Dodge Journey Search (East)

/ Steven Barley

From the two introductory commercials, there are three clues that identify a 90-mile segment of the Dodge Journey (East) route, showing it traveling north (from Magic Forest), towards Ticonderoga, then either leaving New York and moving into Vermont, as well as moving west past Eagle Lake.

Update #1: Added unsolved clues, including possible final destination.
Update #2: New location added: PJ’s Barbecue, Saratoga Springs, NY
Update #3: Location identified, Eagle Lake, NY. Google map updated.
Update #4: Edited version of possible final destination with clearer view of background added.

Warning: I’m aware that a number of individuals are either flying or driving long distances to participate in the search. The final (possible) location may have been identified, originally posted and discussed on Dodge’s YouTube board. Assuming they have a contingency plan, they may very well change the final location or resort to, according to the contest rules, “administer(ing) a skill-based tie-breaker.”

General search comments —

  • For each of the last two Dodge Journey searches, the final destination was a National Park: Eldorado National Forest (West) and Black Kettle Grasslands (Midwest). There do not appear to be any in New York and just one in Vermont (Green Mountain), but south. White Mountain, in New Hampshire is another possible destination (and only if they stick with this MO).
  • The final location for each Dodge Journey is used in the introductory commercials: creek location (West); hot air balloon (Midwest); bike removed from rack (East)
  • PJs Barbecue has not appeared in the known commercials or videos and will most likely be a radius search clue, provided the day of the hunt.
  • Eagle Lake may be a location for video footage alone, as it deviates from their apparent route, like the Midwest drive and intersection shot. Of course, crossing into Vermont by ferry, could be a bit of misdirection as well, like Emerald Bay in the West search.
  • There are conflicting clues, unlike the last two searches. The journey traveling south across the Twin Bridges, east into Vermont and west by Eagle Lake.
  • For the West search, with the two introductory commercials, the clue furthest west was Kyburz Garage & Mini-Mart, Kyburz, CA. With the launch of the 300-mile clue, Hwy 89 (quickly identifiable) and Emerald Bay were added, extending the route by about 15 miles. Not much was added with the 200-mile clue for the Midwest search. They did give you Sayre, OK  (which adds about 10 miles) but Elk City, OK was actually closer. Bottom line: it is possible with what we know before the hunt actually begins, the route could be extended up 15 miles.
  • You may not be just looking for a Dodge Journey at the final location. There could be a supporting cast: a trailer (probably to hide the Journey until show time), other cars and crew or it could be on private property. Here’s a shot on location from the Midwest search final destination (contributed by Jessi). See also this article from the West search about location.

Best of luck to all the “boots on the ground”!

1. Thaddeus Kosciusko Bridge or Twin Bridges, NY

Thaddeus Kosciusko Bridge

In the video, the Dodge Journey is traveling south along Interstate 87.

Notes: I fully expected this clue belonged to the Dodge Journey (East) route and combed through far too many images of arched (suspension) bridges. The breakthrough occurred by searching for parallel arched bridges. Google street view to confirm:

Thaddeus Kosciusko Bridge - Google street view

2. P.J.’s Barbecue, Saratoga Springs, NY

Article: Portion of TV commercial filmed at PJ’s Bar-B-Q on Route 9

Notes: This was a great find by by Brad and will most certainly be used for one of the radius search clues, e.g. 100-miles. Expect to see a shot of this sign, location or reference to the food. This does not extend the route but may already provide a range limit.

3. Magic Forest, Lake George, NY

Magic Forest

In the video, the Dodge Journey is traveling north along Highway 9 (Magic Forest is on the east side of the highway).

Notes: A search in google reveals the location of the Magic Forest (google image search: uncle sam statue) and google street view can be used to determine location relative to the highway.

4. Ferry crossing, leaving New York, entering Vermont

Welcome to Vermont

In the video, the Dodge Journey is entering Vermont, traveling north.

Notes: This took a bit of detective work. First, you can assume that the Dodge Journey was traveling north from New York, crossing into Vermont. You also find that water creates a natural border between the two states. After checking the obvious highway border crossings, including a bridges, I resorted to ferry crossings and bingo – Google street view verifies the location:

Vermont crossing - Google street view

Here’s a great picture of the ferry crossing departure point into Vermont:

Notes: This was provided by Hadrian. Source: Wikipedia – State Route 74

5. Lake view drive, Eagle Lake, NY

The picture below, that made it’s way around earlier actually came from Panoramio. Using Google street view, there’s a Panoramio option in the south lake to view. It’s a definite match. It was mentioned this came from the Addison, VT or Panton, VT. That certainly is not the case.

Google street view to verify:

Notes: This location was properly identified by Kevin. The Dodge Journey is traveling west, the view is on the south side of 74.

Google Map of partial Dodge Journey (East) route, using introductory videos.

Final destination?

