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Our love for The Amazing Race: Family Edition may not come as news to regular readers. We were quite disappointed that the Black family from Woodbridge, VA was the first team to be eliminated this season, though we believe that they were much too functional and supportive of each other for reality TV success. However, we are particularly looking forward to tonight's episode, as the nine remaining families race through our backyard. An AOL preview video shows the families running across the Mall and on the plaza in front of the Jefferson Memorial.
This set us to thinking -- what local challenges would we like to see the contestants tackle? Here is what we've come up with so far:
> Find a street parking space in Adams Morgan on a Saturday night.
> Navigate from the Longworth Building to the Dirksen Building without going outdoors.
> Navigate from Rosslyn to Silver Spring along U.S. 29.
> Drive from McLean to the parking lot of Roosevelt Island.
> Find the D.C. World War I Memorial.
> Find Blelvis.
> Take a picture of Cornel West scarfing down a jumbo slice. (OK, maybe that is not so difficult, after all.)
So, readers - what unique D.C. challenges do you think would stump the contestants?
AOL video preview screen capture from Reality Fan Forum.
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Find a street parking space in Adams Morgan on a Saturday night.
Does it have to be a legal parking space?
Find the D.C. World War I Memorial.
Too easy. Have them find the solar system embedded in the road.
How about find an ugly depressing brick Ranch-style home for sale for under half a million dollars?
An actual chinese person in Chinatown?
A reason why the Metro tunnel between Rossyln and Foggy Bottom is only one track wide?
find a parking space in adams morgan any night of the week
Eat a 5 Guys Burger on the Red Line
Ride the red line from Shady Grove to Chinatown during morning rush hour without it breaking down while you're on it. If it breaks down, start again from Shady Grove.
I'd like to see the contestants get DC residents equal voting rights in Congress... I would actually turn on my TV to watch that :)
Follow (or just describe) Florida Avenue's route in the city.
Accurately predict the cab fare from Eastern Market to Dupont Circle.
Drive down M Street downtown without anyone double parking.
After watching last night's episode I have come to a couple of conclusions:
1. Parking spaces must have been saved for them. Nobody can just pull into a spot like that- and have several empty spots in a prime location! The game is rigged.
2. There are two refelcting pools? I have lived here my whole life and I had no idea that the one by the capitol was also called that (and I walk by it several times a week).
For a real challenge, they should have sent the teams from Shady Grove to Glenmont during rush hour. They could either take the metro (risk breaking down) or take a bus, they could get on the wrong line or miss one and have to wait 30-40 minuits for the next one.
From what I understand, they do maintain marked-off parking areas in some spots (apparently there was a roped-off parking area at Washington Crossing in PA -- also, how else could they have gotten street parking in SoHo for the first episode?). They were here on Friday, July 8, according to the Amazing Race board at Reality Fan Forum:
Last week, I was in DC. On Friday, I was on the mall near the Lincoln Memorial. The area was crowded as usual. I heard some shouting and looked towards the Vietnam Memorial just as a group of people came running out of the crowd. There was a man, a woman, and two young girls (caucasian) followed by a cameraman and a sound guy. All four were wearing orange outfits and caps and were running straight at me. I immediately thought about the race and wished for my camera. They ran right by me next to the reflecting pool and on towards the Korean Momument. I couldn't follow but I saw them stop and ask a park ranger something. I moved towards the ranger and heard him use his radio to call someone. He wanted to know what all the camera crews were doing on the mall. He said he had been seeing them all morning. The reply came back that they were filming a tourism video. He then said the cameraman had asked him to sign a release to use the film of him answering questions and he had refused. He told whoever he was talking to that it was against regulations and that they had better pass that on to the other rangers just in case.
This was on Friday, July 8th, about 11 am. I watched the rest of the day for others but didn't see anyone else.
The reflecting pool challenge sure seemed to stump the contestants, though! Well done, race producers.
For The Amazing Race Staff: You blew it! You guys really made me mad ... I am originally from Mississippi and there are many lovely things to see in this state! First, the ride through beautiful Alabama should have taken in the lighted Vulcan at night in Birmingham, instead of that stupid office chair! Mississippi's Gulf coast has a famous and beautiful old tree at Gulf Park College that would have been an excellent stop. You had to use a trailer sales place and a gas station ... what you do not know is that there are many lovely old antebellum homes and farms way back off the highways that you could not see. Also, the state is filled with brilliant and highly educated people! It is just non-stop the way we are treated, so this makes us a gentle people and we always have been. We would never make such snide and ignorant comments about the other states! You missed many excellent points about Mississippi. Shame on you! All you did was show just how ignorant and ill-read YOU really are! Sorry not to be gentle here, but for my families and friends, I must ask you not to come back! (My son thought it was hilarious!)