Minneapolis: Here's your medallion hunt

It's Winter Carnival in St. Paul, and Minneapolitans feel somewhat jealous.

Oh, sure, we have the Aquatennial, but it's not the same -- our Water Palace, for example, is a complete disaster. The thing just falls completely apart -- every year. We have no ice sculptures, unless you count the enormous piles of dirt-encrusted snow -- they're abstract representations of man's inhumanity to man. Also his inability to plow curb-to-curb. But this doesn't mean we can't have a cash-payoff treasure hunt for a medallion, does it? Of course not! Here are this year's clues to find Minneapolis' version of the Winter Carnival medallion. They're in cryptic form, so no one gets them right away, and each leads to the next clue.

Ready?

If you go to 3rd and Lyndale / in a trash can you will find / the Mpls Winter Gold Medallion / hidden in an old cheese rind

Oh, shoot, that's the last one. YOU DID NOT READ THAT. Here's the first:

#1 By the shores of Hiawatha / green in spring with fields of clover / you might see HOLD ON, CAN'T HEAR YOU / A HUGE LOUD PLANE IS GOING OVER.

Don't have it yet? OK, try this:

At this point someone complains that the clues are too cryptic, so they get easier:

#3 Deep in snow the medal's buried / cold as the heart of Hannibal Lecter / it's made of Styrofoam and plastic / in case you're using a metal detector.

#4 By the shores of Gitcheegoomee / in a tree with leaves so bare / you may dig down 16 inches / too bad it is not buried there.

There you go, folks! Good luck! Note: Contest only open to residents. Winners subject to 15 percent restocking fee. Contest may be canceled at my discretion if anyone gets close to claiming the prize.