Like the sequence of the “family” exiting the Journey near the hot air balloon in the Midwest clues – this may very well be the final destination for the East search. Kayaks were a theme for the West search and the hot air balloon for the Midwest search. Bikes are on the rack as they cross the bridge in NY and pass by Magic Forest. There are a couple of inconsistencies however. The both the West and Midwest searches, the final location shot was tighter (reducing the chance of discovery by matching landmarks) and we see the travelers exiting the vehicle.

After the bike is removed, note the lake and mountains in the background.

Notes: Same shot with foreground images removed (courtesy of Cycling Zen).

Given that the Dodge Journey Search (West) started from a landmark city like San Francisco, Dodge Journey Search (East) will probably start from New York City, traveling north, toward the two known destinations (estimated route length: 225 miles). With the addition of the Twin Bridges location, this pretty well confirms NYC as the starting point, although Albany, NY, can not be ruled out.

848 thoughts on “Dodge Journey Search (East)”

  2. @Steven, the car or trailers have not been spotted in the am or the night before, all parks have maintenance sheds which are off limits to the general public, so I.m thinking that the car is already on the property, and that’s how they can get it in place so quick & undetected, I also think that if you search motels close to the possible final destination, you will find the crews trucks parked in the back

    oh I sure wish i was the guy running that ferry $$$ lmao

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  3. I think all this discussion may all be overkill. We are NEVER shown the whole vehicle in it’s final location. You just see a guy taking a bike down. Think about the first hunt, they had kayaks, and we could have easily been shown the family taking the kayaks out near Lake Tahoe. That still wasn’t the final location. In fact, it was still 25 miles away. That’s still a large radius to have to cover. I think it’ll all be fine in the end.

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    • You have a good point there Jared. Another inconsistency – we do see the family exiting the car for both the west destination (by the creek/pond) and east destination (hot air balloon) And we already had this: the Journey traveling in all directions, radiating out from Magic Forest (east into VT, west past Eagle Lake, and south across the twin bridges)

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    • We’re going to look…but our search will begin from home. We are not traveling up there (although its only a few hours) for a multitude of reasons. Hopefully we are making the right move by starting here, not there.

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      • Im going up to the ferry area friday (maybe even thursday). It’s only 90 miles from me .

        This is gonna be a blast even if I don’t find a free car.

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  5. hey steven, i live in stuart, florida. I was watching the gators play on saturday (just 3 days ago) and the dodge journey commerical came on. This was the very first time i learned that dodge was doing 3 treasure hunts, giving the finders a dodge journey in each hunt!! since then ive spent most of my time here on your site with all of you reading and posting, its been many hours. I cant get this dodge journey out of my head!! yesterday i was so busy and was unable to be here but for an hour or so in the early am. I’m reading now that i missed alot of value info that has been deleted. since you are the go to guy for all q and a’s, and i have a few, may i hit you up via email and then you’ll reply back to me? pleassse? I will email you in an hour when i get bck frm the store. if ok??

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  6. Mr Barley – any particular reason why you have removed your theory as to the exact final location and the comparative photos? (I’m not sure I agree that the photos match, actually, for a couple of reasons, one of which is the angle of the sun in the still from the Dodge commercial, which doesn’t quite make sense if the ridge is to the west, which it would be if it were taken at the site.) At any rate, why remove the photo and your theory since you let the cat out of the proverbial bag?

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    • Hi there. Just to be clear: I didn’t let the cat out of the bag.

      I was contacted by several individuals within a 30-minute span, sometime after 5pm, along the same time there was a breaking discussion on Dodge’s YouTube page, with links to a couple of images. Realizing that the cat was out of the bag, what I did post, around 5:40pm, was a composite shot I had created earlier that day (of what we had plus a segment of the other pic, matching points along the ridge), but did not identify the location.

      I wouldn’t mind posting the pic, to discuss the merits of the comparison but because the pictures were making their way around and the specific location, with the emotion (and finger pointing) associated with the identification, I thought it best to remove completely. Hope you understand.

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      • OK, understood. I’ll just say that unless the sun arcs in a north-south direction near Lake Champlain, I’m skeptical of the prevailing theory.

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      • I totally understand. For those of us that saw the pic I think the angle was off a bit but not by much. I just hate that I’m 2700 miles away and cant afford the $1100 air fare or the 48 hours driving there.

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      • The point about the sun angle is a good one, and I believe the pictures match up with with the Dodge video. My theory from the Dodge video was that it was either shot in the morning or evening to cast such shadows. In this case, I believe the Dodge video was shot in the late afternoon. The ridges are not due west of the location, they are north/northwest.

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  7. do people know where the shot was taken at 22 seconds into the commercial that is the journey on a cliff overlooking a valley and a lake? Cause i have been looking for it but i dont want to waste my time if it is in california because i am on the east coast.

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    • Hi Danny. I’m pretty sure that’s in California. You have the color of rocks, abundance of evergreens, and mountain range in the distance appears to have some snow on the peaks – we don’t have that kind of mountain height in the east. Cheers!

