The Amazing Race > RFF's Amazing Race: Design Challenge
The Amazing Race: Design Challenge VIII - Final Round Design Show on Page 50!
Kamineko:
Design #15 - nrh2110
[Manalapan, New Jersey]
Show contentThis is Barcelona.
A city of more than 5.5 million people, Barcelona is the capital of Catelonia and one of the most visited cities in both Spain and Europe. Thanks to architects like Antoni Gaudí, the city homes some of the most fascinating architecture in Europe, as well as being a hotspot for Spanish cuisine, arts, and history such as that found here at Montjuďc Castle.
An old military fort dating back to 1640, Montjuďc Castle overlooks Barcelona from atop Montjuďc Hill, and from here, three teams will be departing on their last leg in a race around the world.
John & Casey won the last leg of the race and will depart first at 6:03 AM.
John: Last leg, baby!
Casey: Time to go home!
Route Info: Fly to Newark, New Jersey!
Teams will now fly over 3,800 miles over the Atlantic Ocean to the largest city in New Jersey, Newark. Upon arrival, teams will find their next clues on the marked Ford Fusions outside the airport.
Casey: "You have 60 USD for this leg of the race."
John: Guess we're going to the East Coast!
All teams are now on the same United Flight departing Barcelona at 11:00 AM and arriving in Newark at 2:10 PM.
Route Info:
Teams must figure out that this $10 dollar bill is directing them to the Weehawken Dueling Grounds, the site of the notorious duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr that fatally wounded the former. There, they will receive their clue from Antonio Burr, descendent of Aaron Burr.
Route Info: Drive yourselves to Boxcar Bagel & Deli.
Teams must now drive themselves out of Weehawken and to the township of Bogota. Once there they must find Boxcar Bagel & Deli, where they will find their next clue box outside the entrance.
Route Info: Time to make bagels!
The people of New Jersey firmly believe that they have the best bagels in the world, and Boxcar Bagel & Deli is a North Jersey favorite. Teams must properly make one dozen everything bagels, one dozen plain bagels, and one dozen sesame bagels to the manager's satisfaction. If the manager is satisfied with their work, they will each be given a bagel with Taylor ham and eggs—a New Jersey favorite—which they must finish to receive their next clue. However, teams will have to do redo any bagels that are do not meet the manager's standards.
Route Info: Drive yourselves to Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange.
Teams must now drive themselves twenty miles to the town of West Orange and find Thomas Edison National Historical Park, the home and laboratory of the late famous inventor Thomas Edison. Teams will find their next clue at the entrance.
Roadblock: Who has the bright ideas?
Thomas Edison was one of the most prolific inventors in American history. In his lifetime, he patented 1,093 inventions. One of the most famous inventions he is credited with is the invention of the light bulb. In this Roadblock, one team member must properly build a circuit using all of the materials given to light up five light bulbs. Once all the light bulbs have been lit, they will receive their next clue.
Route Info: Drive yourselves to the Jenkinson's Boardwalk in Point Pleasant and play the balloon dart game to receive your next clue.
New Jersey is famous for its iconic boardwalks—places along the beach for beachgoers seeking carnival games, rides, shopping, dining, or even just a walk down the boardwalk. And here in Point Pleasant, Jenkinson's Boardwalk is one of the most famous of them. Teams must play the balloon dart game and hit three balloons to receive their next clue from the carnie.
Roadblock: Who wants to make one last detour? Note: If you completed the previous Roadblock, your partner must complete this.
Along the race, teams encountered eight Detour decisions, and here at Point Pleasant beach, one team member will have their memory skills put to the test regarding these decisions. One team member must search among a hundred closed beach umbrellas with words pertaining to the Detour choices written on them. They must then install the correct umbrellas in the ground in chronological order. Once their umbrellas are in order, they will receive their final clue from the judge.
Route Info: Drive yourselves to the finish line, the Monmouth Battlefield State Park!
Along the way, these eight teams were eliminated.
And here at the site of the Revolutionary War's Battle of Monmouth, teams must now race to the finish line. The first team to step on the mat will win the one million dollars and...
the Amazing Race!!
