''The Amazing Race 8'' (also known as ''The Amazing Race: Family Edition'') is the eighth season of the American

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

show ''

The Amazing Race ''The Amazing Race'' is an adventure reality game show franchise in which teams of two people race around the world in competition with other teams. The ''Race'' is split into legs, with teams tasked to deduce clues, navigate themselves in forei ...

''. As opposed to other seasons of this series, which featured pairs of adults with a pre-existing relationship, this season featured ten families of four and allowed the participation of minors as young as eight years old. The season premiered on CBS on Tuesday, September 27, 2005, and concluded on Tuesday, December 13, 2005. Siblings Nick, Alex, Megan, and Tommy Linz were the winners of this season; while father Wally Branson and his three daughters, Beth, Lauren, and Lindsay, finished in second place; and widow Linda Weaver and her three children, Rebecca, Rachel, and Rolly, finished in third.

Production

Development and filming

The eighth season of ''The Amazing Race'' spanned . This season placed much less emphasis on international travel as numerous legs were contained within the continental United States, and all locations were in North America, with

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

and Costa Rica visited for the first time. Filming took place between July 7, 2005, and July 31, 2005. Route Markers were colored yellow and white with black lining in contrast to the yellow and red markers used in all other seasons. As with ''

The Amazing Race 7 ''The Amazing Race 7'' is the seventh season of the American reality television show ''The Amazing Race''. It featured eleven teams of two competing in a race around the world. The season premiered on CBS March 1, 2005, and concluded on May 10, ...

'', the winners of this season were revealed in an online betting scandal just before the finale aired. For this season, the supplied credit card covered not only airfare, but also gasoline, which otherwise would have had to be purchased with cash. This rule change was made necessary by the fact that most of the transportation took place in automobiles rather than airplanes. The limits on individual

Roadblock A roadblock is a temporary installation set up to control or block traffic along a road. The reasons for one could be: * Roadworks *Temporary road closure during special events * Police chase *Robbery * Sobriety checkpoint In peaceful circumstanc ...

attempts, introduced in season six, did not apply for this season. Furthermore, some Roadblocks in this edition required the participation of two team members. During Leg 1, Renee Rogers fell at the starting line and suffered a

concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentratio ...

. She did not realize the severity of the injury until she went to a hospital after being eliminated during the next leg. Kevin O'Connor and Drew Feinberg from

season 1 Season One may refer to: Albums * ''Season One'' (Suburban Legends album), 2004 * ''Season One'' (All Sons & Daughters album), 2012 * ''Season One'' (Saukrates album), 2012 See also * * * Season 2 (disambiguation) * Season 4 (disambigua ...

made a cameo appearance during the first leg handing out clues to teams in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

at a hot dog stand. This season featured a visit to

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Hurricane Katrina struck the region. The episodes aired after the hurricane had devastated the region. A special message was inserted at the beginning of the episodes, including one spoken by

Phil Keoghan Philip John Keoghan ( ; born 31 May 1967) is a New Zealand television personality, best known for hosting the American version of '' The Amazing Race'' on CBS, since its 2001 debut. He is the creator and host of '' No Opportunity Wasted'', w ...

, dedicating them to the victims and to those helping with the recovery. The Schroeder family, who were from New Orleans, had befriended the Rogers family from

Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is t ...

in the northern part of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...

during the season. As Hurricane Katrina neared landfall, the Rogers family offered the Schroeders safety at their home. Hurricane Katrina wiped out the Schroeders' home and most of their possessions, and after staying with the Rogerses for about two weeks, they were able to find more permanent housing in

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of countie ...

, and most of the other teams from this season chipped in to help the family. According to an interview with Wally Bransen on RFF Radio, producers originally planned a leg in

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wa ...

, but had to cancel it due to

Hurricane Emily The name Emily has been used for fourteen tropical cyclones worldwide, seven in the Atlantic Ocean, five in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, and two in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Atlantic: *Hurricane Emily (1981) – crossed Bermuda * Hurricane Emi ...

Cast

This season's cast consisted of ten teams of four family members each. ;Future appearances Stassi Schroeder later appeared in the

Oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as we ...

reality series '' Queen Bees''. Schroeder later appeared on the

Bravo Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels * Bravo (band), a Russian rock band * Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984 *Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing compan ...

reality series '' Vanderpump Rules'' as a part of that cast for eight seasons. In 2011, Brian and Marion Paolo appeared on the

HGTV HGTV (an initialism for Home & Garden Television) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The network primarily broadcasts reality programming related to home improvement and real estate. As of February 2015, ...

reality show ''

House Hunters ''House Hunters'' is an American unscripted television series that airs on HGTV and is produced by Pie Town Productions. Each episode follows people making a decision about a new home purchase or rental. Format ''House Hunters'' follows indiv ...

''. Billy and Carissa Gaghan wrote introductions for ''My Ox is Broken'', a book about ''The Amazing Race''.

Results

The following teams are listed with their placements in each leg. Placements are listed in finishing order. *A placement with a dagger () indicates that the team was eliminated. *An placement with a double-dagger () indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a pit stop in a non-elimination leg. As a penalty, they were stripped of their money, bags, and possessions other than their passports and the clothes they had on upon checking in, and they received no money at the start of the next leg. * An ''italicized'' placement indicates a team's placement at the midpoint of a double leg. *A indicates that the team won the Fast Forward. *A indicates that the team used the Yield and a indicates the team on the receiving end of the Yield. ;Notes

Race summary

Leg 1 (New York → New Jersey → Pennsylvania)

*Episode 1: "Go, Mommy, Go! We Can Beat Them!" (September 27, 2005) *Prize: US$20,000 cash (awarded to the Godlewski Family) *Eliminated: Black Family ;Locations *

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

(

Empire–Fulton Ferry State Park Brooklyn Bridge Park is an park on the Brooklyn side of the East River in New York City. Designed by landscape architecture firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, the park is located on a plot of land from Atlantic Avenue in the south, und ...

) (Starting Line) *New York City (

SoHo Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develo ...

