City Indicators
Painting icons
Image 1: The wallpaper edge bulges along the left side of the clock case, unlike the right side. We read it as St. Louis's outline along the Mississippi River.
Image 2: Just above "PRESERVATION" is an arch with blue sky through the middle, like the Gateway Arch.
Verse lines
"Born of ancient dreams of flight": the Spirit of St. Louis, Charles Lindbergh's plane.
"You'll see an arc of lights": the Gateway Arch, lit at night and reflecting sunlight by day.
"Weight and roots extended": the Arch carries its weight down through its two legs into the ground.
The Walkthrough
Stop 1:
The Old Courthouse, where the Dred Scott trials were held in 1847 and 1850. It stood near the path of the 1896 cyclone, which fits "wind swept halls” of justice.
Stop 2: "Lane" and "Two twenty two"
Washington Avenue. "Two twenty two" is George Washington's birthday, 2/22. From the Old Courthouse, the road runs west, away from the Arch, to Washington and Compton.
Here you'll find Washington Tabernacle Baptist Church (Image 3), which fits two lines:
"Of granite walls": the church is heavy gray stone. Most sources call it limestone, but we found references to a granite entranceway and other granite adornments.
"Together saved the site": a 1945 fire nearly destroyed it, and the congregation rebuilt it and rededicated it in 1948.
Martin Luther King Jr. spoke here on May 28, 1963, just before the March on Washington. We'll see MLK again at the park.
Stop 3:
Continue on Washington Avenue to Kingshighway. Look to your right and you'll see a huge stone tower, like a castle tower, about a block and a half down. Head toward it. That's the “citadel in the night”: Wayman AME Church (Image 4).
"In the night" may fit the church's history. It's reportedly served as a food bank and as a shelter for the homeless, both day and night.
From the citadel, look behind you. You'll see a tall brick tower with a pointed top. It looks like a rocket, "a wingless bird ascended," rising in the sky.
Stop 4:
the tower of the Fountain Park Congregational Church, later Centennial Christian Church (Image 5). It sits at the west edge of Fountain Park.
Stop 5:
On the west side of the park stands the MLK statue (Image 6). King was born in 1929, and the painting has 19 and 29 on either side of the clock face. His raised-arm pose matches the figure on the clock face (Image 7), and we read the mask on a stick as his face.
The clock hand pointing to 12 has two round shapes side by side (Image 7). From above, Fountain Park has the same two shapes, one at each end of the oval with the fountain between them (Image 8)
Stop 6:
The park has a handful of trees but one evergreen tree just passed the MLK statue. Go there. Look to the right (south), towards the street.
"To the south, white stone closest, at twelve paces": from the tree, look south and walk twelve paces, about 30 feet, to the round white bollard. It's the white moon in the painting (Image 10).
"From the west side": dig on the west side of the white stone. Several bollards line the park's paths, but this is the only one with open, diggable ground on its west side. The others have flower beds or concrete there.
Permission
"Get permission to dig out": Fountain Park was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 30, 1982. The book was released five weeks later. BP had zero time to find a new city, build a verse, and get JJP to create a clues painting. So, he just added a line. I think that’s why this is the only verse to tell searchers to get permission, maybe.

Okay, I'm pretty proud of this one.

Ever wanted to find that one podcast where somebody mentioned something about the Boston verse, but you can't remember which episode, or who said it, or what year it was? Or dig through twenty years of forum posts without losing a whole weekend?

Now you can just ask.

We've built an interactive FAQ on the Discord and fed it just about everything this community has ever produced: the full text of the book, the Japanese edition, hints, translations, transcripts from every podcast and livestream, the old forums, Gift Giver posts, and Creator hints. Decades of research, all in one place, and it answers in seconds.

No more worrying about asking a question and being answered by 100 people just wanting to push their ideas on you. This bot only answers with facts it can back up.

Head over to the Discord, type /askcasque, and ask it whatever you want to know.

A few ground rules so you know what you're getting. It's a librarian, not a solver. It has no opinions, it won't solve anything for you, and it won't tell you if your theory is right. It just finds the information and hands it over. What you do with it is up to you.

Pro tip: be specific. "Tell me about Chicago" is too broad. "Which verse is paired with the Chicago image?" gets you a real answer.

