Urban Dare Dallas

Urban Dare Dallas is finally here!


Challenge complete! And it was awesome!

I'm ready for my race!


A little back story; my friend Lisa invited me a long time ago to participate in Urban Dare, an Amazing Race like challenge in downtown Dallas. They do these races all over the country in various big cities. It looked like a ton of fun so I agreed, but wasn't really sure what I was getting myself into!

Some things about the race:
1. You will be given a list of hints/clues that guide you to different areas of town. Some areas you will have just take a picture of you and your teammate. If it is a dare, you must complete the dare, and have an official stamp a "passport" that is provided at the beginning of the race.
2. Techonology use is encouraged. Use blackberries, iPhones, GPS...or "phone a friend" and have them look things up on the internet.
3. Maps are encouraged, as well as public transportation

The starting point was a bar in Uptown called The Gingerman Pub. We arrive about an hour before the race begins so have plenty of time to check in, and to scope out the competition. There were less than 10 teams there when we arrived and I was thinking this is going to pretty lame if that is it!! However the teams started to roll in and the place was full in no time. We are definitely a little intimidated as there are hardcore competitors present - people that are outfitted in running gear, that have phones w/ maps and Internet access, wireless phone devices so they don't have to hold their phone to their ear as they run, and GPS units to guide them on their way. We had NONE of that, so the odds were definitely against us. I was going to be thankful if we just didn't finish in the last few teams! Heck, if we could just finish the race period!

Waiting for the race to begin:


I grabbed a quick sandwich across the street, then felt ready for a race! At noon they led us to a parking lot across the street, and we were told they were going to ask us multiple choice questions. We would move to a certain space of the lot that corresponded w/ our answer, A, B, C, or D.


The first question was asked (which I don't remember), and we got it wrong. Probably half the group got it right and ran off to receive their list of hints. So another question was asked for those of us remaining - "How many Ewing siblings were there in the TV show Dallas?" - I was quickly trying to think on this - there was JR and Bobby...but anyone else?? Pam was a wife...Sue Ellen was a wife...and who else was there?? By the time he gave out the answer, it was too late, we had chosen wrong, again. By now there were probably 10-15 teams left. He asked another question (which again I don't remember). And we got it....wrong again!!! Most of the remaining people run off and there only a few of us left! The guy leading this portion did not even bother to ask us another question, he just told us to go on! So not a good start at all.

We run and get our hints and immediately we both get on the phone and starting calling people for help. There were 11 hints total, and you did not have to do them in order. So as we quickly called and tried to find the locations to the hints, we figured if we could get a location that was in Uptown, we would head that direction as we continued to find the solutions. I called Dad and Katie & Jason and they helped quite a bit providing clues and directions, and Lisa called some family/friends as well.

So our first hint:
1. If you lived in the biggest city on the most populous European island, you would be a ________. Get your picture in front of the establishment that goes by this name.

Dad and I talked through this one - most populous European island - obviously England. I kept thinking...The English? The Brit? But oh wait! It's the biggest city - London...Londoner?? Dad googled Londoner and sure enough there was one in Uptown, about 7 blocks away. With a combination of walking and running, we left the majority of the racers behind who were solving all the clothes before leaving, and made our way to The Londoner:


2. Go to Griggs Park for your wheelbarrow race.

So that was a given - Griggs Park. Luckily it is just a couple of blocks from The Londoner so we make it there pretty quick. Our dare - do a human wheel barrow around a set of cones. So I was the one head down guiding us around cones w/ my arms as my friend held my legs and tried not to drop them! I had to do some quick turning to avoid the dog crap on the ground, but we completed it w/ no problems! We got our "passport" stamped and moved on. Sorry - no photo of this one.

3. Find the sculpture Men Against Man for your bubble dare.

This one was a hard to figure out. We finally got an answer that it was the Trammel Crow Museum in the Arts District. We are currently in Uptown, north of Woodall Rogers Freeway. So scan the map and find a route that is close, safe, and will get us south of the freeway into Downtown as quickly as possible. By this point we are seeing several other teams move in and out of the blocks as they are hurrying to dares and to take their pictures in front of different establishments. Remember, there is not a set route, so anyone can be going to anything, and who knows what they have already completed!

