From otter swims to rage rooms, beach-area businesses are feeding the appetite millennials and Generation Z have for experiences.
“Life is short and you can’t take the money with you,” said Erica Kirlin, owner of Beachin Bash based in Rehoboth Beach. “You might as well have a good time and create memories with friends and family while you have them.”
There are some unique memories to be made, thanks to new businesses like Kirlin’s, which offers luxury beach picnics, among other things. You can take a baseball bat to all the glass you can smash at The Angry Axe and Rage Room in Salisbury or hang out with wild animals at Barn Hill Preserve in Frankford, and your toddler can start learning to garden at ROOTS Youth Development Program in Georgetown.
There’s something else to take into consideration about the spending habits of younger generations: social media.
A swim with otters might cost you, but that selfie is priceless.
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Get up-close and personal with otters, sloths at Barn Hill Preserve
Swimming with otters, sipping wine with sloths and doing yoga alongside kangaroos are just a few of the things you can do at Barn Hill Preserve in Frankford, a “hands-on zoological park.”
With 25 different species, the preserve also offers educational animal shows and touch-and-feel encounters.
“We’re trying to inspire the community to help with conservation needs and protecting animals in the wild through our hands-on experiences,” said owner Josh Mueller.
Most activities at Barn Hill cost between $30 and $60, except for the otter swim — that’ll run you $300.
Mueller is a Sussex native. He went to college in Louisiana, where he got a degree in natural resource ecology and management and met friend and business partner Gabe Ligon.
“We aren’t just trying to exploit the animals. It’s more of an educational thing,” Mueller said. “It’s very apparent, when you see the animals’ behavior and enclosures, how much care we put into it.”
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He hopes to continue to expand the facility, at 34215 Peppers Corner Road, to house more animals.
Luxury beach picnic and bonfires with Beachin Bash
Beachin Bash specializes in making an event an experience to remember.
“It’s about creating the atmosphere and feel that makes your party or get together perfect,” the company’s website says.
From Lewes to Ocean City, Beachin Bash will set up and breakdown your beach bonfire, plus provide personalized koozies and individually wrapped s’mores ingredients. Charcuterie boards are standard at gourmet beach picnics, which might also include trendy blankets and pillows and fresh flowers. Home movie nights are more than just the projector and screen — they have fairy lights, comfy seating, curated snacks, the whole nine yards.
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“What we’re mostly known for are our luxury beach picnics and bonfires, but we also offer in-home private chefs and bartending services, themed parties, concierge services,” Kirlin said. “We’re kind of a one-stop shop.”
The company partners with Lewes’ Full Belly restaurant for catering.
Beachin Bash’s next luxury offering will be boat chartering, Kirlin said. The company hopes to launch sunset cruises, brunches by boat and more this summer.
‘Throw axes and break stuff’ at The Angry Axe and Rage Room
Throwing a bladed weapon and smashing appliances at The Angry Axe and Rage Room in Salisbury can be cathartic, according to owner Cat Curran.
“It’s just something new and different to relieve some stress or just have fun,” she said. “(The younger generations) are used to being behind a computer or a phone or a laptop, and I think they’re getting tired of that.”
Curran’s business, at 10A 2207 Northwood Drive, features seven axe-throwing lanes and two rage rooms. Axe-throwing is $25 per person for a 30-minute session, and for an additional $20, they’ll blow up a photo and place it on the bull’s-eye for you.
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The minimum age to participate is 10 years old, and those ages 10-17 must have a participating adult with them. Adults are allowed to bring alcohol (maximum of a six pack of beer or bottle of wine). Everyone signs a waiver.
Rage room sessions are $40 apiece for 15 minutes of smashing old microwaves, televisions and beer bottles — though you can’t drink alcohol during this activity.
Want to go but don’t have anyone to go with? The Angry Axe and Rage Room has speed dating nights every third Wednesday.
For the kids: ROOTS Youth Development Program
Talon and Travis Holleman were busy running the rat race and climbing the corporate ladder until having children changed their perspective on life. They left the Baltimore area to live in the woods in Georgetown and focus on self-sufficiency.
ROOTS stands for Reaching Outside Traditional Schooling. Its purpose is to teach children practical life skills that aren’t taught in public schools, which include bushcraft (surviving and thriving in the wild), farming, animal husbandry, homesteading, canning, composting and more.
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Workshop sessions are typically one hour a week for 12 weeks. In the summer, ROOTS also offers weeklong camps. Children are separated into three age groups: Explorers (1- and 2-year-olds), Pathfinders (3-6 years old) and Pioneers (7-12 years old).
While ROOTS is primarily geared toward children, Talon Holleman said they’re beginning to offer workshops for teens and adults as well.
“More and more families are looking for alternative ways of living self-sustainably, especially since COVID-19,” she said.
A two-part adult workshop on herbalism is planned. Check the ROOTS Facebook page for updates.
