Forrest Fenn is known to invite seekers of his Thrill of the Chase Treasure into his home. My family and I were so blessed and fortunate to be one of these lucky people. After meeting two of his best treasures, his wife Peggy, and daughter Kelly, Forrest led us into his office for a visit.
We felt like we were stepping into a sacred space. Maybe because we were. The numerous artifacts, carefully and passionately displayed, from floor to ceiling, filling every available pause, gave off such powerful essences. I knew each held significance. Each had a story. Each was valuable. Each was treasured by Forrest.
I asked Forrest ‘what do you like to collect most?’ His answer was one I will never forget. It touched me in such an inspiring way. His answer wasn’t a category, like coins. It wasn’t an era, like Medieval Artifacts. It wasn’t a culture, like Egyptian items. It wasn’t an event, like WWII items. It wasn’t a value; anything could be worthy to be part of his collection. Even the broken back scratcher.
Forrest’s answer was; “I like to collect things that are unique. Unique as in one of a kind.”
I wouldn’t say some of the things I collect weren’t for the same reason. But his answer made me truly realize ‘why’ some things I collected are treasured most.
His Father’s old fishing lures are unique. One of a kind. You knew they were treasured and belonged in his collection. The same collection which includes Sitting Bull’s peace pipe. Both are priceless items. I don’t think we need to choose which is treasured more. But we know from this example, the vast range of items his collection includes.
He went on to show us some other ‘unique’ things in his collection. Many he has shared through Dal’s scrapbooks, like Minerva or The Ballerina. Many are also shared within the stories of the multiple books he has written, like the Indian Dolls (with actual human or animal hair) or San Lazaro Pueblo’s Pottery. To see these items up close certainly was a special treat.
It has been noted in the previous Q and A, the bottle of brandy sitting within the tiny space on his shelf. One of a kind because it was given to him by Jackie Kennedy. Although it sits quietly in the back, amongst other one of a kind items, you all saw it in the image. It’s in a perfect spot.
There is the Bison skull discovered with an arrowhead embedded within it and an old cross below. Both one of a kind.
There is a fence post of Eric Sloane’s. One of a kind. And Sloane’s art palette too. Colorfully, one of a kind. (Forrest mentions this in his Seventeen Dollars a Square Inch book.)
Forrest showed us his books. Many made unique by the signatures, special papers, or a King’s seal found within them. All one of a kind for some reason or another.
The list could go on and on, and I hope to share more items in this ‘Chatting with Forrest’ series as time goes on.
It surely is one of a kind office…filled with a one of a kind collection…by a one of a kind gentleman. It was a one of a kind visit. One which I will be forever grateful for. Thanks Forrest. My family and I loved it. A one of a kind memory and treasure. Just like your One of a Kind Treasure Chest you have hidden for anyone to dare themselves to find!
Best of luck with whatever you seek!
For Spallies:
Thanks for sharing. Sounds like you all had a fun visit.
His office looks like you could spend hours looking at things in there. Very cool.
Jenny, I’m glad you got to experience being in Forrest’s study, amongst his treasures! When I was there, it was an exhilarating experience! It felt as if everything was alive! Did you feel that?
Hi Wendy Jo,
Yes, we felt the same as you. So much history and amazing things to have a ‘marvel gaze’ towards….lol…..But we didn’t ‘tarry scant’…..I sat in quiet awe, listening, for as long as I could….
Thank you so much Jenny for sharing. I would love to meet him. Would love to sit quietly in awe and respect with him. Would love to bring all my books down there with me (that don’t already have his signature) and get his signature. To hold Sitting Bull’s pipe, wow…it would be heaven on earth. Much love and respect Forest, and Jenny. Thanks for sharing…
Interesting talk about office visits, wish I could have been there to see with my own eyes. Oh well, maybe next time 🙂
thanks for the interesting peek into his office. I see Forrest reads Forbes and some other magazines.
Thanks so much for sharing Jenny! That sounds like an amazing time… Did you happen to see Minerva?
….It was wonderful, spallies……We did see Minerva….she actually sits on the shelf from the last question and answer’s post……but I’m not sure you see her in that shot…….I have a picture of Forrest holding her though, so maybe I took that previous picture when he was doing that…
Hi Jenny, if you ever get a chance to post the picture of Forrest holding Minerva that would be awesome.
Posted above for you, Spallies….:)
Thank you Jenny… 🙂
What a very special treat to thread a tract through such a unique gentleman’s collection and visit with him personally. I tried using a magnifying glass to read the Kings seal and look at book titles.
