NORFOLK, VA. – Going nowhere fast in rush-hour traffic downtown, quickly losing hope that I'd reach yoga class on time, I was reminded by my iPhone that there was a little patch of peacefulness nearby.
I pulled off the main road and soon was sitting in a garden by a riverfront pagoda, a place I'd visited occasionally but hadn't thought about recently, until I started playing SCVNGR.
To play SCVNGR (pronounced "scavenger"), you download a free app for your iPhone or Android phone, then go to places and complete challenges to earn points and unlock virtual rewards, such as badges, and real-world rewards, such as discounts at restaurants. No iPhone or Android phone? You can play via text message.
Norfolk tourism officials worked with SCVNGR's developer to offer four interactive treks in one of the first partnerships nationwide between a convention and visitors bureau and a geo-gaming platform. A walking tour, a driving tour, a tour focusing on the Ghent neighborhood and a pub crawl lead players to museums, historic churches, shops and the city's "restaurant row" on Granby Street, among other attractions.
"We wanted to provide an opportunity for visitors — and residents, too — to learn more about Norfolk in a fun and mobile way," said Erin Filarecki, a spokeswoman for VisitNorfolk, the city's convention and visitors bureau. "This is taking touring to the next level trekking through a city, making it more fun, adventurous and fresh."
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