What place is formerly a cannery? How many steps make it the second longest public staircase in America?
These are the burning clues that will take you on a two-wheeled or on-foot scavenger hunt during May while under Gov. Brown’s stay home and social distancing order.
May is National Bike Month in the U.S. Normally, communities organize rides, businesses compete with each other for the most bike commuter miles logged by employees, and events like bike parades are common, said organizer Megan Ramey of the citizen group Streets Alive.
“Now, with social distancing required to stop the spread of COVID-19, most of these options aren’t possible,” Ramey said. “Families now have children who are cooped up inside every day, trying their best to adapt to distance learning curriculum, wishing they could be outside. Increasing numbers of families are turning to walking and biking together throughout their neighborhoods as a way to get out of the house while still complying with social distancing rules.”
Ramey said bike shops around the country are reporting record sales as people turn to cycling as a means of exercise, solo transportation, and easy outdoor family time.
All over Hood River, families are taking afternoon rides and walks together, enjoying the fresh air and change of scenery.
It is in this spirit of small-scale, local outdoor fun that Streets Alive decided to organize another fun reason to enjoy walking or biking your town — while still complying with Gov. Brown's order to remain vigilant on social distancing, Ramey said.
Reading clues and tracking down locations can be done alone, or with household members. Face masks are a good idea to bring along, said a press release, in case of any potential close encounters with others not from your household. Meanwhile, you may learn new things about the place you call home.
If you are intimidated by completing the whole crossword puzzle, you can still win a prize: Just ride or walk to five clue points, take a selfie, and post on Instagram or Facebook. Tag @StreetsAliveHR throughout May and you’ll earn a Streets Alive beanie, hat or sunglasses. Extra puzzle hints with images, are released daily on Instagram with #TreasureTuesday goodies hid at the clue location that morning for fast pirates.
Puzzlers who complete the crossword puzzle correctly will be entered to win a gift card from a local business, Pine Street Bakery and Solstice Wood Fire Oven. Streets Alive welcomes more gift cards in the $5-10 range. Businesses can email streetsalivehr@gmail.com.
To compliment the scavenger hunt for Bike Month, look out for a series of travel safety videos and an ebike raffle from Thrive. Streets Alive won an ODOT pedestrian safety grant, utilizing the funds to produce a series of four travel safety videos focused on biking, walking, driving and wayfinding, each with an embedded clue for the scavenger hunt.
GET A MAP / PUZZLE
Bilingual maps can be found at these Little Free Libraries and businesses in The Heights or downtown:
- Children’s Park — English y Español
- Montello and Ninth — English y Español
- Columbia and 15th — English y Español
- May and Eighth
- Good Medicine Tea Lounge — English
- 1305 15th St.
- 1822 Prospect St.
- Aquatic Center
- Sherman between 24th/25th
- Montana Court
- Our Children’s Place (behind)
- Farm Stand
- Tropicali — English y Español
- Juanitas — English y Español
- One Community Health
HOW TO PLAY AND MORE
Visit www.streetsalivehr.com/scavenger-hunt to download a PDF, hunt details, prizes and more.
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