Thank you very much for showing us Jenny! Thank you Forrest for letting them into your world. I love all of the beaded items, especially the moccasins. I would want to touch them and try on a pair. Did you get to touch any of the items? How did everything smell? I would also like to know how he got all of his books. Did he ever go to any garage sales and flip through the books or just go to old book stores or do people call him and sell it to him?
Jenny, What a beautiful depiction of Forrest’s special place…I, too, have been one of the very lucky people who have had the opportunity to step into his world…the first time I stepped through the heavy wooden doors, I found the experience totally intoxicating…I had no words to describe what I was seeing and feeling. Eventually I was able to mumble something to Forrest…and just like the school kids who he let touch George Washington, I also asked him if I could touch various pieces, which he replied yes. It’s really difficult to pick a “favorite” but the thing I always cherish is a specific bronze jar sitting on his desk… because he made it…Looking forward to more of your stories. cynthia
Very Very Cool Jenny, Good Job!
I love that cowboy bronze you can see next to Minerva in the photo for spallies.
Great piece of work.
Hi Jenny, thanks for sharing your pictures and time with Forrest with all of us. I really appreciate it. Take everything you see in the pictures above and add in his one of a kind relationships with people and there you have the recipe for finding his hidden treasure. Priceless.
Minerva appears even more beautiful and delicate held by Forrest.
Jenny, I’m happy you got a chance to visit Forrest and meet his family. So many treasures, so little time to really experience the awe of each item he has collected.
Thanks for sharing that, Jenny…and thanks for letting Jenny into your office to tell us about it. WOW! All I can say is…WOW! His office has more valuable…one of a kind…pieces than most museums. It’s mind-boggling to think about where every single piece has been and the stories that each piece could tell…if only they could.
Excellent little article. Amazing things to see. Thanks for letting us in on a bit of your adventure and see those things too.
Wow
I am glad you had a nice experience and visit. I don’t know how I would feel with so many things surrounding me. I would not know what to look at first, second or third. Overwhelmed. I am proud of the arrowhead he sent and look at it daily. One “treasure” is enough and the arrowhead is small enough. I am not sure if I would like to meet him surrounded by his collections of uniques or sitting on a rock in the middle of the wilderness. For now, I am visiting wilderness and stretching out enjoying the sounds of nature. Glad your visit was informative.
My favorite was the bear claw necklace. The size of the claws and what kind of courage it must have taken to be close enough to kill such a large predator made a huge impression on me.
I also liked the Egyptian artifacts, they were lovely.
Forrest’s last two responses share an interesting element :
“It always was better for me to buy from you and have you buy from me…”
“I like to collect things that are unique. Unique as in one of a kind.”
They each contain a double U. In the second case, the irony of doubling up on the first syllable of the word “unique” is pretty clever.
This brings to mind the colophon, which could be viewed as an upside down double U.
(There is also a double U on the shack at the WWWH website, but that may not be coming from Forrest)
All of this brings us back to W illiam M arvin Fenn, I suppose.
The inverse relationship between W and M also seems to have found its way to the banner at the top of this page!
If there is anything resembling a hint here, it may be related to the idea of equating letters of the alphabet to corresponding homophones. So for example, Whitey Ford might lead one to Y T. (Ford may also lead to FOR D, which leads to 4 Ds, which matches the last letters of the four lines of the last stanza of the poem. The last two observations were first made by another searcher whose screen name escapes me.)
So perhaps, for example, “you are brave” may lead us to U R brave, which, if you look hard enough, may then lead to something else.
Kinda like there are 3 double letters in the word Woolley. Two double O’s, two double L’s and a “Double U”. 🙂
Spallies, you are ranking up there with Eliza and astree on that one! Love reading all posts by each of you!
I think Yeti mentioned that. FORD OR FOR D sounds like 40.
Nice to hear Jdiggins!
Just for fun, see if you can anagram U R BRAVE IN WOOD to three words that
1) hang together nicely
2) have a Native American theme
3) have three first letters which spell something that ties into the poem as well as into (2)
Liz
Hi eliza! Thx for the riddle. I’m on it…I’ll be back…I hope! 🙂
Well the best I came up with so far is:
UR Rainbow Dove that’s actually 4 words and UR Doesn’t really hang well with the others imo… and the first letters don”t seem to relate to the poem unless it’s Dur as in durrr or Duhhh lol… I might have some more time tomorrow to play around with it… Thanks Eliza, Eliza, Eliza, ..
I’m still working on it too I’m at a birthday party right now so I’ll have to get to it later. It’s a tough one! or it’s right in front of my face and I can’t see it…lol!
