This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
This past month, Longmont welcomed its newest family-owned and operated business to 425 South Bowen St. Unit #6. The Twin Peaks Escape Room is now officially open for business, and Cheryl Ashley, Shannon Mitchem, and both of their families could not be more excited.
Ashley and her husband are originally from Hawaii, and they moved to Colorado about 15 years ago. Mitchem came to Colorado with her military family in 1986, and they met when their children became friends. Both of them were looking for something to do with their families when they came across the idea of escape rooms and got hooked.
An escape room, according to Ashley, “is an immersive, live-action game. You come in, you find clues and puzzles, and you solve them.” Basically, Patrons enter a room to find hidden clues and put hints together to beat the room.
The rooms vary in difficulty, and Twin Peaks currently has The Yin and Yang Room, with another room, the Area 51 Room, on the way. But Cheryl and Shannon say that more are definitely coming.
The key to beating a room, according to Cheryl and Shannon, is communication amongst the participants. This is really what they are hoping to promote with their new business. Mitchem has a nearly 20 year background in human resources. She was surprised at how escape room games did so well as to promote cooperation and conversation.
“People walk out talking,” said Mitchem. “This really makes you have to drop your barriers and talk. You have to learn to work with each other.” Both Mitchem and Ashley have already seen the room's ability to bring more timid people and children out of their shells, and they see their new business as a potential tool for the corporate world to improve communication in offices.
They said one of the biggest challenges they’ve faced in creating rooms is coming up with ideas for them. “Once we come up with the idea, the puzzles start flowing out,” said Shannon. “This is our passion, and we just want to share our passion with everyone else!”
