"Otherworld is Out of this World!"

On Sunday, my husband, Andrew and I had an “otherworldly” experience that definitely lives up to its name. Otherworld is a new out-of-this-world interactive and hands-on sci-fi/fantasy experience that is a mixture of experiences for all ages.

For those of us who grew up in the 80s, part of it felt a bit like being trapped inside a video game (“Tron”)

and then turning another corner and stumbling upon a botany lab with all sorts of strange creatures (“Little Shop of Horrors”).

Then there’s the room that looks like something out of either “Alien” or perhaps “Tremors” attacked.

Fear not, Otherworld is far from needing an ‘R’ rating. There’s one room kids (of all ages!) will love that is straight out of “Monsters Inc.” However, it makes more sense when entering the bedroom first. Otherwise, if you go in the back door

Entrance

you will literally crawl out from under the bed,

Exit

which, depending on how busy the room is and where your travel companion is, could scare the crap out of someone not expecting to see someone suddenly emerge from underneath the bed. Actually, it’s really not that scary as a small child could just about stand up under the bed as it’s somewhat raised off the ground to make a tunnel more feasible. Sorry about the spoiler alert, but you still need to see if for yourself.

Not sure which room was my favorite – but I did quite like the one designed like an office complete with a desk and a couple bookshelves (with appropriately strangely titled books).

There’s also a laptop where apparently ‘visitors can access hidden files…..including telephone numbers that trigger actions elsewhere in the space when dialed from the nearby phone.’* I also liked the book art hanging from the ceiling (having recently seen a similar installation in San Francisco near the City Lights Bookstore).  *Andy Downing (Columbus Alive, June 6, 2019)

If you wanted to visit Yayoi Kusama’s many mirrored rooms installation at the Cleveland Museum of Art last year and weren’t able to snag tickets (the tickets for that sold out faster than you can say “Hamilton”), fear not, many of the rooms in “Otherworld” seem heavily influenced by master Kusama, and tickets to Otherworld cost less than her installation and is like 100x bigger.

In case you get weary of going from room to room in the 32,000 square foot building, there are many comfy places to rest (making me wish for my own room like this at home).

I also found the virtual aquarium area to be peaceful and relaxing.

There’s so much you could say about this place, and the excitement gradually builds as you wander further and further into the maze of rooms. I doubt anyone leaves feeling they didn’t get their money’s worth. I would only caution that anyone with limited mobility might not get the whole experience of being able to utilize all the tunnels and small spaces, but I can say that most, if not all, the rooms are wheelchair accessible. I would also suggest allowing at least two to three hours to try and see as much as possible, though there are so many details that’s nearly impossible in one visit.

For more information, be sure to check out:

https://614now.com/2018/leisure/otherworld-50-room-mysterious-art-labyrinth-opening-later-2018

https://614now.com/2019/leisure/otherworld-pre-sale-mysterious-art-adventure-coming-soon

https://614now.com/2019/leisure/an-otherworld-is-coming

https://www.columbusalive.com/search?text=otherworld&start=1

Here’s a link to my flickr photos from Otherworld: https://www.flickr.com/photos/authorwannabe/

Website for Otherworld: https://otherworldohio.com/

Location: 5819 Chantry Dr, Columbus (Reynoldsburg), 43232

July hours: Thurs & Sun 11am – 8pm, Fri & Sat 11am – 10pm, Mon-Wed closed

Ticket prices: Children 3-12 $18, Seniors & Military $20, General Admission $22

Out and About in Hilliard

Today I thought I’d write about some of the places I’ve visited lately in the area.

Last weekend my husband and I stopped in at the newly built Dublin library located in the heart of downtown Dublin. It has a pretty similar architectural style to most of the other branch libraries in Columbus, and is certainly nice enough to look at. But like quite a lot of modern libraries, I find it lacking in soul. I miss the coziness and more intimate spaces some libraries have.

children like these little tunnels

I can’t honestly imagine spending an afternoon there once I choose my books. I would probably grab a coffee from their coffee shop (which wasn’t yet open), and then head elsewhere to read. I think the best indoor place in the square there would be La Chatelaine. It’s usually fairly quiet and charges similar prices to Starbucks, though not sure how receptive they are to people tying up a table for hours on end.

This past Tuesday my husband and I visited the Hilliard Farm Market so I could stock up on a few things (mostly coffee). Hilliard probably has the smallest amount of vendors of any of the farmers markets we visit, but the selection isn’t bad as they have a little bit of everything – fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, bread & pastries, cheese and even a booth that sells healthy treats for dogs!