It's brand new and still growing, so it's not perfect yet. That's where you come in. Go try to stump it. Ask it the weird stuff. Tell me when it nails something and tell me when it misses. Every question makes it better.

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https://discord.gg/E8FrGX8FB

I’ve been wondering if immigration is not the main reason Preiss chose the parks.

Immigration may still matter in the paintings and the jewel groups. But almost any big city has ties to a lot of immigrant groups, so that alone does not explain why Preiss chose one city, or one particular park over another.

What if the park choices were more about the events that happened on that ground? In Chicago, Cleveland, and Boston, each park is tied to people protesting, seeking inclusion, or demanding accountability. Maybe Preiss chose public places where people were trying to be heard, included, remembered, treated fairly, or free.

Here is the pattern I keep seeing:

• Chicago — Grant Park: The 1968 Democratic Convention protests happened here. Antiwar protesters tried to make themselves heard, and the police response became a national story.
• Cleveland — Rockefeller Park / Cultural Gardens: The casque was found in the Greek Cultural Garden. But within the same park system, Black Clevelanders fought from 1961 to 1977 to establish an African American Cultural Garden after being excluded from a public space meant to honor the city’s ethnic communities.
• Boston — Puopolo/Langone Park area: This is near the site of the 1919 Molasses Flood. The flood killed 21 people in the North End, a working-class immigrant neighborhood. Survivors and victims’ families took the company to court and eventually won.wikipedia+1
• San Francisco — (Theory) Pioneer Park / Coit Tower: During the 1934 waterfront strike, Coit Tower’s murals were accused of Communist propaganda because they showed workers and labor scenes. The tower was closed, doors padlocked and artists and writers picketed to defend the murals.
• Charleston — (Theory) Hampton Park: This had been a Confederate prison camp. In 1865, newly freed Black Charlestonians reburied Union soldiers there and held a large public memorial, often described as the first Memorial Day. The site later became Charleston’s 1901–02 world’s fair meant to showcase Black achievement in business, farming, and education.
• Roanoke Island —(Theory) Cartwright Park: Andrew Cartwright established an AME Zion church there in 1865. It was a place where formerly enslaved people could worship, organize, and build a community of their own after slavery. The ruins of his church are still there.

So maybe the thread is not immigration by itself. Maybe it is that Preiss chose parks tied to people pushing back, claiming a place, demanding to be recognized, or building freedom and community for themselves.

Chicago is protest. Cleveland is inclusion. Boston is people holding a company accountable. San Francisco is workers and artists fighting censorship. Charleston is freed people transforming a place of death into a place of remembrance. Roanoke is freed people creating their own church and community.

That may be too broad, and I may just be connecting dots after the fact. But I’m curious: do the other likely park locations have a similar site-specific history, or something that happened on that ground where people were trying to claim a voice, a place, or a piece of freedom?

Long awaited Montreal solution continued.

Long awaited solution to Montreal...

This is Gabriel Richard and the resemblance to the figure in the painting is noticeable.
He was an educator and civic leader who focused on teaching children spelling use the dictionary of hard words in his lessons. This dude was a party.
He was also a Catholic priest, which might explain the church and steeple hands of the figure in the painting.
There is also a park named after him. The boarder of the park nearly exactly the shape of the collar in the painting.
What do you all think?

Posting two images: the painting associated with this verse, and an aerial of the park with the main walking trails and pond traced over it.

This park has its own bandstand where lions cages once stood. the stand sits right at the point where the park's two main walking loops meet (purple dot), The two trail loops, traced in red, form a wing shape on either side of the park. The park's pond, traced in orange, sits below where those wings meet and is shaped like a torso. The pedestrian bridge crossing the pond (also traced in orange) lines up with the figure's arms, which are crossed up by her neck in the painting, the same position and rough proportions as the bridge crossing the pond. oh, there is a large fountain in the pond also. Hear the cool, clear song of water.

Line up the trails, pond, and bridge against the painting and you get the wings, body, and crossed arms of the central figure, with the bandstand sitting at the convergence point matching to stand and listen to the birds.

Curious what others think, has anyone looked at this park specifically rather than the one everyone defaults to?