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    • Just so everyone knows there is no cell coverage in the area or internet (4G, etc) access in the area everyone assumes is the final destination. The closest area that may have a decent hotspot would be south of Lake George in an area called Glens Falls. Having spent A LOT of time in that area I would recommend waiting in Glens Falls to watch the clue video as soon as it goes live, and to get an idea of where the live shot is. From there you are not too far from all the areas that may be the final destination. Waiting anywhere near where you assume is a final destination is going to bite you in the butt. You will be stuck there with no cell or internet and when others are realizing that the final destination is nowhere near where everyone is assuming it is, they will get a huge jump on you.

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      • Richard,
        Be aware that due to the recent storm damage the Verizon coverage is not available either in this proposed area. Our state was devastated by Hurricane Irene and crews are working to repair damage to the cell towers. Just on the south side of the lake down near Glens Falls is reportedly working well. My advice for any boots on the ground is to review the video somewhere with internet when it comes out and then make a plan based on the final destination. From that area with decent coverage you are only minutes from [location omitted] but you will have a huge advantage of what the actual video timeline is and the live feed. Good luck!

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    • That is going to be a huge issue for seekers, That area of NY is notorious for not having cell coverage.

      An old guy and his wife went off the road on rte 87 N and ended up dying days later, trapped in their car. They couldn’t contact anyone via cellphone because of no signal.

      If you go up there, you’re gonna be on your own unless you have a satellite phone.

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    • Hi Brandon. That’s a great idea and I’m seriously considering it. It would give everyone, esp the armchair variety, a shot at making a prediction (without spoiling it – if that’s possible). Feel free to send me an email at: puzzles2crack@yahoo.com Cheers!

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  11. Wow, my head hurts, Steven’s site is awesome but use it to help yourself ponder these thoughts. I have heard that it may be too time consuming for a plan B. The fact that in all the clues from day one there going in several directions so they can possibly choose one and redirect if needed. 4 cars seen at PJ’s maybe one going in each directions but only releasing the northern route. The bikes are on the roof of the car in Lake Tahoe First clue 25 mile mark. Choosing Vermont as a final stop may make it a challenge because that far up are ferry crossings that only run certain times of the day if you are on the wrong side most likely you want get across before the third clue comes out. Steven has used his own mind along with others to find these things, I have used google earth, street view, high def camera to rerecord and play frame by frame ( you catch some missed editing) etc to do the same things but come here to see if I am even close. You can pin point the exact spots of the photos if you try. My wife and I are headed up from Maryland if we find it great, if we meet some of you along the way great, if we are just “being there” great. Steven you and everyone on this site did nothing wrong. The stylist probably did and the police chief that had insider info probably did as well. Sorry so long but in this economy I had to make my cents stretch >> LOL

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    • Hi Chris. I really like your adventurous spirit 🙂 If I lived a bit closer (or didn’t have the obligations of a single parent), I’d drive up, stop somewhere in Ticonderoga, and invite any of the “treasure hunters” to join me for a drink. Cheers! (And best of luck to you)

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      • Steven my new friend it would be my honor to buy you a drink. This is the most excitement I’ve had in quite some time trying to figure out these clues.

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      • I know but with my eyes and for ease the camera hooks to the big screen much quicker since its mounted on the wall and the pc monitor jack is hard to reach.

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      • CZ,.. may I ask you what tools I can use to do the stop frames? I can see well, but youtube is driving me batty with it. amynelsonrn@yahoo.com Any help is appreciated. I can’t believe I’m the only one who can’t figure this out. And,…the darn radius thing too(on Google maps, I mean). Thx again!

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  13. Should it come to pass our predictions are off and any of you searchers end up in northern Vt, be aware it is possible to find cell phone/data coverage from Canadian cell towers well south of the US/CA border that could result in major roaming charges. I sometimes manage to connect to a Canadian carrier north of Stowe, almost 40 miles form Canada! So if you are relying on your data plan for the clues be careful- you could end up with a cell bill worth about as much a new Journey…

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    • The second car ws not in a park either. The land was national Grasslands but people still own houses and land in that area. It was not a national park. There was cattle ranches and homes in the area where it was found. I was there, this is not speculation.

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    • I had not seen that article with more of their story.

      What a great story it is ! This story is what its all about.

      Lets hope the 3rd search produces a similarly good story for someone.

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  15. Adam is right. Steven: you have nothing to be concerned about. Dodge will not sue you for playing the game for a number of reasons. First; it is a simply untenable legal position to say that someone has interfered with the operation of a competition that is open to everyone using the very skills that Dodge wants one to use in participating in the competition. What possible criminal law could it have violated? None. Civil remedies? You haven’t taken anything away from them because you only used information that they made publicly available. There are no realistic limits to how one participates in the search.