Kamineko:
Design #16 - totumo
[Cape Cod, Massachusetts]
Show contentFly to your final destination city: Boston, Massachusetts!
Teams will all travel on the same flight from Buenos Aires, connecting in Atlanta and arriving at 9:50 in the morning.
Once there, search for a marked car in the parking lot and drive yourselves to Cape Cod!
You'll find your next clue in the town of Bourne at the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge!
You have $85 dollars for this final leg of the race.
Roadblock: Who's ready for some heavy lifting?
This bridge expands the Cape Cod Canal and connects the Cape to mainland USA. To facilitate railway tracks continuing through the cape, this vertical lift bridge was constructed in 1933 and at the time was the longest vertical lift bridge in the world. Today it helps transport over 100 trains daily reach this remote region.
In this Roadblock, one team member must enter the control room and follow a series of safety protocols to successfully raise the bridge. Once a boat has passed through the canal, they'll then need to return the bridge to it's initial position. If any safety protocols are not adhered to, teams will be stopped immediately by the Chief Bridge Operator and will be forced to restart. Once successfully completed, teams will receive their next clue.
The designated instructions to follow are:
Show content- Scan of the bridge to confirm it is clear for lifting. Announce clear of bridge
- Loud speaker announcement of bridge lift to commence
- Lowering of pedestrian barricades
- Operate warning horn, leave on during bridge lift
- Communicate to pedestrian officer to police the designated crossing
- Open the span locks, to release bridge from the piers
- Confirm counterweights are secure, then commence the lowering of the counterweights
- Once the bridge has reached peak height, use the span brakes
- Allow the boat to pass through
- Release span brakes and raise the counterweights back to their regular height
- Close the span locks
- Turn off warning horn
- Announce the reopening of the bridge
- Raise pedestrian barricade
- Communicate to pedestrian officer to allow passengers to cross
Find the 'White House' of Cape Cod!
Teams must realize that the 'White House' refers to the summer residence of former president John F. Kennedy. They'll find their next clue outside his compound.
Drive to Truro Vineyards to find your next clue.
It's time to go picking!
Cranberries are one of the iconic specialties of the Cape and now teams will need to get knee deep into the extraction process!
Teams will collect 20 cranberry vines from the vineyards and then jump into the harvesting pool. Once they've waded in, teams will need to use "egg beaters" and "booms" to release the cranberries from the vines and round them up for collection. Once teams think they have collected enough cranberries, they'll need to take them and drive to the oldest gay bar in the country.
Teams will be left to figure out this refers to Atlantic House in Provincetown.
Teams must then use the cranberries harvested at the vineyards to make 50 Cape Codder Cocktails. If they don't have enough cranberries to finish the drinks (without making them too diluted), they'll need to backtrack to the vineyard and collect more.
Make your way on foot to the Pilgrim Monument and search the top of the tower for your next location!
At the top, teams will see some race flags on a beach on the other side of the cape directing them to Race Point Beach.
Roadblock: Who's got a good sense of direction?
NOTE: The team member who did not perform the first Roadblock MUST perform this one.
In the final Roadblock of the race, one team member must search the beach for pieces of driftwood representing the 12 pitstop cities visited on the race. On each piece, the corresponding distance to from Cape Cod will be displayed. Teams must assemble these pieces into a signpost in the order visited, with each location pointing in it's correct directional location from Cape Cod. Once they have the correct solution, they'll receive their final clue.
Follow the marked path along the beach to the Finish Line: Race Point Lighthouse! This is it, go go go!!!
Notes:
Show contenthihi judges =)
Really want my design to shine, I hope you all like it! I see myself being a top contender this season. My leg will prove that.
- Cape Cod is a good destination, as it is only 1 hour from Boston Logan Airport. Teams can self drive through the cape. The populations of each of the towns visited are as follows: Bourne (19,754); Hyannis (14,809), Truro (2,003) and Provincetown (2,942). I am aware this clears me of the 50,000 population limit. Ok thank you.
