This is What Letterboxing is All About!

Last week Astro D, rubberpeace and I celebrated Astro D's 1000th find and had a great time. We talked about getting together again for lunch. Astro D and rubberpeace went to find one more letterbox after I left them and they picked today to have lunch and they picked Joe's Diner. Yesterday afternoon I noticed that four new boxes had been planted in Las Vegas, NM by Hi Desert and I had printed out the clues with the thought that after lunch I might drive up there and find them. I guess great minds really do think alike because while I was doing chores around the house and getting things ready for the afternoon Astro D called me and asked if I wanted to extend lunch to an afternoon of letterboxing in Las Vegas. Of course, I was totally on board (since I had already been thinking of that).

When I arrived at Joe's Diner Astro D and rubberpeace were there already and had a table. We chatted a bit and ordered and when I reached into the sugar bowl to grab some sweetner that is all I noticed. I used to pride myself on being pretty observant but with age I am losing it. I totally missed that the two of them had placed a small pouch letterbox in with the sweetner. I was so embarrassed when Astro D took it out and put it on the table. The box is called The Locavore's Dilemma and the stamp was carved by Astro D and the logbook was made by rubberpeace. Both the stamp and logbook are terrific and I loved the first finder card they included in the bag. Thanks guys - what a great surprise and sorry I am so unobservant. rubberpeace had also brought both Astro D and I a surprise. She had made homemade chocolate bark (and it was very good). After a nice lunch and good conversation we loaded into the car and headed north to Las Vegas.

I always have loved the drive from Santa Fe to Las Vegas - it is very scenic and not nearly as much traffic as going to Albuquerque. So after about an hour we reached our first destination. We arrived at the Las Vegas Depot and began our search for our first box - All Aboard For the Other Las Vegas. We followed the clues and found the box. We sat on the steps of the old La Castaneda Hotel and stamped in. After rehiding the stamp we drove just a little ways up the road to the City of Las Vegas Museum and Rough Rider Memorial to find Rough Rider. To find the box you had to solve a little puzzle (which we did) and we followed those clues to the hiding spot. rubberpeace retrieved the box for us and we stamped in sitting in the car. So far we were doing great with finding the boxes and had no problems and after rubberpeace replaced the box we were on our way. We parked at the corner of 8th and National and walked to the Centennial Alumni Tower on the New Mexico Highlands University campus. Once there we needed a few numbers and while Astro D and I were getting these numbers and figuring out the compass direction rubberpeace went out and checked a couple of spots and found the box without any of the numbers. So we sat on the artificial grass that covered the area. It was a beautiful day but we didn't see any students - I kind of thought that was weird. We stamped in and rehid the box. As we headed back to the car we noticed a lone turquoise shoe near a tree. Upon further investigation we found a few more shoes - they were all different and all painted turquoise. Another weird thing about the campus. This intrigued me and I made a note to myself to do some googling when I got home. I did that but didn't find anything so I sent an email to the University to see if they could give me some insight. And they did! The shoes are put all over campus to mark the Take Back the Night Event that takes place tomorrow night. You can read about the event which takes place all over the country by clicking on the picture with the shoes. On to the last box - Oh, Well! - no, that is the name of the box. So we headed through the Plaza to the Hay Springs Well (the nation's oldest surviving well along the Santa Fe Trail). We parked and I went out and retrieved the box and brought it back to the car. We stamped in and just as Astro D was putting everything back into the bag a woman walked up and asked if she could help us. Come to find out the well is on private property. rubberpeace thought quickly and said we just wanted to see the well and the woman seemed fine with that and left us. We all got out of the car and Astro D took pictures of the well while I rehid the box hoping that the woman wouldn't come out or wasn't watching us while I hid the box. Once it was back in place we got in the car and headed out.

But before leaving Las Vegas we made a stop at Charlie's Spic & Span Bakery and Cafe for some sweets. Then Astro D drove us back to Santa Fe and our cars. It was a great day with friends and a great day of letterboxing - just as it should be. Thanks Astro D and rubberpeace for all the fun and thanks Hi Desert for the boxes and tour of Las Vegas, NM.