My favorite booth is Two Roasting Joes Coffee based out of Chillicothe (in southern Ohio). They have dozens of interesting flavors – most of which I have yet to try, but this time I settled on (3): Highlander Crème (a favorite from last year), Coconut Crème, and Chocolate Raspberry. I can’t wait until it’s hot enough outside to justify making ice coffee as Highlander Crème is outstanding cold.

I also bought several yellow squash (a couple of which I already chopped up and made a veggie stir fry), some radish sprouts (yummy & they feel so exotic!), and a jar of rhubarb & blueberry jam with Lavender flowers. I can’t wait to try that on some toast!

Friday night my husband and I joined my two cousins at the annual Wine & Arts Festival in nearby Grove City (where my sister teaches at one of the local junior high schools). Unlike last year with sweltering temperatures, this year it was a little more moderate with the mercury only reaching into the high 70s, so it was a perfect night to be out on the town. Seemed to be a good turnout too – as many people in attendance as last year I’d say.

I agree with my cousin when she said that only getting 8 tickets when you pay your fee seems like not enough (since there are at least double that many wineries there), but after you’ve sampled that many, it’s definitely enough (my slight headache the next day is certainly proof of that!). Also, if you prefer dry wines, you’ll probably only be able to sample half as many since most of those cost (2) tickets. I had all sweet/semi-sweet & an unoaked Chardonnay finishing with Andrew’s recommendation – a red wine called “Who’s Your Daddy?” which was a nice blend (not sure from which winery though).

Unlike last year, I didn’t buy any arts & crafts [last year we bought a lovely set of hand painted glasses depicting each of the different seasons]. All I purchased was a bag of a dry powder mixture to make my own chocolate martinis.

This was the only non-fruity option as I’m not really into margaritas or daiquiris, so this was a nice alternative. I already bought a bottle of vanilla vodka, so now I just need to mix up a batch and then freeze it in small bags as suggested by the vendor. Note to self: Buy a martini glass too!

Yesterday I walked over to a favorite Hilliard coffee shop called Coffee Connections located in downtown Hilliard. I like to stop there after I’ve completed my monthly Bread Run for St. Vincent dePaul (where I pick up day old bread & pastries from Kroger and then drop them off at the Food Pantry). After I picked up my macchiato, I noticed a group of young people outside from an organization called Heartland.

From reading their brochure, it appears they’re a company that has various lodgings and park facilities on offer to individuals or companies looking to do a retreat. There’s a Christian slant, but I don’t think you have to be a church goer to enjoy the facilities. Apparently they have an animal sanctuary somewhere on the grounds too as Kendrick showed off one of their local residents – an 11 yr old corn snake named Kellogg (who seemed rather shy as he was constantly trying to burrow himself into Kendrick’s armpit or hide behind his neck).

All in all a pretty interesting week of outings. Next week we’re heading a bit further afield to Chicago. Andrew has a brief speaking engagement at a conference on Thurs, so we’re taking a 3½ day vacation.

Have a great week everyone!

"Rocketman" & "Pets 2" reviews

My husband and I have seen a couple movies in these first two weeks of summer – “Rocket Man” (the Elton John biopic) and “Pets 2.” Yes, we like a diverse selection of films.

Andrew thought it was a bit too self-indulgent for his liking and would have preferred to learn more about Elton John's music rather than all the crisis' he suffered throughout this life. I agree, but still mostly enjoyed it anyway.

I saw an interview on IMDB with some of the actors who were asked what was most surprising to them about Elton John:

Dallas Bryce Howard (who played Elton’s mum) said she didn’t realize he was a child prodigy. “It’s almost like as if Mozart was living today…someone essentially becoming a rock star and yet and they are an accomplished musician already.”

Taron Egerton (who played Elton John) said he was surprised by how shy he was as a young man. “…the transformation that someone can go through and how someone can go from being fairly timid to being 1975 Dodgers stadium there’s a great arc to that.”

Dexter Fletcher, the director, said he was a bit unsure of how far he could delve into certain things. But apparently Elton gave his blessing and said that nothing was off limits, which is obvious when you see the film.

(above from IMDB:

 https://www.imdb.com/list/ls064754641/videoplayer/vi181976089?ref_=tt_vd_jk_rm1_i_1)

“Even if the movie doesn’t make one penny…it’s the movie I wanted to make.” – Elton John introducing “Rocketman” at its Cannes Film Festival premiere (quote borrowed from June 3-10, 2019 issue of Time magazine).

