by Cori Hilsgen
news@thenewsleaders.com
HIKEhoppers will soon begin a Park Escape adventure at Kraemer Lake-Wildwood County Park by St. Joseph.
The Park Escape is an innovative twist on the Escape Room trend that takes place at county parks to promote healthy choices of outdoor exercise to reconnect with nature.
Participants will engage in a physical-adventure game and solve puzzles and riddles while they hike through the park.
The Park Escape events include the following:
Trail 1: Operation Princess Breakout for children and families
Cinderella has been imprisoned by her sinister stepmother, and the only way to save her is to find her golden slippers. But beware of Robin Hood and his Merry Men who are on the hunt for them also. Participants race against the clock to find Cinderella’s slippers and release her from captivity.
Trail 2: The Witch’s Curse for all ages
This is about discovering fairy tales most mothers do not want to tell. Participants try to find and gather the witch’s lost items needed to restore her beauty and youth to break the spell. If they fail, they are cursed and forced to live out thousands of years as a tree.
Trail 3: The Rabbit Hole for all ages (This is a more difficult trail to hike.)
Participants try to free Alice and escape Wonderland by following the Cheshire Cat down the rabbit hole. They must watch out for the Red Queen who has laid many surprises along the way.
The Park Escapes begin Thursday, Oct. 19 during the Minnesota Education Association’s school break. Challenges run daily throughout the weekend beginning at 9 a.m. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday they conclude at 10 p.m. and on Sunday they conclude at 7 p.m.
They are also offered the following weekend from Friday-Sunday, Oct. 27-29. They start and conclude at the same times as the previous weekend.
There is a fee per individual adult, and per child ages 2-12 (children under two are free). Discounts apply for groups of eight or more adults.
A limited amount of tickets will be sold through The Value Connection. HIKEhoppers will offer giveaways before the event for Facebook and Twitter followers (@hikhoppers).
HIKEhoppers is an organization that works with local businesses and organizations to help people live lives that are physically, educationally and emotionally fulfilling. The HIKEhoppers team includes Matt Jenson, Mindi Jenson, Emma Schott, Grant Stromgren and Stefanie Rothstein.
Rothstein, who works with youth and family education, said although the Park Escape may have more of an eerie feel in its title and marketing, it caters to all ages and is truly a family-friendly event.
For thrill-seekers, they are offering sessions in the dark. For those ages 21 and older, HIKEhoppers is partnering with Milk and Honey Ciders to offer teams a chance to celebrate after their escape challenge.
“Mindi and I are specifically working to bridge education with the outdoors,” Rothstein said. “We’ve created partnerships with CentraCare BLEND, the Stearns History Museum and St. Mary’s University to develop courses for educators that braid curriculum with design thinking while using the outdoors as the setting for learning to take place. Look for Learning MN in the near future.”
Registration details can be found on the Park Escapes page at the hikehoppers.org/park-escape website or for direct registration, visit bookeo.com/hikehoppers.