– Eastern Mountain Sports) *New York City (East 91st Street – Hot Dog Stand) * Washington Crossing,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...

(

Washington Crossing Historic Park Washington Crossing Historic Park is a 500-acre (2 km2) state park operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in partnership with the Friends of Washington Crossing Park. The park is divided into two secti ...

) & Titusville,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...

(

Washington Crossing State Park Washington Crossing State Park is a New Jersey state park that is part of Washington's Crossing, a U.S. National Historic Landmark area. It is located in the Washington Crossing and Titusville sections of Hopewell Township in Mercer County, ...

) *

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, Pennsylvania (

Fairmount Park Fairmount Park is the largest municipal park in Philadelphia and the historic name for a group of parks located throughout the city. Fairmount Park consists of two park sections named East Park and West Park, divided by the Schuylkill River, with ...

– Belmont Plateau) * Mount Joy (Brubaker Family Farm) *

Lancaster Lancaster may refer to: Lands and titles *The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire *Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies *Duke of Lancaster *Earl of Lancaster *House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty ...

(Rohrer Family Farm) ;Episode summary *Teams set off from

and had to drive to Eastern Mountain Sports in

, where they had to pick up camping gear and their next clue. Teams were directed to find a " frank" on East 91st Street between Park and Lexington, where Kevin & Drew from the first season, working as hot dog vendors, handed them their next clue. *At

, teams had to recreate

George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River occurred on the night of December 25–26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, was the first move in a surprise attack organized by George Washington against Hessian (soldier), H ...

by choosing a rowboat to cross the Delaware River to

. Once across, they had to retrieve a 13-star flag, row back to the Pennsylvania shore, and observe a flag-folding ceremony before receiving their next clue. *At Belmont Plateau in

, teams had to pitch a tent as quickly as possible. Once an

Eagle Scout Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle Sc ...

approved the tent's assembly, teams were given a departure time for the next morning, when they had to drive to the Brubaker Family Farm in Mount Joy. * This season's first Detour was a choice between Build It or Buggy It. In Build It, teams had to use a set of provided materials to construct a functioning scale model of a

watermill A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in the productio ...

and then use two buckets of water to power the mill in order to receive their next clue. In Buggy It, two members from each team had to pull a traditional

Amish The Amish (; pdc, Amisch; german: link=no, Amische), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian origins. They are closely related to Mennonite churches ...

buggy along a course while the other two rode inside in order to receive their next clue. *After completing the Detour, teams had to check in at the pit stop: the Rohrer Family Farm in

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster, ( ; pdc, Lengeschder) is a city in and the county seat of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States. With a population at the 2020 census of 58,039, it ranks 11th in population among ...

Leg 2 (Pennsylvania → Washington, D.C. → Virginia)

Battle of Saltville reenactment, firing cannon

*Episode 2: "How Do We Know We Aren't Going to Get Shot?" (October 4, 2005) *Prize: A trip to the Fairmont

Southampton Southampton () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire, S ...

Bermuda ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , ...

(awarded to the Weaver Family) *Eliminated: Rogers Family ;Locations *

(Rohrer Family Farm) *

York York is a cathedral city with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many hist ...

(Shoe House Road – Haines Shoe House) * Washington, D.C. (

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the Legislature, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is form ...

–

Reflecting Pool A reflecting pool, also called a reflection pool, is a water feature found in gardens, parks, and memorial sites. It usually consists of a shallow pool of water, undisturbed by fountain jets, for a reflective surface. Design Reflecting pools are ...

) *Washington, D.C. (3rd Street) *Washington, D.C. ( West Potomac Park – Tidal Basin) * Middleburg,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...

( Welbourne Manor) ;Episode summary *At the beginning of this leg, teams were instructed to drive to

York, Pennsylvania York (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Yarrick''), known as the White Rose City (after the symbol of the House of York), is the county seat of York County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the south-central region of the state. The populati ...

, and find the Haines Shoe House, where one team member had to climb to the top of a giant shoe in order to retrieve their next clue, which directed them to drive to the

Capitol Reflecting Pool The Capitol Reflecting Pool is a reflecting pool in Washington, D.C., United States. It lies to the west of the United States Capitol and is the westernmost element of the Capitol grounds (or the easternmost element of the National Mall, accordi ...

in Washington, D.C. Teams then had to find a

limousine A limousine ( or ), or limo () for short, is a large, chauffeur-driven luxury vehicle with a partition between the driver compartment and the passenger compartment. A very long wheelbase luxury sedan (with more than four doors) driven by a pro ...

parked on 3rd Street, where an unseen contact passed them a briefcase, which they had take to the Tidal Basin. * In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to search for one of ten spies among 50 people carrying an identical briefcase around the Tidal Basin. To identify the spy, they had to whisper a code phrase ''("The sky is blue")'', but only a spy would respond with the counterphrase ''("The sea is green")''. After they swapped briefcases, team members found their next clue inside, which directed teams to travel to the Welbourne Manor in

Middleburg, Virginia Middleburg is a town in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 673 as of the 2010 census. It is the southernmost town along Loudoun County's shared border with Fauquier County. Middleburg is known as the "Nation's Horse ...

. * This leg's Detour at an

American Civil War reenactment American Civil War reenactment is an effort to recreate the appearance of a particular battle or other event associated with the American Civil War by hobbyists known (in the United States) as Civil War reenactors, or living historians. Alt ...

was a choice between Heat of the Battle or Heat of the Night. In Heat of the Battle, teams had to use stretchers to transport five "wounded soldiers" to a surgical tent. In Heat of the Night, teams had to roll a barrel of oil to a workstation, where they had to fill 20

oil lamp An oil lamp is a lamp used to produce light continuously for a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and continues to this day, although their use is less common in modern times. Th ...

s. They then had to take the lamps to the quartermaster and light them all in order to receive their next clue. *After completing the Detour, teams were given a Civil War regimental flag, which they had to bring to the nearby pit stop. ;Additional notes *The task with the briefcase swap was later revisited on season 22 as a Switchback.

