Finding Holiday Treasures with Stray Boots

If you’ve read my site long enough then you know that while most New Yorkers run at the sound of holiday bells in all the main sights throughout the city, I gravitate to them like a moth to the light.

It remains my absolute favorite time of the year in the city and I am just as excited as anyone visiting from out of town, or my kids who (gotta love them) love all the noise, crowds and lights too.

I already had a family day planned when we would all throw ourselves into the madness of holiday crowds when I was invited by our friends at Stray Boots to check out their newest scavenger hunt, the Fifth Avenue Holiday Hunt. I didn’t even hesitate. You might remember our adventures in Chinatown and Little Italy while on a Stray Boot scavenger hunt (Missed it? Read all about it HERE). They have hunts for couples, friends, and family and this one is especially friendly towards those with little ones because of all the special stops we make along the way.

I don’t want to say too much because a big part of the fun is in the discoveries you will make, but I do want to point out again the reason why I really enjoy the Stray Boots hunts. At first one might think – ok, well, “one” being a jaded New Yorker who has been there, done that – that a hunt along Fifth Avenue can’t be all that interesting. I mean, what don’t we already know? But, there’s actually quite a few things we didn’t know and loved finding out.

The hunt starts on 49th and 6th, right across from Radio City Music Hall. On this particular time of year you will encounter the crowds waiting to see the Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes and well, just about everyone else. You will walk past fabulous shops like Godiva where you can sneak in some free chocolate treats…or some warm hot chocolate to warm up.

You will have a chance to check out the Christmas tree, lit up and on display. Now, what is not on the hunt, but I must let you know is that the lines for skating at Rockefeller Center are really, really long on weekends. So prepare to wait or just walk over to Citi Pond at Bryant Park on 42nd and 6th.

Then you will be directed to walk along Fifth Avenue. We made more then the necessary stops for things like, you know, roasted chestnuts and gawking at the gorgeous window displays along the way. Some clues will make you look at a few displays just a bit harder and what a treat that is! No detail is spared which made it especially exciting for the kids to get involved. We gave the the clues, guided them in the right direction, and they were off on a mission to find the answer.

You can also stop into FAO Schwarz and check out the Lionel Trains display in store now and if you missed the hot chocolate treat at Godiva, you can always pick one up at the FAO Cafe too.

The Plaza and Central Park of course are right there, but we spent most of our time checking out the windows. My favorites this season are by far Henri Bendel, Tiffany & Co., and Bergdorf Goodman. Stunning!

When you finish your hunt, and this one took us about 3 hours (2 adults, a teenager, a 5 and a 6 year old) on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon (i.e., crowded), you will get a notice congratulating you on your completion. Your prize? Walking away knowing a bit more than the average person walking around the holiday scene of the area and the fun memories with your loved ones and friends.

We followed up our hunt with a Broadway show and then a walk and some fun in Times Square, because who’s afraid of a little holiday crowd? Not us!

We had fun with the free app from Hyundai – Hyundai Race – allows visitors to Times Square to log on and play a driving game from one of the marquees (located on 47th and 7th, next to the TKTS booth).

Ours was a day to treasure. We truly had a fabulous time. Our children were completely engaged the entire time and it made those hours seem like nothing at all. But most of all, we got to enjoy all the beauty of the holidays in our beloved city in a fun way while bonding as a family, which is the best reward there could ever be.

How it Works:

The Fifth Avenue Holiday Hunt works by text message or smartphone web browser, and pretty much any US mobile phone will do. Players are guided with text messages that include riddles, puzzles, photo opps and trivia questions as they are treated to a tour of the top holiday sights. Each challenge earns players points and reveals fun facts about the area. The hunt is self-paced and flexible, so participants can start whenever is convenient and stop for snacks, drinks, or do a bit of shopping along the way. The hunt takes between 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hours to complete. The cost is $12 per ticket, a bargain for the NYC experience you will have.

You can purchase your tickets for the Fifth Avenue Holiday Hunt online HERE. For more information on Stray Boots and their selection of Urban Games in NYC, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC, check out their site at http://www.strayboots.com/

For more photos on our Holiday Hunt, please check out our Holiday in NYC 2011 album Flickr.

Disclosure: This post is based on a complimentary game from Stray Boots. I received no requirements to express a certain point of view. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

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Tags: family activities, family friendly, Holidays, nyc, nyc tours, shops, tours
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