Urban Dare

Urban Dare

What I find so ironic is that my friend Kelli has been wanting for years for us to be on the Amazing Race.  So I watched it, once.  I don't really watch tv.  I have too much going on in the first place.  But what I realized as she gushed about traveling to Kuala Lampur....that we would be running around so much we would not really get to see anything.  So I asked her, "why do you want me to be on the Amazing Race with you"?  And her response was - well if you know Kelli, it is a classic response...her response was "because you can eat shit and drive".  Never mind the fact that I am a great travel partner, have great critical thinking skills and problem solve, amongst other things.  Well let me give Kelli a bit of credit - she says all these things are true but she was looking at my strengths and her weaknesses.  I can drive stick and I have larger palate and tend to be more adventurous when it comes to food.

We didn't get signed up for the Amazing Race but when Urban Dare came up, I thought it was a good opportunity to give it a try.  Our team name was Pick n Rocker - skating reference.

Scavenger Hunt

Pick n Rocker ready to skate this dare!

We met at Kell's to check in.  Teams of two were mostly dressed in the Urban Dare shirts with the 3 teams that dressed up.  We gathered outside and started with the costume contest.  There were 2 girls in a some sort of tutu get up.  Next was a team of Waldo and an inspector.  The last team were the minions from Despicable Me.  They were pretty cute!  Anyhow, the minions won.  Then we were told the rules, which was you can run or take public transport but no pedicabs, taxis or cars.  Pictures must be taken with the clues and they are not in any order. Then they handed out the clue sheets. 

The Strategy

Kel and I started with a game plan:  Solve the clues, locate the places on a map and marking out a course.  I started looking up things on the internet on my phone and Kelli called our friend Guy to ask for help.

12 Clues 

Here are the clues we were given:

1.  Get your picture with Debby Butterfield's dance horse

Horse Portland Art Museum Sculpture Park

2.  Laurence Olivier played Crassus in this 1960 film.  Get your picture in front of the place place that goes by this movie's name.

Spartacus

3.  Camping in downtown Portland?  Get your picture with right 2 dream too.

Right 2 Dream

4.  In baseball it's what you are when you are the next batter.  Get your picture with the bar that goes by this name.

On Deck Sports Bar

5.  Go to the rock that came all the way from Japan's Lake Tai for your scrabble dare.  Just like the scrabble you must find the value of the word on your passport using our scrabble stick letters.

Scrabble Solver  - The word was Snowmobiling and we added up the tiles to 206 - we solved our clue and headed to the art museum

6.  William Bendix played the title role in this 1950's television series.  Get your picture in from to the establishment that goes by this show's name.

Life of Riley

7.  Go to Contact II by Alex Liberman for your 3-legged dare.

3 Legged Race - I wish we would have gotten this on video.  We were told we worked well and moved quickly together.  Although Kelli kept saying right and moving her right leg which was not attached to my right leg.  And I had a few moments where we had to stop and in part because I was laughing so hard.

8.  He was the first mayor of Portland.  Go to his square for your ballon dare.

O'Bryant Square - balloon sword - UGH it took us 3 tries the first 2 balloons we popped and it took the most time which created a bit of delay as the clock ticked away.

9.  He was captain of the Seattle Supersonics when they won the NBA championship in the 1978-79 season. Get your picture in front of the place that goes by his nickname.

Downtown Freddie Browns

10.  Get your picture wit the art installation called Pod.

POD

11.  PHOTO HUNT - Get a picture of one team member kneeling down as if to propse marriage to someone.  Get a picture of 3 people doing see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.  For photo hunt you may not use the same person more than once, nor any race participants.

see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil

He was married

12.  The park was dedicated on St. Patrick's Day of 1948 as the only leprechaun colony west of Ireland.  Get your picture at this park. 

Mills End Park

We attempted to check in with an official by the park and she said I'm with another organization.  (Insert record scratch here)....whaaat?  She was with the Amazing Race.

Finish - Go to Kells for he finish. Please have your passport out to get your time stamped.

5:00 Minute Bonus - Since we're in the city of roses, get your picture with some roses in full bloom.

BONUS - Roses at Giffords 

On the way to the museum I remembered we were going to pass by Giffords a floral shop.  Right outside were bouquets of roses - SCORE!!!  5 minutes to deduct off our overall time!

Our official time was 2:21:11 with the 5 minutes deducted we had an overall time of 2:16:11 and placed 33/63 in the standings.

Post Race - Snake Bite Reward at Kells