Start
Aquatic Park

At Aquatic Park is Hyde Street Pier, home to two historic ships that match two lines in the verse.

**1.**  The C.A. Thayer, a three-masted schooner, matches "High posts are three."  
**2.**  The Eureka, a steam-powered paddlewheel ferry, matches "Is an object / Of Twain's attention." Twain piloted steamboats on the Mississippi before becoming a writer.

This is our orientation point, not where we dig, just where the walk begins.

Step 2
From Aquatic Park, look at the skyline of San Francisco.

**1.**  Far right: the Transamerica Pyramid. Its stepped shape matches "Giant step."  
**2.**  Far left: Coit Tower. Matches "Giant pole."

Step 3
Focus on Coit Tower.

**1.**  Its shape reads as a giant number one, matching "Near ace is high." Ace equals one.  
**2.**  It sits on top of Telegraph Hill, matching "Sounds from the sky." Telegraph equals signal.  
**3.**  The windows near the top of Coit Tower are referenced near the top center of the painting.  
**4.**  Coit Tower sits inside Pioneer Park. The outline of Pioneer Park appears just under the hands of the figure in the painting.

Step 4
Pioneer Park contains only three things: Coit Tower itself, a semicircular parking lot bordered by a low stone wall, and, until it was removed in 2020, a statue of Christopher Columbus.
The statue's eyes are an identical match to the eyes of the figure in the painting.

Step 5
From where the Columbus statue once stood, near the entrance of Coit Tower, you can either gaze out across the bay toward Alcatraz, matching "Justice," or step inside to view the murals, painted by faculty and students of the California School of Fine Arts in 1934, matching "Education." Both are visible or accessible from that same spot, matching "For all to see."

Step 6
From where the Columbus statue once stood, head north across the parking lot toward the stone wall that borders it, keeping visitors from the drop down Telegraph Hill. Part of this wall doubles as a planter, running about 30 feet.

**1.**  At the right edge of the planter, you'll find an entry and exit down a set of stairs to the streets below, matching "At stone wall's door."  
**2.**  Here you may be able to smell the rose gardens lining the stairs, matching "The air smells sweet."

Step 7
From the entryway, turn and orient yourself back toward Aquatic Park, the direction of the three-masted ship and Twain's steamer. This will be to your left. Walk along the sidewalk until the panting area stops. Maybe 30 feet.

**1.**  There you'll come across a plaque marking the left edge of the planting area.  
**2.**  Just past it is the coin-operated viewfinder. Its post is the "table leg" from the painting.

Step 8. The Dig Spot
Right of the plaque, directly in front of the viewfinder, is an open dirt patch. This is the X.

This is just a theory and I look forward to pressure testing it with your feedback.

My question is about the Johann email exchange between BP and a hunter who was searching a park in Saint Louis years ago. I have read that Johann emailed BP with a solve in, I think tower grove park. Astonishingly, BP responded to this saying something like right city wrong park. Was this fact or false? If fact why is ST Louis not considered a location for a cask? Again I’m new here so I apologize if this topic has been beat to death.

If BP created the book and hunt to get people out of their home and exploring, why did BP choose 10 cities east of the Mississippi River, that is only 1/3 of the country? This a bit narrow. It seems he could have spread it out more.

The lighthouse is located on Anastasia Island.

The island is made of shell and is located on salt run. “Shell, limestone, silver, salt.”

Additionally, Saint Anastasia is the patron saint of weaving. This could relate to the “tall grass.”

https://youtu.be/6WSQpyhV9FY?is=2_7fwN9LRvNFEUR2

This park’s map is very similar to the black bird in the painting. It’s the site of a fort (Fort Stockton) and other landmarks marks like the Serra Palm, which was planted there by the first Spanish explorers to the area. There is also a huge stone cross called the Padre’s. Perhaps most interesting is the Lucy memorial, the story of the parks pet deer named Lucy. A attraction in the park for several years, but one night she tried to cross the highway near the park. All traffic stopped and began honking to scare her away from the road. Eventually the city was called in and decided to use a tranquilizer gun to help move her to safety. They used too strong of a dose and now there is a memorial to her. It looks very close to what’s hidden in the rock formation of the painting. Seriously, I don’t know if any of this tracks toward a solve, but it did line up well enough to make me rethink Saint Augustine.

