While anticipating a multi-state road trip we decided to invent the ultimate road trip bingo/scavenger hunt game.
Ones for children would have them look for trucks, tractors, cows, etc. We decided to make ours more
complicated.
Make up your own rules ,
for example:
things can only be discovered while the vehicle is moving and everyone is awake
each discovery must be witnessed (also seen) by someone else after it is spotted
you can form the selections below into bingo cards or assign points and go for a total
you can assign two points for first time seen, one point for second seen or just one point period
you can limit the amount of time, or say that the competition starts at one state border and ends at the next
you can work as pairs or individually
if you are in a caravan and using family band radios you can have the two or three cars compete against each other
some sightings will need to be debated, as in, is that really an antique car?
how long does a blinker have to be on for the driver to be considered oblivious to it?
Be careful to not make occupants of another vehicle angry by pointing at them eagerly.
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Here are our selections to hunt for, but don’t stop with this list:
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radar cop motorcycle cop
police car highway
patrol fire truck not-red fire truck
ambulance military vehicle
eight motorcycles in a row motorcycle with a trailer motorcycle with sidecar Harley
Ducati antique BMV motorcycle Suzuki GSX-R Honda CBR1100XX Cagiva Elefant
first evidence you have come from a state with motorcycle helmet laws to one that does not have them
took some letters off the make or model to spell something different, as in removed ‘ota’ so it now spells toy, or removed ‘to’ so it now spells yota.
abandoned, tireless, windowless, rusted body
tourbus four matching tourbusses from the same company
airport shuttle limousine stretch Hummer limo
Mini-Cooper PT Cruiser Fiat 500
Jaguar XKE Austin
Healey Mitsubishi Mercedes Mercedes Gullwing
Lancia Shelby Cobra Peugeot Ferrari Maserati
Renault Lotus Citroen Alfa Romeo
Lamborghini Hummer
Mercury Plymouth Barracuda Mazda Miata Chevy Corvette Sting Ray
Lincoln Continental Aston Martin De Tomaso Mangusta Dodge Viper
Lincoln Navigator pre-1960
Chevy pickup pre-1945 Ford pickup
VW Microbus VW bug Honda Element Scion xB
antique car convertible electric or hybrid car right-hand drive car car with tail fins
rental motor home car towed behind a motorhome Airstream car towed behind a motorhome with two bikes on the back of the car
camping trailer home-built camping trailer rental truck
public school bus private school bus taxi
pizza delivery tow truck
truck towing a truck truck hauling hay or produce
truck with livestock concrete mixer truck
tree company or yard service truck dump truck
tanker truck 3 axle vehicle
truck with two trailers truck with three trailers
private security patrol truck with animal drawing/photo on side
loaded pickup pickup gun rack with an actual gun in the rack
pickup moving a household over-loaded pickup mattress on roof
hay bales on roof rolls of lawn on truck
4WD vehicle that looks like it would never be taken off-road
4WD vehicle that looks like it just came from off-road
bikes on a car rack skis, surfboard or sailboard on a roof rack
towed sailboat
towing a boat with another boat on it (row boat, canoe, kayak) on it
three of the same vehicle in a row
three of the same color vehicle in a row
A long train with five engines.
cars from a wedding
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foam dice two or more stuffed animals on rear window shelf
three antennas
‘wash me’ written in dust in a window
paint job with flames over 50% primer paint job two colors of primer
duct tape holding a part of a vehicle together repaired with pink duct tape
loose, flapping license plate
plastic replacing a broken window broken tail light smoking exhaust
wire wheels gold spinner wheels
hood ornament that does not belong on that vehicle bumper that does not belong on that vehicle
letters removed from car brand name to spell something else
two antenna balls sport team antenna ball
out-of-state sport team antenna ball holiday antenna ball
animal antenna ball cartoon character antenna ball
brand/product antenna ball fruit or flower antenna ball
antenna ball wearing a hat antenna ball wearing lipstick
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political sticker religious sticker
student of the year sticker radio station sticker
over 10 stickers
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four or more women only in one car four or more men only in one car
one adult in front and one adult in back
dog in car dog in back of pickup dog in boat dog with head out window
three dogs in one car dog loose in front seat dog in lap of driver
dog in passenger seat in front and human in backseat
two nerds from central casting Governor of California look-alike President of U.S. look-alike
driver shaving driver applying makeup
driver playing a musical instrument driver playing a musical instrument while steering with their knees
two people on cell phones in one vehicle watching TV in a car
singing in car conducting music bee in car
playing air guitar or drums at least four people in car, all singing
people kissing in vehicle
terrified student driver or instructor (professional)
parent with child student driver friend(s) teaching friend to drive
all passengers asleep
obviously does not know how to drive that stick shift obviously lost
washing all of their exterior windows at a gas stop didn’t pull to the forward pump at a gas stop
SUV parked in a large-vehicle-parking-only zone meant for people towing
Vehicle with no lights on just at or after sunset when everyone else has their headlights on already.