    Second; the entire “game” is a P.R. campaign. The negative fallout from suing someone who was “playing the game” is more likely worse than just giving away the car and making the small commercial to whomever finds the car, regardless of how they found it. Instead, Dodge wanted more people to play. They wanted more people to be involved, and that’s precisely what this blog and others like it do — they promote interest and activity to find the Journey. To attempt to punish someone who was doing just that — makes no sense.

    Third; if Dodge really was “threatened” by your blog in any way — you would have received a “cease and desist” letter a long time ago — it’s a little hard for them to complain after the fact that you have “undermined” anything. So, no law suit will be coming.

    Lastly; there are other issues with it — but probably more appropriate in a law blog or something like that. The highlighted words are just to scare you — but in reality you would face the same threat of litigation regardless of what you post.

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    • Hi. I’m considering reposting for discussion on the merits – because I think there have been some good points made. (Like the author name :))

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  18. Dear Steven, I must say I have truly enjoyed your site and all of the posts. Your detective work has been somewhat amazing! Have you ever thought about the Lost Dutchman’s Mine, and all of the “clues” that are out there on that one? I fully expect that you would have a google street view picture of the entrance to the mine within 24 hours! All kidding aside, I believe my 15 year old son and I are going to make the trek to New York/Vermont from Kentucky to look for the Journey. I don’t expect to find it, but I think the trip for my son and I will be one we will never forget. So that I am on a level playing field, could you send me a private e-mail of the supposed final location. Thanks!

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    • Hi Mike. First, thank you for the kind words. I’m a bit partial to the Beale Cipher’s – closer to home 🙂

      My daughter and I went on a number of ravenchase hunts, including one in Harper’s Ferry, with a number of online friends from the NBC show Treasure Hunter’s and a member or two of the show (Jacob, with Team CIA, was one). Great adventures, wonderful experiences.

      I would prefer to avoid any further controversy. Rather, let me share this, someone here, many hours before the actual location was being tossed around on YouTube’s discussion board, did a good job working with the clues at hand. On speculation alone, she arrived at the same location 😉

      Cheers!

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  21. I hadn’t seen any mention of this, but did anyone else notice that the Eagle Lake drive-by is now traveling east?? It was traveling west in the first versions of the commercial, but I think it’s been changed….that, or it’s time for my next meds…..

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  22. Reading a lot of the previous posts, I notice most state & keep repeating the obvious.

    Here are some things to think about:

    The guy taking the mountain bike off the Journey was in Vermont, a few miles north of [location omitted]. There was only one bike taken off the vehicle. Where will the other biker be taking their bike off?

    I wouldn’t be surprised if final clues weren’t given out until late day or close to sundown, leading the search into and through Saturday night, possibly into the next day.

    Don’t assume you know the location because you matched up the assumed final location where he takes only ONE of the bikes off the car.

    The vehicle won’t be found in a state or national park. If they did this, too many personnel/workers would know about this.

    The marketing company behind this knows what they are doing. They don’t need a plan B or C. This is the plan. To mess with you.

    That being said, minimal cell phone coverage was part of the plan all along. And so was the ferry crossing between NY & VT. Perfect bottleneck.

    Just because the first 2 searches started out in a city and ended up in a field & by a lake in the middle of nowhere, don’t be surprised when this is reversed, and the car is found in a semi-urban area.

    I would love to hear any other “outside the box” sort of thinking on this.

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    • Hi Tony. You have some great points. Just a couple of thoughts back at ya:

      I’m pretty sure the first bike is off already. You can see the empty slot in the foreground
      If I were Dodge or the marketing company, I def would string out the clues. Heck, they were still running the Midwest commercials during the games this past Sunday. (and gasp, the Dodge was not still there). This is a promotional campaign and I would want it to extend throughout the weekend.
      The best we have, I suppose, is history as a guide
      As has been already pointed out, this is the first one with clearly contradicting clues. The Journey’s direction at Eagle Lake, ferry cross and Twin Bridges
      I love the idea of a suburban set up, but have you heard about or seen, the production crew compliment? About 6-10 cars, trailer, etc. I still think it could be done and would make fitting twist for the final hunt

      Cheers!

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      • You are probably right about it being the second bike coming off the rack. And I completely agree with the contradicting clues. Almost as if the driver/family keeps changing their mind on where to go. Or maybe they bounced from location to location.

        It is actually easier to hide a production crew and entourage in an urban or semi-urban area if you think about. They won’t/or don’t have to park side by side. If it was in an actual city, they would have to park in various locations due to parking constraints.

        I definitely think this could end up in a completely different area from what everyone thinks. If the driver/family did indeed bounce around on the final day of the journey, and then clues of them returning home or to where the final destination actually is.

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      • What we know from the introductory commercials (and we’ve put so much stock into them) is that it’s a blend of all three journeys; each with it’s own region and theme; the segments once identified, and at least for the first two, showed a consistent direction in route, even with a few deviations, but always showing the journey back on route; the final location was shown (but in a fairly tight shot, making it impossible to identify). The third, of course, is a deviation on direction, relative to the assumed route, and wide, final shot.