- $85 USD will be enough for this leg. Teams will be self driving through Cape Cod
- This leg is logically structured to travel throughout the cape, with no backtracking. See the map below for what I mean
- Source for the bridge operation task: https://multco.us/bridges/vertical-lift-bridge
- The cranberry task is not too difficult. The only hard part about it is teams have no idea how many cranberries they need to take. Hasty teams may find it costs them a million dollars kek. It will be a trade off between more time to collect but having enough vs less time to collect and risk not having enough. Backtracking will set teams back 24 minutes in driving - 12 minutes to Atlantic House and back.
- I would give an example of my final challenge answer but I cannot as I don't know where my next designs will be. I will add them into my final race route when I make finale.
Kamineko:
Design #17 - Bookworm
[Champlain Islands, Vermont]
Show content
Phil: This is Accra, the capital of Ghana. Founded by the Ga people, it first rose to prominence when it became the capital of the Gold Coast. Today, it's a global center of trade, communications, and West African culture.
Phil: And on the outskirts of Accra, Osu Castle. Situated on the Gulf of Guinea, it was first built by the Danish and hosted the Ghanaian government. Today, it is the starting point for three teams as they embark on their final leg on The Amazing Race.
Phil: Dahlia & Jasper, who were the first to arrive, will depart at 6:00 pm.
Dahlia: Fly to Vermont!
Jasper: You have zero dollars for this Leg of the Race! Righteous!
Phil: Teams must now fly over 5,000 miles to Burlington, Vermont. Resting on the shores of the magnificent Lake Champlain, this town of 42,000 people is the largest in Vermont, and the smallest town to be the largest city in its state.
Phil: When teams arrive in Burlington, they'll find their next clue on the hood of their marked cars outside the airport.
Phil: All teams are now flying to Burlington, Vermont, via Washington, D.C.
Teams run to the cars
"Drive yourselves to the Champlain Islands!"
Phil: Teams must now drive themselves 20 miles to the town of South Hero on the Champlain Islands. Once there, teams must locate the Arnold Zlotoff Tool Museum.
Phil: A refuge for colonial traditions and a beacon of island self-sufficiency, this museum is a 200-year-old time machine. It is in this farmhouse that teams will find their next clue.
"Time to go back in time"
Phil: The Champlain Islands are renowned for their simple lifestyle and self-sufficiency. This museum is dedicated to a way of life gone from most parts of the country, but thriving in Vermont. The museum's founder collected colonial-era tools and sought to teach others how to both make and use them. Teams will now take part in this tradition and create a tool essential for life on a farm- a broom.
Using entirely local materials, including Bushy Bluestem grass, teams must make a broom of their own. Once the museum's director approves of their relic, they will be directed to one of two side rooms of the barn and sweep out a 6 by 6 square foot section of the floor. Doing so will reveal one of the two options in the upcoming Detour. Should teams wish, however, they may sweep in both rooms to reveal both sides of the Detour. It's a gamble, and teams must ask themselves how much effort they're willing to sacrifice for information. Decisions are key in this final leg, and this junction is no exception.
Once teams reveal the name of any side of the Detour, they will receive that clue from the Director.
Teams that sweep the left room will reveal CHEESE, while teams that sweep the right room will reveal TREES.
Phil: In Cheese, teams must drive themselves to Allenholm Farm, one of the many family-operated farms that dot the islands' landscape. Once here, teams must immerse themselves in one of Vermont's most famous activities- cheese making! Locating the cheese cabin, teams will have to carry cheese wheels to an outdoor scale.
Phil: The only catch is that there are four different varieties of cheese in the shed- Cheddar, Raclette, Swiss, and Appenzeller- and teams must use cheese of each kind to weigh out exactly 500.00 pounds of cheese. Each wheel of cheese weighs between 15 and 30 pounds, and all wheels of the same variety weigh exactly the same.
Phil: Teams must deduce the correct combination of cheeses in order to reach 500.00 pounds and carry these wheels 100 feet from the shed to the scales. Once teams hit the magic number of 500 on the nose, the farmer will give the team their next clue. Will teams gifted in math prove themselves to be cheese whizzes, or will the physical labor leave teams wheezing?
Phil: There is perhaps no tree as important to Vermont as the Maple. Not only does its remarkable foliage bring millions of tourists to New England each year, but the syrup produced from its sap is a favorite as well. In Trees, teams must drive themselves to At Hackett’s Orchard.
