Hey Hill neighbors, have you seen Josie the giant giraffe from Johannesburg? If not, Sunday is the day. What happens on Sunday? Well, it’s National Scavenger Hunt Day (of course!), just in time to make your essential pandemic exercise more interesting. Brandt Jeffers, Lincoln Park resident and founder of adventure company Ravens Duet, has created scavenger hunts that will introduce you to wonders big and small all around the Hill.
The scavenger hunts are for anyone who likes to discover cool, quirky things in the neighborhood–individuals, couples, families or roommates who are social distancing together.
Pause for fun: “Ravens Duet” is an anagram. The letters can be rearranged to form one 10-letter word. What is it?
You can do the Ravens Duet scavenger hunts any day, but on Sunday, May 24, noon to 3 p.m., Jeffers will be at Lincoln Park with stacks of adventures on a table for pickup. The first adventure is free, and any additional adventure is $5 to pick up or $3 to download from ravensduetdc.com. Jeffers will set up between the two memorial statues on the NE side, donning mask and gloves and keeping a safe distance.
Jeffers answered Capitol Hill Kid’s questions about his adventurous venture:
What’s your background?
“Picture it: five little sailboats lined up in the shallow side of a swimming pool before a race to see which can travel the length of the pool the fastest. The catch? All the sailboats are handmade out of cardboard! I loved creating that race, among many other events, while working as the Health and Wellness Director at Belle Haven Country Club in Alexandria. In fact, I loved creating adventures so much that I started my own company, Ravens Duet.
“I live a few blocks from Lincoln Park with my wife, and we love exploring Capitol Hill. We also enjoy playing board games, reading fantasy books, hiking nearby trails and traveling around the world.”
What was your inspiration for starting your adventure company?
“Seeing how happy people are after taking one of my group exercise classes or participating in one of my events inspired me to start my company.
“My vision for the company pre-covid was to build strong social group events in categories like fitness, team building and learning. Since we can’t gather in groups right now, I’ve shifted my focus to creating scavenger hunts that individuals or small groups could do.
“I’m hoping to raise awareness for my company so that when things do go back to normal, people can head over to RavensDuetDC.com to find an adventure and meet new people!”
What do you love about scavenger hunts?
“I love that there is a challenge to the experience. You could have a map, a clue or a riddle, but you still need to problem-solve to figure it out and find the challenge.
“Scavenger hunts remind me of treasure hunts, but with multiple treasures. In fact, every thing you find becomes a treasure!”
What are some of your favorite spots around the Hill?
“My wife and I take daily walks around Lincoln Park, Stanton Park and Eastern Market. We love looking at the houses, the architecture, the layouts, alleys and flowers. Every block is a little different and adds something unique to the neighborhood. We are always impressed with the creativity all around us on Capitol Hill.
“When things are on a more normal schedule, we love visiting the East City Book Shop, Labyrinth Games and Puzzles, Eastern Market and H Street Corridor.”
How can I find out about more hunts from Ravens Duet?
“I will have an email sign up sheet on Sunday for anyone that wants to be part of the Ravens Duet newsletter. Every week there will be a new adventure or two around Capitol Hill, Eastern Market, Trinidad, H Street Corridor or nearby neighborhood.”
You can also follow Ravens Duet on Facebook.
Have a Happy National Scavenger Hunt Day, neighbors!
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