2023 White Bear Lake Manitou Days Medallion Hunt

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Submitted by Administrator on Tue, 04/18/2023 - 15:25

How to Play – See New Rules

1. The first clue will be given on Thursday, June 15 at 6:00 PM. A new clue will be released daily at 6:00 PM until the medallion is found (for up to 10 days).

2. Clues can be found on the Manitou Days Facebook page, Coldwell Banker Realty Facebook page, or this website.

3. The medallion is hidden on public property in White Bear Lake, White Bear Township, or Birchwood.

4. When found contact Sandy Espe Sorenson 612-812-9792 or Chuck Stout 612-817-0573

FUN FACTS

PAST LOCATIONS

Medallion Hunt Rules

NEW RULES

1. At no time should the property be damaged. The medallion is hidden in such a way where hunters will not need garden tools, will not need to swim, nor will need to engage in any activity that puts themselves or others in danger. The medallion will never be hidden in a way where ornamental plants or garden beds will need to be trampled upon.

2. Hunters are encouraged to politely help each other remember these simple rules so that our public spaces can remain safe and fun for all people who enjoy our public spaces.

3. Hunters can be assured that the medallion will not be hidden at the Fillebrown House, Tamarack Nature Center, or in any construction zone. The medallion will also not be hidden on school property.

4. To honor the spirit of this event, the finder of the medallion will win $750 and will earn a $250 bonus if that finder is a resident of White Bear Lake, White Bear Township, Vadnais Heights, Birchwood, Hugo, Mahtomedi or Willernie. Proof of residence will be required for claiming the bonus amount at the time of the medallion’s discovery. To also ensure more access to local families, all are invited to search for the medallion but anyone outwitting our clue writer for two years in a row will be ineligible to win the following year.

5. In the event that the medallion is not found within 24 hours of the release of the last clue, Coldwell Banker Realty and its co-sponsors reserve the right to end the hunt and donate the prize money to a local charity.

History of the Medallion Hunt

The Manitou Days Medallion Hunt was created by Burnet Realty in 1980 and is the oldest continuous suburban treasure hunt in the Twin Cities Metro Area. The event was the brainchild of real estate agents Jan Rapheal and Sandy Espe Sorenson. They enlisted the help of Jack Moser, then clue writer for the St. Paul Winter Carnival Treasure Hunt. The reigns were passed to real estate agent Jan Holtz from 1995-2012, before they returned to Sandy Espe Sorenson in 2013. White Bear Lake native, Chad O’Leary, has written the clues since 1995.

File attachments:

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Hunt information

Dates:

First Clue:	Thursday, June 15, 2023
Found on:	Thursday, June 22, 2023

Finders:

Name	Hometown
Jeremy Phipps
Jeff Toensing
Dan Moritz

Prize:

Maximum Prize:	$1000
Awarded Prize:	$1000

Location:

General Location:	Polar Lakes Park
Exact Location:	Just South of the Wihte Bear Town Hall
Concealer:	Under the leaf of a milkweed plant.

Clues

Clue #1

Published on Thursday, June 15, 2023

Our alarm is ringing so now we’ll be bringing
All devotees this brand new brainteaser.
As the moon does wane, brave all sorts of terrain
And you’ll emerge our next crowned Caesar.

Fauna, flora, and numbers pandora
All ready to perplex your mind.
So round up your battalion to hunt for medallion
Memories jumble; Year 43? Make it your time.

Explanation:
“All sorts of terrain” referred to the varying scene that is found at Polar Lakes. To the south, is wetland and as one walks north, the scene becomes more like a prairie grassland. “Crowned” and “Caesar” vaguely pointed to Interstate 35E, which according to Google Maps, is referred to as the Monarch Highway. The terms “battalion,” “jumble,” and “43” also referred to Interstate 35E as it is also dedicated to the 34th Infantry (Red Bull) Division. “Fauna, flora, and numbers” hinted at the puzzles to come, which would have hunters identifying plants, birds, and counting objects in the park.

Clue Rating:

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Clue #2

Published on Friday, June 16, 2023

If orange is the zone, accompanied by cone
That’s not the pad you seek.
For our officials, please – (we’re on our knees)
Lazybones: ditch garden tools; use simpler technique.

A rainbow connection and bridging connexion
Cleanse the palette and lend assistance.
Come by the park, keep low, and hark!
107 here; a semi-easy cacophony in the distance.