Phil: Teams will then search the farmhouse complex for 15 different framed Maple leaves, each belonging to a different species. The pictures identify each leave by its scientific name.
Phil: Teams will use these pictures and names to solve a puzzle near the fruit stand, consisting of a glass frame with six leaves. Teams must correctly identify the leaves using their surroundings in order to guess the right species names. The first letter of each species name will spell out a six-letter phrase, which they can repeat to the farmhand to receive their next clue.
Phil: Unbeknownst to teams, this mystery word will be APPLES, of which Hackett's Orchards produces over 40 varieties. With the answer all around teams, will shrewd teams pull ahead, or will teams be too bogged down looking for leaves that they won't notice?
"Drive yourselves to Grand Isle Art Works"
Phil: Teams must now drive themselves to Grand Isle Art Works. This gallery for local artisans showcases the talent of the islands. Each artist draws inspiration from Lake Champlain, whether it stems from the materials of choice or the subject of each work. Teams will find their next clue outside the building.
"Time to meet the real Champ of the Race. Use the provided piles of driftwood to create a sculpture of Champ, a local sea monster that calls Lake Champlain home."
Phil: The depths of Lake Champlain are said to be home to Champ, a sea monster that resembles the Loch Ness Monster of Scotland. First sighted by Samuel de Champlain, it is now a symbol of the Lake and Vermont as a whole, memorialized in the area's sports teams. Teams must now pay homage to this creature by creating a model out of driftwood, a favorite local material.
The Grand Isle Art Works features a collection of driftwood sculptures, and today teams will be adding to that collection. Teams must loosely follow the provided example to create a sculpture of their own. The sculpture must be at least seven feet long and five feet tall, and should have sufficient depth- teams should make more than a skeletal frame. Teams may use glue, but are forbidden from sawing, cutting, or drilling their wood. Once the art director approves of the teams sculpture, from its size to their own creativity, he will give them their next clue.
"Find the Bird House Forest on White's Beach!"
Phil: Teams must now drive back to South Hero and find White's Beach. Once there, they'll have to put on waders and run to the cluebox in the Bird House Forest. Originally built to attract birds in order to reduce the mosquito population, today the birdhouses add a bit of color and charm to the forest.
Roadblock: Who can see the forest for the trees?
Phil: In this Roadblock, the final task of the Race, one team member must run through the forest, searching amongst the birdhouses for those that have been painted with the colors and the patterns of the flags of the foreign countries teams raced through. They could then reach into the Birdhouse and retrieve a picture from the legs that took place in said country, with each picture representing a task or location from the race.
Phil: That team member will then run back to the entrance of the forest and place the image on a game board. However, teams will have to be very careful; not all birdhouses have pictures that matched the painted flag, but correct pictures can only originate from the matching birdhouse. Therefore, teams will have to know their flags and their race history.
Phil: Once all ten countries are represented with the correct pictures, the light at the top of the game board will turn green and teams will receive their final clue. However, if any pictures are incorrect, the light will turn red, but team members will not know which image or images are wrong.
"Drive yourselves to the Finish Line, Alburg Dunes State Park! This is it! Go, go, go!"
Phil: Teams must now drive themselves to the Finish Line, Alburg Dunes State Park! This beach is one of the largest on Lake Champlain and today marks the spot where one team will win The Amazing Race and the one million dollars that goes with it!
Hi, judges! I hope you liked my Leg!
With half an hour between the Pit Stop and the Airport and teams spaced out within half an hour of each other, all teams will make it to the Airport with more than enough time to all get on the same flight to Washington, D.C.
I decided on Vermont because I have some friends and role models from the area. It's never been featured before, and has a bounty of natural attractions.The proximity of the Champlain Islands to Burlington Airport is excellent; teams can drive a relatively short distance to islands with towns of 500 or less. A lack of charter flights, buses, or even toll roads minimizes costs for WRP, hence the lack of money for this final leg.
As you can see, the locations are all quite close together; 1.5 hours for total on-ground travel time means that teams shouldn't even need to stop for gas (not that there are gas stations on the islands).