        I certainly do hope that either A) they have a plan b or B) there’s a twist. Time will tell 🙂

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      • One of the themes throughout has been mountain bikes. Seen a few times.
        One tip I would have for those who are searching up near Lake Champlain…bring your own mountain bike. Just because they may have the vehicle on the property, does not mean you will be able to access the property with your own vehicle. You may have to get on your bike to find it. There might be a bike trail close to the back of the property. 😉

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    • No one has mentioned anything about the children in the backseats, with the guy who takes the bike off. Where do they get dropped off, Grandmas? Also, i will be up in the area camping friday so if anyone wants to get together, have a few drinks and grill. hit me up and we can camp together. chefsmith820@hotmail.com. Good luck everyone! I hope to meet some fellow friends.

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      • I would so be down for this, but I am working Saturday and cannot get out of it. Otherwise I would be up there camping as well. * Deep sigh*

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  24. I noticed that the magic forrest site is just before the exit to get on 87. Wouldn’t it make more sense that they traveled north on 87 then east on 74 to Ticonderoga?

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    • Hi Curtis. Interesting thought. Here’s the rub, from the scene in the commercial, they’re moving west by Eagle Lake. It’s almost as if, from Magic Forest, they elected to go in every direction 😦 Cheers!

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      • A reasonable possibility Tony. The conflicting directions gives them 3 alternate destinations too. Personally, I would love to see them throw a twist our way 🙂

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    • Hi Koob and no. There are still occasional mentions of the possible, final location on Dodge’s YouTube discussion board and comments section … and I agree, I believe either Dodge either played us or will move the location. Cheers!

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      • It’s working for me now too. Before I kept refreshing but it wouldn’t add any new comments. Once I posted that comment though the floodgates opened and now I’m playing catchup. This site is causing me to fall drastically behind on my grad school reading. You think, “but this thing has built in navigation, and my explorer has holes in the roof (that aren’t supposed to be there)” is a good excuse for being ill prepared?

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  28. I saw the Dodge commercial last night and the clip of him removing the bike was not there. You were talking about the golden horse earlier, I got absolutely no where with that one. 2 or 3 years ago when I was travelling I-70 I did detour to look at the hole where it had been buried though.

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  30. Steven,
    I think you need to move your start (or possible end) point. If you want I can email you and tell you why and how I figured it out. I already emailed you about the midwest so you might be able to reply though that. I asked if you participated in the M.S. book hunt if you need something to jog your memory. 😉 🙂

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  31. hey steven

    i emailed you but i made a mistake in your puzzles address so i corrected it. i just resent it to your yahoo address. if you check it now its there waiting so long to talk to you but it was my fault srry it is there now my address is the one with maher in it. see you
    talk soon

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  32. Hello everyone, Hi Steve. I am not in the east coast search but have followed the Midwest VERY carefully. But something puzzles me about the east coast. The bikes are not in all of the shots. And there are 2 bikes but 4 people. Where did they leave the kids? LOL

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    • Hi Kathy. I do believe the bikes are in every shot of the east segments (twin bridges, magic forest, possible final location – you can’t tell from the eagle lake shot or Vermont ferry crossing). Very true about the kids … haha. Mom & Dad are going mountain biking, you stay here at the car? 🙂

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    • The bikes are in the TK bridge shot heading south on 87 (weird), in the uncle sam shot in lake george heading north on rte9 and one bike is seen in what we think is the final shot in VT.

      Maybe they went west by eagle lake to drop the kids off at grammys house and then went back to the ferry and to VT.?!

      Who knows. It’s all conjecture at this point. Mount independence is going to be so crowded friday night and saturday… I bet the dodge wont even be there!

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      • yah- We all seem so certain- about how the first clue will ‘have’ to begin in a major city (because the first one was in SF? What about the midwest?) beacuse the video looks like a natural progression from the twin bridges to the Vt ferry (or is it Eagle Lake?) how the final the final spot will be a national park (even though the first two were both found on private property) . In fact doesn’t it make more sense from the video that the start point might be in Saratoga, NY? We have the Journey headed off in three different directions from there- now wouldn’t that open up the possibilites…

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      • The ratio of kids/passengers to “other items” seems not to matter. Yes, there was the 2 people and 2 kayaks for the one, but for the other there was 7 adults and only a hot air balloon basket to fit 1-2 people. They obviously weren’t being the “chase car” as there was no room for the pilot to get in the car after and why drive 7 adults out to see just one hot air balloon lift off from the middle of nowhere?

        Also – this is a frame that is nearly impossible to determine location, I’m sure…but the frame at 13/14s has not been used in the west or midwest searches. That leaves me to believe it is from the East search, yes?

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  33. Im game if another Serious searcher with phone/laptop wants to team up on this one and one of us be in northern NY around keeseville and the other in VT around shoreham. And wait for the first clues to come out and where it is finally sitting, and I have my smartphone and laptop to hook up and as soon as we have ideas where to look one of us should be able to look while the other backs him up with possible final locations from the laptop. I just want cash so we would sell it and split the profits.

