11/14/2011 - THE 2011 HERALD HUNT REVIEW!
Good afternoon, everyone!
Was it a fun Herald Hunt? Was it hard/easy? Do you felt like you had a chance this year? How about the location of the Hunt being at the new Marlins stadium?
Let me help address those questions and more in my annual Herald Hunt wrap-up!
The 2011 Herald Hunt certainly broke a record for the length of the Hunt. We thought the 2008 Herald Hunt had been put behind us, but this year's Hunt stretched on past 4pm before there were winners, just over an hour after the end-game began. Does that mean that this was a tougher Hunt? Yes...and no.
As with the last Herald Hunt, I was not competing, so pressure was off for me to do the mental gymnastics that you all were doing. While I was still trying to solve the puzzles, I did not even attempt the end-game. Since I was documenting the Hunt, many of my observations on the difficulty comes from your feedback.
Before I get into the puzzle-by-puzzle and end-game analysis, let's get some other business out of the way first:
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS!
I can attest to the fact that I saw the second-place team being very relaxed right before the final clue was given. My impression was that they were taking this casually and methodically and didn't have to race around. And they did great job placing. You can, too!
SPECIAL THANKS
I (well, not just me, but you, too!) need to thank the following people from the Miami Herald (in no particular order):
ELAINE
TOM
YSABEL
JUDI
DAVE
SILVIA
AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO PUT ALL THE TIME, PLANNING AND CREATIVITY INTO THE HUNT!
AND, OF COURSE, A GREAT BIG THANK YOU, TO THE HUNT VOLUNTEERS, SOME OF WHOM I'VE SEEN AT MULTIPLE HUNTS! :)
A BIG THANK YOU HERALD HUNT SPONSORS!
The sponsors are the reason the Hunt is able to come back each time. Without their financial support, the Hunt can not continue, so show them some of your appreciation by giving them some of your business!
ON THE MAP AGAIN!
I really can not thank Otis Sweat and the Herald enough for putting me next to Tom, Dave and Elaine! But if it wasn't for the passion that you all have, keeping you coming to the Hunt each year, the feedback and support you provide, I would never be able to keep this site going. So...THANK YOU, EVERYONE! 8)
THE HUNT DATE AND THE WEATHER
The Hunt Date was fine, and the weather was picture perfect, but a bit on the hot side while standing in the sun by the Hunt stage. Did you all bring your sun block like I said to?
HUNT NEWS STORIES
- The Miami Herald has its wrap up. A video is also available on the same page.
- Dave Barry's blog has his own take on the Hunt
INITIAL HUNT DETAILS ARE UP, BUT ONLY A FEW PHOTOS/VIDEOS!
Your 2011 Herald Hunt details are up now! Pics and videos are still being added, so keep checking back!
THE HUNT PUZZLE BREAKDOWN/REVIEW
In my continuing tradition, I offer the following review/thoughts on the 2011 Herald Hunt:
- VENUE: For the last few months, I was excited about the location of this year's Herald Hunt. I hadn't been to the area in quite awhile, and to see the stadium up close was something I was looking forward to. The stadium does look beautiful, but it certainly is unfinished. That means the Hunters were effectively in an construction zone, which had its share of issues to deal with as the Hunt went on. I don't think the Marlins nor the hired event security knew the lengths that Hunters would go to to solve puzzles, and it became an issue of herding cats. While it was a very unique venue...a construction zone was probably not the best location for the crowds to be fluttering about, and there wasn't enough space nor shade in key areas, like the Hunt stage.
- DIFFICULTY: Challenging, but mostly because of the end-game, not because of the main puzzles.
- MY PUZZLE-BY-PUZZLE ANALYSIS:
THE BRA: Easiest puzzle of the Hunt. Technically, you didn't even need to go to this puzzle, if you looked at the Hunt section closely enough and figured out what to do with the LI and RY that were in there. Also, I'm worried that Nancy Archer may be in the area somewhere...
THE REBUS: Next easiest of the Hunt. Couldn't help but grimace when a Hunter who was walking by me at the time read the rebus out loud so that everyone on the other side of the stadium could hear the answer.
THE POEM: Second toughest puzzle of the Hunt. While the crowd seemed to indicate that they had gotten the answer, I saw lots of stumped people, too. I did not figure this one out myself, but I admit that I was not entirely focused on it through the course of the day.
THE SING-ALONG: This was the toughest puzzle, but mostly because of a mix-up during the singing of the song. This led people to get an answer that was a clue, but it was wrong. And there were TWO ways to get the correct answer! One involved the phone number, but another involved taking the title at face value.
