AmazingCo plans mystery picnics in metro Chicago
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Carrie at the first stop on the mystery picnic, Berry Pike Cafe. Photo courtesy of Matt Planer.
I'm a sucker for Instagram pop-up ads, and when I saw one for a Mystery Picnic, I decided to take it for a spin last Sunday.
How it works: We signed up for the AmazingCo experience online and chose Evanston as our destination, but Lincoln Park and Naperville are also available. A day before the picnic, you receive an email that takes you to your itinerary, which allows you to click through each step's clues.
- Figure out the riddle before you leave the house the following day so you know where you're going.
What happened: Our first stop was a restaurant, which had goodies set aside for us.
- Then we tackled a new set of clues for the next stop.
The food: Turkey and veggie sandwiches on bagels, salad and falafel, which we traded for carrot cake, an assortment of pastries and iced tea.
Yes, but: An employee at one stop appeared a bit confused about the store's participation, but after a quick peek at my phone he gave us our items.
Of note: The final destination is where you'll picnic, which in our case was a park. I won't say which park, in case it's the same for all picnics. It was rainy, so we just ate our items along the way at the stops.
The bottom line: This is a really lovely way to spend a Sunday and a good way to explore an area. It's a bit pricey ($110) so use it for a special occasion, and maybe grab a little bubbly to make it more celebratory.