"Bohemian Rhapsody" it is not, but still entertaining enough, especially if you like his music.  

Anyone who currently has or has ever had a cat or dog, or is just an animal lover, or someone with small children will definitely appreciate this movie. You can tell the writers and creators are obviously familiar with our four-legged friends as they nailed each and every trait or our beloved fur babies. In fact, this lesson is even brought to light when Chloe (a very pampered cat who blisses out on catnip in one scene) teaches Gidget (an equally spoiled dog who has a bit of a crush on Max) how to be a cat.

Everything from using a litterbox to no longer being interested in playing fetch to walking across your owner’s keyboard and destroying it by knocking a drink over onto it are covered in the lessons. I won’t give away why these lessons are necessary. You’ll have to see for yourself.

There are so many laugh out loud moments in this film that it’s difficult to cover them all. There are also many poignant moments, and at one point there was a collective “Awwww” from our audience of children and adults.

I can also say, that for a sequel, it was pretty good and not dependent on seeing the first one to be able to follow the plot (it’s been a couple years, so I certainly couldn’t remember who all the characters were).

Be sure to sit through at least the beginning of the credits as the film editor has included a few gems that are worth staying seated for, which is always a nice bonus (like the hilarious bit in the credits of “Ralph Wrecks the Internet” which is one of my all-time favorites when it comes to extras).

Next on the movie horizon for us will probably be “Yesterday,” (a sort of “what if” movie – in this case, what if no one but one person knows who the Beatles were?). Stay tuned…..

Annual Grandview Chocolate Walk

Last week my husband, Andrew and I went on the annual Grandview Chocolate Walk to benefit the Grandview Hts. Public Library foundation. As some may recall, last year he was unable to join me due to a work-related commitment, but this year he was able to clear his schedule and come along (which I was eternally grateful for as I didn’t fancy having to carry two bags around all evening).

It was just a little cooler than last year (about 75 degrees) with one brief shower about halfway through the two hour walk, but overall perfect weather for the event. Since it’s usually scheduled so close to ‘The Memorial,’ there’s the constant threat of showers due to the curse of ‘Leather Lips.’ Ask a local and they’ll explain it to you.

No longer a novice to this event, we came prepared as I brought about a dozen sandwich bags in case any of the chocolate we were given didn’t come wrapped. Since there are nearly three dozen stops on the tour, you’re wise to only consume the non-parishable or messy desserts. Apparently I wasn’t the only one to bring extras. A lady I chatted with said she brings baggies too and has seen people with Tupperware and coolers.

Most places served the same thing as last year which included, in addition to candy: cake, cupcakes, mousse, a churro (very popular item as we had to wait for the stock to be replenished) and even mini waffles (which I was tempted to go back to Pure Imagination Chocolatier to dip them in the chocolate fountain).  Of course with two coffee shops on the tour, there are liquid treats as one served cold brew with a dash of chocolate syrup and the other served hot cocoa in cute little coffee cups.

Probably the most unusual item was bread cubes dipped in raspberry balsamic vinegar flavored with a bit of chocolate. No surprise that item was served at The Oilerie (I made a note to go back later and buy a jar of their cherry balsamic sauce).

(BTW, you would be surprised at how many things you can pair with olive oil - like sorbet for instance; considered a delicacy in Japan!)

Our favorite stop of the evening, which was definitely the biggest (tied with Jeni’s who gave everyone four small scoops of four different flavors of chocolate ice cream)

and most satisfying of all our stops was the do-it-yourself chocolate covered kabobs at Pure Imagination Chocolatier. Among the many items you could put on your skewer were: marshmallows, rice krispy treats, small chunks of pretzel bread, choux pastries (mini cream puffs), and strawberries.

The key to success here was to poke each item hard enough to get it on your skewer, and then use your fingers to push it along to make room for the next item. Also, I removed the leaves from the strawberry before getting coated in chocolate. Also, be sure to grab plenty of napkins because it’s almost impossible to get all the chocolate off your face otherwise.

The only non-food item we received (in addition to lots of coupons and flyers) was hot cocoa scented candles from The Candle Lab, which smell really nice. If they smell half as nice while burning (I admit I haven’t gotten around to burning the one I got last year), I will definitely crave chocolate!

Besides helping the Grandview Hts. Public Library Foundation, you get a good workout from walking up and down Grandview Avenue, which is where most of the stops are located. It’s also a nice social opportunity to get to know the proprietors of the various businesses and perhaps make a friend or two along the way (which I definitely did last year as Joe & Allysa were nice enough to let me tag along with them).