2019 Allison Wonderland Mock Hunt

Submitted by Allison Wonderland on Sun, 02/03/2019 - 5:22 PM

I think the time has come to announce the 2019 Allison Wonderland Mock Hunt. This year we will kick it off on Wednesday, March 6th at 6pm at Joseph's Grill in St. Paul. Wednesday night is their pasta bar night from 6 to 8 so you can participate in that or just order off the menu.

It will be a 12 clue hunt with clues being released at 5pm. Clues will be posted to the Allison Wonderland Yahoo group, the Cooler Crew Facebook group, and if allowed, to the Pioneer Press Facebook group. Hunters can register for the hunt by paying a $10.00 registration fee. This allows you to win the entire pot which should be at least $250.00 (depending on number of registrations). You may also hunt for free as a non-registered hunter and win $100 if you find it (with left over registration fees being rolled over into another mock hunt prize of my choosing.) You have until the release of the 4th clue to register. You can do so by paying me at the kickoff event (or anywhere else you might see me) or you can send it by Paypal to AllisonWondrland@yahoo.com If neither of those work for you, let me know and we can work something out.

The AW Mock Hunt medallion will be hidden in a park in St. Paul. It will not be on a lake or other body of water, on a steep hillside, up a tree, on a roof, inside of anything electrical, any of the places ruled out in the Pioneer Press Medallion Hunt, or anywhere else that would make you wonder if hunting there is a bad idea. The hunt will go until the medallion is found or until circumstances arise that determine the hunt should be ended, as determined by me.

Good luck everyone.

Hunt Information

Dates

Scheduled Dates

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Find Date

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Finders

Name

Josh Ellingson

Hometown

Apple Valley

Prize

Maximum Prize

$500

Awarded Prize

$500

Location

General Location

Upper Landing Park

Pinpointed Location

Near one of the benches along the trail near the statue of a bird eating a fish

Concealer

In the snow bank

44.941028, -93.097417

Clues

Clue 1

Published Date

Tuesday, March 5, 2019, 6:00 PM

Spring still seems far off here at the kickoff
Deep snow may get you off to a slow start.
A past hiding spot means you’re getting hot
But avoid what’s off limits if you’re smart.

The official meaning of the clue.

Spring refers to Spring St. which is adjacent to the park but seems “far off” from the hiding spot. The past hiding spot refers to Harriet Island. The fact that I didn’t specify whether it was a hiding spot from my hunt or the PP hunt was a clue that it didn’t matter because it applied in both cases as both hiding spots were visible from this hiding spot. Being smart refers to the Science Museum which is across the street, but off limits. The word “off” is used 4 times. In fact, each of the first 4 clues uses a word 4 times to stress the importance of the number 4. 4 fountains, 4 lines, 4 birds, and 4 benches.

Clue Rating

Clue 2

Published Date

Wednesday, March 6, 2019, 6:00 PM

Snow takes mystery out of history
As visible tracks can make one’s path known
One need not worry that one must hurry.
As there was not one print; the coin was thrown.

The official meaning of the clue.

Taking the mystery out of history is another allusion to the Science Museum. Otherwise this clue refers to how the medallion was hidden. However some might remember the other time the medallion was thrown which was at Harriet Island, the previous hiding spot referred to in Clue #1.

Clue Rating

Clue 3

Published Date

Thursday, March 7, 2019, 6:00 PM

Twins side by side here, twins side by side there
A line between them crosses the treasure.
You will have arrived when you have derived
A type of jewel that is used to measure.

The official meaning of the clue.

The twins here refer to landmarks to line up where the treasure is. The twins “here” refer to side by side curved pipes coming out of the ground near the hiding spot. The twins “there” refer to the two stage towers across the river at Harriet Island. The medallion was hidden on a line between them. The type of “jewel” was a joule, an energy unit used to measure electricity among other things. This is a reference to the charging station and large electrical box next to the parking lot where you would park when you arrive.

Clue Rating

Clue 4

Published Date

Friday, March 8, 2019, 6:00 PM

Perhaps you might roam near a mobile home
But you have to avoid the neighbor's yard.
Maybe east is best, or you could go west,
But you will find changing your mind is hard.

The official meaning of the clue.

The mobile home in this case is the Armstrong-Quinlan house nearby on Eagle St. It was originally downtown near the Xcel and was the last house in downtown, but was moved to its present location. It could also be interpreted as a houseboat on the river which would get you mostly to the same place but not Upper Landing specifically. The neighbor’s yard refers to the Science Museum’s “backyard” which is now gone and under construction. East and west refer to Shepard Rd. which runs east and west and is divided making it impossible to do a U turn.

