Macon Magazine

THE SITUATION ROOM The Situation Room, which opened in 2016 at 427 Poplar St., offers escape-room games, archery dodgeball and virtual reality games. COVID-19 caused them to concentrate on escape games and leave adventures requiring helmets and similar gear behind. Manager Chelsea Kerr uses the term "situation room" instead of "escape room" because their scenarios involve finding solutions throughout a suite of rooms. "We have a military situation called Red vs. Blue, a space adventure called Stellar and an outdoor-indoor situation called Macon Timescape," she said. Red vs. Blue involves getting out of a bunker before bombs drop. Stellar participants must reach an escape pod before air is depleted in their damaged spacecraft. Timescape takes players around downtown gathering information to repair a time machine. Each involves puzzles, riddles and challenges to avoid destruction. The military bunker starts in a room with arrays of clocks and phones – and yes, there's a red phone. For Stellar, think industrial-style ships as in "Alien" versus the squeaky-clean bridge of "Star Trek." "We have first-timers and people coming back who didn't escape their first time," Kerr said. "Others come to improve their time. Some do two situations in one day and others bring friends they want to play with. People come from all over and some are escape room fanatics. You'd be surprised how many grandmothers love doing this — people are so surprised by how fun it is." Kerr said they consider 12 to be about the minimum age because, well, solving the puzzles can be hard. Games are scheduled by phone or online, and there's also a rentable 2,000-square-foot event space. Quintin Bohan hails from Newnan and owns Maniaxe Throwing. He became a fan of axe throwing five years ago, when he and some friends did it as a lark while vacationing in South Carolina. "I started coming to Macon seeing friends 10 years ago, and there wasn't much to do downtown," he said. "Downtown seemed like the right place for something new and fun like this, so I started Maniaxe in late 2019. The basics of throwing are simple, and then you refine things. We coach beginners and those already getting the hang of it, because the point is to have fun and a good experience, right? It's not much fun if you never hit the target or get a bullseye, but it's a lot of fun when you do." Bohan said throwers use Maniaxe's short axes, which weigh from 18 ounces to 2.5 pounds. Kids as young as 3 have thrown, and there are Velcro axes and targets to use. They serve sodas and beer, and although alcohol may sound like an odd match with axe throwing, Bohan said there's never been an issue, and overall safety is always the first concern. "The whole idea is for all kinds of people, including families, to enjoy this," he said. Bohan said business is growing. Having remarkably good months prior to the coronavirus shutdown made the closure bearable. On Sunday nights there is league throwing. That's right – there's a local league and worldwide axe-throwing championship. Walk-ins can o en throw during slow times, but reservations are suggested, especially for busier times like Friday and Saturday evenings. MANIAXE THROWING JUNE/JULY 2021 | maconmagazine.com 47

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