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  35. I haven’t been following the post real closely. I did try to have a little fun in the beginning, but no one seemed to want to go fishing for red herring with me. Getting serious though, most pictures AND videos today have efix data attached. EFIX data is simply metadata about the picture or video, it will tell you everything from the type of camera used to the aperture to the latitude and longitude of where the image was captured. Most people don’t know about this and foolishly post their pictures online without removing the efix data giving the world access to their location. Young pretty girls and people with kids, read that last sentence again. Anyway, I tried to unlock the efix data for this video using efixtool, but I was unsuccessful. Usually, the metadata will only contain the geotag for the first frame of a video, however, there is a way to extract all of the geotags and date/timestamps for every frame of the video. So, all you genius, techy, treasure hunters, would you try to decode this efix/metadata as a double-check for me? I would assume that the staff that produced this video are smart enough to remove it, but I thought I’d throw it out there for consideration anyway. I’m not in the treasure hunt, like Steven, but wanted to share this information. If anyone has figured this out, sorry to spoil your fun. I’d love see a line of people waiting for them at the final site and hear about how Dodge handled that one. LOL!

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  37. Not jumping on the MW cheating bandwagon, but is this line from the rules even legally enforceable?

    “Entrant agrees and acknowledges that he/she will not physically or personally engage or interact with another entrant or any other individuals in conjunction with participation in the Contest.”

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    • Hi. I did read this and it was well discussed on Dodge’s YouTube page a day or so ago. My simple response would be no (it would be tricky, how would you prove, etc) More — First, Dodge launched the contest from their YouTube page, but right below the video clue box, their discussion board appears … so can we discuss, or can’t we? (In an age of social media, it’s hard to contain near real-time sharing, discussing, collaboration) Second, define entrant. Third, someone on the ground really needs to have an at home “partner” to be effective, watching the live feed, working the YT radius clues. Not something you can easily do, if at all, while driving (you may have a partner in the car, but cell signals can be an issue – and probably will be in NY/VT) If I’m the designated “entrant,” I should be able to use family, friends, other boots on the ground, to assist. Cheers!

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      • Like Steve, some of us are not actual contestants out looking for the Journey. We either live too far away or could not afford to take the time/money/etc. So does that mean we cannot try to figure out the clues that have been provided? I believe we are allowed to try- I’m not a contestant on Jeopardy but I still shout out answers while watching the show… I know that is not an exact comparison, but it is essentially what some people on here are doing…

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      • Actually Cathy it is more like you’re in the live studio audience and shouting out the answers before the contestants get to respond. If you wanted to “play at home” then it may have been better to write everything down that you figured out on your own and compare it to the actual search on Saturday. Unfortunately peoples egos too often steer their decisions and they can’t imagine keeping information to themselves when there is a chance they could post it online and someone will tell them how smart they are for figuring something out that others figured out a week ago.

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      • Well, the audience members are still not considered contestants, so it proves the point even further that this would not be contestants helping other contestants… so, thanks! And I don’t think it’s about anyone’s egos – more that we enjoy puzzles and treasure hunting. As far as I know – I’m allowed to have fun too 🙂

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      • I didn’t say it was contestants helping contestants. You are obviously not a contestant which is unfortunate for us because you would probably be looking in the wrong spot and blabbing about it on here. It’s not that you aren’t allowed, of course you are allowed, it just really takes the enjoyment out of the contest for those who are planning on participating the day of. The people who are driving hundreds of miles with their families to spend an afternoon driving through New England with the hopes of being the first to discover the car. Now they can get in line or worse yet at 9:02 get a tweet that it has been found by someone who read where to go. My only advice is don’t believe everything you read on the internet. Steven was not even close to figuring out where the Midwest car was even though people were tweeting him Saturday morning that it’s gonna be just outside of Cheyenne. As Dodge would say you have to actually get out into the world and experience it. I’ll look forward to watching your predictions Saturday…or better yet on Sunday you can tell everyone you knew “exactly where it was, if I only lived closer I would be driving a new car”. I’m sure someone will then tell you how smart you are.

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      • Hi John. I fully understand your position. I’d like to believe that the armchair variety hunters can coexist and contribute to the boots on the ground type 🙂 Dodge has it’s own discussion board on YouTube, but quite frankly, it’s pretty unstructured (not that the comments here are that much of an improvement) and moreover, many are rude, calling people names as such. It was one of reasons that I launched the blog, to create a place where all could discuss, share, and collaborate. To be clear: I did not predict the final location for the Midwest search (I went as far as Elk City). I was asked on a number of occasions but declined. To go north or south, left or right, is a a gut call, and luck plays a roll as well. All the best.