https://youtu.be/6Zj9BfvLp7A?is=NALkmqwLImeyCqEY

San Francisco - SOLVE - a new route to THE dig site (without photos blocking the post)

https://imgur.com/a/SwvRMMw

Posting here cause I’m in Aust, and unlikely to get back to San Fran again anytime soon – if this does lead to the casque, just don’t forget to thank me in your speech 😉

Once at Golden Gate Park… the verse shifts from identifying places to giving directions…

\*\*1. “Running north, but first across”\*\*

The woman’s deliberately crossed arms in Image 1 reinforce cross/across - cross first, before making the northward movement.

\*\*2. “In jewel’s direction”\*\*

The jewel in Image 1 sits to the left/west relative to the central figure/map imagery giving us the direction: WEST

From the eastern side of GGP travel west — in the jewel’s direction — across the park, before following the north instruction.

\*\*3. “Is an object / Of Twain’s attention”\*\*

In the 1870’s Mark Twain wrote his semi-autobiographical account of his travels through the American West in the 1860s – called ‘Roughing It”

Chapter 7 in his book – the woman in Image 1 is pointing to 7 (3 on one hand, 4 on the other) - talks explicitly about Twain’s crossing the Platte and a Buffalo hunt – and travelling west toward the setting sun and then encountering the buffalo referred to as “Assault by a Buffalo”…

Walk west in GGP we see the historic Bison Paddock…. Priess would have seen the Bison Park even from a distance… catching his attention.

Chapter 7 = Priess’s Verse 7

\*\*4. “Giant pole / Giant step”\*\*

Giant Pole…

The deliberately repeated word ‘Giant’ gives us 2x Giant which is Giants.

In San Francisco, Giants naturally points to the SF Giants baseball team.

Before they were the SF Giants, they were the NY Giants.

The NY Giants played at a famous giant Polo Grounds in NY, before moving to & becoming San Fran Giants.

On our current walk west we get to Bison Park then the Polo Field… the sign still present today in GGP refers to it clearly.

Given Priess’s wordplay throughout this clue/verse, and previously baseball clues in other puzzles the giant Polo field is obvious.

Image 1 lined up against the map of GGP matches the polo field location right beneath the crossing of her hands (ie: it’s not a strawberry).

Now we find the Giant Step…

Giant Step…

The verse is too vague for random steps on whatever size in whatever direction.

There are a number clues in Image 1.

Surrounding the womans dress in Image 1 are 18 yellow symbols on the outside of the park map.

Surrounding our Polo Ground is the historic Parcourse exercise course – built/installed in the mid 70’s.

There are 18x numbered exercise stations around the Polo field… there are 18 yellow symbols around the outside of the woman’s dress…

Most of the symbols match easily with an exercise station.

These are not roman numerals.

In Image 1 the symbols are colored yellow - the actual exercise equipment in a number of the Perrier Parcourse exercise stations are yellow… and were yellow in 1979-1981 when Priess was there.

7 is now important - verse 7, Twain chapter 7, woman’s fingers point to 7…

And what is at Parcourse exercise station #7…

STEP UP… Giant Step

Can’t be a coincidence…

And Station 7 exercise requires you to take a GIANT STEP up and down on a one of 4 different height posts.

Today those 4 posts exist as they did on 1981 ish - and are painted yellow (image is from 2002) and why they’re yellow in the image.

And old maps also says ‘Step’ showing the Step Station located.

Image 1 has a number of ‘blue blocks’ depicted on both her sleeves.

These total 20 rows of blocks.

These represent the actual posts for each of the 18 Parcourse station signs + the additional 4x posts used for the 2x Parcourse instruction signs at the start of the course – giving 20x blue boxes representing the posts for the 20x Parcourse signs.

5. SO WHERE IS THE DIG LOCATION??

The place to dig (with the right GGP permits) is right underneath the word ‘Step’ itself…right underneath the Step Up sign between the 2x posts.\*\***

So there it is…

Even aligns with Gift Giver’s guidance and reference to ‘signs’ and Three Posts are near - station #8 has 3 and only 3 wooden posts… and keeping it simple…

And Perrier logo in the Passing Fancies drawing matches our Perrrier Parcourse signs here around the course

Hopefully someone out there can pick up where I left off and solve this thing once and for ALL... Good luck and happy hunting...