We walk and run several miles to get to the Arts District, including having to re-route around a construction area that threw us off a few minutes. We did not know it at the time, but as we made this route, we would making a potential game changing mistake...more on that later...

We finally get to the Trammell Crow Museum for our next dare. Lisa does this one solo - go head first into a plate of whip cream where a HUGE piece of gum is waiting, then blow a bubble.

Bubble making in process:


Lisa succeeds then we are off to our next one!

4. This year we are donating proceeds to fight breast cancer. Go to the plaza for cancer survivors for your spellbound dare.

Well this was an easy location to figure out - the plaza for cancer survivors is a small park located across from Plaza of the Americas, only a few blocks from the Arts District. We hightail it to the park where we are given a word and must find letters w/ a point attachment hidden around the park. This dare proved to be harder than I thought, much harder than the previous 2 dares, but it wouldn't be our hardest of the day. We finally find all the letters we need to spell our word: Belligerent. Dare completed!

5. Meryl Streep plays the role of single mother Donna Sheriden in a recent film. Get your picture in front of the restaurant that goes by the name of this movie.

The last Meryl Streep movie I saw was Doubt - and she was not a single mother, nor is there a restaurant I know of with that name. Luckily Lisa is able to figure out the movie is Moma Mia! Definitely a movie I did not see, nor have a desire too!! Moma Mia is in Deep Ellum, where Lisa works so she knew the location. But Deep Ellum!? This is outside of Downtown, east of Central Expressway. Next dare, in my opinion - crossing Central Expressway! We did it though:


See how far we are from downtown Dallas now!?


Running to get there...completely out of breath, hot, and tired...but having a great time!


One team runs up ahead of us to Mama Mia's, then passes us on the way back! But we went as fast as we could. We finally get there - we need someone to take our picture, so I go inside the restaurant and just call out, "I need a volunteer to take my picture!!!" After a few seconds of odd stares, a man volunteers:


6. This pooh character is distinguished by his black and orange stripes, and a springy tail. Get your picture in front of his tattoo parlor.

Tiggers Tatoo is in Deep Ellum, just a street over on Main Street, we are currently on Elm. We cut over to it and head back towards downtown. Again, we are seeing other teams here and there and wondering how much they have already done? Are we ahead of them? Behind them? It had been about an hour and a half at this point, and we were halfway through. So at this rate, we would probably make it in about 3 hours.

As we get to Tiggers, another team is arriving. We ask them to take our picture and we will take theirs. This partnership worked out pretty well and we used it again for a couple photos down the road.



7. As a write, Erato is my muse. Go to the park where she and her sisters are represented by stones for your 3 legged race.

Now this was a very hard one to figure out. I had dad, Katie and Jason all researching and taking guesses on this. Finally dad was able to figure it out - Pegasus Plaza in the heart of downtown is home to nine granite boulders bearing the names of Greek muses...this HAS to be it! We are on Main St. so we go what feels like a hundred blocks until we finally get to Pegasus Plaza. We are given a band to put around 2 of our legs so they are tied together, and we must 3 legged race around the park twice. This was by far the hardest challenge, a lot more difficult then you would think. We stumble and trip on our first several steps, but finally get a routine down that works for us and we make our 2 laps. In complete pain, we get our dare approval and move on.

8. The artist Wyland is known for his whaling walls worldwide. Get your picture with his Dallas mural.

Lisa knew we were looking for a HUGE whale mural, and Katie and Jason were able to help us with the area it was located. We travel about 8 more blocks deeper into downtown and stumble upon the mural we needed.


