^{Clue #1}

^{Research is the key to learn history}

^{So go search online to expand your ken.}

^{Echoes you might chase, but you’ll find the place}

^{If you can hit it three out of ten.}

 

^{The biggest clue here is “search online” which alludes to the search engine “Bing”. That in turn should make you think “Crosby”. “History” and “echoes” suggest that a lot of the clues will allude to historical things that no longer exist. “Three out of ten” alludes to the 10 trees in the park. Only if counting from west to east can you clearly identify which one is the third one and that is where the treasure is. This clue only has 39 syllables instead of the usual 40 which alludes to the park being in line with 39th Ave. across the river. Finally, “research” is a bit of a confirmation hint for later in regard to Stanford Ct. as Stanford is a research university.}

 

^{Clue #2}

^{Finding treasure takes a tale of two lakes,}

^{But searching on dry land it would behoove.}

^{Don’t be a rover, searching all over,}

^{Just be guided by water on the move.}

 

^{The two lakes in this case are the two lakes that were on the Stonebridge estate. In fact, the treasure is hidden in what used to be Lake Elizabeth. But of course it is dry land now. “All over” was a hint to “Oliver” Crosby, owner of Stonebridge. The water on the move refers to both the nearby Mississippi River and Mississippi River Blvd. which had been the western border of Stonebridge.}

 

^{Clue #3}

^{The road of the king, an actual thing,}

^{Makes its way across our city of saints}

^{But from the road veer, don’t even stay near.}

^{Being on the downtown side your hunt taints.}

 

^{The road of the king is the Monarch Highway which in St. Paul runs all along 35E. This is telling you to be on the side of 35E that does not contain downtown which in this case means being on the west side, and actually quite far from the freeway. You could go further and realize that 35E is also the Avenue of the Saints, but only from downtown southwards. That would further restrict your hunt to the SW quadrant of the city. Additionally, St. Clair Ave. is nearby, and more obscurely, Stonebridge was built on land originally designated at St. John’s Woods.}

 

^{Clue #4}

^{Call this street by name, but it’s not the same,}

^{Roads nearby have shifted over the years.}

^{So pull out your map, I’ll give you this scrap,}

^{Because they’re not being straight it appears.}

 

^{This specifically refers to Mount Curv Blvd. which used to be called Montrose Blvd. But that was not the only change as several roads were added after the Stonebridge estate was subdivided. None of the roads in that area are straight except ironically for Mount Curv. Also, the first letter of each clue, C-R-S-B, suggests “Crosby”, the owner/builder of the Stonebridge estate.}

 

^{Clue #5}

^{You’ll find treasure soon when the clock strikes noon,}

^{Maybe somewhere between two and three hours.}

^{Or go back in time to a spot most prime}

^{That was once home to some lovely flowers.}

 

^{Near the park where Woodlawn and Stanford Ct. come together it looks like a triangle on the map. But if you use the satellite view, you’ll see a perfectly circular island with a lamp post in the middle. The post and/or its shadow make it look like a clock at noon. Using that as a guide, the treasure is located between 2:00 and 3:00 if you were to extend it out. Going back in time refers to the only way to visit Stonebridge, which was considered the prime estate in St. Paul and where they had many elaborate gardens.}

 

^{Clue #6}

^{It’s hard being green, having a new scene,}

^{Leaving behind a beautiful abode.}

^{It was quite a trick, moving brick by brick,}

^{But now an old friend is just down the road.}

 

^{This hints at the song “It’s Not Easy Being Green” famously sung by Kermit the Frog. That should get you thinking of the frog at Como’s Frog Pond. It was moved there from the Stonebridge estate as was the gate at Midway and Hamline (which was taken apart and reassembled), and is now down the road from the frog pond.}

 

^{Clue #7}

^{So perhaps this clue feels out of the blue}

^{But there’s a cardinal point to be had.}

^{You won’t be golden while you’re beholden,}

^{It will just feel like you’re an undergrad.}

 

^{“Undergrad” is actually a clue suggesting that the treasure is “under” (or rather south of) University Ave. It’s also a key to the rest of the clue which refers to college mascots. Wellesley, Stanford, and Berkely are all nearby street names whose mascots are “The Blue”, “The Cardinals”, and “The Golden Bears” respectively.}

 

^{Clue #8}

^{This year took a pass on hiding in grass}

^{Because there wasn’t any to be seen.}

^{Instead all you’ll see, here and there a tree}

^{Not exactly a yard you would call green.}

 

^{On one level this clue is just describing the park which has nothing but grass (which you can’t see) and trees. On another level “yard” is suggesting a lawn, but one with trees instead of grass. That is to say a “Woodlawn”. Also hints a bit at there being houses nearby.}

 

^{Clue #9}

^{Everywhere you go there’s still tons of snow.}

^{Some heavy lifting will be in order.}

^{Need help to apply? Derek is your guy.}

^{But you’ll want to stick close to the border.}

 

^{This clue is alluding to Crosby’s business, American Hoist and Derrick which made machines for heavy lifting primarily. Also, the park is near the border of the city and the treasure was hidden on the edge of the park.}

 

^{Clue #10}

^{To locate the goods, search in St. John’s Woods}

^{In the depths of Lake Elizabeth somewhere.}

^{The treasure’s in ice, but let’s be precise,}

^{There’s actually nothing but dry land there.}

 

^{When Crosby bought the property that would become Stonebridge, it was at the time designated as “St. John’s Woods”. He built two artificial lakes on the property, one of which was called Lake Elizabeth after his wife. It was located just north of the mansion and Stonebridge Circle would be floating in it, though of course it is all dry land now. This clue also tells you the treasure was hidden in some ice.}

