» Spoilers: Season 13 Options

[kib]

Of course, the mother of all spoilers would be for someone in Portland to say they saw "Amazing Camerafolk" packing around HD camera gear...

[TWoP Mars]

So, being the crazy stalker that I am, I paid a visit to the parking lot in question (behind the Benson, at SW Park and Oak), and it is indeed filled with Dodges (mostly mini-vans), with signs that say "Lot Closed" and "Lot Reserved," in addition to Caution tape all around it. There is also one woman sitting in one of the vans reading, as if it's her job to guard it. In fact, as I snapped pictures with my cameraphone (which I will upload as soon as I figure out how) she reversed the van out of the spot it was in and turned around, right back into the same spot, but backward so she was looking at me snapping photos. I should say "glaring," though, not looking.

Oh, and one car (a green Xterra) had a sheet of white paper in the dashboard that said "WRP." I couldn't get close enough to get a picture of the WRP legibly because of the woman looking at me like the stalker I was.

More to come once I have the photos. And, yes, I am a crazy person.

Here are the photos I took. I think there's more information to come from other sources. I'm watching those, and will get it to you as soon as I know anything.

And here is another account from The Oregonian.

This post has been edited by TWoP Mars: May 13, 2008 @ 6:15 pm.

[kib]

So, (if idle speculation is acceptable) if there are cars for the racers downtown and they get there via MAX, the finish area itself must be elsewhere otherwise why the cars?

BTW - Good piece from the "O", but I'm guessin' they got most of thier information the same place all the rest of us have... Seems Underwear Guys, Weekly's, MSM and the Internet can, in fact, work together.

This post has been edited by kib: May 13, 2008 @ 7:03 pm.

[TWoP Mars]

Actually, The O writer called lots of places that none of the rest of us did, I think. Her post says she spoke with Tri-Met, Parks Bureau, the city's film and video liasion, Travel Portland and the Port of Portland. So ... she did her research. But it really is a matter of all os us coming together, which brings me to my actual reason for posting:

I went back to the lot after work and every car that had been there (including the Xterra) was gone, except for the minivans. And they all had white sheets of paper on the dash that said things like "BAG #2" and "FULL ???" (I couldn't read any of them in their entirety except "BAG #2," because of the lady guarding the lot. This time it was a different lady, who was standing outside of the vans talking on a phone. She was making sure I didn't get too close, though, so I didn't snap any photos of the new dashboards signs.

Because I really, truly don't want to be spoiled and if I saw any of the final three times it would do that — at least a little — I am going to stop stalking, as of now. I mostly just wanted confirmation this would be the final city, and now I have that, so I won't try to find out who wins or anything. I would never do that, being the spoiler-phobe that I am.

This post has been edited by TWoP Mars: May 13, 2008 @ 9:43 pm.

[theschnauzers]

I'm amazed that circumstances apparently conspired to permit fanactical outsiders to decipher the final city and the finish mat before the actual filming. It's the first time that's happened, as far as I know, and I don't think any of us would have expected that to happen.

[TWoP Mars]

It's all pretty much thanks to that underwear shop owner. He's the one who knew enough about the show to figure it out, told a member of the press and the rest is history.

Also, did anyone see the new comment on the the Willamette Week post:

Not true, I know someone working on the project that are using those vans. It is actually next season episode of the Oparah's big give.

reality show in town is Big Give. spot out for a Oprah.

A red herring? Or true? They do share production companies.

[Good Queen Jane]

There is no next season for the Big Give. One of the sites that had the announcements for next year's ABC schedule had an ABC exec say that they wanted to do another season but Oprah wasn't interested. So I think that this is misdirection on the part of our friends at TAR.

[rlafler]

Kib, the cars could be for the other racers at the finish line, pit stop camera crews, production people (I've always assumed they have senior producers on site monitoring what's happening to verify that there aren't any potential penalties before Phil proclaims a team "the official winners" of the Amazing Race), etc. Plus whatever they needed to set up the "final pit stop."

This post has been edited by rlafler: May 14, 2008 @ 5:29 pm.

[TWoP Mars]

Oh, right, all of the minivans because all of the teams go to the finish line. Also might explain why there were only three minivans or so left there this morning. Maybe the other teams have arrived and picked up their vans?

[auntieB]

The race finished Wednesday May 14 at the Pittock Mansion.

Since I do know that the race is safely over, I think it is also safe to confirm the location now without risking compromising the finale itself.


edited because Wed must=14!

This post has been edited by auntieB: May 18, 2008 @ 11:43 pm.

[TWoP Barnes]

It's all pretty much thanks to that underwear shop owner.

That would be some epitaph.

This post has been edited by TWoP Barnes: May 15, 2008 @ 7:56 am.

[rocketgirl]

After all these years of simply lurking here, to find out the finale was in my town and not to see anything - very sad. Pittock Mansion was a great place for the finish line - less people in general than some of the other locations suggested.

[walkingguide]

Kee-rap - why didn't I visit this forum YESTERDAY MORNING???? I could have engineered a need to swing by the Pittock Mansion. Day-um!

That will be a gorgeous location for the finish. But with a late spring, probably a little less stunning as the rhodies are just getting going and too early for roses. I think it cleared off enough yesterday for some nice views.

This post has been edited by TWoP Barnes: May 17, 2008 @ 8:48 am.

[Ashe]

One of the teams will have members named Terrance & Sarah. A user on YouTube named emnutkin happens to be friends with them and revealed their names in the comments for this video.

This post has been edited by Ashe: May 18, 2008 @ 10:12 pm.

[auntieB]

Thanks for sharing that, Ashe! Nice find! Our very first names....