Episode One: Lancaster, PA (9/27)
The family edition of THE AMAZING RACE began on the streets of New York City as ten families of four set out on the adventure of a lifetime and the chance to win one million dollars. The Godlewski sisters fell to the back of the pack after becoming lost, but surged ahead at the Detour to finish in first place. Meanwhile, the athletic Linz siblings narrowly avoided last place, edging out the Black family who became the first team eliminated. READY, SET, GO! Standing near New York Harbor, host Phil Keoghan greeted the ten families, made up of four members apiece, all eager to begin the "ultimate family adventure" on THE AMAZING RACE. After Phil's traditional eyebrow raise and arm signal, the Teams frantically dashed to their first clue waiting alongside their bags. While Renee and Brock of the Rogers clan each took a tumble during the furious sprint, the Gaghan family set the pace early, packing their gear quickly in the carrier atop their truck, and heading to Soho in search of Eastern Mountain Sports to pick up four sleeping bags, four camping bags and a tent. CONCRETE JUNGLE Navigating through the crowded streets of Manhattan, the Gaghan family continued to lead the pack with the Linz family close behind. On her family's encouraging start, Tammy Gaghan commented, "We've traveled throughout the United States. We travel internationally all the time. A lot of the teams may have never even left the United Stated before, so I think that we have an advantage." After parking on Broadway, the Linz siblings engaged in a footrace to Eastern Mountain Sports against the dad, mom, and kids of the Gaghan family, narrowly beating them to collect the bags and tent, along with their next clue which directed them to a hot dog stand on East 91st Street. While the next seven Teams found the sporting goods store with little difficulty, the Paolo family, originating from New York, became lost, spiraling into last place. The irony was not lost on patriarch Tony Paolo, who quipped, "A New Yorker gets lost in Manhattan. What a day!" The frustrated elder son DJ added, "This is disgraceful! We're so stupid!" Eventually, the Paolos pulled over to ask a local pedestrian who pointed the direction-impaired family to Eastern Mountain Sports. GONE TO THE DOGS With another stressful drive through the streets of Manhattan, the bustling traffic brought out the worst in some racers. Mark Schroeder of the Schroeder clan joked to his appalled family, "Too bad we don't have any handicapped children we could push into traffic to block traffic to help us get ahead." The Paolos' fighting reached new levels as sons DJ and Brian became irritated with mother Marion's constant barrage of questions and speculation. Finally, DJ shouted, "You're overthinking!" An amused Marion retorted, "You know, you're cute when you're angry." Leading the way to the hot dog stand on 91st Street, sister Megan Linz hopped out of the car to receive her family's clue from a pair of familiar faces: Kevin & Drew from Season 1. Opening the clue, the Linz siblings discovered they needed to drive 97 miles through New Jersey into Pennsylvania and find Washington Crossing Historic Park where George Washington made his famous crossing of the Delaware River. The journey to Pennsylvania proved disastrous for some Teams, while others hit their stride. The Linz family, Gaghan family and Godlewski sisters all squandered their leads by not getting proper directions. Meanwhile, the Aiello family of in-laws, Wally Bransen and his daughters, the Rogers family, and the widowed Linda Weaver and her kids all secured maps to ensure the fastest route to the Delaware River. CROSSING OVER Arriving at Washington Crossing Historic Park in first place, the father and sons-in-law Aiello family opened their clue to learn they had to choose a rowboat to cross the Delaware River into New Jersey, retrieve a 13-star flag, and row the boat back to the Pennsylvania shore to observe a flag folding ceremony to earn their next clue. With the Bransen family in hot pursuit, both Teams took to their boats to begin the strenuous paddling against the strong current of the river. While Tony Aiello and his sons-in-law found success early, the Bransen family initially became stuck, forcing patriarch Wally out of the boat to correct the problem. Arriving at the New Jersey shore first, former marine David jumped out of the boat to grab the flag for the Aiello family, followed closely by Bransen daughter Lauren. After crossing back to the Pennsylvania side of the river, the Aiello family handed over their flag for the folding ceremony and received