Ok, since you guys helped me imensely with creating an RPG scenario once before, I thought I’d ask again.
I’ll be running a Vampire game soon, and the scenario I have in mind is a roadtrip. The players have to get the mcguffin from A to B (in this case, Seattle to Miami) and do it by car. None of us are Americans, so this will be pleasently exotic for all tastes.
But I’d like to ad a layer of strange realism. So, if you live anywhere near a plausible route (since none of the characters have any idea what they’re doing, “plausibe” could be anything), or are familiar with a likely area, could you describe to me some interesting scenery, events or just plain weirdness the characters could run afoul of?
The stranger and more outlandish, the better.
If you just generally have a great idea for what could happen on a roadtrip, I’d love to borrow it.
Thanks in advance.
Ever play Sam and Max Hit the Road? There must be a Stuckey’s visit.
I know vampires aren’t fond of garlic, but what about horseradish? Collinsville Illinois will be having their annual horseradish festival in about a month. I’ve never been, but I believe there is a horseradish eating contest. I really want to see that someday. A road trip from Seattle to Miami could pretty easily go through that area.
No…there must be six or seven Stuckey’s visits. And a couple of side trips to to see The World’s Largest Ball Of Twine or some such.
The Roadside America website might be a good place to start.
I suggest Dinosaur National Park.
Yes, it is real.
Google it.
Contemplate giant fossil skeletons.
Or a very, very, very old ghost…of an interesting nature…
From Seattle, I’d head South. When you hit California, you could stop in Eureka and stay at the Eureka InnIf you continue South, you’ll hit Napa Valley and its vineyards. Turn left onto Highway 108 and your guys can head over the Sonora Pass. What’s next? Death Valley! of course, you’ll need to stop somewhere. If you stop in the Valley, there’s a castle. If you make it through the Valley, you could stay at the Opera House.
You could head out over the Hoover Dam and go to Vegas. The you’re in the mid west. It’s got to be driven through. I’d head South East and end up it New Orleans. It’s not like it’s not an option :D. Then it’s a simple drive along the Gulf Coast to Miami.
Holy crap, was I ever in heaven when we visited there. No place cooler on Earth for an eight-year-old boy.
Sadly, the fantastic Quarry Visitor Center at Dino National Monument is closed. It isn’t expected to open again for several years. What a terrible loss for potential visitors of all ages.
Thank you guys - the first game went really well.
I used a lot of weird stuff from the Roadside America thing (Worlds Largest Egg Ahead!) and some other stuff.
This could wind up taking a while - They didn’t even get to Portland on the first night (the running out of gass, werewolves and getting lost might have something to do with that).
I’m definately sending them to Death Valley if I can get away with it at all - they seem to have settled on a plan to drive south for the time being, but that could change. The dinosaur thing is all sorts of awesome, I’ll include that at some point.
(I have no idea what a horseradish is, but that idea definately tickles my sense of the absurd).
Quote: “It’s on the other side of the country. So long as we aren’t in Canada or Mexico, we’re moving in the right direction.”
Gasp!
Behold. It’s a root which is ground up into a sort of coarse paste. It can be used for lots of stuff, but probably most often as a condiment. It is very pungent and sinus-clearing. A very small amount goes a looong way. When I get a little too liberal with the horseradish on my sandwiches, I feel like my brain is trying to claw its way out of my head, through my nose. That’s why I really want to see the horseradish eating contest some day. Wiki says the plant is related to the wasbi plant. As I recall from the few times I’ve had wasabi, the taste and sensation of horseradish are similar.
Collinsville is – or at least was at one time – the largest horseradish-growing area in the US (maybe the world?)