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.
I upgraded to ChatGPT Pro a couple months ago and it has been amazing. Now I upgraded to Claude Max as well, mostly because Claude Code is that useful. I use both for research, ChatGPT is way better for images and creative. Claude for building projects and executing things. Incredible stuff. 👨💻
QMSB Trip - Day 7
Also Olson Family Vacation 2025 Day 3.
- I go to Structure Coffee for some delicious coffee and time to catch up on blog. Tammy off on a morning run.
- Max and Nora join for some coffee at Structure.
- Mazie, Tammy, and I go to bakery.
- Tyler meets up with us and runs off to get crepes.
- Super fun time on Jet Boating Montreal!
- Return to room to put on dry clothes.
- Difficult driving to bagel making class.
- Fun time learning to make Montreal style bagels at The Bagel Class.
- Levi joins our family and drive to lookout on Mount Royal.
- Mazie shares that Montreal got its name from “Mount Royal”. Say it quickly together.
- Return to downtown and park car.
- Get ready for Cirque du Soleil performance.
- Salad and smoothies for dinner at Mandy’s.
- Amazing time at Cirque du Soleil: Luzia under the big top.
- Walk back to Sonder.
Go to day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 or see index.
Delightful evening watching Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA in Montreal, the home of Cirque.
We all had a great time making bagels at The Bagel Class today. We learned how to make Montreal style bagels from scratch and had a few at the end. Yum! 🥯
Great time on the Jetboat in Montreal!
QMSB Trip - Day 6
Also Olson Family Vacation 2025 Day 2.
- Max and I walk to Structure Coffee for a delicious Cortado and light roast to start the day.
- Tammy, Tyler, and Levi join us and walk to Olive+Gourmando for a pastry.
- We all head to Montreal on Wheels to rent bikes and take a private guided bike tour of Montreal.
- After bike tour walk to Papermane Tea Room for afternoon tea and lunch.
- Then Max and I take four of the boys and visit two card shops: Capitaine Québec and Silver Goblin.
- Jamie has call with Quartersawn with some updates on construction happening at home. Some surprises to deal with. 💸
- Return and park Max’s car in Place Victoria ramp.
- Freshen up at Sonder.
- Jamie and brother-in-laws head to Vieux-Port Steakhouse for Men’s dinner. Great table outside with two wonderful bottles of Borolo to add.
- Go to Old Port for evening fun. A number of folks get Henna tattoos. Everyone has Mary’s Popcorn. Mazie, Tyler, Nora, Levi, and Angie do zipline!
- Watch Taylor Swift themed fireworks in Montreal.
- Walk back to Sondor and call it a night.
Go to day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 or see index.
Montreal Pier.
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!
QMSB Trip - Day 5
Also Olson Family Vacation 2025 Day 1.
- Up early to pack up, get car, and unload out of Airbnb. Delightful time in Quebec.
- Drive to Laval, suburb of Montreal.
- Go to Escaparium in Laval.
- Did the The Lost Island of the Voodoo Queen room — amazing!
- Went to Birdhouse Wings for lunch.
- Returned to Escaparium and completed Wardrobe for Sale. Was incredible as well. Had us talking for a while after.
- Drove into Montreal.
- Parked at Victoria Place.
- 5:12 PM: Official beginning of Olson Family Vacation 2025!
- Walk to Notre Dame Basilica for Aura Lightshow.
- Walk to Bevo Pizza for great pizza, beers, and pasta.
- Family pictures after pizza.
- Kaye and Fernandez’s return to Sonder.
- Us, Lundeen’s, and Daily’s have an ice cream and walk down to the Grande roue de Montréal.
- Check out the waterfront.
- Casual walk back to Sonder.
- We return to Victoria Place parking to get our luggage but find the elevator doesn’t go down. After a while find staircases to get to the parking levels and find the car without too much difficulty. Retrieve luggage.
- Return to Sonder, respective rooms, turn in for the night.
Go to day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 or see index.
Wardrobe for Sale at Escaparium
After our morning defeating the Voodoo Queen we had a break for lunch and then returned to Escaparium. We were guided through a number of hallways until we came upon a wardrobe sitting in the hall. We were left and upon inspection the wardrobe transported us to another world where we made many new friends and were guided by Moss along the way. The room had many hidden secrets to find and at one point we even ventured down a river on a raft to a hidden cave where we ultimately saved Moss and all of her friends before coming back to this world through another wardrobe.
This was a two hour room and was an incredible story.
POAP 7399817 at Olson Family Vacation 2025.
Happy 10 year anniversary to Ethereum! I just minted my NFT to celebrate the day!
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
- 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!
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.
Poutine achievement unlocked! 🇨🇦😊
QMSB Trip - Day 3
- 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.
Go to day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 or see index.
2002: A Bovine Odyssey at Cabinet Mysteriis
This was part two of our double header. After doing Dreamwalkers we went back to the lobby and got set for room two of the night. In 2002: A Bovine Odyssey we were aided by the onboard AI in the spaceship that we were on. The room made us laugh a lot and had challenging puzzles. We definitely needed the AI (game master) to help us. We found ourselves stumped a number of times.
Cabinet Mysteriis again showed their incredible focus on have an immersive experience. At one point one of the puzzles in our room wasn’t operating right. This happens rarely but isn’t the first time we’ve seen it. However, instead of just walking in the room we have a space pizza delivery man show up and deliver us some pizza and tend to the malfunctioning puzzle. Brilliantly done.
Great time for all!
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.