Clue Rating

Clue 5

Published Date

Saturday, March 9, 2019, 6:00 PM

Looking at this clue the thing you should do
Is pay attention to its construction.
Get the angle right, it helps with your plight,
And if not, it still helps your deduction

The official meaning of the clue.

The construction of this clue is that it has 4 lines (all equal with 10 syllables). 4 equal lines at right angles is a square, referring to Chestnut Square on the west end of the park. Or 4 equal lines could also refer to the 4 white lines that cross the grass which are covered by snow but clearly visible in a satellite image. Construction also hints at the construction happening nearby at the Science Museum.

Clue Rating

Clue 6

Published Date

Sunday, March 10, 2019, 7:00 PM

A line that’s curvy, parks topsy turvy
And a border you’d likely call obscure.
The choice at the node, the high or low road?
A place to sit is what you should procure.

The official meaning of the clue.

The curvy line refers to the Mississippi River. Topsy Turvy refers to the fact that “Upper Landing” is actually south of “Lower Landing”. The obscure border refers to the fact that it’s not clear where exactly the park ends on the east or west. Within the park, there are two main paths, one that stays up along Shepard while the other goes down to the river. A place to sit refers to the medallion’s proximity to a bench.

Clue Rating

Clue 7

Published Date

Monday, March 11, 2019, 7:00 PM

What was that you say, there’s lots of snow, eh?
Twenty four seven you might have to dig.
In need of a sign? Seek the aqua line.
Not too close if you want to hit it big.

The official meaning of the clue.

“Eh” is a Canadian thing and a reference to Ontario St. which runs into the park. 24/7 is a reference to the adjacent Anytime Fitness. “Aqua Line” is a homonym of “aquiline” which means “eagle-like”, referring to Eagle St. There is also a bird sculpture that looks aquiline that is near the treasure, but it’s not the closest one. Aqua line also suggests it is near the river, but again not too close.

Clue Rating

Clue 8

Published Date

Tuesday, March 12, 2019, 7:00 PM

Lost? Follow the flock wherever they walk
Lest you get tugged in the wrong direction.
But before you do, best wait for your cue
Lest your ecstasy turn to dejection.

The official meaning of the clue.

Following the flock suggests Shepard Rd. The “tug” refers to the tugboat at the Science Museum, though it is in the opposite direction from where you would want to go. Ecstasy and Dejection refer to the comedy and tragedy masks that represent theater. That, along with “cue” suggest the nearby amphitheater. They can also suggest the Showboat which is directly across the river.

Clue Rating

Clue 9

What Neil Armstrong said once engines were dead
You will find to be wise words you should heed.
But Horace Greeley, please ignore freely
While Burrough’s music is useful indeed.

The official meaning of the clue.

Neil Armstrong, once they arrived on the moon, said “The Eagle has landed”. This phrase suggests both Eagle St. and Upper Landing. Horace Greeley is famous for saying “Go west young man”, though in this case, going east is better. William Burroughs is credited with coining the phrase “heavy metal” which in turn is a reference to the large metallic bird sculptures.

Clue Rating

Clue 10

Once a bustling hub, near a privileged club,
Now it is mostly a large public lawn
That is divided, although lopsided.
Hint: this is the line you must act upon.

The official meaning of the clue.

Upper Landing as well as Lower Landing, were once the main hubs of St. Paul as they were where all the riverboat traffic would stop. Upper Landing is near the MN Boat Club on Raspberry Island. The park is mostly made up of a big lawn which is divided into sections by 4 lines which again one would have to see in the satellite view. The 4th line (going eastward from the parking lot) is closest to the treasure as suggested in the 4th line of the clue.

Clue Rating

Clue 11

On this day so green, parking is not seen.
You’ll probably need to do some walking.
Maybe take a seat, have a bite to eat.
And stay off the grass to avoid balking.

The official meaning of the clue.

This clue comes out on the day of the St. Patrick’s Day parade which means parking could be tricky. But it also means the parking lot is not visible from the hiding spot. You’ll have to walk down the path a ways. The medallion is near some benches and a statue of a bird eating a fish. And even though I “threw” the medallion, it didn’t even make it to the grass.

Clue Rating

Clue 12

Have fish for supper? Might be an upper.
But first I must confess this: when hiding
On the path I stood, the throw was no good.
Into the bank, pipes and towers guiding.

The official meaning of the clue.

This is another reference that the medallion is near the bird eating a fish at Upper Landing Park. And it also suggests that it is just off the path in the snowbank where you would line up the pipes and the towers at Harriet Island.

Clue Rating