Leg 3 (Virginia → South Carolina → Alabama)

*Episode 3: "I Don't Kiss I Make Out" (October 11, 2005) *Prize: Gasoline for life for each team member (awarded to the Bransen Family) *Eliminated: Aiello Family ;Locations * Middleburg,

( Welbourne Manor) * Washington, D.C. → Charleston,

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = "Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = G ...

*Charleston ( The Battery) * Mount Pleasant (Wando Shrimp Co.) Ridgeville (Ridgeville Mud Run) * Charleston (Charleston Visitor Center) → Huntsville,

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...

*Huntsville ( U.S. Space & Rocket Center – Edward O. Buckbee Hangar) *Huntsville (U.S. Space & Rocket Center – Rocket Park) *Huntsville (U.S. Space & Rocket Center – Space Shuttle ''Pathfinder'') ;Episode summary *At the beginning of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Charleston, South Carolina. Once in Charleston, teams had to drive themselves to The Battery in order to find their next clue at a gazebo. * This leg's Detour was a choice between Forrest Gump or Muddy Waters. In Forrest Gump, teams had to drive to the Wando Shrimp Company in

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina Mount Pleasant is a large suburban town in Charleston County, South Carolina, United States. In the Low Country, it is the fourth largest municipality and largest town in South Carolina, and for several years was one of the state's fastest-growin ...

, and board a shrimp boat. They then had to de-head of

shrimp Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...

by hand in order to receive their next clue. In Muddy Waters, teams had to drive to Ridgeville and find the Ridgeville Mud Run. There, teams drove an SUV one lap through a mud obstacle course, including a gully filled with mud, in order to receive their next clue. If they got stuck, they had to wait to be towed out before beginning the course again. *After completing the Detour, teams were instructed to go to the Charleston Visitor Center to sign-up for one of two charter buses to a mystery destination (

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...

). * In this leg's Roadblock, two team members had to ride in a

centrifuge A centrifuge is a device that uses centrifugal force to separate various components of a fluid. This is achieved by spinning the fluid at high speed within a container, thereby separating fluids of different densities (e.g. cream from milk) or ...

and endure a gravitational pull of 3.2'' g'' in order to receive their next clue. *After completing the Roadblock, teams walked almost to the nearby Rocket Park. There, teams had to enter the space mission, search for a computer, and log in to receive a video clue from Phil, instructing them to travel on foot to the pit stop at the Space Shuttle ''Pathfinder''.

Leg 4 (Alabama → Mississippi → Louisiana)

*Episode 4: "Think Like an Office Chair" (October 18, 2005) *Prize: A Universal Orlando Resort package at Orlando, Florida (awarded to the Bransen Family) *Eliminated: Schroeder Family ;Locations * Huntsville ( U.S. Space & Rocket Center – Space Shuttle ''Pathfinder'') * Anniston ( World's Largest Office Chair) * Talladega (

International Motorsports Hall of Fame The International Motorsports Hall of Fame (IMHOF) is a hall of fame located adjacent to the Talladega Superspeedway (formerly Alabama International Motor Speedway) located in Talladega County, east central Alabama. It enshrines those who have c ...

) *Talladega (

Talladega Superspeedway Talladega Superspeedway, nicknamed “'Dega”, and formerly named Alabama International Motor Speedway (AIMS) from 1969 to 1989, is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base ...

) *

Hattiesburg Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County, Mississippi, Forrest County (where it is the county seat and largest city) and extending west into Lamar County, Mississippi, Lamar County. The city popu ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Mis ...

(Southern Colonel Mobile Homes) * Richland ( BP

Gas Station A filling station, also known as a gas station () or petrol station (), is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Gasol ...

) * Madisonville,

( Fairview-Riverside State Park) *

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Preservation Hall Preservation Hall is a jazz venue in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. The building is associated with a house band, a record label, and a non-profit foundation. History of the jazz hall In the 1950s, art dealer Larry Borenstein ...

) ;Episode summary *At the beginning of this leg, teams were instructed to drive themselves to

Anniston, Alabama Anniston is the county seat of Calhoun County in Alabama and is one of two urban centers/principal cities of and included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 23,106. Acc ...

, where one team member had to climb to the top of the World's Largest Office Chair in order to retrieve their next clue. Teams then had to drive to the

in Talladega, where they had to search the museum for their next clue, which sent them to the

. Teams had to choose a party bike and complete one lap around the track in order to receive their next clue. *Teams had to find the "Southern Colonel" in

Hattiesburg, Mississippi Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County (where it is the county seat and largest city) and extending west into Lamar County. The city population was 45,989 at the 2010 census, with the populat ...

, which they had to figure out was a mobile home dealership. When they arrived, teams had to search through 37 mobile homes for one of three departure times the next morning. They then spent the night in the mobile home and found their next clue on the windshield of their car the next morning. *At a gas station in Richland, team had to find their next clue, which instructed teams to drive to the " Pelican State", which they had figure out was

, and find their next clue at Fairview-Riverside State Park in Madisonville. * This leg's Detour was a choice between Work or Play. In Work, teams had to don flannel clothing and then use a

two-man saw A two-man saw (known colloquially as a "misery whip") is a saw designed for use by two sawyers. While some modern chainsaws are so large that they require two persons to control, two-man crosscut saws were primarily important when human power w ...

to cut four slices in diameter off a log in order to receive their next clue. In Play, teams had to don traditional

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

riverboat A riverboat is a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury u ...

, where they had to play a game of blackjack against a professional dealer. When they won three rounds, the dealer gave them their next clue. *After completing the Detour, teams had to drive themselves to New Orleans and check in at the pit stop:

, in the

French Quarter The French Quarter, also known as the , is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. After New Orleans (french: La Nouvelle-Orléans) was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city developed around the ("Old S ...

of New Orleans.

Leg 5 (Louisiana → Panama)

*Episode 5: "We're Getting Out of the Country, Girls" (October 25, 2005) *Prize: A Gamboa Rainforest Resort package at the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a Channel ( ...

