Visit Lewis Clark Valley launches strategic game

The coronavirus hasn’t stopped travelers from visiting the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley area. But instead of staying overnight before they board a cruise boat or attend an athletic event, they’re more likely to be here for the day to pick up necessities at Walmart and Costco.

The not-for-profit economic development group Visit Lewis Clark Valley is encouraging those shoppers to stay longer and explore businesses they haven’t previously discovered with a scavenger hunt running from now until the end of the year, said Michelle Peters, president and CEO of the organization.

A total of 42 locally owned shops, restaurants, wineries and brew pubs are participating in Lewiston, Clarkston and Juliaetta. The venues are members of Visit Lewis Clark Valley and don’t have to pay to be involved.

People who get six stamps are eligible to be entered for a weekend getaway in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley, with two nights of lodging at Clarkston’s Holiday Inn, a jet boat tour for two with Beamers Hells Canyon Tours and a $50 Happy Day restaurant gift card. Happy Day operates a number of eateries such as Tomato Bros. in Clarkston and Mystic Cafe in Lewiston.

The promotion, Peters said, is intended to be at least a partial replacement for activities such as downtown Lewiston’s Pumpkin Palooza and Art Walk that were canceled because of COVID-19.

“We’re trying to fill the gap some of these events left while still following our safe travel guidelines,” she said.

The clues for identifying the businesses aren’t difficult to decipher, partly because they include the district where the business is located. Strike & Spare Bar & Grill, for example is a “bar & grill famous for their giant sandwiches and homemade turkey noodle soup — it’s definitely a strike for the win” in the Lewiston Orchards.

The hint for Wasem’s Pharmacy and Home Medical is “an old-fashioned soda fountain with homemade pies, milkshakes, local gifts, souvenirs and the best caramel corn in town” in downtown Clarkston.

So far the scavenger hunt appears to be meeting its goal of supporting venues in a time of uncertainty, according to owners of two participating businesses.

Before the scavenger hunt was being promoted, two new customers stopped by Southern Sass to get stamps, owner Sissy Bickford said.

Bickford does teeth whitening at the gift store, where two hair stylists work. She was forced to be closed for two months in the spring because of coronavirus.

The first Saturday she reopened was one of her most lucrative days ever, even bigger than Christmas Eve. Since then, business has been harder to predict.

“It’s been up and down,” she said.

Like Bickford, Stacia Morfin sees the scavenger hunt as an opportunity to increase foot traffic at her shop.

Morfin is the owner of the recently opened Traditions Gift Shop at Newberry Square in downtown Lewiston.The store carries jewelry, clothing and other goods made by artisans who reside in the ancestral homelands of the Nez Perce Tribe in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Wyoming, Montana and parts of Canada.

Some items, such as lip balm or stickers with designs by tribal artists, sell for as little as $5. Others run into the thousands of dollars, such as a work by Nez Perce tribal artist Nakia Williamson.

The concept of the scavenger hunt meshes well with her business that is trying to build connections between community members and provide education about the history of the Nez Perce tribe, Morfin said.

Before the pandemic, she offered tours with a focus on Nez Perce history, but shifted to the store because it is easier to keep her customers safe.

She’s telling as many people as possible about the scavenger hunt and said it’s getting a warm reception.

“A lot of people have said, ‘It’s a great idea. I’ll try it out,’ ” Morfin said.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.

More details

Additional information about the scavenger hunt, including the clue sheets, is available at visitlcvalley.com/scavenger-hunt.