their next clue instructing them to drive 34 miles to Philadelphia and find Belmont Plateau where they would be camping for the night. Once there, Teams needed to pitch their tents as quickly as possible as the order of completion would determine which of three departure times they would receive: 10 am, 10:30 am or 11 am. FAMILY TIES With most of the Teams heading to Philadelphia, the Black family arrived at Washington Crossing to begin their journey across the Delaware River. With two small children, Kenneth and Austin, the family struggled against the current, slowly drifting away from the destination across the river. Ultimately, the sons showed their parents what they were made of by making it across the river and back, maintaining a lead on the last three Teams, the incredibly lost Paolo, Godlewski and Linz families. Arriving at Belmont Plateau in first place, the Aiello family pitched their tent to secure a 10 am departure time. Joining the Aiellos in a 10 am departure were widow Linda Weaver and her family, along with the Gaghan family with children Billy and Carissa. Because they got lost on the way to the park, Wally Bransen and his daughters had to settle for a 10:30 am departure along with the pair of Louisiana Teams, the Rogers and Schroeders. Starting the day in last place at 11 am were the Black family, the Godlewski sisters, the Linz siblings, and the Paolo family, who also needed to retrieve a lost clue before finally arriving at Belmont Plateau for the night. COUNTRY LIVING The next morning, the ten Teams woke up to a heavy rain beating down on them as the Aiellos, Gaghans and Weavers opened their clue instructing them to drive 92 miles to Mount Joy, Pennsylvania to find the Brubaker family farm. Linda Weaver said a prayer for her family. Later, remarking on her family's faith, she said, "God is what pulled us through my husband's death. If we didn't have faith in the Lord, I don't know where we'd be and I think he has a hand with us being in the race." Arriving at the Brubaker farm in first place, the Weavers opened their clue to find the race's first Detour. In this Detour, Teams had to choose between Build It and Buggy It. In Build It, Teams needed to use the materials provided to build a miniature working watermill. While not physically demanding, proper assembly could take a long time. In Buggy It, Teams had to transport a traditional Amish buggy along a 1.5-mile course with two team members riding in it. While physically demanding, Teams with enough muscle could finish quickly. Believing they had the leg strength to complete the task, both the Weavers and Aiellos ran off to pull a buggy through the course. However, both Teams soon realized that pulling the heavy buggy with two team members adding additional weight inside was a daunting task. Arriving third, the Gaghan family surprisingly also chose to transport the cumbersome buggy. With children Billy and Carissa enjoying the ride, Bill and Tammy began the arduous journey. BUGGY BLUNDERS With the Aiellos gaining momentum, the Weaver family began to feel the pressure and switched out riders, allowing a fresh Linda Weaver to pull the buggy. However, as the buggy began a downhill roll picking up speed, the brake didn't work for daughters Rachel and Rebecca, causing it to roll directly over Linda. While Linda wasn't hurt, the entire family, having already lost a husband and father, was shaken up. Rather than continuing on, the Weavers chose to run back and build the watermill instead. With the arrival of most Teams, the race to finish the Detour was in full swing. While Billy and Carissa sang "She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain," their parents managed to pass the exhausted Aiello family. The Godlewskis and Bransens tried to gain ground on the Weavers building the watermill, while the seventh place Black family arrived to join in the construction, followed by the pair of Louisiana Teams, and the Paolos in last place. While the Linz family struggled to pull the buggy for even the first half mile, the Weaver family poured water into their creation and watched as the wheel turned, earning the clue that directed them to the Pit Stop, 17 miles away at the Rohrer Family Farm on Blue Rock Road in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. RACE TO THE FINISH LINE With the Godlewski sisters also finishing their windmill and Tammy and Bill Gaghan completing the grueling buggy course, the race for first place kicked into overdrive. Linda Weaver prayed for her family while the Godlewskis bickered amongst themselves over the quickest route. Ultimately, their quarreling worked