Chicago to Dallas: $46
Most people seem to hate Spirit Airlines. I used to be right there with them, but over the past two years, they may have become my favorite airline. I just booked a quick 1.5 day getaway to Dallas for $46 round trip.
Articles by Brian Gondek
Montgomery, IL: MindTrap – The Collector / Hand Trap
August 18, 2019 – Christina wasn’t feeling the greatest this weekend, and that could only mean one thing: it was time for me to do a scary escape room. Christina avoids rooms with jump scares, gore, or the occult, so I’ve got a short list of rooms near home saved for a rainy day.
Geocaching: Mystery at the Museum Event
As a puzzle enthusiast, I get a lot of mileage out of Geocaches (hidden objects at GPS coordinates). They’re great locally for getting out of the house, and while on vacation they can be an excellent way to experience the area.
Jackson, MI: EpIQ Escapes – 90s & Game Show
Christina and I planned for a weekend in Detroit and beyond, but it was our stop on the way in Jackson, MI, that ended up being one of the highlights of our trip.
Impromptu Detroit Getaway
Talk about an unexpected journey. For more than a week Christina and I had planned to go to Traverse City, Michigan again, staying at the bed & breakfast aboard the SS City of Milwaukee, an old 1930s ferry which now stays in one location as a museum. Unfortunately for us, the rest of the world must have also decided this was a good weekend for northern Michigan, as the SS City of Milwaukee was booked completely and all other hotel options were in the $350 a night range.
Beta Testing with Enthusiasts: Dos and Dont’s
You’re opening a new escape room and you only have one opportunity to beta test it. You can either bring in a team of family and friends who generally like the idea and enjoy puzzles, or you can bring out a hardcore escape room enthusiast, say one who solved an escape room in every state in under a year. What do you do?
St. Joseph, MI: Puzzlemental – Henchmen’s Hideout
St. Joseph is a hidden treasure just a stone’s throw from Chicago, and hidden within is a gem of an escape room.
The Anatomy of a Bad Experience
Christina and I recently completed a negative experience at a nearby escape room, Panic Escape Room. I don’t like speaking negatively about escape rooms regarding subjective elements that I personally didn’t like, but Panic had enough objective issues that make it a perfect case study for simple things to avoid in room design.
50 States, Pictured
I finally got around to plotting on a map the locations of where I’ve solved escape rooms. Now I’m interested in taking trips to plug some of the biggest geographical gaps.
Fort Collins, CO: ConTRAPtions – Plight of the Margo Part 1
May 11, 2019 – On our most recent trip to Denver, Christina and I wanted to hike a little. There’s no shortage of options around Denver for this, but we had heard from Brian at Rabbit Hole Recreation Services that the Fort Collins area had some great escape rooms in addition to its natural wonders, so we headed in that direction.