 

^{Clue #11}

^{A bridge that crumbled ‘cause people fumbled}

^{Can still take you to where the treasure lies.}

^{It is far too late to pass through the gate}

^{But round about the mansion is the prize.}

 

^{After Crosby’s death the estate crumbled both in the sense that the land was subdivided and in the sense that the mansion went for years not being kept up and was demolished in 1953. This was largely because the estate was sold to some real estate developers just as the depression hit and they weren’t able to follow through on their plans. But the idea of Stonebridge will still guide you to the treasure. And even though the gate is gone now, the treasure is located very close to where the mansion was.}

 

^{Clue #12}

^{The bridge made of stone will define the zone}

^{You will want the elongated version.}

^{Once there count each tree, you should stop at three,}

^{The curb holds the end of this excursion}

 

^{This is telling you it is at Stonebridge, “elongated” telling you it is the oval and not the nearby circle. It is hidden near the curb next to the third tree counting from the West.}

It looks like the Allison Wonderland Mock Hunt medallion has been found! It was found around 9am by Steven Sanftner at Stonebridge Oval with Ben Fischer looking on (though he was actually partnered with Matt Littlefield and Ed Brodie.)

We've made it to Day 5, which is farther than things went last year. Of course it helps to have snow and it helps when new snow keeps falling. There will be some more snow later this week but also some 40 degree days, so there will be a range of things to deal with. We ended up with nearly 30 registrations and probably some more unregistered people looking around as well, so we have a good competition this year. Good luck!

Welcome to Day 3 of the 2023 AW Mock Hunt! Just one day left to register though of course anyone can hunt and win a $100 prize if they find it. Some new snow yesterday and tomorrow may make it harder if it's hidden on the ground (or if you think it is). Of course it probably is, though it hasn't always been. You may just have to wait and see what the clues have to say about it.

Welcome to Clue #2 of this year's Mock Hunt. We had a good kickoff event last night at Joseph's. We currently have about 20 people registered including several past finders of the AW Mock Hunt medallion including Jana, Jake, Steve S., Ed, Matt L., and Josh, as well as Jason who is finder-adjacent. Will one of them find it again? Will this be the year for someone new? We will find out! One rule clarification that I was reminded of last night. Any place that is ruled out in the PP Hunt will also be ruled out in this hunt (places like Como Zoo, Indian Mounds, golf courses, and such). So with all of that said, here is your next clue:

Welcome to the 2023 Allison Wonderland Mock Hunt. You are looking for the Allison Wonderland Medallion which has been hidden on public property within the city limits of St. Paul. Clues will be release daily at 5pm until the medallion is found or we reach Clue 12. The hunt will go until the medallion is found or if circumstances dictate that it be called off. The finder will get $300 if they are a registered hunter or $100 if they are not. The medallion will not be located indoors, on top of a building, up a tree, on a steep hillside, on frozen (or in unfrozen) water, in anything electrical, or anywhere else that might make you question if looking there might be a bad idea. If you find the medallion, call or text the number on the medallion. You must return the medallion to get the prize, but you will get a souvenir medallion in return.

Now, onto the clue:

^{Clue #1}

^{Research is the key to learn history}

^{So go search online to expand your ken.}

^{Echoes you might chase, but you’ll be on pace}

^{If you can manage three out of ten.}

Tonight is the start of the Allison Wonderland Mock Hunt! The first clue comes out at 5pm. Then at 6:30 we'll be gathering at Joseph's Grill in St. Paul just for fun if you'd like to join in. If you haven't registered yet, you have until the release of the 4th clue (Saturday at 5pm) to do so. You can use Paypal by sending it to allisonwondrland@..., paying me in person at Joseph's, or let me know if you need to make a different arrangement. Registering will get you the entire $300 prize if you find it. Otherwise you can still hunt for free and win $100 if you find it.

Good luck!

I just wanted to remind people that The Allison Wonderland Mock Hunt will be starting this Wednesday! We'll be having a kickoff at Joseph's Grill at 6:30pm if you want to come and enjoy their pasta bar or other fare. You can still register for the hunt by paying me there or via Paypal at allisonwondrland@... which can be done up through the release of the 4th clue next Saturday at 5pm. I think this hunt will be an interesting one.

Beautiful message Rebecca.  Good luck in Tennessee!  Hope you get the opportunity to come back for the hunt.
Alan

Thank you David for hosting this site year after year. And a huge thanks to Pioneer Press for creating this beautiful experience for us year after year!
This hunt was a humdinger for me. I truly thought the clues were leading us to Como (Oh No!) or Central Park.
What I truly enjoy about these hunts is the camaraderie that exists between hunters. We get to reconnect with the people we know only from doing the hunts year after year. 
Our triplet children, who are now 18, have grown up hunting with me. They are allowed to "play hooky" from school and they enjoy the hunt as much as I do. We are all relieved and happy for the person who finds it, as we can go back to "real life", but ever hopeful that the next hunt the puck will be ours!
We will be moving to Tennessee when the school year ends, so this may have been our last hunt. Unless some kind hunter is willing to let me sleep on their sofa for a week... that would be wonderful!
It has been an honor meeting some of you. We are California born and raised, Boston strong for 10 years, family living in MN for the last 10 years, soon to be in the warm comfort of the south. The hunt is imprinted upon the fabric of our lives and we will be telling our grandchildren our stories of life here in the beautiful, freezer box, of the mid-North in the years to come. 
Blessing to all of you we've met along the way and happy hunting for years to come!
Rebecca Gibson and family
David (husband), Grant, Elijah-Max, Charlotte, and Benjamin (our children)

Thank you for sharing the explanations!