It's about that time here in the north, an autumn-minded race route!
Setting the starting line aesthetics...
Show content
STARTING LINE: Grandview Farm - Stowe, Vermont-Teams to show crossing Gold Brook Covered Bridge before battling for tickets out of Burlington International Airport.
Leg 1 (United States -> Germany) | flights via Washington-Dulles and NYC-JFK to Munich, train to Nuremberg
*Oktoberfest stein-holding risk vs. reward task to determine train ticket time to Nuremberg
*Klingender Waterfall, Waldseilpark Rummselsburg high ropes: autumn color-gradient puzzles vs. Fichtelgebirge: Weißmainquelle hike Detour
*Roadblock: Recruit 10 people to "volksmarch" with from Burg Burthann to Villa Flaire in Pfeifferhutte to reunite with their blindfolded teammate.
Pit Stop: Kloster Gnadenberg
Leg 2 (Germany) | train to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, by foot-only leg around city
*Detour: Leyk Lichthäuser Factory: make and deliver ornament to old town shop or Medieval Crime Museum: hanging cage replica and testing
*Roadblock: Taubertal Festival lineup hung down from a 4.5 meter-high PVC beam; racers take turns laying out the order of the performances.
Pit Stop: Pension Herrnmühle
Leg 3 (Germany -> Eswatini) | flight to Mbabane
*Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary beehive hut time slot battle, Mantenga Cultural Village greeting and clue
*Sibebe Rock, Detour: Ngwenya Glass: crooked wine flute model glassblowing or Tintsaba: sisal weave a cup as an answer to a pattern
*Roadblock in Malolotja Nature Reserve- junkyard jeep repair, check engine, battery jumpstart, and drive to Pit Stop at a marked campsite
Leg 4 (Eswatini -> South Africa) | flight to Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek
*Cape Winelands-themed leg, Old Nectar Gardens, drama-inducing fake grapevine in a vineyard task
*Roadblock: Industrial conical fermenter cleaning from a list of specific wineries around the region
Pit Stop: Tokara Wine Estate
Leg 5 (South Africa -> Romania) | flight to Bucharest, train to Brasov
*Pumpkin carving marathon Roadblock in Bucharest, Strada Sforii
*Detour: "Balkan Breakfast" charcuterie spread feast or TAR14 Vlad the Impaler Switchback
Pit Stop: Posada Hunting Museum
Leg 6 (Romania -> Bhutan) | flight to Thimphu
*Carry a prayer flagpole through the Lungchu Tsey Pilgrimage, meditation retreat-style tasks
Pit Stop: Wangdue Phrodang Dzong
Leg 7 (Bhutan -> Japan) | flight to Osaka, high-speed rail to Kyoto
*Detour: Zen garden landscaping at residence, completing an augmented reality video game level at Nintendo HQ
*Higashiyama District, Fushimi Inari-taisha torii path gate counting Roadblock
Pit Stop: Kiyomizu-dera stage
Leg 8 (Japan) | high-speed rail to Kobe
*Wagyu kobe beef ranch visit, Nishiki-e printmaking Roadblock
*Kobe Jazz Street and Kobe Collection fashion show curating Detour
Pit Stop: Zuihoji Park
Leg 9 (Japan -> Tonga) | flight to Nuku'alofa, ferry to 'Eua
*'Ana 'Ahu, Detour: locating Ovava tree inspired for the Avatar movie or rock climbing
*Roadblock: Mulberry tree bark stripping to fill different length piles for tapa cloth production
Pit Stop: 'Eua National Park - Lokupo Lookout reached on 4WD
Leg 10 (Tonga) | ferry back to Nuku'alofa
*Langafonua Handicraft Centre and Gallery, kava ceremony at Ancient Tonga, 3 Headed Coconut Tree
*Detour: Cathedral Cave scuba diving and spearfishing, self-boat navigation with a Polynesian star compass
*Roadblock: "Join" fishing pigs to collect crustaceans for an umu feast
Pit Stop: Mapu'a Vaea Blowholes
Leg 11 (Tonga -> Canada) | flight to Montreal, more rural leg
*Mont Royal, Érablière Mont-Rouge, La Ferme Forget corn maze
Pit Stop: Saint Benedict Abbey
Leg 12 (Canada -> United States) | flight to Boston
*Fenway Garden Society & Fenway Park, Plimoth Patuxet Museums in Plymouth
*Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge for a stunt Roadblock, Nobska Lighthouse in Falmouth
*Chartered catboat to Tisbury, Martha's Vineyard, then ride a marked electric bike to Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs
*Bike to Joseph Sylvia State Beach, Jaws-inspired final memory task involving shark teeth pieces
FINISH LINE: Edgartown Harbor Lighthouse - Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, MassachusettsShow content