(awarded to the Paolo Family) ;Locations *

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

) * New Orleans →

Panama City Panama City ( es, Ciudad de Panamá, links=no; ), also known as Panama (or Panamá in Spanish), is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has an urban population of 880,691, with over 1.5 million in its metropolitan area. The city is locat ...

* Gamboa (

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI, es, Instituto Smithsonian de Investigaciones Tropicales) is located in Panama and is the only bureau of the Smithsonian Institution based outside of the United States. It is dedicated to understa ...

Gamboa Field Station) &

Barro Colorado Island Barro Colorado Island is located in the man-made Gatun Lake in the middle of the Panama Canal. The island was formed when the waters of the Chagres River were dammed to form the lake in 1913. When the waters rose, they covered a significant par ...

(Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute) * Panama City (

– Pier 14) * Panama City (

Casco Viejo or in Spanish or or in Basque are different names for the medieval neighbourhood of Bilbao, part of the Ibaiondo district. The names mean ''Seven Streets'' or ''Old Town'' respectively and it used to be the walled part of the town until the ...

El Parque Metropolitan) * Panama City ( Estadio Juan Demóstenes Arosemena) * Panama City (Panama Canal – Miraflores Locks) ;Episode summary *At the beginning of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to

Panama City, Panama Panama City ( es, Ciudad de Panamá, links=no; ), also known as Panama (or Panamá in Spanish), is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has an urban population of 880,691, with over 1.5 million in its metropolitan area. The city is locat ...

. Once in Panama, teams had to make their way to the

in Gamboa, where they boarded a boat to

and had to search for a scientist, who gave them their next clue. Afterward, teams had to return to Gamboa by boat and find a red devil bus, known locally as a ''diablo rojo'', which served as their means of transportation for the rest of this leg. * For this season's only Fast Forward, one team had to find a

crane Crane or cranes may refer to: Common meanings * Crane (bird), a large, long-necked bird * Crane (machine), industrial machinery for lifting ** Crane (rail), a crane suited for use on railroads People and fictional characters * Crane (surname) ...

at the Pacific side of the

in Balboa. Once there, the family had to split into pairs and each perform a tandem bungee jump. The Paolo Family won the Fast Forward. * This leg's Detour was a choice between Rhythm or Coos. In Rhythm, teams had to travel to

and collect four musical instruments from four different locations: a

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...

, a

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standar ...

, a

conga drum The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest) ...

, and a

trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrat ...

. They then had to deliver them to Take Five Jazz and Wine, where they received their next clue. In Coos, teams traveled to El Parque Metropolitan, where they had to use binoculars to search the rainforest canopy for wooden replicas of five local bird species shown on a provided bird identification chart. Once they found a bird, they had to circle the correct species on the chart. When they'd circled five correct birds, they had to present the card to a bird expert in order to receive their next clue. *After completing the Detour, teams had to travel to the Estadio Juan Demóstenes Arosemena in order to receive their next clue. * In this leg's Roadblock, one team member to had to play

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding ...

against a local little-league champion. If they got a base hit or

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run is ...

, the umpire gave them their next clue, but if a player failed after three pitches, they had to go to the end of the line in order to try again. *Teams had to check in at the pit stop: the Miraflores Locks on the

. ;Additional notes *This was a non-elimination leg.

Leg 6 (Panama → Costa Rica)

*Episode 6: "I'm Sick of Doing Stuff I Can't Do" (November 1, 2005) *Prize: A choice of a

Segway HT The Segway is a two-wheeled, self-balancing personal transporter invented by Dean Kamen and brought to market in 2001 as the Segway HT, subsequently as the Segway PT, and manufactured by Segway Inc. ''HT'' is an initialism for "human transpor ...

Vespa Vespa () is an Italian luxury brand of scooters and mopeds manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian. The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A. of Pontedera, Italy t ...

jet ski Jet Ski is the brand name of a personal watercraft (PWC) manufactured by Kawasaki, a Japanese company. The term is often used generically to refer to any type of personal watercraft used mainly for recreation, and it is also used as a verb to ...

, or

all-terrain vehicle An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike, or simply a quad, as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI); is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, with a seat that is strad ...

for each team member (awarded to the Paolo Family) *Eliminated: Gaghan Family ;Locations *

(

– Miraflores Locks) * Panama City →

San José San José or San Jose (Spanish for Saint Joseph) most often refers to: *San Jose, California, United States *San José, Costa Rica, the nation's capital San José or San Jose may also refer to: Places Argentina * San José, Buenos Aires ** San ...

, Costa Rica *San José (Parqueo Publico Adrian) *

Poás Volcano National Park Poás Volcano National Park ( es, Parque Nacional Volcán Poás) is a national park in Costa Rica that covers an area of approximately ; the summit is . It was established on 25 January 1971. Depending on conditions, visitors can walk all the way ...

(

Poás Volcano The Poás Volcano, ( es, Volcán Poás), is an active stratovolcano in central Costa Rica and is located within Poas Volcano National Park. It has erupted 40 times since 1828, including April 2017 when visitors and residents were evacuated. The ...

) *

Alajuela Alajuela () is a district in the Alajuela canton of the Alajuela Province of Costa Rica. As the seat of the Municipality of Alajuela canton, it is awarded the status of city. By virtue of being the city of the first canton of the province, it i ...

(Doka Estate) * Jacó (Roca Loca Surf Shop) *

Manuel Antonio National Park Manuel Antonio National Park ( es, Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio) is a small national park in the Central Pacific Conservation Area located on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, just south of the city of Quepos, Puntarenas, and from the national ...

(Rainmaker Park)

Parrita Parrita is a canton and its only district in the Puntarenas province of Costa Rica. Toponymy The origin of the name, it is said, has to do with a woman named Rita who lived in one of the original settlements. Rita had a business and received pa ...

(Frutas Selectas del Tropico) * Quepos (Malecon) ;Episode summary *At the beginning of this leg, teams were instructed to go to the Terminal Nacional de Transporte, where they had to pull a departure time for one of two charter buses leaving thirty minutes apart to

San José, Costa Rica San José (; meaning "Saint Joseph") is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is in the center of the country, in the mid-west of the Central Valley, within San José Canton. San ...

