Uncovering Utopia’s Hidden Treasures

What do you do with a buried rowboat?

Our Utopians won’t see an inch of their new home before they move in this Friday, August 29. Their introduction to Utopia will come as a total surprise, a headfirst dive into the unknown. But that same degree of secrecy doesn’t apply to those of us on the outside itching to get a look at this crazy habitat!

We’ve already explored the plant life of Utopia and gotten a glimpse at our control center. Today we’re turning our focus toward some of the site’s semi-secret physical features. You could call them “hidden gems,” maybe “Easter Eggs.” Or just “idiosyncratic objects buried in weird places.” Let’s see what’s out there!

• Half-buried near the lake is a rowboat. Right now it’s covered in grass and wildflowers, the product of hydroseeding...but should Utopians want to dig out the rowboat and use it, they can.

• Fish might not be “hidden gems” so much as “very visible wildlife,” but about 400 of them -- bass, bluegill, and catfish -- populate the Utopia lake. And they areready to breed.

• A wall of the house that’s already populated by plenty of random antiques (think rusty coffee grinder, butter churn, mason jars, a baseball) actually hides a box of vegetable seeds.

• A malfunctioning tractor that could work, provided the Utopians figure out exactly which replacement parts they must order to fix it.

• Deep within the junk bucket in Casa Utopia is the key for the main water spigot just inside the gates. Will they find it on Day 1, or thirst their lives away?

• An antique washing machine that, if you didn’t know any better, you’d think should be used to plunge a toilet.

• Up in the loft of the barn are rolls of cotton in paper sacks that could be used for bedding.

• That thing on wheels that isn’t a tractor? It’s an old-timey generator. (In this setting, it’s just a device to support a camera without the camera feeling intrusive. It’s essentially a prop. But in a previous life? Generator.

• Water tower? You wish, Utopians! That there’s a fancy moonlight projector to illuminate the darkest hours. The better to see you with, m'dears...

We’ve got to wait a few more days to see just how much Utopians care about digging out an old rowboat and solving engineering puzzles. Maybe not at all! But whatever happens, you’ve got to tune into our live streams, launching August 29, to see it all uncovered.

UTOPIA. It’s always on. Jump into the live streams here, or get the app!