Big City Scavenger Hunt A Fun And Informative Quest

by Chris Owen on

Remember scavenger hunts? The game where individuals or teams go out into the world to gather the items on predetermined list? Whoever gets them all first wins? Great.

In a unique twist on the game, UrbanQuest is a scavenger hunt in a great city that ends at a restaurant where reservations have been made. Along the way, “Questers” learn their way around the city in a fun and challenging way and everyone is a winner.

Held Amazing-Race style, groups of Questers download their clue package online then hit the streets to solve interesting puzzles that force teams to be resourceful. The final destination is a mystery restaurant where UrbanQuest has made a reservation for you. Timed to take about an hour and a half to complete, reservations are made for two hours after starting to allow some extra time for slow teams.

After buying a Quest online, it can be launched from your My Quests pages anytime. While the exact restaurant will be a surprise, you’ll pick a general category, just to be sure it is the kind of food the team will enjoy. Get stuck on a clue, see hints and answers on the included clue package that you printed off before starting.

In New York, for example, two Quests are offered. A Walk In The Park is a Quest in Central Park and another one sends Questers around Rockefeller Center. Each is priced at $28.99 per person + tax and the meal.

UrbanQuest is currently available in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Washington DC, Chicago, Indianpolis, Louisville, Baltimore, Boston, Princeton, Cincinnati, Portland, Philadelphia, Nashville and Seattle plus a number of Canadian cities and some international destinations with more cities on the way. UrbanQuest customers who have successfully completed a Quest are invited to be QuestTesters, trying out new Quests before they become available to the public

UrbanQuest looks to be great for dates, groups of friends, family outings or office team building and can be gifted via e-gift cards.



[Flickr photo by krandolph]

Ten steps to turn the passenger next to you into a fling (or more)

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Want to get lucky on your next flight? The odds of initiating a perfect stranger into the mile-high club are pretty slim, even if you do know all the right things to say. Of course, you could have a conversation, make a connection and want to make it real on the ground. So, how can that happen? Plugging in and tuning out aren’t going to help you much. Instead, you have to roll the dice and be social, risking a long talk with a total dud. It’s still worth a shot: even a long flight is finite.

So, let’s look at 10 ways you can pursue love or lust in the friendliest of skies:

1. Stop working: focus on your career while you’re in your seat, and that’s all you’ll find waiting for you on the ground. Close your laptop. Put down those reports. Clear the tray table in front of you. Crack a smile.

2. Buy a drink: it works in a bar, right? Spring for a glass of wine or a mini-bottle of vodka. In addition to being nice, you’ll also have a great way to start a conversation, especially if the flight attendant does something nutty.

3. Start listening: and to something other than your iPod. A winning conversation starts with your ears (and this is the only way you’ll find out if your seatmate is your kind of crazy).

4. Do a little talking: everyone loves a great listener, but you have to put some skin in the game to (especially if that’s ultimately your goal … so to speak). Chat up your neighbor, and be both honest and realistic. For a long-term connection, this is a must; for a quick jaunt to the back of the plane, it’ll take more than some quick talking.5. Make plans: whether you’re looking for a 30,000 foot liaison or something more enduring, make plans. It’s great to take what happens on a plane into the real world, so trade business cards and personal cell phone numbers. If all you want to do is make it back to the lav, plan that mad dash shortly after the beverage service starts.

6. Take advantage of open seating: for flights on the Delta Shuttle and Southwest, for example, board in the middle of the pack (great advice from USA Today). You’ll get a good idea of your choices and will still have plenty of seats available. Just don’t do this on easyJet. You’ll never hear the end of meeting someone on easyJet.

7. Use business cards: you don’t need cards to swap information, but it is a lot easier. Jotting digits down on a napkin is risky, and handwriting becomes an issue. Don’t leave anything to chance!

8. Leave the airport together: if you’re going the same way as your new buddy, extend you trip a little. Offer to a share a cab or town car (or whatever ground transportation you choose). You’ll put a bit more time on your side.

9. Set it up: never leave sales call without scheduling your next one. Before you part ways, try to line up your next encounter. Then, all you’ll have to do next time is show up!

10. Hope for the best: who knows where it’s going? Cross your fingers, find a shooting star and carry your lucky penny.

[photo by hoyasmeg via Flickr]

Single Men Looking to Meet Someone? Try Disney

by Jamie Rhein on

I’ve heard that laundromats are good places to meet guys. I once interviewed a guy in a laundromat for a journalism class after I randomly picked his name from the Albuquerque white pages of the phone book. (I opened the book and plopped my finger down. His name was where my fingertip landed.) He was a nice guy, but he hadn’t been to many places and wasn’t exactly sure how he ended up in Albuquerque from a childhood growing up in Brooklyn. While he folded clothes, I worked on getting deep thoughts out of him for a decent quote.

So, if you’re a woman, perhaps you might meet a guy who has a way with laundry in a laundromat. If you’re guy, here’s a tip I read in the article, “Cruise prices drop when leaves fall.” If you’re single, mind you, and you want to meet a woman, go on a Disney Cruise. According to tipster, Art Sbarsky who once was a cruise executive, single moms travel with their kids on these ships. Doesn’t this scenario sound like a movie in the making?


Don’t stop now. Get even more information on cruises.

If you are a guy who is thinking about a Disney Cruise, here are some things you might do:

  1. Get a bandana to dress yourself like a pirate. There are kids dressed like pirates on the home page. It wouldn’t hurt to try to look like you belong. Plus, with the bandana (make it red) you’ll be ready for the Pirates of the Caribbean deck party.
  2. Sing karaoke at Studio Sea or twist the night away at a dance party.
  3. Go to the fitness center and afterwards get a massage in the spa.
  4. Take in a show like Hercules, A Muse-ical Comedy. Brushing up on your Greek myths might impress someone.

Just like the article said, prices drop right about now. The Disney Cruise starts at $389 for a 3-day trip to the Bahamas.

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