Are you planning a getaway to Long Beach and want to explore our beach town to the fullest? Looking for the perfect family team bonding activity? It’s time for the ultimate treasure hunt! Get to know our charming seaside town and all its attractions with this photo scavenger hunt.
A city scavenger hunt is great for a date night, team building, or a family-friendly competition. Find all the locations and snap all 34 photos and you’ll have successfully sleuthed out the most interesting public art, quirky museums, historical trivia, and fun facts that Long Beach offers!
After you check into your one-of-a-kind vacation home, let’s roam through the best seaside escape in Washington together!
1. Stand Beside the Giant Frying Pan
The starting location of this scavenger will have you standing in front of one of Long Beach’s most well-known sites. While it may not ‘technically’ hold the world record, this 20-foot tall pan was actually used to cook a fritter containing over 200 pounds of clams.
2. Uncover the legend of Jake the Alligator Man
No trip to Long Beach is complete without meeting Jake the Alligator Man. Many legends surround the half man-half alligator mummy but you’ll have to head to our town’s favorite free museum to find out for yourself.
3. Get your fortune told
After you’ve taken a selfie with Jake, it’s time for a budget fortune teller reading! Put a quarter in at one of the many future-telling, love-guiding, grip-measuring machines that provide the soundtrack of this wacky shop.
4. Find the Gray Whale bones
The skeleton of a California gray whale was restored and displayed along one of the most scenic trails in all the Pacific Northwest on the Long Beach Peninsula in 2004. You’ll still find these bones scattered around a pod of whales carved out of wood along said trail.
5. Get a scoop of ice cream
Let the intoxicating aroma of waffle cone and the overwhelming flavors wash over you as you tackle a cone the size of your head. Which shop sells this giant cone? I can just let you in on the fact it’s on Pacific Ave. Bonus points are awarded for trying the weirdest flavor!
6. Find where the kites retire
People in Long Beach take their kites seriously. Well, as serious as flying a kite can be! While it won’t be hard to find the kites flying high in the sky, where would they go when they’re ready to retire? You’ll find this spot in Downtown Long Beach and will learn about this colorful pastime’s history and significance while you’re at it.
7. Dig up our local delight
Get down and dirty with a shovel and a bucket, and tick this off your list while also grabbing dinner for the night! Any guesses as to what this might be?
Pro Tip: You technically need permits for this one, so if digging isn’t your thing, just snap a photo of a fellow digger!
8. Snap a selfie with a sand dune
No matter your scavenger hunt skill level, this task should be easy to accomplish! Find the tallest sand dune and strike a pose.
Pro Tip: There’s no shortage of sand dunes here; look along the boardwalk and Discovery Trail.
9. Comb the beach for a unique piece of driftwood
Compete to find the most unique piece you can and snap a photo of your favorite. The more knots, branches, and barnacles, the better.
10. Build a sand castle
Take advantage of that fine, soft Pacific sand and build yourself a miniature (or massive) fortress. If you’re in town during the Sandsations Sand Castle Festival in mid-July, you can join other beach builders for lots of fun or make it your mission to find the most unique sandy build.
11. Find Lewis and Clark
Channel your inner explorer and search through town to find the two in statue form. It may be where you’d least expect.
12. Find Clark’s Tree
Ok, so it’s obviously not the actual tree, which is long gone in history, but an accurate sculpture was put in place along with the inscription that was originally carved. This tree marks the most northwestern point of their journey.
13. Take a picture of Clark’s Sturgeon
Inspired by his own journal entry, shortly after inscribing on the tree, Clark came upon a massive 10-foot sturgeon fish that had washed ashore. It may be trickier than you think to find a fish of such massive scale but with good detective skills, we’re certain you’ll be able to find it.
14. Rev your engine
And no, we don’t mean while driving through town. But we are sure there’s another place in town that encourages you to go as fast as you can to beat out the other racers. Remember, it doesn’t count unless you take the wheel!
15. Win a prize at Funland
Win enough tickets to get yourself something at the prize counter or, at the very least, snap a photo of yourself enjoying one of their many coin-operated amusements.
16. Eat a piece of the saltiest treat
There is no more quintessential take-home souvenir from Long Beach than a soft and chewy salty treat. Don’t worry it’s not a salty piece of fish but something that most would enjoy as a dessert or mid-day bite.
17. Pose in front of the Long Beach Arch
Put competition aside and join forces. This gorgeous arch is begging for a group photo!
18. Photograph a beachfront horseback ride
Be on the lookout for groups of horses along the beach or the dune-covered trails. Even better, join one yourself! The local horseback riding companies offer hour-long rides for all experience levels and ages.
19. Find the best sunset view
The west coast is the best coast to catch the picture-perfect sunset. A photo of the sherbert-colored skyline reflecting off the wet sand will indeed show you why. Finding the best view might be a little subjective but we challenge you to outdo yourselves every night of your trip with a better and better spot.
20. Visit a fruit farm
Most consider Washington a state of apples, but along the coast, the state is known for another red, round, tart fruit. You might have to do a little thinking to uncover which fruit that is. If you visit us at the right time of year, the bogs run red with these tiny delicious berries ready to be turned into everything from juice to pie.
21. Make a fort out of Driftwood at Waikiki Beach
It may not live up to the warm waters of its Hawaiian cousin, but Waikiki Beach offers a small sheltered beach covered in driftwood and coastal treasures. Channel your inner Crusoe and make yourself a cozy log cabin with beachfront access.
22. Find the ‘World’s Largest Chopsticks’
Why not have the largest chopsticks to eat out of the world’s largest frying pan? If you’re falling behind on the scavenger hunt leaderboard, head toward the town’s quirkiest museum to find the ultimate sushi-eating utensils!
23. Take a picture of a crab catch
Find where the multitude of fishing and crabbing vessels that crowd the bay come back to port. Take a pic of the fresh catch coming right off the boat!
23. Find a masterpiece by an animal
This quaint petting zoo has some cute and fuzzy artisans whose work varies from abstract to impressionist. Who knows what your piece can be worth at auction in the future, or at least a conversation starter when you tell your friends you have a Vincent van Goat hanging in your living room.
Everyone Wins on a Long Beach Scavenger Hunt
Congratulations! You’ve officially completed the Long Beach Scavenger Hunt and gotten to know the area like a local! There is no better way for you and your family to complement a stay at a vacation home in Long Beach!