. Once in San José, teams had to make their way to the Parqueo Publico Adrian, where they found their next clue directing them to

in order to find their next clue. Teams then had to drive to the Doka Estate in

in order to find their next clue. * In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to search through an pile of

coffee bean A coffee bean is a seed of the '' Coffea'' plant and the source for coffee. It is the pip inside the red or purple fruit often referred to as a coffee cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit. Even tho ...

s in order to find the one red bean which they could exchange for their next clue. *Teams had to drive to the Roca Loca Surf Shop in Jacó and find a man named Javier in order to receive their next clue. * This leg's Detour was a choice between Relic or Ripe. In Relic, teams traveled to a nearby rainforest within

, where they had to search for four Mayan relics. Once they delivered each of these relics to an archaeologist, they received their next clue. In Ripe, teams traveled to the Frutas Selectas del Tropico banana plantation, where they had to gather fifteen bushels of bananas and load them onto hanging tracks. Teams then had to use a local pulley-system to haul the bananas to the distribution center in order to receive their next clue. *Teams had to check in at the pit stop: the Malecon in Quepos. ;Additional notes * The Paolo Family chose to Yield the Weaver Family.

Leg 7 (Costa Rica → Arizona)

*Episode 7: "You Look Ridiculous" (November 8, 2005) *Prize: A trip to

(awarded to the Godlewski Family) ;Locations * Quepos (Malecon) *Quepos (Playa Maracas) * Grecia ( Iglesia de Metal ') * Sarchí (Taller Eloy Alfaro) Grecia (Ingenio La Argentina & Fabrica Nacional de Licores) *

→ Phoenix,

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...

Chandler Chandler or The Chandler may refer to: * Chandler (occupation), originally head of the medieval household office responsible for candles, now a person who makes or sells candles * Ship chandler, a dealer in supplies or equipment for ships Arts ...

( Bondurant SuperKart School) * Fort McDowell (Fort McDowell Adventures) ;Episode summary *At the start of this leg, teams traveled on foot to Playa Maracas, where one team member had to swim to a buoy in order to get their next clue directing them to the Iglesia de Metal in Grecia, where they found their next clue. * This leg's Detour was a choice between Brush or Barrel. In Brush, teams had to travel to Taller Eloy Alfaro in Sarchí. Once there, they had to choose two partially painted cartwheels, and use the provided pattern to fill in the missing section. When they finished decorating the wheel, they received their clue. In Barrel, teams traveled to a sugarcane factory, where they had to load a tractor with of harvested sugarcane and then transport it to a rum factory. Once the sugarcane was delivered, they had to search a warehouse to find a marked barrel-rack hidden among dozens of rum barrels in order to receive their next clue. *Teams were then instructed to fly to

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the o ...

. Once in Phoenix, teams had to make their way to the Bondurant SuperKart School in

in order to find their next clue. * In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to drive a racing go-kart for 50 laps around the race track in order to receive their next clue. *Teams had to check in at the pit stop: Fort McDowell Adventures in Fort McDowell. ;Additional notes *This was a non-elimination leg.

Leg 8 (Arizona)

*Episode 8: "I Don't Roll with the Punches, I Punch" (November 8, 2005) *Prize: A Jay-Flight 27 B.H. Travel Trailer (awarded to the Godlewski Family) *Eliminated: Paolo Family ;Locations * Fort McDowell (Fort McDowell Adventures) *

Mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a ...

(

Phoenix–Mesa Gateway Airport Phoenix–Mesa Gateway Airport , formerly Williams Gateway Airport (1994–2008) and Williams Air Force Base (1948–1993), is an international airport in the southeastern area of Mesa, Arizona, southeast of Phoenix, in Maricopa County. effec ...

– Fighter Combat International) *

Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon National Park, located in northwestern Arizona, is the 15th site in the United States to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered ...

(

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a ...

–

Lipan Point The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a mi ...

) * Page (

Glen Canyon Dam Glen Canyon Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam on the Colorado River in northern Arizona, United States, near the town of Page. The high dam was built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) from 1956 to 1966 and forms Lake Powell, one of th ...

) *

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (shortened to Glen Canyon NRA or GCNRA) is a national recreation area and conservation unit of the United States National Park Service that encompasses the area around Lake Powell and lower Cataract Canyon ...

( Horseshoe Bend) * Page (Antelope Point) →

Lake Powell Lake Powell is an artificial reservoir on the Colorado River in Utah and Arizona, United States. It is a major vacation destination visited by approximately two million people every year. It is the second largest artificial reservoir by maximum ...

(Houseboat) ;Episode summary *At the beginning of this leg, teams were instructed to drive to Fighter Combat International in

Mesa, Arizona Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the most populous city in the East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by Tempe on the west, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community ...

. * In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to fly in a

fighter plane Fighter aircraft are fixed-wing military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiority of the battlespace. Domination of the airspace above a battlefield p ...

and, following the pilot's direction, perform a 360-degree loop in order to receive their next clue. *After completing the Roadblock, teams had to drive to the

, where they found their next clue at

. Teams then had to drive to the

, where they had to choose a guide, who took them to their next clue atop the dam. * This leg's Detour was a choice between Bearing or Bailing. For both Detours options, teams traveled by motorized raft to Horseshoe Bend along the

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...

. In Bearing, teams had to choose one of five color-coded cards with unique

compass A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with ...

bearings. They then followed the bearing to the next card and repeated the process until they obtained four cards. Once teams had all four cards, they could exchange them for the next clue. In Bailing, teams had to use the provided tools to bail water out of a submerged boat until it was light enough to carry ashore, after which, teams received their next clue. *After completing the Detour, teams were directed to Antelope Point, where they headed down a path to

and raced on motorboats to their pit stop: a marked houseboat. ;Additional notes *Legs 7 and 8 aired back-to-back as a special two-hour episode.