THE VIDEO: The most time consuming puzzle if you went in the wrong direction (like I did), but it was fun once you found the emcee. And it allowed everyone to be a part of the puzzle, too, which was a nice touch.
THE FINAL PUZZLE: Let's be fair here. It took over an hour for there to be Hunt winners. An HOUR. And multiple extra clues. I understood the final clue. However, looking at what you had to do with everything afterwards, this was a pretty challenging end-game. You had to have people do multiple gyrations to understand where they needed to go and what they needed to go. But I talked with a few teams who didn't place who either texted the wrong word, didn't know what number to text or just were beat by other teams. As I said...challenging!
MY ONGOING RECOMMENDATIONS...
1) Can the Hunt be held in the spring (February/March time frame)? It's likely to be cooler, and there's no sporting events to try to schedule the Hunt around. (Not everyone may know that the Hunt is scheduled...as best as possible...around Dolphin games that are here in South Florida).
2011 Update: The Dolphins were playing (and they won!), but with their season going the way its gone...I'm not sure many were concerned. Also, the weather was almost perfect. I still prefer the spring, however.
2) Can out-of-towners be banned from winning?
3) Please?
2011 Update: Well executed, you local winning teams, you. Out-of-towners have been denied FOUR years in a row!
4) Can we have more 'original' content as part of the Hunt special section? This goes back to the original Tropic Magazine...it was nice to have the Hunt incorporate the actual articles (not always ads) from Tropic, such that you really had to review/research beforehand...and it allowed more flexibility in the final puzzles...(I really miss Tropic Magazine!)
2011 Update: *beats a drum* BRING BACK TROPIC! BRING BACK TROPIC! I AM THE 99%...who want a special Hunt section with more content, at the very least.
5) On a marketing note: I'd love to be able to buy a small poster of Otis Sweat's great work with the Hunt maps! If they could be reprinted on glossy/poster paper and sold at the Hunt for like $3 each...I think the Herald would be pleasantly surprised at how many would be sold! Otis' wonderful work is always something I look forward to...and he really knows how to capture the spirit and fun that comprises a Hunt in his maps!
2011 Update: This must get done. Somehow.
IN CONCLUSION
Last but NOT least, I continue to thank YOU, my visitors and Hunt fanatics! Over the last few years I have had more and more people come up to me and said 'hi', and almost all of you congratulated me for getting onto the map, thanked me for the site, etc. It's always great fun to meet everyone, and I genuinely appreciate it! Also, a big thanks to everyone who came out to the Pre-Hunt Gathering on Saturday night! We had a blast at the Pub, and it was a great way to relax with friends before the Hunt.
While I work on this site, we all need to work to ensure that we keep the Hunts going in the future! Please, do everything you can to make that a reality: write a letter to the Herald editors thanking them, tell the sponsors thank you AND give them business if you can, and buy your Hunt shirts each year! This level of strong interest contributes to making the Hunt an ongoing community event, and keeps us having fun each year after year.
POST SCRIPT
I have more updates coming, including pictures and videos. There are still Hunt t-shirts left, and I'm trying to find out how you can purchase them if you missed out yesterday. Also, I do have a general understanding of when the next Post Hunt will be, so stay tuned for a date to be announced!
COME BACK LATER TODAY FOR MORE!
11/12/2011 - THE 2011 HERALD HUNT MEGA UPDATE!
Hello again, everyone!
Time for the 2011 Herald Hunt Mega Update! Let's get to the facts, opinions and one-way repartee!
THE HUNT SPECIAL SECTION!
Again, I would like to apologize for the mix-up with the information about the Hunt section being available in today's Bulldog edition of the paper.
The Hunt section will be available tomorrow in the full run of the paper. You can get it if you get home delivery, buy it at a newsstand, from a store. You can also get the section at the Hunt tomorrow as well.
YOUR OFFICIAL 2011 HERALD HUNT WEATHER UPDATE!
The weather has been BEAUTIFUL. The Hunt Gods (Dave and Tom) are smiling on us, and the Weather Gods are doing the same. The semi-official hour-by-hour Hunt weather forecast currently is (as of 3pm):
12:00pm - 79 degrees - 20% chance of rain
1:00pm - 79 degrees - 20% chance of rain
2:00pm - 79 degrees - 20% chance of rain
3:00pm - 79 degrees - 20% chance of rain
4:00pm - 78 degrees - 10% chance of rain
It may be a bit breezy, too, but that keeps the heat down. Bring your sunblock!
