Book excerpt: Nothing stirs the imagination quite so much as the lure of hidden treasure. Stories of buried chests laden with gold and jewels, or hidden stashes of gold coins, combine the allure of fabulous riches with the excitement of adventure. A good legend of treasure is like a "perfect storm" for a creative imagination.Avid treasure hunters know and casual treasure hunters soon learn that the rich nuggets found while hunting for treasure may not be gold-ore, but legends and stories that will inspire and delight generations, while sometimes connecting us to deeply personal histories of the real people behind the stories.This is not a guide that points out where to dig. Let this be your guide to the beginning of a search for more information. Many of the sites indexed on the map are on private property or state lands that require official permission to access. Most reasonable people would conclude that if the exact location of buried or hidden treasure was known and obvious, the treasure would no longer be there. The map points us to the "vicinity" of the legend, either where the legend originates from, or where it points to, our best effort is made to indicate the most important places that relate to the legends of the treasures.