The Hunt On A Stick — August-September 2015 (V)

TCTreasure

CLUE #1

May I have everyone's attention briefly, if you please?
This one's for all you Minnesota State Fair attendees:
One last hurrah for summertime, which went by much too fast;
Twelve days of fun through Labor Day—enjoy them while they last!

Our prize is in plain sight, so please forget your treasure tools.
No parking lot or livestock pen; obey all posted rules!
Take your time, relax a while, enjoy the food and sun;
The TC Treasure Hunt-on-a-Stick has only just begun!

TCTreasure

CLUE #2

It could be tough to find the prize through sheer determination;
You might be wise to use the process of elimination.
The fair is full of fun and games and things to see and do:
Buy the ticket, take the ride, and get a better view.

TCTreasure

CLUE #3

As we narrow down the search, and lead you toward the prize,
You'd do well to remember you can't always trust your eyes.
'X' doesn't mark the spot this time; avoid that old cliché.
And though it's mighty tempting, there's no need to go halfway.

TCTreasure

CLUE #4

The prize is camouflaged from view, the way that we designed it,
So, without knowing where to look, it could be hard to find it:
A proper treasure hunt requires a proper treasure map,
Or—as with everything these days—there's probably an app.

TCTreasure

CLUE #5

Treasure hunters are almost always naturally resourceful,
But here at the fair those hunters will most likely be remorseful.
So too will be the hunters who go searching the west end,
And if you seek a miracle, then you're up the creek, my friend.

TCTreasure

CLUE #6

Are fresh-cut french fries, vinegar, and ketchup what you crave?
Or maybe fresh-squeezed lemonade and sweet corn are your fave?
Perhaps Sweet Martha's Cookie Jar and all the milk you can drink?
Which Get-Together get-together is greatest, do ya think?

TCTreasure

CLUE #7

No need to seek adventure, or political glad-handing;
Quit carousing, stop barnstorming, cut out that grandstanding!
Don't watch your chances flutter by; don't let them slide away;
Speak softly, carry a big stick, and let the music play.

TCTreasure

CLUE #8

One week down, five days to go; the fair is in full stride,
But no fairgoer has yet claimed the treasure hid inside.
Half a dozen decoys make it tough to tell apart;
Your path of victory awaits—pitch in and do your part!

TCTreasure

CLUE #9

"Against all odds" could be a phrase that might help you succeed,
But if you seek out arts and culture, then your odds will go to seed.
Don't get too creative, or administrative—it's not the cream of the crop;
It would be bizarre if you travelled this far and still didn't come out on top.

TCTreasure

CLUE #10

Who doesn't love a good parade?—the crowd's expectant thrum,
Batons, and flags, and marching to the pounding of the drum.
To bring the fair back to its roots would not at all be folly;
You've thrown away all of the odds, and now you're on the trolley!

TCTreasure

CLUE #11

At this point, odds are good you've crossed off nearly half the map:
You've made a lot of progress; why not pause here to recap?
It's been quite an experience—a deep-fried, fun-filled pleasure.
Still baffled? Just remember: One man's trash—another's treasure.

TCTreasure

CLUE #12

Here at the end of this hunt on a stick, you'd be smart to think green.
Reduce, reuse, recycle—it's our fair, let's keep it clean!
Don't get sucked up into the vortex, or get flushed down the drain;
An experience like this one requires effort to sustain.

The feat of photosynthesis is truly off the wall:
Bushes, flowers, potted plants, and trees—they help us all.
Surely things started out murky in this quest to find the stash,
But now it's clear that it's a sign: It's time to take out the trash.

TCTreasure

CLUE EXPLANATIONS

CLUE #1

"obey all posted rules" is meant to suggest that hunters heed posted instructions—in this case, an envelope disguised as a "Trash" placard above a trash can between the Tree Care Advisor and Sustainability Stage exhibits at the State Fair's Eco Experience/Progress building.
"relax a while, enjoy the food and sun" is meant to suggest the numerous benches near the hiding spot for fairgoers to rest, while learning about and sampling healthy food options, and nearby solar energy demonstrations.
Clue #1 is the first to eliminate any locations—"No parking lot or livestock pen"—and lays the groundwork for odd-numbered clues to narrow down the field of hiding spots through the process of elimination.

CLUE #2

"use the process of elimination" is meant to suggest not only that hunters use the process of elimination to narrow down the field of potential hiding spots, but also that the treasure is disguised as a trash can placard.
"Buy the ticket, take the ride, and get a better view" is meant to suggest that the building in which the prize is hidden is somewhere in view of one of the fair's rides—in this case the SkyGlider, which runs North and South through the fairgrounds.

