April 18th 2015: Escaping the Room in Boston

I started out this morning with a hike at the Lynn Woods in Lynn, going to the western side of it this time, the path I took being shown below in pink.

The views of Birch Pond were pretty good this morning,

and I saw hooded mergansers and beavers in the water.

I took a side trail where there were great views all around,

and another detour to Walden Pond,

although those from Mount Moriah were not that great,

And there were none to be had on Cedar Hill.

I got back to my car only to find out that it was cordoned off by people participating in Earth Day. The good news was that both Dungeon Rock and the Stone Tower would be open to allow the volunteers to clean them out.

As there was some time before they opened, after being released from behind the barrier, I decided to head into town to get some breakfast from Cafe 39, a Vietnamese cafe.

I got a Durian Boba Tea, which was more of a frozen shake, although still really good,

and their signature dish the #39 BBQ Beef Banh Mi Sandwich, which was really delicious.

Not bad for a hole in the wall place.

I headed back to Lynn Woods after my delicious meal, following a cleanup group to the Dungeon Rock area.

This time, I was able to find the entrance to the dungeon below, the door to which was open today.

Unfortunately, I realized that I needed a light to see my way in the tunnel, and flashing it with my camera wasn't helping me much,

so I gave up after a short while and went outside to download a torchlight app for my phone.

Thankfully, the light from my phone was bright enough,

and I was able to get to the end of the tunnel, which was flooded with water.

After leaving the tunnel, I headed to the Stone Tower,

where the views from the top floor were pretty amazing.

After leaving the tower, I came across a guy who was lost and trying to find his friends, who were with the cleanup crew, so I walked with him all the way back to my car, where his friends were waiting for him. My good deed for the day, done.

From here, I headed to the Lynn Museum in the downtown area, which was finally open for once. Pictures of the exhibits here follow.

I also checked out the affiliated Lynnarts building next door, which did not really have much going on.

From here, I headed into Salem for some lunch at Sidelines Sports Bar and Grill.

The menu was pretty typical for sports bars, with me getting the Crock of Chilli with Chips,

the Spicy Thai Peanut Sidelines Wings (Fresh seasoned and lightly breaded)

and the Sidelines Steak Tips (house marinated steak tips, Spicy Fries and House Veggies).

Everything wasn't too bad, the wings being crispy with lots of sauce, and the steak tips being cooked just right, although there really isn't anything special about this place to warrant coming back again.


I could hardly finish everything though after my filling breakfast, and had to take everything to go.

From here, I headed into Boston, where I had a meetup event for a new conceptual game, "Escape the Room", to go to.

I managed to arrive just on time, even after visiting the King's Chapel nearby.

Unfortunately, I was not able to take pictures during the game, in which a group of us were expected to ransack a room to find various clues to obtain the combinations to open different locks in the room to ultimately get the key to escape the room. I do have to say, the clues were pretty obscure, and it was hard to determine which lock they had to be used for.

We were almost successful in our attempts, but the gamemaster decided to let us win as we were so close and were able to solve everything else.

Not too bad an experience, but I don't think I would do it again.

As I had some time to kill before my friend's birthday party at Scholar's in town, so I decided to go watch "Ex Machina" at the AMC Loews Boston Common 19 Theaters. Interesting concept, though with lots of graphic nudity.

As there was still time before anyone else arrived, I decided to try the food at Scholar's first,

getting 3 appetizers, namely the Monkfish Cheeks (Harissa, Micro Greens, Parsnip Puree), 

the Duck Leg Confit (Braised Confetti Lentils, Thyme, Orange Gastrique, Mache) 

and the Veal Liver (Creamy Bacon Polenta, Shallot & Balsamic Pan Reduction).

Really not that good at all. The fish was rubbery, the duck was dry, and the liver tasted really weird. A great place to come hang out with friends, but definitely not for food.

The party wasn't too bad, but I had to leave early with a long drive ahead of me. More to come tomorrow.