Looking for a fun summer party idea for adults? Try hosting a Road Rally Scavenger Hunt! I've participated in three different Road Rallies and they are a blast. So much fun! It's a great way to explore some new sights in your hometown and feel like a kid again. So, what is a Road Rally Scavenger Hunt? Well, it's a little bit like the reality TV show "Amazing Race". Teams drive around in cars following clues, complete tasks and challenges, and try to be the first to team to the finish line. Depending on how creative the race coordinator is and how competitive your team is, the more fun you will have.
Be sure to always go over the race rules with all participants before you begin…of which the most important one should be to drive safe and obey all traffic laws! Each team is given an envelope with a clue to start the race. You have to figure out where that clue is sending you to find your next clue. Sometimes the clue is direct and tells you to go to a specific place, other times the clue is vague or filled with riddles you must decipher. When you finally find the clue spot, there is either another envelope with your next clue, or a person waiting for you that assigns you a task to complete and then hands you your next clue.
A sampling of some of the tasks we've had to complete in our Road Rallies over the years include:
• bowl a strike at a bowling alley
• find a specific page in a specific book at a library (and go to the actual place being described on that page for your next clue)
• hike a trail in a Japanese Tea Garden and find a missing person with a clue
• drive a golf cart blindfolded through an obstacle course with your partner giving directions
• make a hole-in-one at a miniature golf course
• shoot a bulls-eye with a paintball gun
• push a teammate in a wheelbarrow around an obstacle course
• ride a child's tricycle around a track without spilling a drink
• look at a wall of wood blocks with various symbols then run back to another spot and turn over those same symbols on a similar board of wood blocks
• go to a restaurant, order fries, and sing a karaoke song
• take a picture of your team in front of specific local landmarks like a statues, a store, with a policeman, etc.
• answer a sheet of trivia questions
• buy a certain item in a store (like a dessert for the dinner after the Road Rally)
• find a headstone with a specific name in a graveyard and write down the birth date
• take a picture in front a specific road sign
Usually, you can also earn bonus time by completing non-mandatory tasks. The dilemma for the team is to decide if the task will take more time to complete than the bonus time it will earn. To make it even more entertaining, you can also require teams to wear costumes and award a best costume prize. (Plus, it can be a little helpful to wear costumes so people know why grown adults are running wildly through public places!)
Typically, the Road Rallies end at a restaurant or group picnic. The last Road Rally I participated in was with my husband's squadron. After a fun day of racing all over the San Antonio area, we ended up at the host's house where she had several Lifetime banquet tables set up in her backyard for a traditional Texas BBQ. Depending on the tasks and distance you have to drive, Road Rallies can vary widely in length. We've participated in one that was only two hours, and one that was eight hours of non-stop fun!
If you're interested in a hosting a Road Rally, here's a helpful site I found that gives you some more ideas.
http://www.bukisa.com/articles/229042_organize-a-fun-adult-scavenger-hunt-road-rally
And, if you think a Road Rally sounds like fun but way too much work (which I will warn you, they do involve a LOT of planning), there are actually companies who will do the planning for you! Simply search "host a road rally scavenger hunt" online. Have fun, drive safe, and may the best team win!
