Local couple discover box full of prizes and $5,000. Here’s where they found it
Published at | Updated at
IDAHO FALLS – An Idaho Falls couple are “happy” after finding a box with gift cards and a voucher for $5,000 in a treasure hunt.
Philip and Dixean Grimes found the box inside some sagebrush at Gem Bike Park in Idaho Falls Tuesday around 4 p.m. It was discovered 12 days after Anderson Hicks Group launched its second annual holiday treasure hunt. The company made the announcement on its Instagram page Tuesday.
The Grimes tell EastIdahoNews.com they’re planning to share the money with their kids and others.
“My daughter and granddaughter helped us quite a bit and they searched with us as well. They just weren’t with us (at the moment we found it),” Philip says. “I think we’ll give some money to all of our kids. We’ll give a little bit to our church and a lot to the government.”
The Grimes participated in the treasure hunt Anderson Hicks Group hosted this summer. They had a lot of fun going places they normally don’t go.
RELATED | $5,000 and other prizes hidden somewhere in eastern Idaho could be yours
When the holiday treasure hunt began on Dec. 1, they decided to get involved.
“My daughter started talking about this Christmas treasure, and at first I wasn’t too excited. But then I started looking into it, got my wife involved and we were just hooked at that point,” says Philip.
The couple started their search at a park in Shelley where a lot of treasure hunters were looking. Anderson Hicks Group ultimately said the treasure wasn’t there.
The way one of the clues was worded led the Grimes to Freeman Park at the end of the Greenbelt trail behind the railroad tracks near University Place before going to Gem Lake.
“The first time I drove out there, I just looked around briefly around a (certain) tree. It turns out (the treasure) wasn’t there. Then there was another clue that said, in effect, ‘where the shade is shy, walk down the trail to where the T meets the sky,'” Philip explains.
They knew there was a trail along the river there and went back to look again. There was a power pole off the trail that matched the description. There were no wires and it was in the shape of a T.
East of that spot was the bike park. The couple wasn’t familiar with it so they came home after searching the area.
“I probably went out there at least four more times searching because it’s a pretty big area and there’s a lot of places to hide things,” he says.
The next clue referenced the dam and the river and that guided them to the bike park, where they searched several times without success.
They scoured the whole area Tuesday morning and went home around noon. All the clues indicated it was definitely in Idaho Falls and the bike park matched the description.
That afternoon, the Grimes drove back to the bike park once again and searched in the far south end of the park where they hadn’t looked yet. Philip says there was a blue bag in “a large grouping of sagebrush.” That’s where they found it.
Philip worked as a detective with the Idaho Falls Police Department for many years and it was enjoyable for him to look for clues and solve a mystery.
“To me, that’s fun and it’s just exciting to go to different places,” he says. “If nothing else, it’s great exercise.”
“It’s a free date,” Dixean adds.
The couple is grateful to Anderson Hicks Group for hosting these treasure hunts and they hope it continues.