Northwest Glass Quest: Hunt for Treasure on Camano Island

“Is that a clue ball?” My eyes narrowed, scanning the leaves on the ground along the trail.

It was my first year joining the Northwest Glass Quest — an annual treasure hunt on Camano Island — and my young daughter and her cousins walked alongside me as we looked for anything out of the ordinary. A clue ball would lead us to a limited edition handblown glass ball.

The kids chattered in excitement, peeking at tree roots and looking up at branches. Admittedly, the grown-ups were just as (if not more) invested in the hunt.

This year’s Northwest Glass Quest

While we didn’t find a clue ball that day, the Northwest Glass Quest is now something I look forward to every year. This year’s hunt is just around the corner — the 16th annual quest runs from Feb. 14–23.

For those 10 days, everyone is invited to search for clue balls hidden at participating businesses and around community sites like parks, lakes and preserves. If you find your clue ball at an outdoor community site, it will have directions inside for where you can pick up your handblown glass ball. If you find the clue ball at a participating business site, you can trade it in there.

Organized by the Camano Island Chamber of Commerce, Northwest Glass Quest is an opportunity to explore Camano Island and Stanwood, support local businesses, and spend time with family and friends. I know I am always looking for a push to get outside this time of year — when the temptation to stay indoors is so strong — and the Northwest Glass Quest is the easiest way to convince my family (and myself).

Preparing to quest

Camano Island is an easy day trip — it’s an island you can drive to in just 90 minutes from Seattle, no ferry required. There is so much to explore on the island that some questers choose to make a weekend trip out of it and rent an Airbnb. Questing for more than one day may boost your chances of finding a clue ball; just keep in mind that there is a limit of one glass ball per person.

Ahead of your search, check out the Northwest Glass Quest website (especially the FAQ section and booklet) and download the Northwest Glass Quest app. You can quest without the app, but it has a map of all the participating locations, the opportunity to check in daily and enter to win a raffle, and questing details you can access while you’re out and about searching for clues.

Searching for clue balls

Think of the Northwest Glass Quest as a challenging Easter egg hunt — with a very limited number of eggs and a clever bunny hiding them. You’re looking for a plastic clue ball, about the size of a tennis ball. Search only with your eyes and leave no trace — clue balls are always at least partially visible, so there is no need to dig through the bushes or move anything aside. Though half of each clue ball must remain clear, the other half can be camouflaged well. I’ve heard of clue balls decorated with foliage and debris you’d otherwise see on the trail or painted to look like something else (an avocado in the produce section of the Camano Plaza IGA, perhaps).

It’s recommended that you search each site you visit for 15–20 minutes. If you haven’t found a clue ball in that time, it may have already been found by someone else! You can follow along on social media for certain updates, but resist the urge to ask participating business owners if the day’s clue ball has been found at their shop. They are sworn to secrecy and the mystery is part of the fun. If you come up empty-handed at your first (or second, or third) stop, you can use the app or website to find a different location and keep the hunt going.

More than 400 certified glass balls have been made for this year’s hunt, and new clue balls are hidden each day. You’re just as likely to find a clue ball on the first day of the hunt as you are the last.

Be a Kind Quester

One thing I absolutely love about the Northwest Glass Quest is how intentional it is in spreading kindness and building community — values I want to instill in my daughter. The Kind Quester program is back this year to reinforce the “Seek art. Be kind.” theme of the hunt and make it easy to talk to kids about doing kind things for others. The Kind Quester card has 16 suggestions for kind acts, such as writing notes for seniors, dining at a local restaurant, sharing tips with first-time questers, attending special events and donating pantry items. Complete just six of the suggestions and you can enter to win a glass button.

Northwest Glass Quest artists

This year four local glass artists have contributed their talents to Northwest Glass Quest. Mark Ellinger of Glass Quest Studio is the original creator of the hunt’s glass floats and has crafted a select number for this year’s hunt. Artists Aaron Sertich, Collin Satterfield, and Johnathon Tadif also contributed.

If you don’t find a clue ball this year but still want a glass treasure to commemorate the hunt, you can purchase a non-certified glass ball from select businesses.

More things to do and places to eat in Stanwood and Camano

Chances are you’ll find a spot to eat and a place to play while you’re out questing — some of my favorite restaurants and parks are Glass Quest sites.

If you find yourself in Stanwood, family-friendly Mammoth Burgers serves up tasty milkshakes and hand-pressed burgers (with generous portions for kids and grown-ups alike). Church Creek Park is our go-to playground, rain or shine.

On Camano, I recommend grabbing a morning caffeine boost and house-made pastry from Camano Commons. There’s plenty of room outside the café for kids to run around, and a playground nearby at Freedom Park.

Other glass treasure hunts around Puget Sound

Northwest Glass Quest isn’t the only treasure-hunting opportunity for Seattle-area families. If you and your kids love the thrill of the hunt, don’t miss these events:

• Monkeyshines: Tacoma’s beloved yet mysterious glass treasure hunt coincides with Lunar New Year. More than 2,000 glass orbs are hidden around the city. Bring your flashlights and plan for an early-morning hunt for the best luck.
• BIMA’s Treasure Trek: Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA) puts on this annual glass float hunt from mid-June to mid-July. Around 200 handblown glass orbs are created by young glassblowers and hidden throughout Kitsap County. Finders keepers — limit one per person.
• Seabrook’s Glass Float Find: Families will find plenty of things to do at Seabrook, including this unique glass hunt. During the Glass Float Find, two glass floats are hidden at scenic spots around Seabrook and clues are posted daily during the hunt. It’s an opportunity to explore all the natural beauty of Seabrook, including its beach, parks trails and more. The spring hunt runs March 1–April 30. There is another seasonal hunt in the winter.
• West Seattle Glass Float Hunt: This glass hunt is typically held in August each year, with around 100 glass floats hidden in indoor and outdoor locations around West Seattle. Clues are posted online, and each float has a tag with a QR code for registration. The floats are handblown by Avalon Glassworks.