Clue Explanations
This year's chosen location had been on my short list for a few years. When I went out to research it more closely I knew exactly what references I had to work with. It is one of those "hide in plain sight" spots that is so noticeable on the periphery but unknown regarding specifics. Walking up and looking at the gated west side I knew immediately I could have some fun with it. From signs, to generators, and a fence with barbed wire at the top, there were possible references galore.
A cell tower is impossible to hide, but here, many of the clues lied at it's base. With the bushes that surround it fully hiding and enclosing the area, there was no doubt that it was time for "game on".
Here are your explanations:
Clue #1
It is no secret that in the past I have used numbers and letters, and sometimes a certain number of letters in total or a particular sequence. For example, one year, when the medallion was hidden at the dog training area, I wrote a clue with nine "k's" in it to represent K9 or Canine. In the first verse of Number One, the letter "h" appears four times. The hiding place is close to a number of 4H building.
In the second verse I was setting up some hunt parameters. There are many signs in the area with plenty of numbers - both on Stadium Drive that runs next to it, as well as the signs on the cell tower area fence. "Boundaries: refers to the tall chain link fence that encloses the area.
Clue #2
One thing I noticed when I explored the area was an access road that is hard to see from Stadium Drive - other words, "often unseen". But looking at MapQuest's Satellite View it is plainly obvious. That view also shows that the enclosed area revealed that "everything is there" that you would need. The second verse pointed to one of the "ironies" or oddities that I sometimes stumble upon when seeking clue sources. There is a road sign within mere feet of the cell tower enclosure that says "Cell Phone Use Prohibited". I found it a strange "coincidence and irony".
To notice that you really had to "look, but think." I didn't recognize it until I was looking at the hunt prep photos I took.
Clue # 3
If you found the general area, this clue would likely seal the deal for a hunter. "Power" refers to the generator inside the tower enclosure. There are bat houses in the area so it "drives you batty." Nearby is an "underground" cable marker. A "sign: tells you how about "FCC Registration" which is an extension of the word "register". The second verse is an attempt to draw your attention to the cell tower and general area. If you "shake your head in acknowledgement", you are moving it up and down - just as you would when looking at a cell tower. It can also be a pain in the neck that is an "exercise that exacts a price". A difficult exercise would also be climbing up the cell tower ladder- a "a climb (that) is certainly not nice". Finally, that are of Mineral Springs Park runs "broad ( and to Broadway) and deep".
Clue # 4
"Heard" is a cell phone reference as is "everyone's discussing it." "Easy disguises may not be enough" refers to the large evergreen skirting that hide the electrical items at the tower base but clearly is not enough to hide or completely mask the cell tower. When reviewing the clues with my trusted "Bouncers" they admitted to not even noticing that a cell tower is there. There eyes "play tricks". "Discover by hook" describes the chain "link" fence.
"Doors so few can open" are the gate to the area and the doors on the side of some of the electrical facilities within.
Clue #5
The first verse begins with cell phone references. "Family and Friends" is a play on the popular "Friends and Family" discount cell phone plans. "All the people we reach" is another cell phone usage reference. "Lessons and learning", "wisdom", and "teach" refer to Pekin High School at the top of the nearby hill, and the differing lessons provided through a wide selection of Pekin Park Programs.
The last verse deal with the circumstances that places a cell tower in that location. Those towers are private facilities. They pay a lease to a public body - in this case the Pekin Park District. Consequently, "they don't seem to belong" and as a privately owned entity in a park, they are "not where you'd expect them to be." However, by paying that lease - often for many years - "they've earned the right to be there."
Clue #6
This clue zeroed in on items easily recognizable if a person was in the area and studied the cell tower enclosure. If you were right there, these references would have tipped the hunter off that they were very close.
There is a diesel "fuel" tank that refers to a 210 gallon "capacity." "Color of cowards" is yellow and you will notice the two yellow squares in the diamonds on the power generators ("spotted in more than one place") Finally, "strung alone" relates to the rope and bollard that runs along the bike trail adjacent to the area.
There you have it. Christie Gray is the third repeat winner in the history of this storied event. Every winner can testify to this being both an intellectual and physical exercise. As a matter of fact, Christie shared that she had walked 7700 hundred steps the morning she found it - and she was just getting started! Medallion Hunt success always is characterized by working smarter, and harder. Anyone who finds the Pepsi Marigold Medallion can justifiably make the claim: "I earned it!"
As always, thank you to Pepsi for their on-going support; thank you to a fantastic staff at the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce; thank you to my Bouncers and my Designated Hider; and thank you to all who make this event a part of their life for a few days at the end of summer. My hope is that I bring you a little bit of joy and escape, and get your heart racing knowing that maybe this might... "be your year."
