Where you stand is where you are. The ‘adventures’ of the Urban Adventure Quest
By J’Nel Wright and Joani Taylor
As a person who spends much of her day wondering how I ended up standing where I am instead of where I had hoped to be, it’s encouraging to discover that one company has made the process of “getting lost” a genuine pleasure. When Urban Adventure Quest tells you to “get lost,” they mean it as a sincere compliment.
We posted about a discount for this adventure previously and I just couldn't help myself, but to give it a try. So, the hubs and I put on our walking shoes and headed downtown for a day of trivia, hide and seek and puzzle solving.
Here’s how it works. Urban Adventure Quest has designed a Quest that is unique to each city. Gather two to five of your closest friends—preferably those with a keen sense of direction and attention to detail—then grab your smartphone. You can purchase the Quest at any time, and start it when it is most convenient.
The moment you hit start, the Quest takes you all over your selected city by way of an interactive tour made up of clues and challenges. While you can set a pace that is comfortable for your team the race is timed, so if you're the competitive type, you don’t want to dawdle too much. Teams are ranked based on completion time on the company website.
The most surprising feature of this adventure is the realization of how little one knows about their own city. Along with spending a fun afternoon with your family, taking a Quest helps you discover the cool features of the area you live or enjoy vacationing. Here are some other tips to help make your Quest worthwhile.
1. Wear comfortable shoes.
The best way to discover the uniqueness of your town is to get out of the car, but that can mean a lot of walking. My family’s quest took us around to 2.5 miles of challenges, aimless wandering, and fun discoveries.
2. Bring water, sunscreen, snacks and jackets.
Hydration is important for your body and your brain. You will need both to be in tip-top shape if you want to complete this challenge before the sun sets. About 1/3 of the way through our quest, we found ourselves at City Creek, where we were instructed to take a bathroom break if needed or grab a bite to eat.
3. Read the directions.
Right off the bat we assumed we knew where we were headed and ended up beginning at the wrong location. We were stymied trying to figure out a clue only to realize we were at the wrong starting point. You think you know an area until you realize you don’t know anything at all. Good words to live by when you are figuring out clues. For all the Amazing Race fans out there, viewers quickly learn that races were lost when teams didn’t pay attention to details. The same rule applies to Quests—and life in general, really.
4. Bring a notebook and pen or pencil.
I would not go on one of these without them. There are all kinds of little puzzles to solve that require jotting down special codes, symbols and words, that would have made it extremely difficult with out one.
5. Bring your favorite camera.
You'll likely have the camera on your phone with you, but if you are a photographer, you may want to bring your DSL. There were TONS of great photo opportunities along the way that would make most photographers go crazy.
6. Have fun.
Yes, my family spent an extra 20 minutes trying to find a monument that was situated right before our eyes, but rather than beating ourselves up for lacking keen observation skills, we enjoyed checking out a cool statue that we had never seen before. Another nice thing about these Quests is that each team member can play a role in helping complete the tasks. Don’t forget to assign an “official photographer” to record the fun.
As a family owned and operated business, owners Christie and her husband, Robbie Bos plus sister-in-law Tami Walker understand the challenges today’s busy world creates when trying to carve out family time. Creating a Quest that is enjoyable and worthwhile for all ages is important to them. It’s that element of family is what makes their business so successful.
Urban Adventure Quest is starting off 2016 with 43 different Quests across the country, and has plans in 2017 to add even more additional Quests in some of their most popular destinations like Catalina Island and Denver, and eight new locations from Boise, Idaho to Philadelphia, Baltimore, to Nashville and Memphis. It sounds like it's going to be an exciting year of visiting fun new cities.
Save $10
We loved our Urban Adventure Quest and plan to do more of them next time we are at a participating city. Regular price for a full adventure is $49, some cities have short quests for $30. Currently on UtahCoupons.com you'll find a discount waiting where you'll pay $39.00 for your entire group. I just grabbed another one and the hubs and I are looking forward to trying the Las Vegas quest next time.
For more information on an Urban Adventure Quest nearest you, please visit www.urbanadventurequest.com.
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