Could it be?

Another try at my own version of The Amazing Race? Well, maybe.

Last year Ed and I took part in the Urban Dare, which bills itself as "Part photo hunt, part trivia, and part dares." It was fun, but we didn't do particular well. We may try again in this year's event, which is scheduled for April 19.

And a few years ago we participated in another Urban Dare-like contest. Didn't fare too well in that one either.

But in my email box this morning was an email from a Jason who said he read my blog. I couldn't believe it! Somebody other than Ed and other close friends and family actually saw my blog. I'm almost blushing!

Anway, this one is called High Trek Adventure. It seems very Urban Dare-like also, billing itself as "Solve! Race! Win!" What is High Trek Adventure you ask? Here's their definition:

"High Trek Adventure is a unique, one-of-a-kind urban adventure game where brains beat brawn! Teams of 2 solve clever clues and face fun challenges all while navigating the urban jungle via foot or on public transportation! It's a scavenger hunt, with all the thrills of the amazing race, mixed in with trivial pursuit, throw in a mini road race and add a dash of cat-and-mouse. And voila! You've got High Trek Adventure!"

But the D.C. version isn't until Sept. 20, which does seem light-years away, as Jason said. But it looks like fun. I think I'll sign us up for both races this year.

Updates to come...

Urban disaster

Well, disaster may be too strong of a word.

Ed and I ran the Urban Dare on Saturday (with the help of my sister Cheryl, sitting in front of her computer in Des Moines, Iowa. Thanks Cheryl!). We were doing pretty well until the final three clues -- and then we figured out we screwed up a dare at the Iwo Jima memorial.

We watch The Amazing Race and yell at the contestants all the time for not reading the clue correctly. Well, duh, we did the same thing. There was a dare at the memorial, but all we thought we had to do was take our picture in front of the memorial. So even if we had completed the final three tasks, we would have been penalized for not doing that particular clue/dare correctly.

That's why we are thinking of doing it again when Urban Dare returns to the D.C. area in September. Ed said "let's do the one in Philadelphia." Umm, sure, we did so well in the D.C. one that of course we'll do even better in a city we know nothing about.

Oh well. You live, you learn, you move on.

The Urban Dare awaits

If I'm skipping the opening day of softball season, you know it must be important. Since Ed and I probably will never be participants in The Amazing Race, we're doing the next best thing: the Urban Dare.

The Urban Dare is a one-day mini Amazing Race. A couple of years ago, we did the Urban Challenge, which has since gone the way of the Dodo bird. Teams of 2 solve clues to find checkpoints where they must perform dares. Walking or using public transportation, we should finish in less than 4 hours -- the winners are expected to finish in about 3. The picture at left shows the winners of last year's race in San Francisco.

Can't wait. It's going to be as close as I ever get to traveling the world -- even if it is only Washington, D.C.