Leg 9 (Arizona → Utah)

0404 Utah Oly Park aerials practice ramps

*Episode 9: "How's That Face Feel?" (November 22, 2005) *Prize: A trip for four to the Teton Mountain Lodge in

Jackson Hole, Wyoming Jackson Hole (originally called Jackson's Hole by mountain men) is a valley between the Gros Ventre and Teton mountain ranges in the U.S. state of Wyoming, near the border with Idaho, in Teton County, one of the richest counties in the Uni ...

(awarded to the Linz Family) ;Locations *

(Houseboat) *

Monument Valley Monument Valley ( nv, Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, , meaning ''valley of the rocks'') is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of sandstone buttes, the largest reaching above the valley floor. It is located on the Utah-Arizona ...

(

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

's Point & Elephant Butte) * Moab,

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

(Gemini Bridges – Bull Canyon) * Green River (

Green River State Park Green River State Park is a state park on the west shore of the Green River in Green River, Emery County, Utah. Features The park consists of a nine-hole golf course, a campground shaded with cottonwood trees, and a boat ramp. The Green R ...

) * Heber City (970 Little Sweden Road) * Park City (

Utah Olympic Park The Utah Olympic Park is a winter sports park built for the 2002 Winter Olympics, and is located in Summit County ( east of Salt Lake City) northwest of Park City, Utah, United States. During the 2002 games the park hosted the bobsleigh, skele ...

) *

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...

(

Salt Lake City Public Library The Salt Lake City Public Library system's main branch building is an architecturally unique structure in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is located at 210 East, 400 South, across from the Salt Lake City and County Building and Washington Square. Hi ...

) ;Episode summary *At the beginning of this leg, teams were instructed to drive to

. At John Ford's Point, two team members from each family had to ride in a helicopter to Elephant Butte, where they retrieved the next clue from the summit. Teams were then directed to drive to

Moab, Utah Moab () is the largest city and county seat of Grand County in eastern Utah in the western United States, known for its dramatic scenery. The population was 5,366 at the 2020 census. Moab attracts many tourists annually, mostly visitors to th ...

. * This leg's Detour was a choice between Ride Down or Drop Down. In Ride Down, teams had to ride bicycles along a course down the mountain and then to Bull Canyon in order to retrieve their next clue. In Drop Down, teams had to complete a two-stage

rappel Abseiling ( ; ), also known as rappelling ( ; ), is the controlled descent of a steep slope, such as a rock face, by moving down a rope. When abseiling the person descending controls their own movement down the rope, in contrast to low ...

, totaling , in order to reach Bull Canyon and their next clue. *After completing the Detour, teams traveled to Green River State Park in Green River for an overnight rest. Teams' departure times were determined by the order of their arrival. The next day, teams had to drive to Heber City and find

Bart the Bear Bart the Bear (January 19, 1977 – May 10, 2000) was a male Kodiak bear best known for his numerous appearances in films, including '' The Bear'' (for which he received widespread acclaim),Prettyman, Brett"Utah's Bart the Bear: Hollywood star, ...

, who had the next clue in his mouth. Teams were then directed to the

in Park City. * In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to put on skis and descend a ski-jump training ramp into an Olympic pool in order to receive their next clue. *Teams had to check in at the pit stop: the rooftop of the

. ;Additional notes * The Linz Family chose to Yield the Weaver Family. *This was a non-elimination leg.

Leg 10 (Utah → Wyoming → Montana)

*Episode 10: "Don't Talk To Me Like I Was An Animal Or Something" (November 29, 2005)
& Episode 11: "The Family Christmas Card" (December 6, 2005) *Prize: A 2006 full-size

Buick Lucerne The Buick Lucerne is a full-size car manufactured by General Motors from 2005 to 2011. Named for the city of Lucerne, Switzerland, it served as Buick's top-of-the-line sedan until it was replaced by the second generation Buick LaCrosse. Histor ...

luxury sedan (awarded to the Bransen Family) *Eliminated: Godlewski Family ;Locations *

(

) * Park City (

Park City High School Park City High School is a public high school located at 1750 Kearns Boulevard in Park City, Utah, United States. It is one of eight public schools in the Park City School District and serves tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders. The district's ...

) * Heber City ( Heber Valley Railway) *

Bonneville Salt Flats The Bonneville Salt Flats are a densely packed salt pan in Tooele County in northwestern Utah. A remnant of the Pleistocene Lake Bonneville, it is the largest of many salt flats west of the Great Salt Lake. It is public land managed by the ...

('' Tree of Utah'') * Garden City ( Bear Lake Rendezvous Beach) * Big Piney,

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the sou ...

(Dunham Ranch) *

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is border ...

(

Old Faithful Old Faithful is a cone geyser in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, United States. It was named in 1870 during the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition and was the first geyser in the park to be named. It is a highly predictable geotherm ...

) * Moran (Pinto Ranch) * Dubois (Turtle Ranch) * Cody (

Irma Hotel Irma may refer to: People * Irma (name), a female given name * Irma (singer), full name Irma Pany, a Cameroonian female singer-songwriter Places * Irma, Alberta, Canada, a village * Irma, Lombardy, Italy, a ''comune'' * Irma, Wisconsin, USA, a ...

) * Red Lodge,

Montana Montana () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West List of regions of the United States#Census Bureau-designated regions and divisions, division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North ...

( Red Lodge Mountain Golf Course) *

Absarokee Absarokee ( ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Stillwater County, Montana, United States, approximately south of Columbus on Highway 78. It is named after the Crow Indians who formerly inhabited the land. The population was 1,234 at the ...

(Larry Arnold's Green Meadow Ranch) ;Episode summary (Episode 10) *At the beginning of this leg, teams were instructed to drive to

Park City, Utah Park City is a city in Utah, United States. The vast majority is in Summit County, and it extends into Wasatch County. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake Cit ...

. There, teams helped to inflate a

hot air balloon A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carrie ...

and then flew across the Utah countryside. After landing, teams received their next clue directing them to the Heber Valley Railway. * This leg's first Detour was a choice between Spike It or Steam It. In Spike It, teams used historic materials and tools to complete a section of

railway track A railway track (British English and UIC terminology) or railroad track (American English), also known as permanent way or simply track, is the structure on a railway or railroad consisting of the rails, fasteners, railroad ties (sleepers ...