Gary Gillis
Cluemeister... Since 1988
A cell tower is impossible to hide, but here, many of the clues lied at it's base. With the bushes that surround it fully hiding and enclosing the area, there was no doubt that it was time for "game on".
Here are your explanations:
Clue #1
It is no secret that in the past I have used numbers and letters, and sometimes a certain number of letters in total or a particular sequence. For example, one year, when the medallion was hidden at the dog training area, I wrote a clue with nine "k's" in it to represent K9 or Canine. In the first verse of Number One, the letter "h" appears four times. The hiding place is close to a number of 4H building.
In the second verse I was setting up some hunt parameters. There are many signs in the area with plenty of numbers - both on Stadium Drive that runs next to it, as well as the signs on the cell tower area fence. "Boundaries: refers to the tall chain link fence that encloses the area.
Clue #2
One thing I noticed when I explored the area was an access road that is hard to see from Stadium Drive - other words, "often unseen". But looking at MapQuest's Satellite View it is plainly obvious. That view also shows that the enclosed area revealed that "everything is there" that you would need. The second verse pointed to one of the "ironies" or oddities that I sometimes stumble upon when seeking clue sources. There is a road sign within mere feet of the cell tower enclosure that says "Cell Phone Use Prohibited". I found it a strange "coincidence and irony".
To notice that you really had to "look, but think." I didn't recognize it until I was looking at the hunt prep photos I took.
Clue # 3
If you found the general area, this clue would likely seal the deal for a hunter. "Power" refers to the generator inside the tower enclosure. There are bat houses in the area so it "drives you batty." Nearby is an "underground" cable marker. A "sign: tells you how about "FCC Registration" which is an extension of the word "register". The second verse is an attempt to draw your attention to the cell tower and general area. If you "shake your head in acknowledgement", you are moving it up and down - just as you would when looking at a cell tower. It can also be a pain in the neck that is an "exercise that exacts a price". A difficult exercise would also be climbing up the cell tower ladder- a "a climb (that) is certainly not nice". Finally, that are of Mineral Springs Park runs "broad ( and to Broadway) and deep".
Clue # 4
"Heard" is a cell phone reference as is "everyone's discussing it." "Easy disguises may not be enough" refers to the large evergreen skirting that hide the electrical items at the tower base but clearly is not enough to hide or completely mask the cell tower. When reviewing the clues with my trusted "Bouncers" they admitted to not even noticing that a cell tower is there. There eyes "play tricks". "Discover by hook" describes the chain "link" fence.
"Doors so few can open" are the gate to the area and the doors on the side of some of the electrical facilities within.
Clue #5
The first verse begins with cell phone references. "Family and Friends" is a play on the popular "Friends and Family" discount cell phone plans. "All the people we reach" is another cell phone usage reference. "Lessons and learning", "wisdom", and "teach" refer to Pekin High School at the top of the nearby hill, and the differing lessons provided through a wide selection of Pekin Park Programs.
The last verse deal with the circumstances that places a cell tower in that location. Those towers are private facilities. They pay a lease to a public body - in this case the Pekin Park District. Consequently, "they don't seem to belong" and as a privately owned entity in a park, they are "not where you'd expect them to be." However, by paying that lease - often for many years - "they've earned the right to be there."
Clue #6
This clue zeroed in on items easily recognizable if a person was in the area and studied the cell tower enclosure. If you were right there, these references would have tipped the hunter off that they were very close.
There is a diesel "fuel" tank that refers to a 210 gallon "capacity." "Color of cowards" is yellow and you will notice the two yellow squares in the diamonds on the power generators ("spotted in more than one place") Finally, "strung alone" relates to the rope and bollard that runs along the bike trail adjacent to the area.
There you have it. Christie Gray is the third repeat winner in the history of this storied event. Every winner can testify to this being both an intellectual and physical exercise. As a matter of fact, Christie shared that she had walked 7700 hundred steps the morning she found it - and she was just getting started! Medallion Hunt success always is characterized by working smarter, and harder. Anyone who finds the Pepsi Marigold Medallion can justifiably make the claim: "I earned it!"
As always, thank you to Pepsi for their on-going support; thank you to a fantastic staff at the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce; thank you to my Bouncers and my Designated Hider; and thank you to all who make this event a part of their life for a few days at the end of summer. My hope is that I bring you a little bit of joy and escape, and get your heart racing knowing that maybe this might... "be your year."
Gary Gillis
Cluemeister... Since 1988
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