UC Photo Race 2012

Congrats to everyone who came out to play in the fifth annual UC Celebration Photo Race held at University City Celebration on July 4!

UC Photo Race 2012 was held on July 4, 2012 as part of UC Celebration, the annual University City festival on Independence Day. UC Celebration Photo Race is a photo scavenger hunt on foot around the San Diego neighborhood of University City.

Eighteen teams of 2 to 6 competed in this free race for some cool prizes, including a passes to Belmont Park, movie tickets, and Jack in the Box gift cards. Thirteen teams got all ten checkpoints correct!

The finishers:


  1. UC All Stars (Skip, Adam, Aiden, Scott) - 37:01
  2. The Blind Leading the Blind (Greg, Jenna) - 41:29
  3. U C G T (Ziv, Jimmy) - 48:55
  4. Team Awesomest (Nick, Ton, Brandon, Ian) - 50:18
  5. Kaz N Taz (Karen, Diane) - 1:01:49
  6. Honey Badgers (Kees, Joey, Andrew, Grant, Steven, Dylan) - 1:01:57
  7. Team Newman (Pete, Karen) - 1:06:49
  8. Team Extreme (Nancy, Kimmi, Hilde, Mieke) - 1:08:46
  9. The Hikers (Amanda, Heidi) - 1:12:19
  10. The Firecrackers (Everest, Zoe, Whitney) - 1:14:30
  11. Komars & Emily (Sandra, Emily, Vanessa, Zisi) - 1:16:43
  12. Mac Olsen 5 (Jonas +) - 1:17:15
  13. The 49ers (?) - 1:26:05
  14. Team Got Heem (Jacob, Ethan, Grant, Nick) - 9/10 right in 1:05:00
  15. Team Awesomer (Sam, Reid, Nikky, Cassie) - 9/10 right in 1:05:10
Also racing:
  • The Nikes (Luke, Cam, Antoine)
  • Rocking Kims (Lisa, Jeremy, Will)
  • Spider Pigs (Dylan, Shane, Liam, Aidan)

The clues:

The 2012 race had ten clues, several leading to fixed locations in University City and two requiring finding people in different apparel. The answers to each clue can be found in the brackets after each clue, simply highlight the text to read.

Clue 1: There’s a bit of community artwork nearby. You don’t need to solve this cube of Rubik, instead you must get your team’s photograph taken with the side with four yellow squares.

Answer:[Utility boxes painted like Rubik's Cubes, Governor & Radcliffe ]

Clue 2: Pack your bags and take a ride on the Reading! Or this fixture on the playground. Everyone on your team must be “all aboard” for this one to count.

Answer:[Train playground equipment, Standley Park playground]

Clue 3: Below you’ll see two anagrammed phrases representing two establishments near Genesee. Can you unscramble the letters, and then get your team’s picture taken near the tables between them?

A Coachman Spite Pix           Haiku I Sky Us

Answer:[Tables in between Papa Chito's Mexican & Sushi KiKuYa]

Clue 4: Multiply the year that the Declaration of Independence was signed by three, and then subtract ninety-nine times the number of original colonies. Finally, subtract what number today is in July. Get your picture in front of the business with this street address, nestled between a grocery store and a drug store.

Answer:[1776*3 - (99*13) - 4 = 4037. 4037 Governor Drive (Little Artists)]

Clue 5: A single golden arch is what you must pass through to dine at a different former colony of the British Empire. Get your team’s picture under the arch, located not far from Regents Road!

Answer:[entrance to Hong Kong Chef]

Clue 6:







It's halfway up your arm!







Tyrion Lannister is one, so are Gimli and Dopey







Usually it's a cucumber soaked in brine with dill







Between Venus and Mars







Syrup-topped breakfast item, with corners







Cleopatra, Elizabeth II, or Latifah

Answer:[eLbow, dwArf, piCkle, eArth, waFfle, quEen = LA CAFE, at Regents & Governor ]

Clue 7: What’s three thousand, four hundred and twenty-four times four? No, this isn’t another math puzzle! Get your team’s picture across the street from this number four times!

Answer:[House on Governor Drive with address number 3424 appearing four times]

Clue 8: Behind a fence, you’ll find a garden of tall flowers. Where? Elementary, Madame Curie.

Answer:[Curie Elementary School garden with sunflowers and vegetables]

Clue 9: Today's a holiday so use the Sunday schedule! Take a picture at a transit stop that has southbound buses scheduled to stop at 12:22, 12:52, 1:22 and 1:52 PM

Answer:[Southbound bus stop for Route 41, Southwest corner of Governor & Genesee]

Clue 10: Patriotism abounds! Get your team picture with an American flag.

Answer:[any American flag]



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