as the Godlewski family stepped onto the mat in first place, screaming and cheering wildly. Phil informed the sisters they had won $20,000 for their victory. A footrace to the mat resulted in second place for the Gaghans, who narrowly edged out the third place Weaver family. Because the Bransens and Aiellos got lost on their way to the Pit Stop, the Rogers family snagged a fourth place finish, while the other Louisiana Team, the Schroeders, arrived in fifth place. Before finishing in sixth place, the Paolo family continued to bicker. Marion, fed up with years of her sons' behavior towards her, demanded that father Tony straighten them out. In tears, Marion said, "You guys are embarrassing me. What a family." On the mat, however, the frustration turned to exuberance when they learned they were no longer in last place. Eventually, Wally Bransen and his daughters discovered the Rohrer Farm and took the seventh spot, while the Aiellos had to settle for a disappointing eighth place. ELIMINATION After completing their respective Detour choices only seconds apart, the last two Teams remaining in the field, the Black and Linz families, wished each other luck as they hopped into their SUVs for the drive through the farmland of Pennsylvania that would determine which family would be the first to be eliminated. Nick Linz encouraged his siblings to stay positive as they drove behind the Black family in last place. Finally, Nick decided to make a move by turning in the opposite direction of the Black family in hopes of getting to Lancaster first. In the end, the move paid off as the relieved Linz family stepped onto the mat in ninth place. Arriving at the Rohrer Family Farm last, the Black family stepped onto the mat, where Phil informed them that they had been eliminated from THE AMAZING RACE. Regarding his family, Reggie Black remarked, "Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't, but as long as you give your best effort, you can feel like I'm feeling right now. I'm very proud of my family." Kimberly Black added, "The race has given us the opportunity to see our boys really step out…and show us they're not babies anymore." Reggie ended by saying, "The race was an opportunity of a lifetime. It was the type of experience I wouldn't want to give up for anything."Source: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race8/show/ep01/
The family edition of THE AMAZING RACE began on the streets of New York City as ten families of four set out on the adventure of a lifetime and the chance to win one million dollars. The Godlewski sisters fell to the back of the pack after becoming lost, but surged ahead at the Detour to finish in first place. Meanwhile, the athletic Linz siblings narrowly avoided last place, edging out the Black family who became the first team eliminated. READY, SET, GO! Standing near New York Harbor, host Phil Keoghan greeted the ten families, made up of four members apiece, all eager to begin the "ultimate family adventure" on THE AMAZING RACE. After Phil's traditional eyebrow raise and arm signal, the Teams frantically dashed to their first clue waiting alongside their bags. While Renee and Brock of the Rogers clan each took a tumble during the furious sprint, the Gaghan family set the pace early, packing their gear quickly in the carrier atop their truck, and heading to Soho in search of Eastern Mountain Sports to pick up four sleeping bags, four camping bags and a tent. CONCRETE JUNGLE Navigating through the crowded streets of Manhattan, the Gaghan family continued to lead the pack with the Linz family close behind. On her family's encouraging start, Tammy Gaghan commented, "We've traveled throughout the United States. We travel internationally all the time. A lot of the teams may have never even left the United Stated before, so I think that we have an advantage." After parking on Broadway, the Linz siblings engaged in a footrace to Eastern Mountain Sports against the dad, mom, and kids of the Gaghan family, narrowly beating them to collect the bags and tent, along with their next clue which directed them to a hot dog stand on East 91st Street. While the next seven Teams found the sporting goods store with little difficulty, the Paolo family, originating from New York, became lost, spiraling into last place. The irony was not lost on patriarch Tony Paolo, who quipped, "A New Yorker gets lost in Manhattan. What a day!" The frustrated elder son DJ added, "This is disgraceful! We're so stupid!" Eventually, the Paolos pulled over to ask a local pedestrian who pointed the direction-impaired family to Eastern Mountain Sports. GONE TO THE DOGS With