WHAT TO BRING
Here's our recommendations on what you should bring:
- You and your Hunt team
- Cell phone (at least one per team member is best) (NOTE: Out-of-towners: This is optional for you.)
- Notepad
- A reality check (to weed out the valid from invalid clues) (NOTE: Out-of-towners: I mean a 'real check', made out to "Cash" for no less than $100 per team member you have.)
- Pen and pencils
- A backpack, messenger bag or something along those lines to carry your stuff.
- A hat (Sun, folks, sun!)
- SUNSCREEN! (You're still in South Florida!) (NOTE: Out-of-towners: It's best to dress in layers. At least five or six should do the trick.)
- Money (for the awesome food trucks, as well as any other incidentals)
- An understanding of how to get to the Hunt! You can find some directions here, but realize that they are not Hunt-event specific. The address for the stadium is: 1390 N.W. 7 Street, Miami, Florida 33125.
HUNT STRATEGY TIPS
1) The Hunt starts promptly at noon Eastern time! (NOTE: Out-of-towners: It starts at noon PACIFIC time.) This is a new location getting a large group of people for the first time in years, with new parking garages, so plan on getting there early.
2) Try to find me beforehand and say 'hi'! I'd love to meet ya!
3) Do NOT be distracted by sports. There will be plenty of time to cheer your team(s) on after the Hunt.
ANNUAL OUT-OF FROM-TOWNER TIPS
- Do the OPPOSITE of everything above!
- This year's Hunt is at the OLD Marlins Stadium. Directions can be found here.
- Hunt-schmunt. There's gourmet food trucks! Make this a festival of delight for your mouths, not your brains!
- Drink heavily during the Hunt, but have a ride back home or to your hotel ready.
- The Herald Hunt special section can be found in Monday's "News of the World" in London. Wait for it. Really. Wait.
WHAT I WILL BE WEARING
For those of you who want to find me, I'll be in jeans and wearing tie-dyed 1997 Tropic Hunt t-shirt.
DON'T FORGET TO USE TWITTER!
All throughout the Hunt I'll be tweeting with personal updates. Follow me (@tropichunt) and post using the #HeraldHunt hastag!
PRE-HUNT GATHERING TODAY IN PEMBROKE PINES!
From 5:00pm-7:00pm TODAY, you can find me at The Pub in Pembroke Pines, along with fellow Hunters. Come on by and say 'hi' and discuss the Hunt with your fellow comrades in confusion! Details are lower on the page.
I WANT YOUR PHOTOS! I WANT YOUR VIDEOS! I WANT YOUR HUNT STORIES!
Got pictures? Got video? Got stories about your Hunt experience? PLEASE email me if you'd like to contribute them to the Archives! I'd be
eternally grateful, as well as the other visitors to the site! Because of your help, the archives now has over 1100 items, including pictures,
stories, audio AND video! Let's keep it growing!
How else can you help the Archives? IF you are inclined, you can click the donation button below. Choose your own amount...it would be much appreciated!
(Doing so will not increase your chances of winning the Hunt, but may make you feel are warm and fuzzy inside like it does me!)
GOOD LUCK TOMORROW!
I'll see you all at the Hunt if I don't see you today!
(P.S. That's not what I look like! I have red hair and probably look more frightening.)
11/11/2011 - PRE-HUNT MEETUP TOMORROW NIGHT! BULLDOG EDITION OF THE HERALD!
LET'S MEET UP BEFORE THE HUNT!
Saturday night's alright for meetin'
Get a little huntin' in!
Here's what (some of you) have been waiting for! Tomorrow night's pre-Hunt meetup!
WHEN: Saturday the 12th (Out of towners...that's TOMORROW) from 5pm-7pm
WHERE: The Pub in Pembroke Pines
(Website here, Directions here)
237 SW 145th Terrace
Pembroke Pines, FL 33027
954-430-4230
Stop on by, say hi, we can discuss the Hunts (past, present and future), taunt any out-of-towners brave enough to stop by, have a beer, etc. I have no idea how many of you will actually show up, so we'll just grow as more people come by.
I'll be wearing a Hunt t-shirt of some sort, so keep an eye out for me.
DON'T FORGET TO GET YOUR BULLDOG EDITION!
From my experience, you can pick up Sunday's paper tomorrow in the early afternoon, sometimes as early as noon. Just stop by your local Publix, CVS, Walgreens, etc. I'll make an announcement here as soon as I know the paper is out.
...)
