It’s officially our birthday month. Meaning: I know how to stretch out a birthday celebration like nobody’s business. It starts in August for my birthday and continues all through September for Kevin. However, planning a birthday extravaganza during a pandemic takes some effort. Then add in kids, well, we have a whole new set of challenges on our hands. While most people run and hide from their birthday after a certain age, Kevin and I have learned to embrace them. Or at least distract ourselves from the rising number! If there is one thing that I love, it’s a big birthday surprise. And what better of a setting than Nobu Malibu to do the birthday reveal.
The seaside view from Nobu Malibu for Kevin’s birthday celebration.
Kevin enjoys his birthday in Malibu, the night ahead of his big birthday adventure.
It was at Nobu where I revealed that we’d attempt a mystery picnic the next day. But what exactly is a mystery picnic? And why is it one of the best birthday outing ideas for adults? And perhaps most importantly, will I get to wear a cool James Bond-like tuxedo? I will answer all this and more. But full disclosure… No, I didn’t wear a tuxedo. There was a heat wave in LA with record-breaking temperatures. Oh well, maybe next time.
What on Earth is a Mystery Picnic? And Can I do it in My City?
Food we picked up along our Malibu mystery picnic.
While you could plan a mystery picnic of your own, who has the time? That’s the thinking behind Amazing Company’s mystery picnic adventure. They do all the work for you, mapping out your adventure and arranging all the food along the way. Each clue solved will lead you closer to your next picnic food pick up. Even better yet? The mystery picnic is available not just in Malibu, but in cities all across the United States and even around the world. You can find an entire list from the Amazing Company website here.
What to Expect on Your Mystery Picnic?
All you need for your mystery picnic is a cell phone (to gain access to the clues). I also recommend bringing your own picnic basket. Pre-COVID all participants were able to borrow a picnic basket that you simply returned at the end. For our pandemic adventure, I purchased a nice picnic basket from World Market at The Grove for just $6. It is also available for purchase online here.
Our red picnic basket from World Market.
The night ahead of your adventure, you’ll receive the first clue. Normally, a drive to Malibu would take forever from West Hollywood. But during these pandemic times, traffic was a breeze, taking us just 45 minutes. Silver lining, right?
Kevin checks out his first clue emailed to us on on our way to Malibu.
We won’t reveal any of the secret spots — no spoilers here. That ruins the fun. Each clue solved will lead you closer to your next food pickup.
Our first stop included some refreshing smoothies that we immediately downed.
We’ve lived in LA for over 10 years, but never knew of many of the stops. A mystery picnic isn’t just a fun idea for a birthday. We think it would also be a fun way to explore a city we’ve never been to.
How Long Does it Take to Do a Mystery Picnic?
The tour company lists the adventure taking on average anywhere from 3 to 4 hours to complete. However, it took Kevin and I more than 5 hours to complete. Oops! I’d like to think of us as not so average (i.e. the positive spin on it!). Though, we were taking a very leisurely pace. That and we got completely lost looking for a clue that we never did actually find inside one of the parks.
Kevin searches everywhere for the sign to solve our next clue. It has to be here somewhere?
Maybe the clue is somewhere on this bridge? Nope. I was wrong.
We got our steps in — especially when we got lost. So we felt like we were burning off all the calories we were about to eat. As for not solving all the clues, don’t worry. You can always get hints to the clues on their website (or just jump ahead to find out the next food pick up spot).
Ooo, a candy spot along the mystery picnic. We loved picking out some gummies.
Okay, fine. I guess we can have some salad too. Picking up another food item along our mystery picnic.
The entire journey eventually leads you to a picturesque picnic spot. Though, we decided to head back to another place along our journey with picnic tables since it was 100 plus degrees outside and we are pale and needed shade. Finally, what birthday is complete without some birthday cake? This wasn’t included in the mystery picnic but I was able to covertly purchase a slice while Kevin wasn’t looking (and brought along some candles). So, who cares that the cake melted in the blazing heat? It still tasted sugary and good.
The great, leaning slice of cake from the melted icing.
All and all, an incredible day in Malibu — all 5+ hours of it! The entire mystery picnic starts at $90. So it isn’t exactly cheap, but it does include all the tastings, interactive clues and riddles as well as fun games and conversation starters that made the time fly by while in the car driving to our next mystery spot. The only things I’d recommend bringing separately is a picnic basket, a blanket (if you’re going to sit on the ground), plastic utensils and cups and any other special treats that aren’t included (like the birthday cake or champagne). Suddenly growing old doesn’t feel so bad after all! Another birthday adventure down.
Looking for other birthday ideas in LA? Check out our visit to a farm near Malibu where you can play with goats and sip wine. Looking to travel further afield for your birthday? In the past, we’ve done birthday trips to Alaska to see wildlife, Singapore to eat our way through all the street stalls and Pittsburgh, the steel city of Pennsylvania. Wait, Pittsburgh? As a native Pennsylvanian, I’ve never been. It is home to Kennywood Amusement Park and a short drive to Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural masterpiece Falling Water. As you can see, pretty cool. Quit your judging!
Checking out the coolest things to do in Pittsburgh on my birthday weekend getaway a few years back.
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