Canal Convergence Starts Today
Canal Convergence starts today along the Scottsdale Waterfront and runs through November 15. Puzzle Rides is not part of the event, but we do have to plan around it. The weather looks good, so the waterfront should be busy with the Western Nature installations, evening crowds, and people walking the canal. If you are already in Old Town, it is an easy add to the day — the canal is a short walk from the streets where the golf carts run.
One ride is unavailable during Canal Convergence: the Pirates Treasure Adventure. Everything else is still open. The waterfront and the streets that feed into it get more crowded in the evenings, so some departure times may be tighter than usual. Check the calendar when you book so you can see the times that are actually available while the event is on. If your preferred slot is gone, look a day on either side of the peak evenings.
The next thing on the calendar is the holiday season. Two rides open for booking on November 20, and a third is available if you want to stay indoors.
Hijacked by Elves is the full golf-cart puzzle ride through Old Town. Santa’s Naughty & Nice Lists have gone missing, and a mischievous elf is determined to keep them. Your group rides with a Puzzlemaster, solves festive clues at real stops, and recovers the lists before Christmas is ruined. It is about 90 minutes, private to your group, and available through January 3.
Reindeer Games is built for larger groups — 12 or more — and works well for corporate outings. You can book it with carts or without carts, depending on how you want the afternoon to run. With carts, the group moves through Old Town. Without carts, the puzzles stay in one place. Either way, it is the option for teams that need more than a standard six-person cart.
If you would rather stay indoors, the Jingle Bar Hop is the cozy option. It is a holiday version of Clues & Cocktails, with festive stops and puzzles, for groups that want the season without the golf cart. It is only available Sundays through Thursdays.
All three of those holiday rides are the ones to plan now. Canal Convergence is this week and next in Scottsdale, but Puzzle Rides continues as usual, with the exception of Pirates Treasure Adventure. Hijacked by Elves, Reindeer Games, and the Jingle Bar Hop are the ones that fill days and evenings from late November through early January. The calendar for the two outdoor holiday rides opens on November 20. The popular times do not stay open long after that.
When you book, add photos. It is a small add-on, priced by the ride, and you can download and print as many as you want. The ride ends when the cart stops. The pictures are what you still have in January.
If you are in Scottsdale for Canal Convergence, enjoy the waterfront. If you are already thinking about the holidays, book the ride while the November 20 calendar is still open.