Here’s a hint:
What do you find at the end of a rainbow?
Every rainbow I’ve ever chased never had an end. A leprechaun?
Legend has it that at the end of every rainbow sits a leprechaun, hammering on a shoe, who will reveal the whereabouts of a crock of gold.
Possible anagram answers…A rainbow duo? Our woven braid? Rainbow drum? Brave drum
lia-
Our Woven Braid is my choice.
The first letters combine to spell BOW, which, of course, ends every RAINBOW.
A bow is a weapon used by braves.
“So hear me all and listen good.” The word “listen” might suggest looking for a word that sounds like “hear.”
Maybe “hair.” (Go back and look at astree’s avatar).
A brave’s hair was often braided.
Finally, look at the first letters of the first four lines of the poem: A A I A. Now google them.
Forrst has always had a deep reverence for Native American culture. I believe that this is reflected in the poem, and I think in one of the clues as well.
Thank you, Eliza, that was a good teaser. 🙂 And, it also showed me I should go more on my instinct…well, sometimes. I was definately headed in that direction! 🙂
Well Dur… that seems easy now… Thanks again Eliza!
U R both more than welcome!
There might be other parts of the poem that you should “listen good” to when they are read out loud.
For example, what does “quest to cease” kind of sound like?
Eliza, I think “your quest to cease” sounds like “west to seas” which fits nicely with a Lewis and Clark theme. What do you think it sounds like?
Our woven braid/BOW fits a braided oxbow of a stream and perhaps the hiding plac if I see hat, wig.
Hi Lia-
I think it’s a simple instruction about a direction in which to walk: west to east. Elsewhere in the same stanza I think there is a description of a particular type of path to walk down as well as a precise distance to go.
Think about Everard Hinrichs and Eric Sloane hiding in the first stanza (and the second line of the third stanza) and you might see this too!
Eas or east maybe but then how would that work if he just said look quickly down which is south your quest or west so Southwest then you throw east in there??
Go in p ease (east) continue on your way out.
Ju stake the treasure
.
Look quickly down, your quest to cease
Your queue west to cease
Your quest to see east
These were only aside, not primary, but agree with the primary.
Go in p EA ce, where EA is Old English for waterway, again incidental.
astree
Hi Astree, Eliza, Lia, Spallies, etc al;
it just so happens that I’m stuck at that particular spot,
your quest to cease
I am really over thinking it, and all this help, sorta is confusing, right now, now, I will add to Astree on the EA that stands out above. The four corners of the poem: AEID. Pg, 230 TFTW,
Amelia Earhart Identification. Hmmm. 🙂
…
ME
A ll
A nd
LI sten
…
Her life story has great meaning to Forrest. How he hid her name might tell you how to find some of the clues!
Thx Astree. Very cool.
Do you suggest that this is the “cornerposts”,
Then, next I would connect them?
You are so good at this stuff, sometimes I get it, sometimes I struggle. Also, do you mean to say hints?
Thx, JD
Eliza & jdiggings, the IDEA is also to wrap words around. But your right, the id card almost gives you the right coordinates. a little work and you’ll all have the correct L&L coordinates that I already figured out. Actually, I may just post both coordinates and let the red necks run for it. Too many mean games being played with some of my hard earned information. At some point you get pushed beyond caring.
The TIGHAR expedition is underway (today is start of Week 2) to find Amelia’s “initial campsite” on the island they think she landed her plane.
http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Niku8/dailies/niku8dailies2.html
Hi JD.
If I were so good at this, I would have found where to find the treasure a long time ago, so don’t assign too much value on my comments. Nevertheless, I have a strong sense that some of the clues (as in the nine CLUES, not hints) are extracted from the words of the puzzle by assembling nearby groups of letters found at the beginnings and endings of words. This is why I have posted more than once about how the names Everard Hinrichs and Eric Sloane can be found in the poem. Amelia is another good example. I think that some of the other clues are even more straightforward, derivable from simple anagrams. The best example of this has been noted by many searchers: marvel gaze can be reordered to yield gravel maze, which is what I suspect one must walk on from west to east shortly before he or she reaches the chest.
I’m guessing you were asking about my last comment and just mixed me and astree up! If so, I’m flattered, but he, as you know, operates at an entirely different level!
Liz
How many people are in on this besides yourself, Jenny? Do you know?
Jenny,
Are the bells and jars shown on Forrest’s desk the same ones shown in The Thrill of The Chase? Did he ever have the chance to go out and bury any others like he talked about?
If you don’t know, maybe Forrest would be kind enough to answer.
Chad