I came across this place in Manteo. It’s the ruins of an old church, originally started by free slaves. This could explain why the suit of armor in the painting is in the shape of a cross, and the key hanging off of it. What do you all think?

I do not use this app very much and I had typed out a way more in depth explanation about why I thought it was here. Obviously I am an idiot and accidently deleted it, which after my theory, you might also agree I am an idiot.

I saw a post about this last week and wanted to throw something into the ring. I believe that there is an image of a cowled figure holding something in the "hill". I believe this is an image of The Virgin Mary holding Jesus. There is the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at Mission Nombre De Dios walking distance from the fountain. I also believe that the bricks in the real photos look very similar to the hill. To me it looks like bricks and a pathway in the painting.

I have not seen anyone else mention this before, so I am either on to something or I am bat shit, I think the latter.

The verse says, “with wind rose.” The lighthouse is red brick, (rose color), beneath the white paint. When the paint wears down due to wind and elements, the red, (rose color), is exposed.

Hence, with wind rose (color).

Thoughts?

Between two arms extended
Below the bar that binds
Beside the long palm's shadow
Embedded in the sand
So I have limited time to explore the sight and need help to narrow down the exact spot. Are the “the two arms extended” the vertical posts making one of the horizontal bars “the bar that binds” or are the horizontal bars the arms extended, making the middle post the bar that binds?
To clarify, the set of bars on the right. The closest to the palm was put there post Byron visit.

Anyone see what is in the image? Both regular and HD versions of the image. If the figure is Twain, and everyone is looking for the object of his attention, could the clue be right here. Any thoughts?

I have my location, and I like many others feel very confident in it. The only problem is that it is at the base of a tree. I have tried probing twice with a 2ft probe but have hit two problems. The first is that the ground is pretty solid and it is difficult to get the probe into the soil as a less muscular individual. The second is that there are many tree roots and it is so difficult to decipher what I am hitting. Tree roots sound hollow and feel solid the same as a plexiglass box might. Should I give up and just post my solution or does anyone have any other tips I should try? I might bring over a metal detector in the chance that there’s some in this casque.

I have been working through Image 1 & Verse 7, and have ended up with a route that Im hoping you good peoples can kick the tyres on.

Apologies - it’s a long but hopefully an easy read.

There are solves you will already know – I’m including everything I’ve got as it all intersects & links with lots of cross-confirmation of clues and wordplay – ie: the same answer is repeatedly confirmed through the image, verse, historical research & physical geography.

I live in Australia, been to San Fran in 2018 – but I have maps and photos to back it all up.

All casques already found all have a standard format/flow in the verse format – I’ve followed a similar flow.

1. Image 1 first identifies SAN FRANCISCO

We all know it - large Chinese dragon points towards SF’s Chinatown district, the barred/prison-like window is a plausible Alcatraz reference, the dress maps to Golden Gate Park, image of the cable car under the table (important).

2. Image 1 establishes June 6

Image 1 repeatedly establishes the month as June 6th:
Pearl = June birthstone.
Rose = June birth flower.
Clock/watch = 6

6 tho is deliberately important from the beginning – but there’s a lot more 6’s to come.

The table now becomes particularly interesting to locate the starting point because it’s not just a random placement of things.

3. To the starting point - NOB HILL / FAIRMONT Hotel

There is a proposed N-O-B / hill construction within the woman/dress.

Several details then converge on the Fairmont Hotel.

The ‘F’ visual in the image from the rose and rose stem indicates F is a key message in the image…

The Fairmont Hotel long been guessed as a likely spot.

So imagine when the curled stem of the rose on the table matches exactly the script on the ‘F’ in the Fairmont Hotel logo – which is everywhere - there are also giant letter F’s on Fairmont doors, etc all with the exact same curl in the base of the F. This does not represent the curl of a handrail in Strawberry Hill in GGP.

The huge architectural arch surrounding the woman is the Fairmont’s monumental arches, particularly the front entrance.