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    • John – there is no need for you to get angry over this page. 1) You don’t have to read this page or even participate on it if you do not want “the fun taken out of it” 2) If you believe that there is wrong information on the page, then it’s not really going to matter whether people take the advice on here or not.I believe you’re missing the point that it’s fun for everyone – if it was meant to be a contest for only certain individuals driving around with their families, then why would Dodge make an advertisement to air on national television? In an age of social media, I’m sure they expected people who could not drive around with their families to enjoy it as well. I’m sure there are plenty of people who enjoy a good puzzle and do not have ability to drive around. What is not fair is that you assume only certain people are allowed to participate in the strategy portion. If you are driving around with your family on Sat looking for the one in the Northeast, I wish you the best of luck. It’s nice to know that there is someone out there physically able to drive that can search for it. Please do not try to take the fun away for those of us who cannot participate in the same way because of our disabilities… Thank you.

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    • Amy, there are some YouTube video download tools that you can download for free. If you start playing the video, you can right click and select Copy Video URL and paste it into the input box of the download tool. You can even Copy Video URL at current time. If you use this second choice, you’ll notice at the end of the URL that it shows the spot in the video in seconds. For example, the mountain bike being taken off the Journey is about the 42s mark. I figured other people might be in the same boat as you and wondered how that image was captured.

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      • Thank you MC! Yes,… I just can’t seem to find the tools that everyone is speaking of… Hmmm.. I really appreciate the help! Hoping to have a fairly level playing field…..but ya know the locals are always gonna have a leg up. Hoping to get as much help as possible since we are driving a good 9 hours to get there. 😦

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      • ok….I just realized what the legal ramifications of this are. I don’t plan on doing anything illegal to get the prize. If it can’t be done with integrity, then what’s the point? Obviously, I will have to figure out how to stop the frames as best a possible, but I apologize if this at all sounds like I intend to do it inappropriately. That’s not the case at all. I’m sure that’s not other people’s intents on here either. Thanks for the help…..and if there is a way to stop the frames without breaking any rules, feel free to let me know. 🙂 amynelsonrn@yahoo.com

        I intend to find me a journey this weekend!! 😀

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      • OK – let’s play nice 🙂 I’m deleting these comments. All are welcome here. The only rule is courtesy and respect.

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      • You need to relax, lady. He got your email he’ll reply when he replies. Every time I come on this blog you’re pestering him to respond. I don’t speak for Stephen, but I am annoyed and you aren’t even e-mailing me.

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      • The mountain scene along the road with guardrail. I saw a tv show recently and it said that was New Hampshire. Dont want to throw anybody off, trying to help, dont live near there. Hope they can come near Baltimore. Good luck to all in the hunt

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      • Hi. The shot you’re referring to is from Eagle Lake, NY. Check the Dodge Journey Search (East) post for a capture from the commercial and google street view shot as proof. Cheers!

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      • I see u have done much research. In the beginning I was thinking there might be a rt 40 connection, since the west and midwest were not to far from that. Is it true Steve that they may add another vehicle since the 2nd prize was declined?

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  40. Steven,

    Not sure where I saw it in all my searching last night, but there was a reference to a Silver Lake Campground. As it turns out, there is a Silver Lake Campground within the Green Mountain National Forest within 30 miles driving distance of the Fort Ti Ferry drop off on the Vermont side. Is there any additional information on this theory?

    Hadrian

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      • Hadrian, I have Silver Lake pinned on my Google search map, along with half a dozen other spots I found noteworthy after a few days of my own searching…but the bookmarks I kept to remind myself of *why* they’re noteworthy are on my laptop, so I can’t check until Thurs. daytime. But yeah, I also have a record of it. Now I want to remind myself why!

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    • Theres lots of good reasons to consider this area- remote, fits the park theory, and lots of private areas to ‘hide’ the film crew including an inn, and a kids summer camp (that can be rented out) nearby. Downside is MANY roads around Goshen are closed or open to local traffic only…

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    • That’s really interesting. I wonder if the 2nd place person showed up in time for Dodge to get their info just in case or will there be another hunt for the mid-west. Thanks for sharing.

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    • You know Robert. My mind keeps going round and round on this one. They were very consistent with the first two. General route, direction, theme (couple/kayaks/water, group/hot air balloon, family/bikes), and close up on “the finish”. But here, they’re going in three (possibly) conflicting directions, and the possible finish shot is wide, exposing it to discovery 😉 Did they expect interest, scrutiny, etc to increase, and plan a twist or set it up with contingencies? We should find out soon.

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    • You know Robert. My mind keeps going round and round on this one. They were very consistent with the first two. General route, direction, theme (couple/kayaks/water, group/hot air balloon, family/bikes), and close up on “the finish”. But here, they’re going in three (possibly) conflicting directions, and the possible finish shot is wide, exposing it to discovery 😉 Did they expect interest, scrutiny, etc to increase, and plan a twist or set it up with contingencies? We should find out soon. Cheers!

