The William Tell Overture blasted from the speakers as we sped to our first location in our hunt for the lost loot in the case of the Wild West Heist.
In the days of the Old West, a rumor states, bank robbers had stolen a large cache of cash but only a small portion of it was ever recovered. Our task was to figure out the clues that would lead us to the hiding spot for the remaining money. Puzzle Master Matt would guide our way.
By using golf carts to take us around the culturally rich area of Old Town, Puzzle Rides combines the challenge of an escape room with the near-constant pleasant weather of Scottsdale to provide a fun experience for friends or families to share. Visitors to Arizona will get a glimpse of the history, public art, and businesses of downtown Scottsdale while they enjoy a fun activity.
Hello, Puzzle Master Matt
My friend Dana and I met Puzzle Master Matt in the parking lot of Scottsdale City Hall, where he sat in his fire-engine red golf cart. He deputized us with a sticker and bandana and explained the safety rules. We could not have any limbs hanging out of the cart or a purse strap wrapped around our bodies. He also made sure our seat belts were fastened before he set off along side streets, which kept us out of the main traffic.
At the beginning, Matt cautioned us a few times to pay very close attention to everything he told us. He said that we could ask for two hints during our ride. We were handed a large knapsack with three small boxes inside. There was also a black bag with six combination locks attached to it.
By applying the clues we garnered from the boxes to a map of the area, we had to figure out where to go next. With a hearty “Puzzle Master Matt take us to…” we all climbed into the cart and listened to inspiring music as we headed off to our next location with its associated challenge.
Locks, Scrabble, and a Scroll
At each stop, we combined the materials we were given with something we found at the site to decide our next move. At US Bank, a sign on the building led us to open one of the locks on the black bag. We also opened one of the boxes that held Scrabble tiles with figures on the back of each piece. By matching these to an accompanying scroll, we decoded our next location: The Spice and Tea Exchange of Scottsdale on Brown Street.
A photo inside the store held a QR code to a song by The Doors. “Puzzle Master Matt, take us to The Doors!”
He parked near the immense sculpture of three wooden doors perilously leaning against each other. Our instructions were to look up when we went in between them. The Doors and Sound Passage at the corner of Scottsdale and Camelback Roads, by Donald Lipski and Jim Green, has mirrored inner walls that create a kaleidoscope effect. A motion detector triggers music while people are there.
Let’s Play Cards
The starburst light at the top helped us open another box that held five playing cards. We were learning to watch our puzzle master closely. Facial expressions and little words he said helped us figure out the clues. Four of the cards provided the combination to another one of the locks.
The fifth card was a Jack holding a knife. We consulted our local map and shouted, “Puzzle Master Matt, take us to Jack Knife.” In the middle of a roundabout in the gallery district of Old Town, we found Jack Knife, by Ed Mell. It features a cowboy astride a bucking horse, one of many horse sculptures throughout Scottsdale.
The date of the sculpture became the final clue to open the black bag, which held the pieces of a cardboard puzzle. As we assembled it, a picture of the Cavalliere Blacksmith emerged and we had found our final location.
As we looked through some antique equipment outside the shop, I noticed a small door in the back of one. I reached inside and victoriously held up our sack of loot.
More Puzzling: Drink While You Think
Puzzle Rides offers six theme options in Scottsdale and five in Prescott. They include rides about ghostly tales and a science experiment. The adventure usually lasts 75 to 90 minutes. Children seven and older can accompany their family. Each adventure only contains the people in your group; you won’t be paired with strangers.
If your group has more than five participants, you will split up and race against each other to see who can solve the puzzle first. Puzzle Rides also offers five different pub crawls where you think while you drink.
Puzzle Rides’ founder Katie bought her first golf cart in 2016 to taxi people around Prescott in the summer and Scottsdale in the winter. She tried out some other ideas, like “sleigh rides” to see holiday lights, before deciding to try a new concept.
After teaming up with Shawna, she debuted Puzzle Rides in March of 2020 just before the pandemic hit. A slow start led to a surge in popularity when people started looking for outdoor activities to do in Scottsdale and Prescott.
Puzzle Rides and Experience Scottsdale sponsored our activity.
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