Tiviachick Loves Laser Tag

Experiencing District 57

I really appreciate that the staff at District 57 worked with me so that I could experience their tactical arena during a very short window of time that I had while I was in Charlotte.

There are multiple attractions featured at this distinctive entertainment center, but the Bordertown tactical laser tag arena featuring iCOMBAT equipment is what drew me to pay a visit.

Generally they require a minimum of four players, but the next available game I could join with a group would not be happening until much later in the evening, and my time was extremely limited on this trip, so instead they kindly accommodated a short sample game simply to give me a taste of the experience…but only after I first had a taste of some snacks (aka the “small rations”) in the Allsorts Commissary. :)

I sat down at a rustic wooden table to soak up the atmosphere under the cool Edison lighting that enhanced the unique vibe in the front room.

Once staff member Eli arrived we headed in for a tour of the 4500 square foot, multi-level tactical field.

There’s a lot of space in this arena to explore!

Although I’m not a huge fan of stairs in arenas, once you get to the upper level the grates ramps connecting the buildings to the tower and the lower side platform make for an exciting way to enhance the playability of the space.

Or if you prefer to stay low and stealth, these nooks are also playable spaces.

Typically a game could be as many as 8v8, so this was a bit different than how it would normally go, but I definitely got a good sense of what I might expect out of a full session.

My thanks to Eli for playing against me and giving me a sample of the District 57 experience.

Here’s how our game went.

If you noticed the cool lighting effects, let me shout out the fact that their lighting system is programmed in-house and they did a fantastic job with it! Lighting really makes a big difference in creating an immersive experience. I’m told that the rave lighting is particularly awesome.

I was impressed with my experience at District 57 and I would love to play a full session next time I am in town. However, I am so pleased that I was able to get a game in before heading back to the airport. My thanks to the entire staff for making this a great visit during my time in Charlotte!

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A Piece of the Skyline

I really enjoy seeing cool statement structures built inside of laser tag arenas. It’s one of the things I tend to remember the most. Although more often than not the structures I see most frequently tend to be a bit more space age or creative theme-related, I absolutely LOVE to see structures that are based on the local geography of the area! That’s why I was so excited to see an iconic piece of the Charlotte skyline represented in the form of a Wells Fargo-inspired building, lit up right in the center of Frankie’s of Charlotte in Huntersville, NC.

I enjoyed a game of Delta Strike in this two-story arena with this highly recognizable building replicated and going right up through the second level floor. Four of us vested up for the game including Slay, her goddaughter Zoe and staff member Daniel.

We chased each other around both floors, going after the “dum, da-da, da” sound that indicates a successful tag on your opponent with the Genesis gear. It was really delightful to see how much fun everyone was having with the experience!

When you are on the top floor you can get a good look at the overview of this arena, which is a fairly typical CW build.

But from the bottom you get a much better vantage point of the scope of this building that I was admiring so much!

When Zoe went up to the second floor you could really get a better idea of the cross-level arena design.

But for me the most memorable part (besides the great time we enjoyed playing the game) simply has to be the local representation within the space.

Laser tag is my favorite way to enjoy and experience any city!

So glad I got a chance to experience some of the awesome laser tag at Frankie’s of Charlotte!

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A Taste of the South in South Carolina

Get ready for it. I am about to make a big, controversial statement (lol, not that big and I hope not that controversial!)…here it is. I actually really enjoy playing Lasertron in non-Tron arenas. I know, stop the presses! But when I visited Stars and Strikes in Rock Hill, SC I was joined by three other players for a small game in a CW built arena and I was excited because the flow of the game always feels a little bit different and fresh in this kind of space. Welcome to South Carolina!

I’d like to take a moment to note the southern hospitality I have experienced on every leg of this trip. It was a delight to play some tag with Ashlyn Grace, Catrina, Hunter, a group who quickly assembled as soon as I said “I’d like to play a game of laser tag.” We vested up and got ready for some free for all.

As mentioned, this is not a typical Lasertron arena, but rather a two-story maze of ancient ruins and neon rubble with fun lighting flashing everywhere including from this guy’s eyes.

We traversed both levels chasing after one another. Ashlyn Grace is definitely the resident tag pro, but Hunter was not at all shy about taking his shots from the upper level. Can’t blame him, there’s a nice view of the entire lower level from which Catrina spent most of the game camping and sniping. We all had our moments to challenge one another!

But the space had lots of cool elements and nooks within the maze, giving this game a bit of a different flavor than what I might have expected.

I had a great time playing with a few new friends.

My thanks to Stars and Strikes for keeping things fresh every time I visit one of their arenas, as each one I have been to was different from the next!

When the game was over I was ready to seek out a taste of the south, so Ashlyn Grace pointed me towards a cute little farm market on my route back to Charlotte.

Boiled peanuts anyone?

One of the things I love about traveling the country for laser tag is the opportunity to sample the local flavor and this is one of the most iconic snacks that are readily available throughout the south, but not something I stumble upon in New York. Delicious!

For those keeping track, I had played laser tag in three states in less than 24 hours. Whew! But I am definitely making the most of this trip and enjoying my southern experience!

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The Laser Trail

The next day began with a trip to tag my way through the Laser Trail at Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, NC.

This is a cute, smaller sized arena with a unique theme that is perfectly suited to the rustic lodge atmosphere. I was joined by Jay for a 1v1 game, which was actually ideal for this space.

We suited up in our CyberBlast packs and went into the arena which looks like you are tagging through the night woods, peeking around trees and tagging through the branches.

There are a couple of structures that are akin to a log cabin, complete with lit lanterns to set the mood.

There are no bases, so the entire game is based on player to player tags. Jay gave me some great competition first thing in the morning and I enjoyed the experience. I’m quite certain there were no bears in the arena, but keep your eyes open for them in other parts of the lodge! ;)

This was a great way to start day two of my trek through the Carolinas!

Comments or Questions?