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  43. Hey Guys, I live in Ticonderoga and am very familiar with the area. I’ve seen the comparison photos of the “final destination” and I’d like you to all know that yes the area does look similar yet I know for a fact that it’ll be closed off this weekend because the town supervisor’s daughter is being married there Saturday. Also there is no point in looking for a group of trailers/ many vehicles traveling together because on Saturday in Ticonderoga is the semi-annual Bucket’s Bog. This is where thousands gather and go mudding. Hundreds of people with vehicles and trailers.

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  46. Oh my Steve, What have you got yourself into. This must take up a lot of time, and I bet you didn’t expect this kind of response or traffic. I hope you’re enjoying it. I was going to do something similar but decided against it. I like your style. It seems like you think similar to the way I do. I think the direction of travel is more likely from Lake George to Eagle and then to Ticonderoga. If they start in NYC, go back to a 300 mile trip, and stay in a National Forest/Grassland then northeastern Green Mountain Forest would have to be the destination. Using Google Earth there is only one place I could find that resemble the final location. Take a look at the view from the end of Brown Rd looking towards Dunmore lake. It’s the road going east off of Lake Dunmore Rd between Lake Dunmore and Silver Lake.

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    • Hi Dave. First, thank you for the kind words and yeah, it’s kind of taken a life on it’s own – great group here though 🙂 I did a good bit of checking around Lake Dunmore, but let me take another look. Cheers!

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      • Dave, I did some looking over there too. Tough to match the terrain. I’m just looking for a place besides the one everyone else is going to, at least give myself a chance if it turns out otherwise. I figure if its at Mt Indy, then theres no shot at all since people will probably be camping, staking out the area. Just a thought though.

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      • I’m more and more convinced that this is the area. I think the first location closer to Ticonderoga is too close to the mountains, and the mountains are high enough, that they would appear larger in the bike picture. This is just seeming like a spot that fits the M.O. as well, being National Forest, about 25 miles from Ticonderoga, etc. What do you guys think?

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    • When I looked at this location using google street view, I only see a bunch of trees at the end of the road where it runs right to Lake Dunmore. Am I doing something wrong, or can you post a link up?

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      • I used Google Earth, pin pointed the end of Bearor Rd., flatened the view looking west, and was just looking at the profile of the mountains. Doesn’t show trees that would be in the view, but gives a good representation of the terrain.

        Hadrian

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  47. So, we’ve learned that digitally shouting the answers to life’s small puzzles just for the exercise of doing it is inevitable. The exercise falls far short of any sort of moral compromise considering the outcome of the puzzle’s end isn’t intentionally altered.

    Now we’ve learned through the conduct of the Barney Fife of Oklahoma that the temptation of significant gain, not simply sufficient glory (as in the case above), will vacuum an individual of the gift of foresight, if it was ever present, with which the results of such ill-advised actions would have easily been discerned.

    Others have since learned, I’m sure, to be just a slight bit more conniving in their plot for smaller gain (the seven grand, a vehicle swap, a favor-in-pocket, whatever) or smaller glory. All it takes is a notch up in the degree of separation and any trackable nexus vanishes faster than the advantage the fair hunter thought they held. The scales tip in favor of the informed, and not fairly so. As always.

    Will I participate the weekend fun? Yeah, probably. But not with the expectation of significant gain or sufficient glory. Holding symbolic hope, perhaps. Until the end dashes this fragile symbol to the ground to be trod over by the spotless boot of unearned rewards. As always.

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  48. I think no one has mentioned this, but in the clues for the first one there is a shot of the Journey with bikes on the roof. (25 mile clue) If it is shot in the east I don’t see any useful info in it anyway.

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    • Hi Ann. The bike shot in the 25-mile clue from the West search has been mentioned and discussed. Obviously, it’s a plug for Tahoe, but one does wonder where the bikes came from? 😉 Cheers!

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  49. Another thing… I saw that Dodge said the video will be realeased at noon EST on Saturday. Ticonderoga has its annual Fort Ti Foot Race (go to lachute.us). The back entrance to Fort Ti is only a hundred yards from the Ferry. Which will all be closed off for the race, so people should familiarize themselves with the route through Crown-Point.

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    • I have a feeling they are pushing the clues back to noon because 1) it’s suppose to rain in the morning up there 2) they might be changing the final location and need time to reshoot new clues. I don’t think they expected everyone on the east coast to figure out the final destination. Just a thought.

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      • You may be right Heidi. Several have reported events, restricted access, etc in the general area. Perhaps, key events conclude near noon; weather could definitely be an issue (seems like it is going to rain throughout the evening); I would like to believe that they either 1) had a plan b or c – because of the conflicting directions – and filmed at alternate locations while originally in the region 2) is filming around now (but with the increased awareness, that could be tricky to pull off – unless they go 50 or so miles out from Eagle Lake, Ticonderoga, or Albany. Cheers!

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      • I have to agree. I suspect there are 100’s of people roaming around mt independence right now, looking for the Journey caravan (that we’ve seen in the leaked pictures).

        In that area, any white RV or SUV towing a white enclosed trailer will be followed until they stop.

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