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near- accident driver weaving out of lane while dealing with kids
one adult and three or more smiling, behaving kids
adult smoking in car with children in it
car driving 20 miles under the speed limit
merging on to a freeway at 25 miles per hour under the speed limit
running a red light drunk driver
oblivious to their blinker being on
couple argueing family argument
argueing on cell phone while driving
two vehicles obviously racing each other
car cutting in & out of traffic more than six times in a row
car pulled over by cop pulled over by two officers
car you saw previously speeding pulled over by a cop
tailgating with empty lane available semi tailgating another semi
car speeding up when another car tries to pass
car slowing and moving to the right a little when another tries to pass
slow car in designated stretch of passing lane
slow vehicle that will not pull over with ten others behind it
slow vehicle pulling off the road when it only has one vehicle behind it that wants to pass
long skid mark in one line skid mark across two lanes
skid mark across two or more lanes and off the paved road
skidmarks that stop just before they would have gone off the roadway
skid marks eight car lenghts long
six drivers in a row in the same lane with both hands on the steering wheel at 9 and 3 o’clock or 10 and 2 o’clock positions
flat tire stalled at the side of the road people pushing a car lit flare
pulled off to side with hood open
climbing on hood to adjust load
gracefully letting another car into backed-up traffic
driving top down in bad weather
pulled just off the road to go fishing
on the way from rural to urban, the first freeway on-ramp metering lights
on the way into the mountains: first sign referring to chains, first pole by side of road for snowplows
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first sign going east that changes from soda (west coast) to pop
restaurant sign that mentions avocado sauce instead of guacamole
sign: hot coffee sign: two for the price of one
sign: no public restrooms sign: to airport
sign: to hospital sign: no parking
sign: for sale sign: for rent / lease
sign: going out of business sign: open 24 hours
sign: tow away zone sign: home cooking
revolving sign lit sign with some letters burnt out
sign advertising a tour
sign in the shape of a food item sign in the shape of an animal
sign that a business was founded the year you were born lit up sign telling you your speed
sign: next rest area a number of miles over 100 sign: rest stop with wireless internet
sign: X miles to your final destination sign: exit towards your final destination
sign posted by a government agency telling you something you should not do that can kill you, and mentioning that it will kill you
sign that is misspelled
sign: prison area, no hitchhiking allowed sign: no hitchhiking beyond this point
sign: bridges may be icy sign: bridges may be icy when pavement is dry sign: roadway may be icy
sign: keep right except to pass
sign: sanitary landfill sign: open range, loose stock
sign: buckle up, it’s the law sign: drowsy driving causes accidents
sign: day use only
sign: Pacific time zone sign: Mountain time zone
sign: Central time zone sign: Eastern time zone
sign with bullet holes words on a hillside
sign: Continental Divide
rocks by side of road to spell out a message blank billboard/sign
mural on building wall
Welcome to (your destination) sign
people posing next to Welcome To . . . sign
hawk flock of birds
birds on a wire
ducks flying in formation
small birds mobbing a hawk
cow horse
entire herd of cows sitting or lying down
goats, sheep or llamas
deer elk
bison or pronghorn moose
coyote baby animal
rain seen falling from a distance funnel cloud dust storm
first instance of heat making road look like it is wet
field of flowers snow-capped mountains waterfall
vine-covered wall statue
no clouds anywhere from horizon to horizon
double rainbow
rolling tumbleweed or sagebrush
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harvesting crops barn windmill
building under construction building being torn down building that had a major fire
farmers market playground
clothes on a clothesline outhouse
eight or more vehicles in yard
drive-in movie theater
statue statue of someone on a horse over 8 feet tall sculpture
3 tiered fountain first street light on in the evening
historical marker 4 way stop sign intersection
one way street flashing lights on construction barrier
tunnel too short for interior lights three tunnels in a row
chips missing from underside of overpass
bridge railroad bridge, wooden bridge pedestrians-and-bikes-only bridge
dock pier
traffic cone crew painting a road worker leaning on a tool (shovel, etc.)
jet ski ATV
beer can bulldozer
ten or more hay rolls
tractor major truck stop with showers and laundromat
gravel side road Starbucks
10+ story building three story tall sign
dumpster team at play
smoke from smokestack smoke from a fire
flooded roadway
one shoe on or near the roadway two shoes hanging from a phone line/electric line over the roadway
When entering the new state, the first flag of that state
walking a dog pushing stroller cat in a window
all parking places along side of road, in turnout, filled
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cowboy hat straw hat
wearing helmet while in vehicle
flaming red dyed hair obvious toupee
braids mirrored sunglasses
handlebar mustache full, long beard
wearing plaid shirt or jacket socks don’t match twins
jogger six or more joggers together woman with lots of tattoos
hitchhiker bicyclist six or more bicyclists together
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crop duster kite or model plane
helicopter jet
planes in formation
contrail UFO
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personalized plate personalized plate in other than English diplomatic plate
first license plate from your destination
Washington plate Oregon plate
Nevada plate Utah plate
Colorado plate Wyoming plate
Montana plate Idaho plate
Arizona plate East Coast plate
Canadian plate
September 11th California Memorial License Plate
California Arts License Plate (the one with the palm trees and the sun setting into to ocean)
California Whale Tail License Plate
California Collegiate License Plate
California Lake Tahoe License Plate
California Firefighter Plate
California Yosemite License Plate
California Kids License Plate (can have a hand, heart, star, or plus sign)
California Olympic Training Center License Plate
California Veteran License Plate (100 possible insignias)
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also read: Road trip advice and etiquette
for more games to avoid the potential dreariness of a long drive.
We advise people to check everything that powers, stops, cools, heats, ventilates and lights their vehicle before they leave on an adventure. Road trip vehicle prep and recommended service has checklists (including many things people can do without a mechanic).
see also signs