Explanation:
The opening stanza informed hunters that the medallion wouldn’t be hidden in any construction zones. At the time of the medallion’s hiding, the park playground was nearing completion but hadn’t yet been opened to the public. Yet, we wanted to pull clues from the new material (see second stanza)! The final part of the clue begged hunters to please use their hands or maybe even a stick from a dead tree to poke around for treasure. Garden tools are unnecessary and most public lands in the city/township contain native plantings or beautiful gardens. We cannot continue this event if the optics of our event is people going through them with garden tools. The second stanza referred to equipment within the new playground. “Rainbow connection” referenced a colorful xylophone and the playground contains bridges connecting different sections of the equipment together. “Keep low” and “107” referred to the 107 parking spaces in the lower parking lot at Polar Lakes Park. A loading dock can be seen to the east of the parking lot containing many, many wooden pallets (“palette”). In the distance – to the east – is interstate 35E. You likely noticed the noise (“cacophony”) and a couple of those lanes belong to the EZ pass (“semi-easy”) program.

Clue Rating:

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Clue #3

Published on Saturday, June 17, 2023

By the third rhyme, it’s certainly time
To stop being such a square.
Play some six on six but when making your picks
Let nine by sixteen be your lucky pair.

Seeking royal perfection? Forward’s the direction
In this beautiful game on recur.
From earthen heat to cold –a retrofit of the old
For just under 60 you’re bound to say, “Brrrr!”

Explanation:
The first stanza made reference to the original township plat, which is shown on one of the historical placards near the historic Town Hall. When constructed, all townships were divided into 36 sections in a six by six configuration. They were also numbered. The treasure site is located on the very southern end of plat number nine – very close to the border with plat number 16. The second stanza referred to Pelé, one of the best soccer players to ever grace the field. Pelé died in December, 2o22. He played forward, was dubbed “The King” (“royal”), and very famously referred to soccer as “the beautiful game.” Many soccer fields can be found at Polar Lakes Park. Pelé is also known as the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes. But, we wanted to pivot to things much chillier. “Retrofit of the old” referred to the new A/C unit added to the historical town hall in the past year (visible from hiding spot), a billboard to the south advertising an A/C tune-up for $59 (“under 60”) and the cocklebur (“Brrr”) to which the medallion was carefully taped.

Clue Rating:

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Clue #4

Published on Sunday, June 18, 2023

A couple of days provide some ways
To help you anchor the boat.
Sort through the batch where day and week match
That would be our casting vote.

When pioneers came, the land they did claim
And the rest, well, is history.
Head for the sticks and let your focus affix
On solving this checkered mystery.

Explanation:
The “couple of days” referred to in the clue were Township Day (first stanza) and Hockey Day Minnesota (second stanza). Township Day, celebrated March 10, lands during the 10th week of the year (“where day and week match”) and it is when Township residents vote on representation and procedures. Hockey Day Minnesota, held at Polar Lakes Park in January, saw Hill Murray (the Pioneers) come to White Bear and beat our hometown team. “Stick” and “check” (in checkered) hinted at hockey.

Clue Rating:

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Clue #5

Published on Monday, June 19, 2023

Enthusiasm will spark-y, if you find our park-y
And seek a different variety of prize.
Gather as you roam but before you get home
Of 55 dots we also strongly dogmatize.

Boot up your minions, warp to our dominion
And discover a strange, strange world.
Leash up your pet, elude the dragnet
Seek an object both porous and curled.

Explanation:
One feature of the new playground equipment is a game to help a dog (“dog”matize) named Sparky (“Spark-y”) locate six treasures before he returns to his doghouse. “Fitting quantity” connected this number of prizes to the clue number. “55 dots” referred to another feature of the playground that presents the numbers 1-10 along with their braille counterparts. If you add up all of the braille markings, you arrive at 55. The second stanza made mention of the four movies being shown at Polar Lakes this summer: Minions, Strange World, Super Pets, and Puss in Boots. The last line of the clue referred to our medallion, which was made of cork (“porous”) and curled up into a cocoon-like shape.

Clue Rating:

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Clue #6

Published on Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Don’t yell “Fore!” but 18 holes (and a door)
Reveal a feature quite finespun.
When it’s time to play, they’ll illuminate your way:
Upward of 40 – supporting a minus one.