In fact, the two farms are .2 miles away, meaning teams can reduce travel time between Detours if they choose to switch. Speaking of Detours, I wanted to try out this "forced Detour" twist, as it adds yet another decision for teams to ponder- do they take another 5-10 minutes to sweep out a 6x6 area, or proceed with the limited information they have. Teams really have to factor in their opportunity cost, and it adds another potential area for teams to pass each other. Often times, finales are all too linear; by adding a Detour, I tried to circumvent that, and the limited Detour information adds even more variance into the mix.
I believe the Detour is fairly balanced; assuming each team member can carry 40-ish pounds, they only need to make 6/7 trips between the barn and the scales, situated 100 feet apart. Additionally, each Detour has a little "cheat"- teams can weigh each cheese wheel individually in order to determine the weight of that variety, allowing them to do the mental math needed to reach 500.00; otherwise, they can use trial and error. Similarly, Trees takes place in an orchard famous for apples (in fact, both farms featured in the Detour prioritize apples), meaning that the word they need is right in front of them. Shrewd teams could figure out the first letters or so and leave relatively quickly. However, adrenaline induces tunnel vision, as we all know, so it's more likely than not teams can run around. Therefore, the Detours can take as little as 10 minutes (Trees) or 20 (Cheese) or an hour each. Given these calculations, I'd say the Detours are balanced, but certainly have room for placement shuffling.
I wanted to honor Champ in some way, and felt the ARI is a good way to do so. It rewards brawny teams, but also teams with artistic vision, allowing for creativity to shine and, again, placements to shuffle. I would wager that the task can take roughly an hour to an hour and a half.
The final RB is multipart; knowing flags is important, but overdone, so I wanted to include it but not make the Race depend on it. The way the pictures are distributed rewards teams for identifying flags, but they still need to remember what tasks took place in what leg. Essentially, there might be six birdhouses painted to resemble the Ghanaian flag, but only 3 of the six would have an image that actually represents the Leg. The other birdhouses might have images that pertain to New Zealand or something. I used the TAR13 game board because that also featured pictures, but the flags make finding the pictures more about memory than luck. I'd hope the task allows for teams to pass each other and forces team members to really think. Perhaps half an hour to an hour.
Overall, teams should reach the Finish Line between 1:45 pm and 3:50 pm (90 min driving + 30-50 min Brooms + 15-60 min Detour + 60-90 min sculpture + 30-60 min RB = minimum 3:45 hr maximum 5:50). The beach is very long and wide and tides do not fluctuate much, so there's plenty of room for a Finish Line! Plus, late summer/early fall experiences the lowest tides of the year.
Lastly, I chose September 10th for the filming date because it's the week directly following Labor Day. Many beaches and watersports-based venues in the Northeast close after Labor Day, so keeping it to the week after means its the last chance for these places to be open (mainly the Bird House Forest and Finish Line). I wanted to make it as late in the year as I could, too, to maximize chances that any leaves would begin to change color- not many would, but it still might generate some great scenery, as Vermont is beautiful in the fall! I found the date to be a perfect compromise and compliment the flow of my leg- to celebrate the ingenuity of the people and the harmony with nature seen on the Champlain Islands. As this article states, "everyone here does more than one thing."
Kamineko:
Design #18 - Jimmer
[New London & Old Lyme, Connecticut]
Show content
Phil: This is Lomé, the capital and largest city in Togo. Located on the Gulf of Guinea, Lomé boasts with vibrant markets, impressive beaches, and is filled with friendly and hospitable people! And inside the center of the city...
Independence Monument! This stone sculpture was built as a tribute to Togo's independence in 1960 from France. Located on a vast open square, it depicts an intricately carved silhouette in stone and served as the 11th Pit Stop in a Race around the world!
The Final 3 have stopped for a mandatory rest period and have no idea what is in store for them! Who will be the team that rises to the top to cross the finish line first and win The Amazing Race and the $1,000,000 cash prize that goes with it?!
Lyn & Karlyn, who were the first to arrive, we depart first at 4:26 PM!
Route Info: Fly to New York, New York and then take Amtrak's Acela train to New London, Connecticut!
Phil: The Final 3 will all be making their back to the United States by flying from Lomé to New York City. Once they have arrived in the City That Never Sleeps, they will be taking Amtrak's flagship high-speed train, Acela, in the morning to New London, Connecticut. Amtrak helps to serve some small towns by providing them a critical link to urban centers that they wouldn't get through flying. That can be seen here in New London, Connecticut. With a population of only 27,000 people, New London is a seaport city with sprawling shipping and manufacturing industries, but is not served by a commercial airport.
Once teams arrive, they must make their way to the United States Coast Guard Academy. It is the smallest of the five U.S. service academies and is where cadets are trained to become members of the Coast Guard. Teams will find their next clue on the Washington Parade Ground.
You have $174 for this Leg of the Race!
Show contentThe Final 3 will be on this flight and train, making them arrive in the morning, giving them plenty of time to run the final leg.
Production will be on this non-stop flight to Newark, giving them a full day head start to the New York City area, and plenty of time to drive or take an Amtrak to New London, Connecticut.
$174 is plenty to cover the cost of taxis in NYC and in New London. Plus some additional spending cash for food since there's 2 days of transit time.
Roadblock: Who is ready to become a hero?
Phil: On average, Coast Guardsmen carry out 64 search and rescue missions saving 13 lives daily and one team member will get to help participate in one. After suiting up, both team members will travel in a Coast Guard helicopter to the training zone. Once there, one team member, working with their trainer, must help attach the hoist band, set up the lift basket, and then make a terrifying leap into the water to rescue a stranded citizen. Once they have swum over to the survivor, kept them calm, and hoisted them back up into their helicopter, they will receive their next clue.
Show contentThe Roadblock will be based on these two videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8Z2FmPOAas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io_c_GxiwAM
This serves as an adrenaline pumping final leg task, but is relevant to New London with the Coast Guard. There is some skill that this task entails that will allow the best teams to rise to the top. I also don't think we've seen anything quite like this!
For a logistics standpoint, both team members will ride in the helicopter, which will depart from a nearby field. It will take place over the Long Island Sound and then the helicopter will land on Ocean Beach Park where teams will read their next clue.
Teams read their next clue at Ocean Beach Park!
Route Info: Find the marked boats and direct your driver to New London Ledge Lighthouse. Once there, make your way to the top where you will find your next clue!
Detour: Report or Restore!
Phil: New London Ledge Lighthouse sits in the on the Thanes River on the Mouth of the New London Harbor. For more than a century it has been guiding sailors throughout the Long Island Sound. In this Detour, the Final 3 get to take part in one of two critical tasks that are done here.
Before its automation in 1987, this lighthouse was staffed with a three man crew responsible for keeping the light shining, but also by sending weather reports every 4 hours. To this day, it houses Station LDLC3, a buoy that transmits critical weather data to NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to help better predict storms. In Report, teams must validate the data coming from the buoy by manually collecting barometric pressure, humidity, wind direction, speed, and gust, air and sea temperature, and precipitation using basic hand tools. If their measurements match what the meteorologist observes, teams will receive their next clue!
Since its automation, normal wear and tear destroy the image of this iconic landmark, but local volunteers help to preserve and restore the lighthouse. In Restore, teams must work with the Ledge Light Foundation crew and help get the lighthouse in tip-top shape by washing the deck, repainting chipped pipes, and decking it out with the American Flag. Once the crew approves of their job, they will receive their next clue!
Show contentI always like it when there were Detours on the final leg so I am including one for my design! The Detour is not intended to be terribly difficult on each side. The tasks will be tested so that it is balanced. There is also a balance in skill sets too. The more mentally focused teams might try for Report while the physical teams will go for Restore. For Report, a scientist will train the teams on how to use the tools and fill out the report. For Restore, there is a volunteer crew that will teach teams how to do each task. Teams will only wash a marked portion of the deck and repaint a marked portion of the pipes.
This Detour is another task so that there is a possibility of shaking up placements while on a small lighthouse within view of other teams, but is simple enough that it won't eat up so much air time.
