2015 Allison Wonderland Mock Hunt

The second stanza is just confirming some rules. In the first stanza the word “reserve” is a reference to the fact that the Highland Park neighborhood used to be called “Reserve Township”. Also if you look at a map of St. Paul districts, you’ll see the Highland Park area is district 15, the number mentioned in the next line. Interestingly, I heard a few other interpretations of this clue that also led to Highland, but were purely unintentional.

For anyone familiar with the “Peanuts” cartoon by Charles Schultz, they surely recognize this scene of Lucy holding a football for Charlie Brown to kick, promising not to yank away at the last second yet again, only to yank it away at the last second. This is a reference to the Charles M Schultz arena in Highland Park. It also vaguely alludes to how often the PP Cluewriter has set up the clues to look like it was at Highland, only to not put it at Highland. But my name’s not Lucy. I really did put it in Highland! I told you that you could trust me.

The grand edifice in this case was the picnic shelter that dominates the view from the treasure’s hiding spot and is one of the largest structures in the park. The path of higher learning refers to Hamline Ave. which shares a name with Hamline University and runs into the park. One might also possibly get Highland from the use of the words “lowly” and “high”.

The ball refers to the nearby golf course in Highland. This clue also alludes to the fact that Highland is a neighborhood as well as a park. The thrifty airlines is Southwest as the Highland Park neighborhood is in the southwest part of the city.

The first part of the clue alludes not only to the fact that the medallion is hidden on the picnic grounds, but also that Famous Dave’s barbecue is nearby. The second part of the clue refers to the fact that there are a few schools next to the park, but not near the treasure (on the horizon).

This clue is partly the “What’s it in clue”. But the last line also tells you that it is hidden close to a streetlight so that it is never in the dark. The French phrase “C’est la vie” suggests Montreal Ave as there are many French speakers in Montreal. The naughty part is an acknowledgement of the wild rabbit chase I sent some people on to smaller parks when it was in fact at Highland all along.

The “late” Jacques Cartier was a French explorer who is credited with naming Canada and played a part in founding Montreal which would again suggest the street of the same name. However some more digging would reveal where Jacques Cartier goes today, which refers to the Jacques Cartier Bridge on Montreal which in turn suggests a more local bridge over Montreal, such as the pedestrian bridge in Highland Park, near to the treasure. This clue also tells you that there is a play area near the treasure and the use of the word “flak” is meant to make you think of a flak jacket which in turn would tell you it is on the side of the park with the police station.

For those that hadn’t figured out the park yet, this is a simple reference to 7th street and Edgecumbe. It also tells you there is a parking lot and that you have to go up the stairs from there to get to where the treasure is at.

Haggis is of course meant to suggest Scotland which leads you to Highland. Bordeaux makes you think of France, or in this case, French Canadians as in one more reference to Montreal, the street closest to the treasure. The dish served by Foxes is Booya which is made by a group called the Silver Foxes in the Booya shed near the treasure.

Clowns are meant to suggest the circus and drowning is meant to suggest the Aquatic Center, both of which would tell you which side of the park to look. “Step up” again suggests taking the stairs up from where you would find those locations as does “high ground” which also doubles as another hint for “Highland”. The recycling refers to how the medallion was hidden. I found a spot where someone had been digging from the Pioneer Press hunt and hid the medallion under the pile of snow they had created, hoping to make hunters pass it over by thinking someone had already dug there.

This clue again tells you it is hidden on the picnic grounds nearest the Booya shed. It also again alludes to how the treasure was hidden.

And this basically tells you straight out where to look.