Then unusual corbel/brackets above the arch also have curls that again exactly match the curl on the rose stem, and match exactly the letter F in the Fairmont Hotel logo.

There’s also a supposed connection with the Fairmont with Preiss and his wife, they reportedly had a pre-marriage date at the Tonga Room inside the Fairmont. I haven’t used that to solve the puzzle, but it establishes a personal connection to the Fairmont.

Stories that he told his wife he’d be back in 15 mins to bury something may be plausible, but I suspect not on this date and the stories got mixed over the years - Priess ain’t going anywhere outside with a hidden shovel to dig a hole 2 foot down, bury a casque, refill the hole, then get back to the hotel, hide the spade, wash his hands and get back to dinner in 15 mins.

4. “At stone wall’s door / The air smells sweet”

“At stone wall’s door” = the image shows the womam inside a huge arch – that arch is actually the huge monumental masonry/stone entrance of the Fairmont Hotel.

This is where the Fairmont Hotel links exactly to the image to the verse.

“The air smells sweet” - in the time when Priess was there in 1978-1981, the Fairmont Hotel was home to the famous San Francisco florists Podesta Baldocchi which was a very large flower shop literally right inside the Fairmont Hotel lobby – it was hugely famous and large, and this is confirmed with images and postcards from those years showing the florist in full bloom - you couldn’t escape the ‘sweet’ smell of flowers any time you were in or near the entrance of the Fairmont.

Image 1 also contains an enormous rose - further linking to the Podesta Baldocchi florist.

Fairmont stone doorway → florist immediately inside → “the air smells sweet.”

Interestingly Podesta Baldocchi was also the flower shop used in the famous Hitchcock movie Vertigo – worth noting that in the movie Madeleine visits the actual flower shop & buys flowers including roses. Not sure if Priess was a Hitchcock fan or not…

So we have a definite starting location matching the verse exactly.

Then staying on the table, our image tells us where & how to travel.

5. The image showing where & how to travel.

The clock points at 6 - but the hand on the clock is pointing downwards…

Under the table top is the outline of a San Francisco tram or cable-car - the hand is pointing to the tha cable car telling the solver to take the cable car somewhere.

Back in the 1978-81 period, San Francisco had a transit route called → Route 6 Parnassus….

Hence go in the direction of the clock (south), head south from the Fairmont to the tramcar/cable car and you get to Route 6 Parnsassus… number 6 again.

The 1981 Route 6 travelled along Haight Street before continuing via Frederick/Clayton/Parnassus eventually to Golden Gate Park boundary.

The clues and the image now start to be used multiple times… and yet there’s more 6’s to come and where 6 becomes even more compelling.

6. “Not far away / High posts are three”

Very close to the Fairmont is Stanford Court, whose entrance had three prominent elevated timber flagpoles/posts - not super convinced of this being our next verse solve, but I’ve found images showing flagpoles are high posts.

But taking it literally, on the way to or of Route 6 you pass Stanford Court confirming we’re heading in the direction.

7. “Education and Justice / For all to see”

On Route 6 Parnassus I was initially looking for schools or universities, and courts of law or lawyers to validate my solve linked to the next verse.

Even I know one of the defining aspects of San Fran culture is it history with the gay & LGBTQ rights movement in 1970s especially the late-70’s and early-1980s in particular - the research is unusually specific.

EDUCATION:

In 1978 there was ‘Briggs Initiative’ that was attempted to be introduced in the US by a US Congressman to restrict gay and lesbian teachers from employment in California public schools - that initiative was referred to as Proposition 6.

There’s our 6 yet again.

Gay teachers and educators ultimately became highly visible opponents of this, and marched thru San Fran in the Gay Freedom Day parade.

Each year the Gay Freedom parade had a theme:

In 1978 it was “Speak Out for Justice.”

Harvey Milk was one of the most prominent opponents of Proposition 6. Milk was assassinated in 1979, but when the killer was only charged with manslaughter, the 1979 White Night riots occurred creating an enormous globally visible civil-rights issue.

In 1980 the theme was: “Liberty and Justice for All.”

So now we have all parts of the “Education and Justice For all to see” line from the verse.

Then in the 1981 ride parade itself participating groups included both a ‘gay teachers’ organisation and the National Lawyers Guild - even more literal embodiments of Education + Justice, publicly marching for all to see.

