2008 MrMnMikey Mock Hunt

Its in St Paul. Follow the clues to find the coin. "Mint = coin or money, and it's a vague reference to "York" peppermint patty.

York St. runs into Hazel Park. "Pleasure" and "fun" = playground/rec. center. I meant to change this clue to say "figure" the hint instead of "follow", but I forgot to change the printed clues I gave out. Figure would have referred to the number 3 on the backstop of the ballfield and would have drawn attention away from "mint=york". I was worried it could be found on the 1st clue if anyone figured York St.

"Newer face" refers to the newer playground bldg built in 1998 and also refers to the old Kernals corner bar with a new name (Hoagies) thats in the later clues. Hazel Park has a "watch me grow" sign by the playground where you can measure yourself, has tennis courts, basketball courts, playground, etc. and "courts and places to play" refers to a rec center or playground. Playground is just off Case St. Courts is vauge referance to "Case". "Dont wreck it" mostly means dont destroy the park. "Wreck it" = rec center, however hazel "park" is a rec center but called a "park", hence "don't rec it". (It isn't Hazel Rec, it's Hazel PARK rec center) "Just look for dinner" = Hoagies bar nearby, a picnic area, or a kitchen area inside the building.

Uneasy rider was a "southern rock" song by Charlie Daniels. It was released as a single and appeared on Daniels' album "Honey in the Rock". Hazel Park has a bunch of Rocks all along the southern border of the park. The treasure was hidden near the rocks. Chicago via Omaha is a pun on the lyric of the song "wonders what people would think if he went to L.A. via Omaha." and refers to the old railroad lines that used to be in this area. The lines were The St Paul, The Chicago, and Omaha Rail lines. Omaha was known as "Omaha road" and the end of the road is mentioned in another clue. The "Omaha Road" entered Minnesota near Stillwater (the city). Stillwater = near Stillwater Ave where Hazel Park is located between this street and the railroad tracks to the north. Hazel Park was an old railroad suburb. See page 121 under "Hazel Park" in the Empson book "The Street Where You Live" for more info. It was served by the St Paul, Chicago and Omaha rail lines.

The treasure is hidden near the "southern rock" (s) under a bench.

The "country" refers to the "southern rock" music of Charlie Daniels and "stones" hints at the Rolling Stones that is harder "rock" music. Hopefully people are getting the "rock" hints. The stones wont be alone means there are numerous stones/big rocks lined up along the southern border of the park and the treasure is nearby. "Can't get no satisfaction" refers to a Rolling Stones song.

A "vessel" is a term for a boiler or steam container that was used on steam engine trains for travel in the past. "you'll see the rhyme" means the trestle railroad bridge at "the end of the road". Trestle rhymes with vessel.

The trestle railroad bridge is at the end of the gravel (Omaha) road on Hazel Street after the "tar" ends. The RR track was the old "Omaha Road" rail line. If you drive past Hazel Park on Hazel the road ends a few blocks up at the old railroad trestle bridge. Hazel Park School is also across from this trestle. If you kept going across the trestle bridge you'd run into Hazel Park school but you want the park, so turn around, you went "a bridge too far" past the park on Hazel St.

Hazel Park used to be a suburban rail road village served by the St Paul, Chicago, and Omaha railroads.

Omaha railroad was known as "Omaha road" and the end of the road is mentioned here.

Hazel park has a picnic area, picnic tables, and grill so "have a picnic" and a "place to grill". "No chicken or corn" refers to Colonel's bar (KFC Chicken/Col. Sanders and kernel of corn) located at Stillwater and Hazel. It's gone/closed and now it's Hoagie's bar (reborn=renamed) (sandwich). "Reborn" also refers to the newer building at Hazel Park Rec. Center. Brown trout (fits food theme used here) means brown = hazel. Hazel Park is located on Hazel Street not far from Stillwater. "Picture the water" = a still is a picture + water gives the street Stillwater. Kinnickinnic is a river off the St. Croix river (sends you to the eastside) and also is near the Wisconsin border.

"Run to the border" means the border of the park where the rocks are on the south side border of the park and fit the theme about food (Run to the border=Taco Bell). "run to the border" has multiple meanings. The Kinickkinnic river park is on the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Run to the border or Kinnickinnic means run east to the east side of St Paul and also refers to the southern border of the park referred to in other clues. Nuts are also food and we wanted "hazel" nuts here. Nuts = Hazel St.

"Don't get on me for it" = don't get on my "case" = Case St. York makes peppermint patties. Peppermint patty was noted for her persistent habit of profoundly misunderstanding basic concepts and ideas that most people would consider obvious. Peppermint Patty is a pro on the baseball diamond. The benches, under which the treasure is hidden, are behind the backstop of the ballfield. If you "figure this clue" you get York St and Case St. Charlie "Brown" also refers to Hazel St. Brown= Hazel. "Figure" also refers to the number 3 on the backstop of the ball field that's very near the treasure location.

"Case" refers to Case St that borders the north side of Hazel park Rec. center. "all you really have to do is line up and look for a base" refers to all the rocks that are lined up along the south side of the park and the "base" refers to the baseball fields.

Treasure was hidden under the benches, behind the backstop, by the ball field #3. If you lined up the rocks next to the ball field and followed them, it would lead you to the benches behind the backstop.

"Play with virtual lives" refers to the computer game The Sims. Sims = Sims Street. A "vehicle" is a Van and the "boy in the Netherlands" is the little Dutch boy that stuck his finger in the Dyke. Add them together to get Van Dyke Street. Van Dyke and Sims Street are very near the treasure location.

William Leonard and Helen Ames were developers of Hazel Park neighborhood. Helen named it after seeing a group of children picking hazel nuts in the area.

Ames created and promoted the Hazel Park community, a small Victorian neighborhood centered around Ames School which comprises most of the pre-World War I development in the area. See this link.

"Figure the three together" = Hazel park school, Hazel Park playground, and Hazel Park neighborhood.

Also the "Figure the three" refers to the literal "figure 3" that is on the backrest of the ball field at the treasure site.

Hazel Park Rec. is located on Case and Hazel Streets.

No explanation needed.