As National Scavenger Hunt Day marks our calendars, we thought of a couple ways to celebrate this fun, adventurous day! There are two communities in particular that are both perfect locations for a search party! In Casey, you can walk and drive around town in search of several of the World's Largest objects and many other big things. Chester is the hometown of Popeye the Sailor Man creator E.C. Seager, and there are many different statues of Popeye and his friends scattered throughout town for you to seek out. 

Casey's nickname is 'Big Things in a Small Town' - and for a good reason. This charming community is home to 11 of the World’s Largest objects, as well as MANY other BIG things created by local business owner Jim Bolin. A scavenger hunt here will be larger than life (pun intended). If you happen to be the person putting together this scavenger hunt for your family or friends before heading to Casey, there are so many great clues to give for each big thing! For example, “This attraction will get your stamp of approval and will send your excitements high, go to the place where you put letters to fly” would be a great hint to find the World’s Largest Mailbox. Another example of a hint could say, “this next object is a big thing, but don’t write it off due to the fact it isn’t a record holder - because it still manages to make a point," and this would be for the big pencil! You could also put some clues togeher that would lead your scavenger hunt partners to neighboring towns like Marshall and Martinsville to find the big anvil, horseshoe and the World's Largest Gavel. This fun-filled scavenger hunt will for sure take a few hours, and after you find all the attrations on the list - you can celebrate with delicious ice cream at The Big Dipper in Casey, or a celebratory dinner at Richard’s Farm! 

Another great scavenger hunt can be done in the town of Chester, right on the banks of the Mississippi River. E.C. Seager, the creator of Popeye the Sailor Man is from Chester, so naturally the town has embraced Popeye wholeheartedly! Each year Chester hosts the Popeye Picnic, a celebration where a new Popeye character statue is unveiled somewhere in town. There are well over a dozen statues to be found now, perfect for a group on a scavenger hunt! Stumble upon Bluto, Olive Oyl, Wimpy and other characters while you're on the trail.  

And of course, much like in Casey - if you're the one coordinating this scavenger hunt, there are more cheeky clues that can be created to find these statues! “Make sure you are reading between the lines to check out this cool character. Book it to get there in good time” would be a great clue for the Cole Oyl statue at the Chester Public Library. And what makes this route even more exciting is that they keep adding to the trail! In 2021, Harold HamGravy will be added to the FKCG Law Office and in 2022, Oscar will be welcomed to the Cole Memorial Park! So once those arrive to Chester, you can create more hints to add to your next scavenger hunt. And when you are ready to celebrate the end of the hunt, you will be able to find what you are looking for at Spinach Can Collectibles and Museum - the best place to find your one-of-a-kind Popeye souvenirs. 

***PHOTO CREDITS***

Midwest Nomad Family 

Natalie Kay

Amanda Jack