Where to Wednesday: A Scavenger Hunt in Old Sacramento
Do you know the feeling where you’ve been somewhere half a bugillion times and then one day you discover things that had been there all along and you never even saw them before? That was my day today, thanks to a cool new outdoor store in Sacramento called Trailmix. Alright, maybe they are not so new, I just hadn’t seen them until now. Sharlene at Double the Adventure pointed me to the store. After checking them out online, I learned that they have a kid-friendly scavenger hunt throughout Old Sacramento. The end spot (or beginning in our case) leads you back to their store, where kids can grab a prize for completing the scavenger hunt.
I grew up in Sacramento and have been through Old Sac. countless times. Some of the stores have changed, but mostly the cobblestone street, statues, storefronts, and wooden-plank walkways have remained the same for as long as I have seen them. Using the scavenger hunt sheet as a guide, I actually looked at things I have walked by hundreds of times and just today learned how far back they really go. To take this journey, you can either download from their website the ten riddles that take you around Old Sac. or there are plenty of sheets available inside the Trailmix store on I Street. The sheet also includes a map that makes it easy to find each station where you hunt for the clue to answer the riddle. Think your child will not be able to make it through ten separate locations around Old Sac? Also on this sheet is an alternate (or supplementary) eye spy game. Three free museums are listed and under each is a short list of items to locate in that building. The hunt took us between one and a half to two hours, but it was a highly distractable group. The clues are all within plain site, you could complete the scavenger hunt regardless of whether any specific location is open or closed. I won’t give much else away by talking about where we went, but I will mention it sure opened my eyes as to how much history has always been right there, if I just looked beyond the stores.
Another score for me was found once we reached the final destination, the Trailmix store. This is an outdoor activity store MADE for families. Aside from being a store, there is a room with tables that get filled with kids on school field trips or with families coming out to some of the weekend workshops. (Workshops include seed planting, bird counting, using a microscope, plus more.) If the tables are empty, you are welcome to drop in, grab some snacks, or buy and assemble one of the many activity kits offered. (Examples include building a birdhouse, making a fossil necklace, etc. ) Truthfully, I’m not a big shopper. But give me an activity I can enjoy with the kids and you’ve got yourself a fan. Guess that’s why I’m enthusiastic about this store becoming another part of Old Sac’s history.
top photo credit: Joanne Coughlin
That’s so neat! I wish there is something like this in our town. Hmm.. Maybe they do but I don’t know about it.
What a great way to spend a day explore the town.
Thanks for the kind words Lora! We love it when families come in and have a fun time with the hunt!!!
[...] Recently I learned about an outdoor store in Sacramento, Trailmix, that created a scavenger hunt in Old Sacramento. We took the adventure which made for a fun afternoon. You can read more about that trip in Wednesday’s post. [...]
I am glad you had so much fun! I know i have told you this abotu 5 times but I LOVE that store! Next time my kids are in town we are definitely doing the scavenger hunt.
[...] until my kids come back to Sacramento with me so we can complete it together. My friend Lora at Tripping With Kids (a must read blog, especially for those of you living in Northern California) completed the hunt [...]