another stressful drive through the streets of Manhattan, the bustling traffic brought out the worst in some racers. Mark Schroeder of the Schroeder clan joked to his appalled family, "Too bad we don't have any handicapped children we could push into traffic to block traffic to help us get ahead." The Paolos' fighting reached new levels as sons DJ and Brian became irritated with mother Marion's constant barrage of questions and speculation. Finally, DJ shouted, "You're overthinking!" An amused Marion retorted, "You know, you're cute when you're angry." Leading the way to the hot dog stand on 91st Street, sister Megan Linz hopped out of the car to receive her family's clue from a pair of familiar faces: Kevin & Drew from Season 1. Opening the clue, the Linz siblings discovered they needed to drive 97 miles through New Jersey into Pennsylvania and find Washington Crossing Historic Park where George Washington made his famous crossing of the Delaware River. The journey to Pennsylvania proved disastrous for some Teams, while others hit their stride. The Linz family, Gaghan family and Godlewski sisters all squandered their leads by not getting proper directions. Meanwhile, the Aiello family of in-laws, Wally Bransen and his daughters, the Rogers family, and the widowed Linda Weaver and her kids all secured maps to ensure the fastest route to the Delaware River. CROSSING OVER Arriving at Washington Crossing Historic Park in first place, the father and sons-in-law Aiello family opened their clue to learn they had to choose a rowboat to cross the Delaware River into New Jersey, retrieve a 13-star flag, and row the boat back to the Pennsylvania shore to observe a flag folding ceremony to earn their next clue. With the Bransen family in hot pursuit, both Teams took to their boats to begin the strenuous paddling against the strong current of the river. While Tony Aiello and his sons-in-law found success early, the Bransen family initially became stuck, forcing patriarch Wally out of the boat to correct the problem. Arriving at the New Jersey shore first, former marine David jumped out of the boat to grab the flag for the Aiello family, followed closely by Bransen daughter Lauren. After crossing back to the Pennsylvania side of the river, the Aiello family handed over their flag for the folding ceremony and received their next clue instructing them to drive 34 miles to Philadelphia and find Belmont Plateau where they would be camping for the night. Once there, Teams needed to pitch their tents as quickly as possible as the order of completion would determine which of three departure times they would receive: 10 am, 10:30 am or 11 am. FAMILY TIES With most of the Teams heading to Philadelphia, the Black family arrived at Washington Crossing to begin their journey across the Delaware River. With two small children, Kenneth and Austin, the family struggled against the current, slowly drifting away from the destination across the river. Ultimately, the sons showed their parents what they were made of by making it across the river and back, maintaining a lead on the last three Teams, the incredibly lost Paolo, Godlewski and Linz families. Arriving at Belmont Plateau in first place, the Aiello family pitched their tent to secure a 10 am departure time. Joining the Aiellos in a 10 am departure were widow Linda Weaver and her family, along with the Gaghan family with children Billy and Carissa. Because they got lost on the way to the park, Wally Bransen and his daughters had to settle for a 10:30 am departure along with the pair of Louisiana Teams, the Rogers and Schroeders. Starting the day in last place at 11 am were the Black family, the Godlewski sisters, the Linz siblings, and the Paolo family, who also needed to retrieve a lost clue before finally arriving at Belmont Plateau for the night. COUNTRY LIVING The next morning, the ten Teams woke up to a heavy rain beating down on them as the Aiellos, Gaghans and Weavers opened their clue instructing them to drive 92 miles to Mount Joy, Pennsylvania to find the Brubaker family farm. Linda Weaver said a prayer for her family. Later, remarking on her family's faith, she said, "God is what pulled us through my husband's death. If we didn't have faith in the Lord, I don't know where we'd be and I think he has a hand with us being in the race." Arriving at the Brubaker farm in first place, the Weavers opened their clue to find the race's first Detour. In this Detour, Teams had to choose between Build It and Buggy It. In Build It, Teams needed to use the materials provided to build a miniature working watermill. While not physically