2005 Allison Wonderland Mock Hunt

This hunt is tricky because many of the clues do not lead you to the park, but rather to another clue. The second clue is what leads you to the right park, hence you have to take two steps. If you take the "same" only make it different by rearranging the letters, you get "Ames" which is the name of the street that goes by Sackett. "Set" also hints at the tennis court there and "get wet" alludes to the small stream near the treasure. The treasure renowned was Officer James T. Sackett who was lost when he was killed in the course of duty in 1970, but just recently his killer was found. Once you know the park, find the rock that says, "If you were the animals" and take a stroll from there. If you look on the ground between two upright posts (sawed off trees actually), i.e. a "field goal", you will find the treasure.

"A Bicycle ride will be your guide" refers to the treasure itself, which is a $1 casino chip from the Bicycle Casino. The "moment of dark" refers to Wrigley's "Eclipse" gum. The treasure is hidden inside an Eclipse gum box. "The way to keep score" refers to poker. It is said that the only way to keep score in poker is to see who has the money and thus the Eclipse gum box will show you who has the money (you do!).

The first of the two step clues. The roulette wheel hints to Wheeler St. "The deal" and "will make you an ace" call back memories of the 2000 hunt when the treasure was hidden in an Ace brand deck of cards. The famous West Coast school is Stanford, which might lead one to Stanford Newell for whom the park was named after. All of these clues are to make you think of Newell Park. Lucifer's lair is the Devil's Den in Newell, a wooded hilly area northeast of where Wheeler ends that is not included in the THG. Finding that same terrain is a clue to Sackett which also has a wooded hilly area. The area of Sackett where the treasure is, is also not really mapped in the THG.

Another two step clue. "Sides numbering eight" refers to the gazebo on the West Picnic Grounds of Como Park which is "around Midway" Parkway and is a place you might eat some barbecue. Heading due west from there, looking to the area south of the gate on Midway and Hamline that was taken from the estate at Crosby Park, and you will see some ball fields against a wooded backdrop. Sackett also has ball fields with a wooded, or "rough" backdrop.

The third two step clue. The factors of 36 that matter in this case are 9 and 4 as Highway 94 runs along Merriam Park. Ann Arbor, a city in Michigan on the outskirts of the Detroit metro area, is also the name of an Avenue that runs into Merriam, and "all the sweet serenity of books" is a quote from Longfellow, as Longfellow Magnet School is located next to the park. In the very middle of Merriam, near the top of the hill, is a pair of tennis courts. Sackett also has some tennis courts near the top of a hill, and looking down from there, along the dirt path is where you might find the treasure.

The next two step clue. Mears Park sits between 5th and 6th streets and the "1" from the old First National Bank building is nearby, as is Warner (warn her) Rd. The clock striking refers to the famed clock in Mears Park, and one must clean up after their dog if taking said dog to the dog park area of Mears. There is a small stream in Mears running from corner to corner that gives you a clue as Sackett also has a small stream running very near the treasure site.

Whichever way you enter (or exit) Swede Hollow, you have to go through a tunnel. "vent, Oh" is a clue to Vento as Swede Hollow is now the Bruce Vento Trail. The cornerstone refers to the cornerstone historical marker of the Hamm Mansion that sits in the upper part of the park. Making a descent is a hint that the stairs are the clue, as the stairs in Swede Hollow are kind of crooked. While Swede Hollow has a dozen flights of stairs, Sackett only has one (less than two).

St. Clair Rec Center is a "saintly" place that sits just north of Grace St. It's also down below the scenic overlook, or "ledge" that can be found just down the street at Linwood Park. The southern border of this park consists of railroad tracks just as Sackett also has railroad tracks on its southern edge.

Skyview Park and Riverview Elementary both border on Belvedere Park as does Woodbury St which goes by. The park is also not far from Holman Air Field where you can see planes going by. The building of proper suitability in the park is the Boys and Girls "Club". Sackett also has a Boys and Girls Club and is in fact one of only two other parks to have one.

Flowing fortunes, growing profits, and good times all allude to a period of prosperity. If you start at Prosperity Rec Center and go straight down (south) you will hit Sackett.

Clues 3 through 10 led you not to the park with the treasure, but to other parks with characteristics that were clues to the correct park. This clue is now a clue to the park itself and thus the "two-step" process is done. The "mixed up game" refers to an anagram in the clue. "Casts Jake met" can be rearranged to form "James Sackett" the cop who was shot and killed in 1970 and for whom Sackett Park is named after.

X marks the spot.