Albuquerque Letterboxing on a Cloudy, Chilly Day

Today was a get together with rubberpeace and Astro D. We planned this about a week ago and we mapped out all the boxes available to us. Little did we know that Winter would decide to show itself today. I woke up to snow flurries and cold temperatures and was really wishing it was just a tad warmer. And most of the time Albuquerque is a little warmer than Santa Fe so I was still hopeful.

Astro D and rubberpeace arrived at my house and we climbed into my car and we were off. We made a stop just about 2 miles from my house at the 599 Rail Runner Stop so that they could get a box there that I had found a couple of days ago - Rail Runner Santa Fe. This was a quick and easy find and they brought the box back to the car to stamp in. Once they were done we made our way to I25 and headed south. Astro D looked at her list and mine as well as maps and we made a decision to make our next stop at Sandia Casino. We looked for and found Music City New Mexico, well just Astro D and I - rubberpeace had already found this one. This was a great little box hidden near the amphitheater in front of the casino and the stamp was beautiful. It was still a little chilly but better than Santa Fe. After we stamped in and rehid the box we continued a little further along Tramway to Forest Road 333 and the La Luz trail head. I was looking for two boxes here and the girls only needed one. I went in search of La Luz by myself. It didn't take long to find it but I had trouble finding a dry spot to stamp in on. As we made our way to the trail head we were driving in clouds, the mountain was socked in. So there was a mist all around and everything was wet. But I eventually found a spot and got the stamp image into my logbook. I returned the box back to its hiding spot and then returned to the car. Astro D and rubberpeace had found Sandia Mountain Series #1: Lover's Rock and had it in the car. So we all stamped in to this box while sitting in the car. We got that box back in place and it was time to head to our next stop. We drove back to Tramway and crossed I25 making our way to Guadalupe Trail and Wronghat's Dryad box. We had to find a stump and then go from there. The stump was incredible and I won't reveal what about it is incredible - you will have to go out and see for yourself. Anyway, we had a little difficulty with the clues and it took us a little while to find it. But it was worth the work because it was another great Wronghat stamp. By the time we found the box, stamped in and rehid the box it was time for lunch.

Astro D and rubberpeace had picked a place on Central called The Grove so we headed there. We had a nice lunch and a great visit and then made decisions of where we were going next. Since we were on Central we decided to head to Twinville Trekkers' Lovely Rita box. We parked on Central near 3rd Street and followed the clues to the box. We sat on a bench overlooking Central and stamped in as the traffic rolled by. We replaced the box and walked back to the car to continue our letterbox searching. Next stop was in Old Town. We went to Explora to find two boxes by trilla marion - State Fossil and Let's Explora. One box we found quickly but we had a little trouble finding the second one. It took all three of us searching to make sense of the clues and find the box. We stamped into both boxes at a picnic table near a windmill then put them back in place to continue our day. From here we drove a short distance and parked near the Fine Arts Museum and then walked to Old Town. We found the address followed the clues and nabbed the box from its hiding spot. We found a built in banquette to sit on and stamp. I enjoyed sitting in this little patio area - it was beautiful and peaceful. The box here is one of the Twinville Trekkers' Beatles Series - Michelle. By this time it was mid afternoon and we all wanted to get back up to Santa Fe. So we opted for one more box that was on the way as we headed back up north. We made our way to the San Mateo/Osuna exit on I25 and headed west on Osuna to Chappall to find Wronghat's Bike Tree letterbox. We parked and made the short walk to the only shaded area on the trail and found a neat log bench covered in all kinds of little stickers. From the bench we found the box without any trouble and stamped in while sitting on the bench. We enjoyed looking at all the stickers and the stamp that Wronghat carved. With this box back in place we were done in Albuquerque and we headed for home.

But of course, as all letterboxers do, we had to make one last stop before truly calling it a day. We stopped at the rest area just before you get to Santa Fe so that Astro D and rubberpeace could destroy one of the horcruxes. I found this box a week or so ago but they hadn't gotten it yet. They found the box and stamped in at a picnic table and then we really called it a day. Thanks Astro D and rubberpeace for a great day and thanks to everyone for the wonderful boxes we found in Albuquerque today.