CLUE #3

"As we narrow down the search, and lead you toward the prize" is meant to reinforce the "process of elimination" hunters should use to find the treasure.
"you can't always trust your eyes" is meant to suggest that, though the prize is hidden in plain sight, it is also disguised—in this case as a sign reading "Trash."
"X doesn't mark the spot" is meant to eliminate The X-Zone in the northern portion of the fairgrounds, as well as an area south of the Grandstand—through which two large pathways form a large 'X', visible from above, and on the official Minnesota State Fair map.
"And though it's mighty tempting, there's no need to go halfway" is meant to eliminate the Mighty Midway.

CLUE #4

"The prize is camouflaged from view, the way that we designed it" is meant to reinforce that the prize was made to fit into its surroundings.
"treasure map"/"app" are meant to suggest that hunters use the official Minnesota State Fair map or app to help them narrow down the field of potential hiding spots.

CLUE #5

This clue is meant to eliminate the Department of Natural Resources building and DNR park area ("naturally resourceful"), the West End Marketplace ("west end"), the Miracle of Birth Center ("miracle") and the River Raft Ride ("creek").

CLUE #6

The clue here lies in the third line: "...Jar and all..." — The Eco Experience/Progress building is on Randall Avenue.

CLUE #7

This clue is meant to eliminate Adventure Park ("adventure"), politically-themed booths and buildings ("political glad-handing"), Carousel Park ("carousing"), the barns area ("barnstorming"), the Grandstand ("grandstanding"), the Butterfly House ("flutter by"), the Giant Slide ("slide"), the Fairchild statue ("carry a big stick"), and music-related stages, booths, and exhibits ("let the music play").
"Speak softly, carry a big stick" also references Teddy Roosevelt's famous "Big Stick" speech, which he gave at the Minnesota State Fair on September 2 (the date of the clue's posting) in 1901.

CLUE #8

"treasure hid inside" is not only meant to suggest that the treasure is hidden inside of something—in this case an envelope disguised as a trash can placard—but also that the treasure is hidden indoors.
"Half a dozen decoys" is meant to suggest that, hidden throughout the Eco Experience, there are six trash can placards that appear nearly identical to the envelope hiding the treasure, while the word "decoy" is itself a quasi-decoy for "eco".
"path of victory" is meant to suggest Cosgrove Street. "Cosgrove" is an Irish variant on the Gaelic word for "triumphant" or "victorious."
"pitch in and do your part" is meant to suggest finding a trash or recycling receptacle—and an exhibit related to conservation and ecology.
The words "do your part" are also visible on a sign—for an organization called "Roots Minnesota"—adjacent to the hiding spot.

CLUE #9

"Against all odds" is meant to suggest hunters avoid locations mentioned in odd-numbered clues.
This clue is meant to eliminate the Fine Arts building ("arts"), the Agriculture Horticulture building ("culture," "seed," "crop"), the Creative Activities building ("creative"), the Administration buildings ("administrative"), the Dairy building ("cream"), the International Bazaar ("bizarre"), and nudge hunters toward the northern portion of the fairgrounds ("on top").

CLUE #10

This clue is meant to suggest that the treasure is hidden in a building on both the fair's parade and trolley routes ("parade," "roots," "trolley").
"roots" is also meant to suggest the nearby "Roots Minnesota" sign.
"thrown away all of the odds" is meant to reinforce that the treasure is hidden somewhere near a trash or recycling receptacle, and that locations from odd-numbered clues may be discarded.

CLUE #11

"At this point, odds are good" is meant to suggest that the pattern of eliminating locations from odd-numbered clues does not apply to Clue #11.
"progress" and "experience" are meant to suggest searching the Eco Experience/Progress building.
"One man's trash—another's treasure" is meant to suggest searching trash can placards for one marked "Treasure" on the reverse.

CLUE #12

"on a stick" is meant to suggest that the treasure is, in fact, attached to a stick.
"think green" is meant to suggest not only that the treasure is hidden at the Eco Experience, but also that the trash can placards hunters are looking for are green.
"Reduce, reuse, recycle" and "keep it clean" are meant to reinforce both the Eco Experience location and the trash can placard/envelope.
"Don't get sucked up into the vortex, or get flushed down the drain" describe a few Eco Experience exhibits to avoid—namely the "Bagnado" and "Down the Drain" displays.
"experience" is meant to reinforce the Eco Experience location.
"sustain" is meant to suggest looking near the Sustainability Stage exhibit.
"The feat of photosynthesis" and "trees—they help us all" are meant to suggest looking near the Tree Care Advisor booth, which has a sign reading "Trees help all of us."
"off the wall" is meant to suggest that the treasure is taped to the wall, and that the finder will need to remove it.
"it's a sign" is meant to suggest that the treasure is disguised as a trash can placard.
"It's time to take out the trash" is mean to suggest looking near a trash can—in this case, the one between the Tree Care Advisor and Sustainability Stage exhibits.