And yes, I'm still running and looking like a mad man


9. Find the Urban Dare official near the dinosaur wearing boots for your beanbag dare.

Dinosour?? I have no idea where this is! Dallas doesn't have dinosaurs, we have the Pegasus. Dad is able to figure out that there is a dinosaur w/ cowboy boots at the West End Marketplace. So we dart towards the historic West End area, made up of transformed warehouses...one of which had a dare that was waiting for us. We get there and each must throw bean bags into a 3 separate holes about 5 feet ahead of us. EASY...we both get it instantly and we're on our way.

Now there had been clue that had been haunting us for 2 hours now...one we could not get complete certainty on. We talk to a horse carriage driver, assuming he sees a lot driving around downtown...but he does know; we talk to a police officer, thinking he knows every corner of downtown, but nope he doesn't...this was sure to be the death of us...

10. Get your picture with the mural with the quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, "The artist must be sacrificed to their art. Like the bees, they must give their lives into the sting they give".

Both dad and Katie had seen a picture of this mural online, but were not able to find the location, and this was a couple of hours ago when they had researched this one. Out of time and answers, and almost done, we were about ready to give up...and I could have used a nice cold drink somewhere in the West End, not to mention a bathroom break. But we push on and keep trying. I decide to call dad again and I'm going to ask him to describe the mural - he said it was on a parking garage, so maybe if he can tell me how high the garage is, or if its made of brick or cement, or is it red or is it gray, ANYTHING to help. Mom answers, so I have her look up the mural again. After some researching, she is able to find the mural, recite the quote we needed and provide a location! Perfect! She says the mural is of a man conducting and is near Plaza of the Americas.

What!? We were already near that area! And whats worse, is that were also right by the mural. If you remember back up to #3...our potential game changing mistake is that as we walked towards the Arts District, if we had just looked up to our left, we would have seen the Ralph Waldo Emerson mural. Now at the time, we did not know what we were looking for, but had we seen it,maybe we could have figured it out.

So VERY tired and nearly feeling defeated, we make the several blocks back up to the Arts District where we once had already navigated to, and the roads we already traveled, and past the points we already took our dares, to sure enough, find the mural that we had been needing.


I certainly will not forget this mural, and I think I will always hold a grudge against Ralph Waldo Emerson...

11. (the last one!). Get your picture with Line of Thought.

Lisa's resources are able to determine that Line of Thought is a statue at Rosewood Court back in Uptown. No worries, this will be a quick stop as we make our way back to The Gingerman Pub, aka - our finish line!

And yes, I'm still running:


We cross back over the freeway, thankfully leaving downtown behind us as we get to our final spot. We had no one around, so I took a self portrait - the statue is behind us.



As we leave, we make a navigational error and get thrown off for a for minutes. Luckily we get back on course pretty quick and race to the finish line! We were very pleased that we were able to accomplish each dare and make it to each place. We are feeling pretty good about our time and placing, but really aren't sure what to expect.

After 8.33 miles, we make it back to The Gingerman Pub to see several other teams already back, sitting and resting, and celebrating their success with cold beers. They all clap as we get up the steps and into the building. A few other teams are arriving at the same time we are. We have an official check our pictures and make sure we completed all the dares. Then he tells us what we accomplished:

Race completed in 3 hours, 13 minutes, and 42 seconds.
We placed 31 out of 80 teams.

31!?? We are SO pleased with that number! This having been our FIRST race like this, and w/ NO technology to our advantage, we finished in the top half, ALMOST the top quarter! In our opinion, with odds against us, we kicked butt!!!

It didn't take us long to completely collapse into a chair and enjoy a cold beer. And we made it to the pub JUST in time...about 5 minutes after we checked in, it started to DOWN POUR outisde:


This was nothing like anything I've done before, and I'm so glad I did it. There is another race like it in October and I'm already making plans to participate. I think Urban Dare will be back in Dallas next spring and I'm anxious to finish in the Top 15 next year!!

THANK YOU to dad, mom, Katie & Jason for helping! We couldnt have done it w/out the help!

If you would like to see the route we took, you can view it here:
http://routebuilder.org/31s

And one final picture:


I'm RESTING the remainder of my weekend! Hope everyone has a good one!