And dearest John and Lena, from the original schema
They spelled your sake so wrong.
Here you did pass and now fields of grass
Do taylor you a memorial so strong.

Explanation:
The first clue pointed out the 18 holes that are seen directly above the main entrance to the Town Hall building. Also mentioned are the 40 individual lights that illuminate Field 1 of the baseball complex. Those venturing down to Field 1 may have noticed that the sign had slid sideways; now it looks like a minus sign, as stated in the clue. The second stanza named the families owning the land at the time of the image shown on the historical placard: Hammon and Taylor. Hammond Road is named for John (and Magdelena, but she went by Lena) Hammon but was, in the process, somehow misspelled. Both would die at their home in White Bear Lake and are now buried at Oakland Cemetery in St. Paul.

Clue Rating:

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Clue #7

Published on Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Peek a boo! And there: cell tower in view
For all bears to reflect upon and consider.
On epic salsa dine; where structures align
Mighty Hunters abbreviate to beat the Riddler

As toward treasure you tweedle, the avians tweet-le
But the songs do change over traveled terrain.
For a fun twist, perhaps a screenshot will assist?
As heard when moving from wet to plain.

Explanation:
The first stanza, if decoded, brought you to the site. “Peek a boo” referred to the White Bear Lake water tower to the south of the site. The cell tower was seen to the east. “Reflect” pointed to the White Bear Township water tower to the northeast. We chose a spot where all could be seen (“where structures align”) . “Mighty Hunters” can be abbreviated to M.H. A small sign labeled M.H. was due west of the spot. Finally, “epic salsa” can be anagrammed to Asclepias — the scientific name for milkweeds. Those ornithologists among you likely noticed from our screenshot a selection of birds that like wetland habitats and others that prefer grassland — with the star residents being the ospreys nesting on a light in the north soccer fields.

Clue Rating:

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Clue #8

Published on Thursday, June 22, 2023

Designed to protect, it’s the 3.2 you should select
As it possesses a very precious gem.
Embrace ascension over concession
Clearly channel grass, leaf and stem.
Get yourself fenced in to truly begin
To grasp a small arbor of your quest.
Hate the hobble to find our bauble
Come to the commencing west.

Explanation:
The signage around the ballfields talks about the restoration of the area to make the current park we enjoy. One of them speaks to the 3.2 acres up the hill from that location designed to protect the wetlands. So, hunters were to ascend from this sign and the concession building and look among the plantlife. The second stanza referred to the classic song Don’t Fence Me In by pulling in some lyrics. The “arbor” in the song is a cottonwood tree. A cottonwood tree was due west (as also mentioned in the clue) of the hiding spot.

Clue Rating:

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Clue #9

Published on Friday, June 23, 2023

We promise it’s no con so if you haven’t yet caught on,
Polar Lakes is a place offering you utter pleasance.
Guide your feet from where three levels of government meet
Past elm, raptor, and a historical presence.

Cage and stage will lead to regretful rage
So from that thinking you’d better wean.
So with all this combined you’ll surely find
Value in the spaces that lie between.

Explanation:
This clue places the medallion in the middle section of the park

away from the north soccer fields, the Town Hall, batting cages, and the amphitheater stage. Hunters were told to look in a spot between these zones.

Clue Rating:

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Clue #10

Take the 11-4-7 to land a piece of heaven
Where metal is chaotically cockeyed.
Seek a companion boon for our cocoon
And carefully inspect each underside.

Explanation:
Final directions to our treasure trove.

Clue Rating:

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2023 White Bear Lake Manitou Days Medallion Hunt

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Primary tabs

How to Play – See New Rules

FUN FACTS

PAST LOCATIONS

Medallion Hunt Rules

Sponsored by:

History of the Medallion Hunt

Past Clues and Explanations

Important Links

Navigation

Countdown to the Treasure Hunt

About coolercrew.com

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Related Links

The latest from The Allison Wonderland

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2023 White Bear Lake Manitou Days Medallion Hunt

Error message

Primary tabs

How to Play – See New Rules

FUN FACTS

PAST LOCATIONS

Medallion Hunt Rules

Sponsored by:

History of the Medallion Hunt

Search form

Past Clues and Explanations

Important Links

User login

Navigation

Countdown to the Treasure Hunt

About coolercrew.com

Who's online

Related Links

The latest from The Allison Wonderland

Syndicate