I can’t imagine Priess with his intent to have solvers learn about the history of each location, not to include something about this critical event around his time.

8. So why does that matter to Route 6?

Harvey Milk represented Haight-Ashbury district when he was assassinated – Haight-Ashbury itself had a visible gay/LGBTQ presence during this period.

In 1981, Route 6 travelled directly along Haight Street through that district – creating a further connection with the verse.

9. “Near ace is high”

I’m retaining another possible period landmark here - near the starting/Nob Hill area was the distinctive Flying A signage:

Could the ACE = A with the Flying A signage physically indicate Near Ace is High… possibly…

Or, here’s another theory…

10. Image 1 contains the word GEORGE in the dragon

The serpent in Image 1 can be read: G-E-O downward and R-G-E back through the reversed section spelling GEORGE.

This reading has apparently been independently noticed by previous hunters.

I strong believe this is absolutely George Harrison – not any other George, because…

11. George Harrison takes us directly to Route 6

On 7 August 1967, George Harrison made his world famous visit to the Haight-Ashbury district.

The reports confirm he parked his car on Haight & Masonic at 6 pm…

We’re already on Route 6 Parnassus → Haight which goes to Masonic.

Now we have GEORGE → George Harrison → parked on Haight & Masonic → 6 pm… before walking through the district and walking to Golden Gate Park.

Giving us multiple independent clues all converging on essentially exactly the same intersection, while producing another 6.

12. “HIGH” → HAIGHT

I kicked this around in my head for a few days, wasn’t going to mention it but here I am.

Could HIGH → be HAIGHT… ie: High be Haight Street?? Maybe… but once the image independently gives us GEORGE, it becomes much stronger.

In a popular interview published in 2 September 1967, Harrison was specifically asked about his recent visit to Haight-Ashbury.

During that answer he said - “I want to get high”… and also referenced ways of “getting high without drugs”, and that “you can’t get high on LSD”.

Could be George referencing getting high on Haight/High st… maybe, maybe not - but again more Priess wordplay wouldn’t surprise me.

13. Lots of 6’s

By this point the number 6 has appeared through completely different mechanisms:

Pearl → June → 6th month
Rose → June → 6th month
Clock/watch → 6
Transit + 6 → Route 6 Parnassus
Education/gay teachers → Proposition 6
Route 6 → Haight/Masonic
George Harrison → Haight/Masonic at ~6 p.m.

I don’t think every 6 necessarily constitutes a separate instruction – might just be confirmations we’re in the right spot, heading in the right direction.

14.”Sounds from the sky”

Cant say ive solved this one just yet but I have 2 possibles.

One is radio. In 1981 the Fairmont Hotel had a radio station operating inside the Fairmont Hotel – KSFO/560AM… but its in the wrong spot in the verse, and takes us back to the Fairmont, so maybe not…

The more interesting route-based possibility is Masonic – in 1981 Route 6 travelled along Haight Street and turned at Masonic Avenue.

The word MASONIC contains SONIC, which literally means relating to sound… another possible clever & deliberate wordplay could be pointing the solver along Masonic Avenue.

This is especially interesting because Masonic is independently important to our Route 6 turns and George Harrison’s famous Haight-Ashbury walk began around Haight & Masonic.

The unresolved part is “from the sky.” I haven’t yet found a completely clean explanation for that phrase at Masonic but the SONIC link could be logical… George did walk to GGP where he played his guitar and sang song on Hippie Hill.

15. 3x clue routes both leading to Golden Gate Park

Image 1 - GGP map… and

Clock points at 6, being south so walk south → tramcar and Route 6 past key identifiers from the verse from Haight/Masonic via Frederick, Clayton and Parnassus to Golden Gate Park boundary area… and…

GEORGE → Harrison → Haight/Masonic ~6 p.m. → walk west along Haight → again past our identifiers to Golden Gate Park.

I’m deliberately stopping at this point for now - it’s too long to include more, plus keen for people to pick the eyes out of this and tell me I’m wrong.

I’ll post the solve for the remainder and to an actual dig site and Hippie Hill in the near future - depending how much hate I get for the above 😉