Team Altoids Addict Reflects Over the Oppo Hunt

"Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available" (whoistheleader2)
08/29/2020 at 15:06 • Filed to: Oppo rally, Oppo Hunt

The !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! was an incredible experience that was a bright spot in an otherwise abysmal year.

I already did the official recap for points over on Instagram, but I’d like to share some of the best items/pictures I scored.

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!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! came in 24th place with a final score of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . That’s a bit more than half the points of the first place winner, Team Polar Express, but 500 points more than the median score of 1,500.

I led the hunt for about a week because I wanted to get lots of items crossed off before I left for college where I wouldn’t have access to a car. I did end up walking many many miles in Atlanta to find some hunt items, the furthest of which was easily the 5 mile round trip to Oakland Cemetery not including the time spent wandering around there.

This place is so breathtakingly beautiful I wrote up an article on it here on Oppo.

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My favorite photo is easily this one of Ally the Altoids Tin posing in front of the supposedly haunted grave of Mary Meinert clutching her dead children.

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Though the top shot of the Noguchi Playscape in Peidmond Park is an honorable mention. The bruta list mass of conc rete struck me as exactly the kind of place I’d like to go to play as a kid.

And this photo of Ally staring up at one of the elevator banks of the Mariotte Marquis was a good Oppo Hunt Wildcard. The item was famous movie locations. This exact shot was used in The Hunger Games movies.

These nearly identical Porsche 944 convertibles were particularly good finds for the #glitchinthematrix hunt item.

I came to Automobile Atlanta hoping to find two identical Porsche 944s but I had to use them as the mid engined hunt item.

Always treat a canon like it is loaded. That applies to you, Ally.

A timely Shelby Cobra replica helped me out tremendously.

I never knew the world’s first painted Coca-Cola wall advertisement was in Cartersville, Georgia, but now I know. It makes sense given the state’s role as the birthplace of Coca-Cola (I recently visited the World of Coke in Atlanta; would recommend).

Also in Cartersville is the Creditor’s Monument, the world’s only monument to generous loans erected by a particularly grateful debtor.

I never realized the base of Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Torch Tower was so rundown, having only seen it from the interstate.

Easily my favorite car spot of the hunt, I wrote up this sneak Fiat hiding out in Midtown here on Oppo.

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The Nueva 500 is n’t Midtown’s only old Fiat though. Ally the Altoids Tin didn’t like the look of The Autoeater, which has been chowing down on this poor Fiat Panda for years. She fears she might be too tasty to resist.

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One spot on the hunt I enjoyed more than I thought was the Switchyards Subterranean Ping Pong Stadium. Sure, it was dusty and grimy from disuse but in better times I can see this being a ton of fun.

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One of my more unexpected spots was this storefront once featured on a Paul McCartney album. The album’s photo was altered to include the words “Run Devil Run” after a product the store sold and the real sign was altered to include the phrase later. The basement was also used in the filming of The Ring. I remembered it from a movie location tour I’d taken years ago. Can confirm: the basement is exactly like something out of a horror movie.

One item I wish I could have found a category for was this derelict old Kodak sign that has been perched atop this abandoned building for two decades.

And finally, the one item that eluded me at every turn is the famous Krog Street Tunnel under the railroad tracks by Oakland Cemetery. My feet were so dead that I couldn’t bring myself to walk an extra mile for it. And I’ve come very close to going a few minutes out of my way multiple times to drive through it when I had a car even before the Oppo Hunt.

I’d like to thank Dusty for all the hard work that went into the hunt. This year would have been a whole lot more dreary without this whimsical and fun distraction. Plus, I had a good excuse to go out and discover new places and things I had no idea existed.

DISCUSSION (22)

vondon302 > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
08/29/2020 at 15:42

This was a great wildcard. Very cool. Sure was a lot of fun. Loved your posts and thx I got a few cemeteries to visit now.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > vondon302
08/29/2020 at 16:00

Thank you. I thought my Wildcards were pretty strong too. Quite a few were movie locations

Did you participate? I can’t remember what your insta handle might have been. I sure found it to be a ton of fun.

