The Intro includes the song "Summertime Blues" by Eddie Cochran, and contains the words "stewin'," "steeped," "doublespeak," "Assemble," "team," "foil," "fields," and "bucolic," and the phrases "fire the pistol," "a treasure hunt mystery steeped in history," "where it's at," "cease not from exploration," "Home in on the gem—search ibidem," "choose a convenient location," and "a… quest for the Twin Cities' hidden jewel."
Clue #1 includes the song "Let's Go" by Zayde Wølf, and contains the words "fuel," "nirvana," and "grin," and the phrases "tuning in," "let the chase begin," "Our golden goose is on the loose," "queue along the quay," "locate the blaze," "ride the waves," "easy as one, two, three" and "search and explore as never before, from one neighborhood to the next."
Clue #2 includes the song "Say So" by Doja Cat, and contains the phrases "From greenhorn gamer to hall of famer and seasoned vet to rookie," "Listen up," "hoist the cup," "eagle's-eye view," "trace a transparent torus," and "Keep in mind how one might find another word for thesaurus."
Clue #3 includes the song "Take On Me" by A-ha, and contains the the words "rise" and "up," and the phrases "civic booster," "on your toes," "as the old chestnut goes," "you'll be on the right track," "seeds germinal at towering terminal," "winnow the wheat from the chaff," "A house in the city," "views so pretty," and "stop in for a drink and a laugh."
The Kick-off Party Bonus Clue includes the song "About Damn Time" by Lizzo, and contains the phrases "Search through the park for a high water mark," "a great way to get some air," "If you're standing with boots on the landing, you're already halfway there," "Come to a stop when you've reached the top," "move from there to hear," "pun intended," "antenna extended," and "coming in loud and clear."
Clue #4 includes the song "Shake It Out" by Florence & The Machine, and contains the words "abominator" and "Anagogic," and the phrases "Ringed in a cloak of billowing smoke," "area institution," "backward logic," "non-stop noise pollution," "Fifty years later," "blowhard beyond compare," "a barrage of fumes from the garage," and "it's all just a lot of hot air."
Clue #5 includes the song ""Levitating" by Dua Lipa, and contains the words "space," "scope," "smile," "city-wide," and "station," and the phrases "From public housing to rabble rousing, and into the wild blue yonder," "vim and vigor," "the daring digger," "play and ponder," "scope out a spot," "views of a lot," "a place to fly in formation," "Scanning the dial," and "search for the station."
Clue #6 includes the song "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, and contains the phrases "The clearest clues occur in twos," "X marks a local draftsman," "The spot's got a lotta terra cotta," "a tip of the hat to the craftsman," "Since twenty-eight, we celebrate the designer and pioneer / By lifting the lintels to check out the dentils a cupola times each year."
Clue #7 includes the song "Misirlou" by Dick Dale, and contains the phrases "Riding the zenith of a beachside behemoth," "sink or swim, flounder or float," "To surf a fresh batch of waves to catch," "the people cast their vote / For a sweeping vision, in a landslide decision," "a signal of change in the air," and "Overall, you can't fight city hall—unless you make friends with the mayor."
Clue #8 includes the song "Till The World Ends" by Britney Spears, and contains the words "sparking" and "snoop," and the phrases "Noodles sloggin' around in the noggin, sparking good grief," "do as the doc said," "don't be a blockhead," "we won't pull the ball away," "snoop the small sister with trusty transistor," "high above the new bridge," "Maintaining course," "find the source—at the top of a hill, on a ridge."
Clue #9 includes the song "Take The Money And Run" by Steve Miller Band, and contains the phrases "A heist with a Hearst where worst came to worst," "hunted by the police," "From radical terror to sentencing error, granted an early release," "Twenty-five years deceiving peers and doggedly dodging detection— / Where, shrouded in secrecy, a furtive frequency awaits your interception."
Clue #10 includes the song "Funkytown" by Lipps Inc., and contains the phrases "a funky groove about making a move… away but nevertheless," "The synth riff wizard gave rise to a blizzard—a flurry of great success," "The one-hit wonder (with an echo down under) set disco clubs a-wiggle," "dance on a line," "hurst of pine," and "zero in on the signal."
Clue #11 includes the song "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" by Kate Bush, and contains the phrases "The first born son was a lyrical one with determination and drive; / A dozen years on, the man may be gone—but the idea is alive," "a hilltop stroll on an evergreen knoll," "scrutinize ceaselessly," "locate the station through the modulation of our very high frequency," "Sinusoid waves broadcast our blaze at eight-eight megahertz— / With relay strength on the same wavelength as a park on the outskirts," "fix your divot and make the pivot," "don't get swept up by the weather," and "Skate to the puck like a Mighty Duck—Seekers fly together."
The Hillcrest Knoll Bonus Clue contains the phrases "You've got the idea, but—mamma mia!—you didn't quite kick the ball," and "The hill you seek is another peak, on the other side of Saint Paul— / Where a greedy gold-digger had a nasty hair-trigger, but lacked the resolve to pull it, / So the treacherous twit put out a hit—and went number two with a bullet."
Clue #12 includes the song "Treasure" by Bruno Mars, and contains the phrases "In a thundering crash, it was gone in a flash—of falling water needs, / So the town did yield an open field with space for treasure hunt deeds," "It might be entrancing, but keep on dancing—away from the ringside hillock," "Measure crest to crest to find the chest—and views no less idyllic," "On hills a-rollin', the brothers Bohland tilled the township's terrain; / A street with their name marks off the claim—at the edge of our domain," "Finding an eyeline with a downtown skyline," "paddle away from the beach / To spot our blaze with the phrase that pays—once more into the breach," "Pinning your hopes on the slippery slopes, the heights are beckoning," "rest and chill by the sledding hill," "At the end of the road," "dial in the code," "surf our little wavelet," "Look for a nook," "check out a book," and "curl up with an old favorite."
The Jewel was hidden at Hillcrest Park, in the Highland Park community of Saint Paul, in the small nook of a steel guardrail at the end of Hillcrest Avenue.
With the exception of the Kick-off Party Bonus, each clue in this year's Great Twin Cities Treasure Hunt had at least one hint at another Highland Park community icon:
