Scavenger Hunts for City Folk

The days are getting warmer and I’ve been struck with claustrophia, craving for outdoor open spaces, running around freely and soaking in the rays. This weekend, I’ll be participating in Urban Dare New York City andf am looking forward to sprinting around Manhattan in search of clues, photo ops, and tasks. As an avid fan of the Amazing Race, this is the closest that I could get to a large-scale scavenger hunt.

 What is it? A combination of clue-sleuthing, photo-hunting, and physical challenge-completing fun! Teams of 2 canvas their cities for solutions to clues and check in at various points, hoping to clock in at first place. Most participants finish in ~4 hours and cover 5-7 miles (all on foot or public transportation...not that cars would be at all helpful in NYC), although the winning teams usually come in under 2 hours. Cost is $90/team to sign up, and proceeds go toward benefitting breast cancer.

Starting in March and lasting through December, Urban Dare sets up camp in a different city every weekend, so check to see if it’s hosted in yours [see schedule here]! This could be a fun daytime activity, for groups or dates, and presents an opportunity to explore your city and discover new sights. 

Alternatives. I love scavenger hunts - they're tons of hand-on fun and are a great way to delve deeper into a city’s history and landscape. I've actually done two in NYC with a company called Watson Adventures, and enjoyed myself immensely each time. Similar to Urban Dare, Watson’s gives you a sheet of clues at the onset of the race, and you work your way around a neighborhood solving them until you return to the starting point. Watson Adventures operates on a smaller scale but offers clever, ingeniously set up clues leuading to nooks and crannies of various areas of NYC. I also like that they don't cover the entire island, but focuses on a few blocks at a time. Their hunts are centralized in neighborhoods and have themes like "Secrets of Central Park", "Sex and the City Village Hunt", and "Munch Around the East Village". Located in 6 major cities, Watson plans a few hunts each weekend, so check the calendar if you're interested!

 

Searching for one sticker amongst many in Meat Packing District

 

The BF was always behind me during the hunt - come on, it's a race!

Some random piglets we found oinking at some cute dresses