A cross between geocaching and a scavenger hunt, Munzee is an app great for getting outside into new places. Asking my kids to explore places I have chosen or asking them to go for a walk for the sake of walking—oh, the eye rolling and resistance. I am always looking for new ways to engage them in outings, but at 9 and 14 they have outgrown my mom-designed scavenger hunts, and as much as I love the idea of geocaching, the reality of it is not something that has captured their interest. 

The goal of Munzee is to find a QR code hidden in the real world and capture it with your cell phone camera. The Munzee app displays a map with the location of QR codes that other players have deployed and gives small clues on where to find them. There are also virtual captures that you can collect by being in a specific location. Both count toward your point total and you can earn badges based on what you’ve done.  

I was first introduced to Munzee on a middle school field trip with my daughter. I wasn’t sure what to think at first. An initial look at the app made me think this was no different from Pokemon Go. Not my style. 

As I watched this group of middle schoolers run around and find various codes, I began to change my mind. They were trying to match the map to their surroundings, follow clues, and then looking over, under, and in things to find the code to capture. On this occasion, the students were able to deploy their own set of QR code stickers (which measure about half an inch square) according to the rules in some really creative locations. According to our fitness tracker we walked 5 miles total. I couldn’t help but think how this might just be the best way to get kids outside over the summer using their observation skills and creativity in a new way.  

We are not a super tech-driven family, but I decided we would try it out for ourselves. We opted for Manito Park with our extended family. The park is especially amazing in the spring and contained plenty of space to keep socially distanced from others. Initially I was afraid they would focus only on the screen, but because of the map and the hidden nature of the codes I noticed all of the kids were really observant and actually noticed a lot about the park along the way. My youngest son definitely put his map reading skills to good use. 

The kids split their time equally between chasing the QR codes and stopping to check out the abundant blossoms and bumblebees. Within Manito Park most of the codes are located near the roads, which would make this a great game for those unable to walk on uneven ground or those in wheelchairs.  

There are several websites about Munzee, but the most helpful for those who just want to try it out for the day is Munzee.zendesk.com/hc/en-us. The app is free.

Crystal Atamian is a science editor who loves to hike, ski, kayak, and identify as many wildflowers as possible each spring. She wrote about huckleberry picking in the Family Outdoors Guide in the April 2020 issue.  

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Who says you need to own a car to go on an adventure? Sure, it’s harder to get to national parks and wide swaths of wilderness on your own without one. As someone living in an urban area, I regularly feel an urge to be somewhere more natural, wilder, and more beautiful. And yet, if I wait to be on top of a mountain or alone in a forest to feel that itch scratched, I’ll almost never get the chance. Here are four ways to cultivate this spirit of adventure closer to home. 

Go Early 

Get up before dawn and ride your bike to a park with a beautiful vista. When you get to a good viewpoint, you can pour yourself a thermos of hot coffee and watch the sun come up. You’ll usually have the place to yourself and a chorus of birds.  

Suggested ride: Manito Park. For a mellow or family-friendly alternative: Take bus number 4 or bus up the hill and bike back down. 

Go Late 

Grab a friend and your headlamps and do a post-work sunset run. Yep, we’re tired after work, and it can feel intimidating to hit the trails or the streets with limited light. But there’s fun and motivation in coming together, and it can be a great way to train for that summer trip. Also, there’s something about headlamp light that makes things feel adventurous.  

Suggested run: Spokane’s Riverfront Park. You can start and end near the fountain, which puts you within walking distance to some awesome post-run takeout food options. 

Go Up 

Spokane is blessed with local climbing crags. Several you can even take a bus to! It’s amazing how even just a half day of climbing at a local crag on a sunny morning—even if it’s a short, moderate climb with no glorious view at the top—can generate a moment of connecting to that wild, scary, adventure feeling.  

Suggested spot: Dishman Hills. Use bus 90 or 94.  

Go Big 

Make an all-day adventure from your door. Pack up your backpacking pack and put on your boots. Throw in breakfast and lunch and even bring your camping stove. Bring a map and compass and plan to spend an entire day walking to some far-off destination. Getting up early, planning a route, heating up a quick meal with a camp pot, and feeling the familiar weight of your pack is all it takes to feel like you’re on an adventure. This is a great way to train, and there’s so much to see when we are looking at our surroundings with more observant eyes. This also works as an all day bike trip.  

Suggested trail: Centennial trail. Jump on the centennial trail at your nearest of favorite trailheads. Head all the way to Idaho, or link up to Riverside and Nine Mile Falls.

Get Creative

Check out bus routes that may take you someplace new. Get friends to join you in early morning or late night versions of your favorite local fun. And planning a bigger trip with a car rental or your own wheels can feel all that much sweeter when you’ve been building up to it. Wilderness and adventure are as accessible as your imagination and fearlessness to try something different. 

Ingrid Hannan is currently living in a big city for grad school but feels her real education happened mountaineering in the North Cascades, climbing rocks in the desert, skiing uphill, getting pummeled by ocean waves, and backpacking in glacial valleys. She escapes to wilderness to learn more whenever she gets the chance.  

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Scariest thing ever: you’re crunching through the fallen leaves at Manito park, late at night, searching for your lost control point. You stop to check your compass and — crunch! — goes another footstep. That’s when you realize, a moment too late, that you’re not alone…

Manito Park will be haunted on October 24th at 6 pm for Eastern Washington Orienteering Club‘s second-annual family-friendly Halloween event. Costumes are encouraged. The group will meet in the parking lot west of the greenhouse. Look for red and white orienteering event signs to point the way. Email tschoenleber@ewoc.org for more information.

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