. In Steam It, teams used buckets to fill the tender of a steam locomotive with nearly of coal. In both Detours, teams had to have their work approved by a railway engineer before they could receive their next clue. *After completing the Detour, teams had to travel to the '' Tree of Utah'' sculpture at the

and search the grounds for their next clue. Teams then drove to Bear Lake Rendezvous Beach in Garden City, where they had to spend the night. Teams' departure times were determined by the order of their arrival. The next morning, teams had to drive to the Dunham Ranch in Big Piney, Wyoming, where they found their next clue. * In this leg's first Roadblock, two team members had to mount horses and herd six cattle from a holding pen into a corral in order to receive their next clue. *After completing the Roadblock, the teams' clue stated "I'm old, I'm faithful". Teams had to figure out that their next location was

. Teams had to wait for the geyser to erupt before receiving their next clue, which instructed teams to drive to the Pinto Ranch in Moran. There, teams met Phil, who told them that the leg was not over before handing them their next clue. ;Episode summary (Episode 11) *Teams were instructed to drive to the Turtle Ranch in Dubois. * This leg's second Detour was a choice between Pioneer Spirit or Native Tradition. In Pioneer Spirit, teams had to attach four wheels to a

covered wagon The covered wagon or prairie wagon, historically also referred to as an ambulance or prairie schooner, was a vehicle usually made out of wood and canvas that was used for transportation, prominently in 19th-century America. With roots in the h ...

, hook up a team of horses, and drive along a course in order to receive their next clue. In Native Tradition, teams had to use traditional materials and tools to build a

teepee A tipi , often called a lodge in English, is a conical tent, historically made of animal hides or pelts, and in more recent generations of canvas, stretched on a framework of wooden poles. The word is Siouan, and in use in Dakhótiyapi, Lakȟ� ...

in order to receive their next clue. *After completing the second Detour, teams were given the clue "Do you know the hotel named after

Buffalo Bill William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but he lived for several years ...

's daughter?" Teams had to figure out that they needed to go to the

in Cody. At the hotel, teams had to don period clothing and take a picture with a Buffalo Bill impersonator. Once the photo was developed, teams received their next clue, which directed them to drive to

Red Lodge, Montana Red Lodge is a city and county seat of Carbon County, Montana, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,257. History On September 17, 1851, the United States government signed a treaty with the Crow Nation, ce ...

. At the Red Lodge Mountain Golf Course, teams had to find the "Tenth Tee" in order to retrieve their next clue. * In this leg's second Roadblock, two team members had to choose a colored flag and attach it to a

golf cart A golf cart (alternatively known as a golf buggy or golf car) is a small motorized vehicle designed originally to carry two golfers and their golf clubs around a golf course with less effort than walking. Over time, variants were introduced ...

. They then had to search the golf course for balls the same color as their flag. Once they found all of the balls, they received their next clue. *Teams had to check in at the pit stop: Larry Arnold's Green Meadow Ranch in Absarokee, Montana. ;Additional notes *Leg 10 was a double leg that aired over two episodes.

Leg 11 (Montana → Canada → New York)

*Episode 12: "25 Days, 50 Cities, And More Than 600 Consecutive Hours Together as a Family" (December 13, 2005) *Winners: Linz Family *Second Place: Bransen Family *Third Place: Weaver Family ;Locations *

(Larry Arnold's Green Meadow Ranch) *

Billings Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and the principal city of the Billings Metro ...

→

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

*Montreal ( Victoria Square – Square-Victoria Metro Station) *Montreal (

Underground City An underground city is a series of linked subterranean spaces that may provide a defensive refuge; a place for living, working or shopping; a transit system; mausolea; wine or storage cellars; cisterns or drainage channels; or several of th ...

– Centre CDP Capital Building Passageway) *

Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue () is an on-island suburb located at the western tip of the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is the second oldest community in Montreal's West Island, having been founded as a parish in 1703. The ol ...

(

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...

– Glenfinnan Rink

Morgan Arboretum The Morgan Arboretum is a forested reserve, on the McGill University Macdonald Campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue on the western tip of the Island of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Arboretum is a mixed-use woodland and recreational area, with an ...

) *Montreal (

Saint Helen's Island Saint Helen's Island (french: Île Sainte-Hélène) is an island in the Saint Lawrence River, in the territory of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It forms part of the Hochelaga Archipelago. It is situated immediately offshore from Old Mon ...

– Montreal Biosphere) *Montreal (Trapezium) *Montreal (

Parc Olympique The Olympic Park (French: ''Parc olympique'') consists of a series of venues and sports arenas in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, which was home to many of the venues from the 1976 Summer Olympics. It is bound by Sherbrooke Street to the north, Vi ...

– Stade Olympique) * Montreal →

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

*Toronto (

CN Tower The CN Tower (french: Tour CN) is a concrete communications and observation tower in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Built on the former Railway Lands, it was completed in 1976. Its name "CN" referred to Canadian National, the railwa ...

) *Toronto ( Polson Pier) *Toronto ( Queens Quay Sailing and Powerboating & Harbourfront Centre – '' Kajama'' or

Bata Shoe Museum The Bata Shoe Museum (BSM) is a museum of footwear and calceology in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The museum's building is situated near the northwest of the University of Toronto's St. George campus, in downtown Toronto. The museum building was d ...

) *

Queenston Queenston is a compact rural community and unincorporated place north of Niagara Falls in the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. It is bordered by Highway 405 to the south and the Niagara River to the east; its location at the eponym ...

(Queenston Boat Ramp – Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours) →

Niagara River The Niagara River () is a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the province of Ontario in Canada (on the west) and the state of New York in the United States (on the east). There are diffe ...

(

Niagara Gorge Niagara Gorge is an long canyon carved by the Niagara River along the Canada–United States border, between the U.S. state of New York and the Canadian province of Ontario. It begins at the base of Niagara Falls and ends downriver at the edge ...

