The Only Way to Do Discovery Place is the 'Adults Only' Way | QC After Dark

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

The Only Way to Do Discovery Place is the 'Adults Only' Way

Droppin' science

Posted By on Wed, Feb 21, 2018 at 4:00 AM

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A long weekend in the Queen City usually implies a long weekend of drinking. That's right, your girl had Monday off in observance of President's Day. When I wasn't spending time with friends, I was enjoying sleep competitions with my sweetheart.

Even though I hadn't gotten much sleep on Thursday night, my boo thang had suggested we attend Science on the Rocks on Friday. I was exhausted, but he'd never been before and my adventures with him are always worth the trip – even when they are absent of food, sleep and water. Not to mention, after our first Valentine's Day together — I finally got to try Customshop Handcrafted Food, eek – I wanted to keep the celebrations going.

If you've been living under a rock, or you're new to Charlotte, or just a creature of habit, you may not know exactly what Science on the Rocks (#sotr) is. Let me break it down for you. It's an adults-only event that takes place at the Discovery Place, a two-story family-friendly (usually) science museum located Uptown at the corner of North Tryon and 6th streets.

A gander at Discovery Place's official website describes the event with the statement, "Science is shaken, not stirred, every third Friday of the month at Science on the Rocks." When I first heard about the after-hours event back in 2014, I couldn't resist a visit. The only thing missing from the usual daytime drip to Discovery Place is a cocktail, after all.

That following March, I was sipping on a "vaportini" at the event all by myself. Since then, I've been back for at least four or five more such events, including the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (a theme that has occurred twice and sold out almost immediately each time).

I read the description for this past week's theme: "Is the way to your lover's heart really through the stomach? Can certain foods actually increase your sex drive? There's no denying it — food, love and sex share a special link that all comes down to science. Romance is in the air and there's more to explore than just chemistry at Science on the Rocks: Flirting with Food."

Anyone who knows me knows that I am obsessed with food, so it seemed like a great idea. Plus, the description reminded me of the time I took my mom to a SOTR experience that was all about the "birds and the bees," where I watched in silent torture next to her while someone slowly placed a condom on a banana...

I fought through the after-work urge to take a nap and met up with my boo. The event always runs from 5 to 9 p.m., so I thought it would be a good idea to head over around 7:30 — not too early, not too late. And even though this approach has worked in the past, showing up later this time wasn't the best idea.

We purchased tickets at the door (yes, that's a thing) and perused the map of events. I hadn't always participated in the activities before, but this time the list seemed pretty interesting: Sex and Aphrodisiacs, Candy Chemistry, The Dating Game, Fruit Relay and Kinky Kitchen Trivia. Unfortunately, every time we went by a room designated for an activity, the class was full. Interested parties had to have tickets to enter and others had to wait for the next time slot and hope they could get in. Bummer.

Nevertheless, the first item I wanted to check off of my to-do list was grab a drink. "Victoria's Other Secret," a pre-mixed vodka and lemonade number was being served at the two makeshift bars upstairs. Even though the price tag was $9+, I thought I'd give it a chance. Surprisingly, two tiny drinks later, I was feeling the buzz.

We accepted the fact that we weren't going to get into any of the activities and decided to just browse the other exhibits that are featured on a daily basis. Frogs, jellyfish and the like. By the time we finished that – and I laughed at my boo for accidentally splashing the water in the huge, open fish tank – we'd put the last hour of SOTR behind us.

Before you plan your visit to SOTR, there are a few pro-tips to keep in mind: Buy your tickets online and early ($10). There's no guarantee that the event won't sell out and they end online sales early on the day of the event.You can buy tickets at the door, however, the price goes up to $12. And again, there's no guarantee they'll be available. Show up as early as you can. That way, you'll be able to catch as many events as possible. You'd be surprised how quickly 9 p.m. will roll around. If you bring cash, you'll be able to cut down your wait time in line at the bar. But make sure you bring a decent amount...the drinks aren't cheap. Don't forget, you can purchase tickets to an IMAX show at 7:30 p.m. for an additional $5. Not too shabby for a quick movie experience!

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