If you like cemeteries then Oakland should be way up there on your list. It's an absolutely incredible place.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
08/29/2020 at 16:02

Is the first picture supposed to be a car, it looks very pixelated .

vondon302 > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
08/29/2020 at 16:36

#teamdink302

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Twas a great deal of fun. Still looking for that damn real estate sold sign.

https://oppositelock.kinja.com/oppo-hunt-recap-and-photo-dump-pic-heavy-1844890281

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > vondon302
08/29/2020 at 17:45

I couldn’t find one either. Really word considerin g the real estate market around here. I can see around four different new high rises under construction from where I’m standing right now yet nothing has sold. Of course I can also see the tallest building in the southeast so their height isn’t too surprising.

I remember your hunt now. You had a good showing. What place did you come in?

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever
08/29/2020 at 17:49

Haha anything is possible at the Noguchi Playscape (a real national treasure as it is the only one he built in the US). It's utterly brilliant! Look it up.

Deltyn drives a meh car > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
08/29/2020 at 18:07

Gave you a follow on Instagram

vondon302 > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
08/29/2020 at 18:11

10th so surprised! A com e from behind strong showing. Had another 4 to 6 mapped out but life got in the way of my Flint trip. Might have made a run for top five. Lol

facw > vondon302
08/29/2020 at 18:35

I don’t think Dusty has actually finished the scoring. No one has points for the wrap ups yet, and there are three of mine that got in before the deadline that haven’t been acc ounted for. I may pass you!

vondon302 > facw
08/29/2020 at 19:08

Lol I was shooting for teens 2700 points or so. Maybe, good luck! Either way.

Still fun no matter where anyone finished. More than willing to pay for participant sticker.

;)

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > vondon302
08/29/2020 at 20:12

I had a few walking routes through Atlanta I never got to. It’s a really big city and my out of shape self could only take so much. And losing access to my car halfway through also made points hard (the otherwise nearby longest river in the state would have been an easy one).

Aside from the Krog St Tunnel, I wanted to find the replica zero mile marker of the Western and Pacific Railroad but one does not simply wander alone in the railroad gulch. It’s a whol e nother world on ground level in the gulch; even walking across the windswept viaducts far above would probably sketch lots of people out (not me).

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > facw
08/29/2020 at 20:12

I had a few last minute ones so maybe I'll jump up in the rankings too.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Deltyn drives a meh car
08/29/2020 at 20:16

Ah, thank you.

Did you get involved in the #oppohunt? Tons of people had some really great stuff. I tried to challenge myself and not get anything too easy. Like I actually walked to the tallest building in the state instead of taking a photo of it from my window. It was basically the only noteworthy fun thing I've done this year.

facw > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
08/29/2020 at 20:25

Current scores are here if you want to check what you might have outstanding: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HjebA2kX89Pbc7HsHEjgfGGMbW4V9yWNSe7R5uxca30/

Me, I’m mostly hoping to overtake team Loose Screw in the battle of diecast plane mascots.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > facw
08/29/2020 at 20:34

Yes, I used it to determine I currently sit in 26th place for the article. I’m shocked at how many people scored bi g points though. There weren’t many teams that only did a couple.

facw > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
08/29/2020 at 20:36

bug points?

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > facw
08/29/2020 at 20:37

Yes, did you not score the category for bug larger than 10 cm across? Hehe.

facw > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
08/29/2020 at 20:40

Nope!

Also missed out on a bunch of air-cooled cars...

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > facw
08/29/2020 at 20:55

I knew of a tow lot with tons of abandoned 50s and 60s cars including two Corvairs. Otherwise I would have struggled with those. And Automobile Atlanta made the mid engines category easy with the obscene number of 914s they have.

facw > vondon302
08/31/2020 at 09:27

I think Dusty finished up last night/this morning. Looks like I did pass you (by four points!) More importantly I’m ahead of Loose Screw and their Delta plane.

vondon302 > facw
08/31/2020 at 09:43

4 points! Grrr I knew I should of made that Flint run.

Congrats! Still was a blast.

DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
08/31/2020 at 10:07

You had some fantastic ones! We ended up in 14th overall, but it took a very, very long day in the Insight last Sunday to pull it off.

Word to the wise... Stock ZE1 Insight seats start to really suck after the first 150 miles or so in a day.