’s #1 Escape Room according to TERPECA 2024 — Magnifico! It was an incredible experience. Unlike anything we’ve ever done before.
Jamie
Unlike any escape rooms experience I’ve ever imagined. The depth of the story drew us in right away. I wanted the story to keep going. Wow!
Tammy
Amazing! Not an escape room experience, but a private interactive theater where you complete puzzles and interact with actor’s to move further in the story. Truly remarkable story, set, and props.
Mazie
Imagine a live play happening all around you, but you can (and are encouraged to) interact with the characters to develop the story. It’s a choose your own adventure book in real life! We went on rides, had actual magic tricks played on us, and even died along the way.
Tyler
Wow! So many different puzzles and people. Always something new and interesting to do or look at. Never boring.
The introduction to the room…
At Magnifico’s Circus, prepare yourself for a day filled with wonder and excitement. Here, you’ll embark on amazing rides that will thrill and delight you. Test your skills and win fabulous prizes in our exciting games, perfect for all ages.
Bring your friends and family to share in the joy and fun. From the youngest to the young at heart, everyone will find something to love at Magnifico’s Circus.
And when the sun sets, the real magic begins! Gather under the big top to witness an unforgettable circus show. Our talented performers, dazzling acrobats, and hilarious clowns will leave you awestruck and full of wonder.
Magnifico’s Circus is not just a show; it’s an experience you won’t want to miss. Step right up and join us for a day of fun, laughter, and unforgettable memories!
You can also listen to the soundtrack.
Today we did two escape rooms at Escaparium, and nine years ago today Tammy and I did our second escape room ever in Maine. We’ve now done 78!
Lost Island of the Voodoo Queen at Escaparium
We started another double header of escape rooms today at Escaparium. Our first room was Lost Island of the Voodoo Queen. As we entered our first “room” at Escaparium we realized it wasn’t really a room. We were taken to a dock by our guide and after a mysterious disappearance we boarded our ship filled with spirits.
This felt more like we were on a movie set than an escape room. The ship was moving at times and we were solving very cool puzzles. After successfully navigating the ship through storms we landed at the Island and had to save lost souls.
We did complete the experience and break the spell of the Voodoo Queen. It was amazing and made us all eager to see the other Escaparium rooms we were doing.
QMSB Trip - Day 4
Go to day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 or see index.
Screaming Metal at Cabinet Mysteriis
We again returned to Cabinet Mysteriis to do a third room. Tonight we were doing Screaming Metal. There are a lot of escape rooms that are intentionally scary and that isn’t our thing. This room does have “fright” components but we felt we were up to it. The story is set in a post apocalyptic world and you are taken hostage by a group that is going to kill you. You have an hour to escape.
This room also had actors with the “screaming” part courtesy of the first actor who is threatening and carrying a baseball bat. The other actor is trying to help you.
We did escape! It was a complicated room but we worked through all the various steps and ultimately made it out. I really liked how authentic the ending was and how immersive the story got. Well done.
QMSB Trip - Day 3
Go to day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 or see index.
The Dreamwalkers at Cabinet Mysteriis
Tonight we visited Cabinet Mysteriis in Quebec for a double hitter of escape rooms. The first room was Dreamwalkers. New to us was that Cabinet Mysteriis focuses on an immersive experience. There is not screen in the room and no timer is visible. We had 75 minutes to complete the room but the precise time was unknown. They also asked us to remove watches so we couldn’t track time ourselves.
Additionally the story is set during dreams so we also wore slippers when doing the room. We all took our shoes off and got our choice of various home knit slippers.
With no screen to communicate with us the game master was a character in the room. The friendly and helpful Mr Fox appeared inside an old fashioned TV cabinet to aid us as we worked the various puzzles
The room was complicated and alas we did not solve it but we had a great time and if we would have had another ten minutes maybe we could have got there.
Gold Rush at Escape in Time
We solved the Gold Rush room at Escape in Time in Madison today. The room is rated hard and we definitely hit a couple of spots where we needed a clue and felt pretty stumped. But even with that, we solved the room with 13m 15s remaining on the clock. We thought the location was great and loved that the entrance is a Candy Shop puzzle room that you need to get through to check in for your game! Room 73!