Route Info: Have your boat driver go back to Ocean Beach Park and then travel by taxi to Old Lyme, Connecticut! Once there, make your way to the Florence Griswold Museum and search the grounds for your next clue!
Show contentProduction would ensure that 3 taxis will be waiting at the beach to take teams.
Route Info: Complete part of a fairy house!
Phil: In the quaint countryside of Connecticut, you will find Old Lyme. With only a population of 7,000, it is home to the elite Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts and this museum named after famed artist Florence Griswold. It is no surprise that there is a thriving art community, but it is definitely on display during the Wee Faerie Village that is set up here every fall. Now teams get to participate in this annual fall tradition. They must complete a special section of an Amazing Race themed fairy dwelling using only a photograph for reference. Once the artist has approved their work, teams will receive their next clue!
Show contentI'm not a very good artist, but I am sure production would work with local artists to create a wonderful Amazing Race themed house. This would be an attention to detail task and with the pressure building towards the finish line, there is sure to be meltdowns.
Route Info: Figure out where the attached image is and make your way there on foot!
Phil: Teams must use the provided image and figure out they are making their way to Studio 80 + Sculpture Grounds!
Route Info: It's time for a final memory challenge! Search the Sculpture Grounds for 11 sculptures of landmarks you have encountered on the Race, and put them in the order you visited them!
Phil: In the last challenge of the Race, teams have encountered a final memory challenge. Searching the grounds, they must find 11 sculptures of landmarks they have encountered on the race and bring them to their station. What teams don't know is that there are 5 decoy sculptures hidden in the grounds that are not correct. Once they have found the correct sculptures, they must then put them in the order they saw them, one for each leg. Once they are correct, a judge will give them a thumbs up, they must search the nearby banks of the Lieutenant River to find me at the Finish Line! The first team to cross the Finish Line first will earn the title of winners of the Amazing Race and the $1,000,000 cash prize!
Once you are correct, run east to the Finish Line at the banks of the Lieutenant River. This is it! GO! GO! GO!
Show contentI don't think this memory challenge would be really difficult to complete, but I think it has a nice balance of not being super easy complete like TAR19's map, but not being super difficult that it turns into a luck challenge, like TAR21. I also like it when memory challenges have both team members help out and work on it. The decoys would be obviously wrong, aka a landmark that was not visited, NOT visibly similar ones.
Here is a map of the grounds for the finish line.
Since I've already jam packed the leg with several tasks, it would be best just to not have the added taxi drama to the pit stop. This final memory challenge is sort of set up like TAR8, where the pit stop is nearby and essentially the winner of the memory challenge wins the race! Hopefully it has the same level of suspense that TAR8 had.
Show contentFinal Notes to the Judges!
I hope you enjoy my take on a rural final leg in the Northeast! I think this is one of the most difficult regions to design a rural leg because it is so small and has so many cities and is densely populated. But I fit the criteria where there are no locations in cities with more than 50,000 people.
I think the leg fits the theme well for being "Grand American". I showcased Amtrak, incorporated a US military heroes task, and a subtle homage to the American flag in one end of the Detour. I think the back half of my leg really showcases the rural US as well since Old Lyme looks like a beautiful small town! I think the fairy dwellings give it a rural vibe as well! It's also something unique that I've never seen before too.
I think tasks wise there is a nice balance. There is a good adrenaline pumping task that can add drama and put in a bunch of promos. I don't think we've ever seen a helicopter search and rescue before, and there is some skill with it as well! The Detour is complementary tasks and it showcases a really unique structure of a lighthouse that I have never seen before, plus it provides beautiful panoramic views of the Long Island Sound. Then it ends with an attention to detail task that can cause drama and a medium difficulty memory challenge with drama building to the finish line.
Obviously the leg start is flexible, but Togo provided a nonstop flight for production to get ahead and an easy connection in Paris for teams. Togo is also a unique country and I think it would be neat to have Africa --> USA since that's rare and a Final 4 in Africa would be fun too! The flight teams arrive on arrives at night which sets up a morning Amtrak ride to provide good sunrise views.
Finally here are some maps for the leg, click to enlarge!
I look forward to your critiques!
Kamineko:
That's it! You may post now. :)
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