) * Lewiston,

(

Joseph Davis State Park Joseph Davis State Park is a state park located along the banks of the lower Niagara River in the Town of Lewiston in Niagara County, New York. History Joseph Davis State Park was originally known as Lower Niagara State Park when it first o ...

) ;Episode summary *At the beginning of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to

Montreal, Canada Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-p ...

. Once in Montreal, teams had to travel to the Square-Victoria Metro Station, where they had to enter the

and search the passageways to find the basement of the Centre CDP building in order to find their next clue. * This leg's first Detour was a choice between Slide It or Roll It. In Slide It, teams traveled to Glenfinnan Rink at

and participated in the sport of

curling Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take turns sliding ...

. Each team member slid a granite stone down the ice to the target. Once a team member got a stone into the house or touched the house with a total of four targets, they received their next clue. In Roll It, teams traveled to

and had to use

lumberjack Lumberjacks are mostly North American workers in the logging industry who perform the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to loggers in the era (before 1945 in the Unite ...

tools to roll four wooden logs along the course in order to receive their next clue. *After completing the first Detour, teams were told to head to "American Pavilion" in which Montreal hosted

Expo 67 The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It was a category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of the most su ...

. They had to figure out that the next destination was the Montreal Biosphere. Once there, teams had to climb to the 5th floor in order to find their next clue. * In this leg's first Roadblock, one team member had to successfully complete a flying trapeze maneuver known as a "catch" in order to receive their clue. *After completing the first Roadblock, teams had to travel to the

, drive a golf cart to the Stade Olympique, and then find the one door wide enough to drive through. Once inside the stadium, teams had to search among the 56,000 stadium seats for tickets on one of three charter flights departing the next morning to a mystery destination (

). After teams found their departure times, they spent the night in the stadium. *After arriving in Toronto, teams had to drive to the

. Once there, teams took an elevator to the observation deck and used binoculars to locate their next clue at Polson Pier. * This season's final Detour was a choice between Ship or Shoe. In Ship, teams had to sail across

Toronto Harbour Toronto Harbour or Toronto Bay is a bay on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a natural harbour, protected from Lake Ontario waves by the Toronto Islands. Today, the harbour is used primarily for recreational b ...

from Queens Quay to the schooner '' Kajama'', where one team member had to climb to the top of the mast and retrieve a nautical flag that they could exchange for their next clue. In Shoe, teams traveled to

, where they had to choose a pair of shoes and search among 100 women for the one woman who fit the shoes in order to receive their next clue. *Teams were directed to Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours on the Canadian side of

, where they had to choose a jet boat and ride up the gorge to a buoy where they found their next clue. Teams then had to travel by boat to

Lewiston, New York Lewiston is a town in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 15,944 at the 2020 census. The town and its contained village are named after Morgan Lewis, a governor of New York. The Town of Lewiston is on the western borde ...

in order to find their next clue. * In this season's final Roadblock, either team member who did not perform the first Roadblock had to assemble a giant 71-piece

jigsaw puzzle A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of often irregularly shaped interlocking and mosaiced pieces, each of which typically has a portion of a picture. When assembled, the puzzle pieces produce a complete picture. In t ...

map of North America and

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

. Once the puzzle was complete, teams could proceed to the nearby finish line. ;Additional notes *Teams were provided tickets for a flight from

Billings, Montana Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and the principal city of the Billings Metr ...

, to Montreal, but they were under no obligation to use them. *Leg 11 was a double leg that aired as a special two-hour episode. *After the season ended, CBS hosted the "Final Amazing Challenge" on the official website where the Bransen and Weaver families competed for a

GMC Yukon XL GMC may refer to: Government India * Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation, in Gujarat * Gobichettipalayam Municipal Corporation, in Tamil Nadu * Guntur Municipal Corporation, in Andhra Pradesh * Guwahati Municipal Corporation, in Assam * Gwalior M ...

. Using the completed map from the final Roadblock, teams ran out to clue boxes to retrieve cutouts, each representing tasks they performed on the race, and placed them on the associated part of the map. This challenge was won by the Bransen Family.

Reception

Critical response

Fans, critics, and racers were negative over the format changes implemented in this edition of ''The Amazing Race''. The main issues were the lack of international travel and watered-down challenges tailored to families, and the expanded cast also made it more difficult to develop individual story lines. Dalton Ross of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...

'' commented that "Half the fun of ''The Amazing Race'' has always been watching the inter- and intra-couple bickering that goes with being chronically late and lost in a foreign land. Seeing parents yell at their children in exotic New Jersey? Not so fun". Robert Bianco of ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virg ...

'' shared similar opinions, adding that "the idea of being trapped in the back seat for a forced cross-country family drive comes closer to a nightmare relived than a dream come true." Linda Holmes of ''

Television Without Pity Television Without Pity (often abbreviated TWoP) was a website that provided detailed recaps of select television dramas, situation comedies and reality TV shows along with discussion forums. These recaps were written with sarcastic criticism and ...

'' called the decision to have 40 contestants "baffling" and was disappointed with the tasks and locations on this season. Scott Pierce of ''

Deseret News The ''Deseret News'' () is the oldest continuously operating publication in the American west. Its multi-platform products feature journalism and commentary across the fields of politics, culture, family life, faith, sports, and entertainment. Th ...

'' wrote "this 'Family Edition' of 'Amazing Race' is by far my least favorite. None of the families really seemed worth rooting for and the competition has been watered down to something less than scintillating to accommodate the family element." In 2016, this season was ranked last out of the first 27 seasons by the '' Rob Has a Podcast Amazing Race'' correspondents. Conversely in 2021, Val Barone of ''TheThings'' ranked the Family Edition as the show's 10th best season. Racers were also disappointed that they did not have a chance to travel to more exotic locations; in one episode Marion Paolo commented "What are we going to

for? I want to go to New Zealand!" – a statement that also summed up the general opinion of the season. In hindsight, the production team has admitted that the concept of a Family Edition "looked good on paper" but failed in execution, since child racers limited foreign travel for that season. Producers Bertram van Munster and Jonathan Littman doubt that the family format will be revived in the future.

Ratings

;Canadian ratings

References

External links