demanding, proper assembly could take a long time. In Buggy It, Teams had to transport a traditional Amish buggy along a 1.5-mile course with two team members riding in it. While physically demanding, Teams with enough muscle could finish quickly. Believing they had the leg strength to complete the task, both the Weavers and Aiellos ran off to pull a buggy through the course. However, both Teams soon realized that pulling the heavy buggy with two team members adding additional weight inside was a daunting task. Arriving third, the Gaghan family surprisingly also chose to transport the cumbersome buggy. With children Billy and Carissa enjoying the ride, Bill and Tammy began the arduous journey. BUGGY BLUNDERS With the Aiellos gaining momentum, the Weaver family began to feel the pressure and switched out riders, allowing a fresh Linda Weaver to pull the buggy. However, as the buggy began a downhill roll picking up speed, the brake didn't work for daughters Rachel and Rebecca, causing it to roll directly over Linda. While Linda wasn't hurt, the entire family, having already lost a husband and father, was shaken up. Rather than continuing on, the Weavers chose to run back and build the watermill instead. With the arrival of most Teams, the race to finish the Detour was in full swing. While Billy and Carissa sang "She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain," their parents managed to pass the exhausted Aiello family. The Godlewskis and Bransens tried to gain ground on the Weavers building the watermill, while the seventh place Black family arrived to join in the construction, followed by the pair of Louisiana Teams, and the Paolos in last place. While the Linz family struggled to pull the buggy for even the first half mile, the Weaver family poured water into their creation and watched as the wheel turned, earning the clue that directed them to the Pit Stop, 17 miles away at the Rohrer Family Farm on Blue Rock Road in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. RACE TO THE FINISH LINE With the Godlewski sisters also finishing their windmill and Tammy and Bill Gaghan completing the grueling buggy course, the race for first place kicked into overdrive. Linda Weaver prayed for her family while the Godlewskis bickered amongst themselves over the quickest route. Ultimately, their quarreling worked as the Godlewski family stepped onto the mat in first place, screaming and cheering wildly. Phil informed the sisters they had won $20,000 for their victory. A footrace to the mat resulted in second place for the Gaghans, who narrowly edged out the third place Weaver family. Because the Bransens and Aiellos got lost on their way to the Pit Stop, the Rogers family snagged a fourth place finish, while the other Louisiana Team, the Schroeders, arrived in fifth place. Before finishing in sixth place, the Paolo family continued to bicker. Marion, fed up with years of her sons' behavior towards her, demanded that father Tony straighten them out. In tears, Marion said, "You guys are embarrassing me. What a family." On the mat, however, the frustration turned to exuberance when they learned they were no longer in last place. Eventually, Wally Bransen and his daughters discovered the Rohrer Farm and took the seventh spot, while the Aiellos had to settle for a disappointing eighth place. ELIMINATION After completing their respective Detour choices only seconds apart, the last two Teams remaining in the field, the Black and Linz families, wished each other luck as they hopped into their SUVs for the drive through the farmland of Pennsylvania that would determine which family would be the first to be eliminated. Nick Linz encouraged his siblings to stay positive as they drove behind the Black family in last place. Finally, Nick decided to make a move by turning in the opposite direction of the Black family in hopes of getting to Lancaster first. In the end, the move paid off as the relieved Linz family stepped onto the mat in ninth place. Arriving at the Rohrer Family Farm last, the Black family stepped onto the mat, where Phil informed them that they had been eliminated from THE AMAZING RACE. Regarding his family, Reggie Black remarked, "Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't, but as long as you give your best effort, you can feel like I'm feeling right now. I'm very proud of my family." Kimberly Black added, "The race has given us the opportunity to see our boys really step out…and show us they're not babies anymore." Reggie ended by saying, "The race was an opportunity of a lifetime. It was the type of experience I wouldn't want to give up for anything."