Bombs and 'Burque

Today we continued our little adventure to letterbox and attend the Trinity Site open house. We left our hotel in Socorro around 8:00am and drove to San Antonio and made our first stop at The Owl Bar & Cafe.

Owl Bar & Cafe

We were looking for Owl Burger by Kazam. I had noticed an attempt posted by Astor D less than a week ago but since we were right there I thought I would check. I followed the clues but did not find the box - I only found four small rocks. So I decided to check all the trees around and look in the general area, but I still came up empty handed. So we got back in the car and drove about twelve miles east on US Hwy 380 to the turn off for the Stallion Range Center entrance (about 5 miles from 380) to White Sands Missile Range and then another 17 miles to the Trinity Site. I enjoyed the visit there even though there isn't that much to see and you can read about the trip on my other blog - My Journal of Random Things at Visiting Ground Zero. After our visit to the Trinity Site we made our way back to US Hwy 380 and stopped at an Historic Marker for the Trinity Site to find a box by ArnoldZiffel called Trinity Site. This was probably not the best day to stop for this box since the area was pretty visit. You see the Trinity Site is only open two days per year and today was one of them. So there were a lot of people stopping at the Marker. I ended up walking around just taking random pictures until the coast was clear and then I nabbed the box and brought it back to the car to stamp in. Once I was done I had to wait about 15 minutes for the area to clear so I could rehide the box. I was glad I waited to find the box today - it went so well with our visit to the site and I loved the stamp since it had the perfect information on it.

Trinity Site Historic Marker

Now it was time to head back north. We weren't quite ready to return to Santa Fe because we had plans for the evening in Albuquerque. On our trip back up I25 we ended up stopping at the Walking Sands Rest Area to check on a couple of boxes. I first looked for Barbed Wire. There was a note on the clue that this box was unavailable but thought since we were near here we would check. So I followed the clues and when I spotted the area with a SPOR I walked to it and saw something under the rocks. I thought "Oh Great, the Box is There". But when I lifted the rocks I ended up finding a geocache - that was so disappointing. So I guess this box is really missing. I then went to check on Adobe Fort. I found this box way back on May 13, 2006. Now it is in the LbNA basement and is marked as adoptable. I followed the clues and ended up where I thought the box was but there was so much trash and debris I didn't want to dig around in the sand and end up getting cut or something. So I didn't find out if that box is still there or not. Maybe on another trip and if the area is cleaner I might look for it and I think a hand shovel would help - the sands move and the box could be buried quite a bit.

Artwork on the Rio Grande Central Bridge

Back on I25 we made our way to Los Lunas to gas up the car and get something to eat. Once that was done we headed to Albuquerque to find some boxes until it was time to meet a friend for dinner and a concert. Our first stop in Albuquerque was at Mariposa Basin Park to find Feed the Ducks by trilla_marion. This is a two box series. So I headed out while Thomas stayed at the car to contact our friend to get the time we were meeting up. The park was pretty busy as it was a gorgeous day and a holiday weekend in Albuquerque. So I was skeptical about finding the boxes without being seen. Luckily I didn't have a problem. The first one was hidden in the roots of a bush near a tree and it blocked me from the rest of the park and the second box was away from most of the crowd. So I found both boxes and loved the series - it was a little funny. I returned to the car and found out we had until 5:30pm to letterbox. So onward we went. The next stop was the Rio Grande Bridge on Central to find Wronghat's Nexus letterbox. To find this box you had to walk along both sides of the bridge looking at artwork and answering questions from information signs. Then you had to take your answers to make compass degrees to triangulate the spot the box was in. I have to admit that I had some trouble with the questions and answers and the compass degrees. But I made an educated guess and ended finding the box easily enough. I sat on the bench right near the hiding spot and stamped in. I was also the first finder and got a nice first finder card with a pressed penny.

[I am back with a note: Today (April 8, 2012) I received this email . . .
[AQ] Nexus
FROM:
JustCat
TO:
Mark Menard
Sunday, April 8, 2012 7:34 PM
Congrats on finding the box first - we were hoping to be first and went twice yesterday to find the box. It was not present yesterday where we found it today. We had to verify clues and placement with the owner because the box was definitely missing from the sign. If it was removed for the day, please know that letterboxers are out there searching.Thanks and Happy Trails!
From: JustCat
I know I am sensitive and take things personally but I really resent this person's implication that I took the box and left with it thus making it unfindable for her. And apparently she thinks that I think I am the only letterboxer on the planet and felt she needed to let me know that she was there and I shouldn't take the box. More and more lately I receive these types of rude emails about either a box I planted or one that I found. I keep thinking I need to get out of the hobby or just keep it to myself. But then again I really like this hobby and I won't quit. So I sent this person an email letting her know that I was insulted by her accusation and that I didn't remove the box. I also let her know my stats and assured her I know letterboxing protocol and more than that just plain common courtesy - I would never remove a box far from its hiding spot unless it was compromised or if the placer asked me to remove it. Please know that if you have any concerns that involve me feel free to contact me. But please do it in a manner that doesn't insinuate that I have done something intentional to sabotage or make things hard for you. I am always willing to help and I will give hints and help you find one of my boxes if you are having problems. I wish this letterboxer that sent the above email had written the note differently. If she had written and asked "By chance, when you found the box did you take it to a picnic table or somewhere to stamp in because I had trouble finding it?", then I wouldn't feel like I was being found guilty in her little case of 'The Missing Letterbox'. Okay - I have vented - time to move on.]

Triangle Park Police Substation

From the bridge we continued east on Central this time stopping at the Albuquerque Press Club to find What What's New Mexico 100. This was an easy find and the park was empty so I didn't have to worry about a bunch of people watching me. I was still careful because there are houses just opposite of where the box is hidden and just in case someone was looking out their window I didn't want to get caught. So I set up so I blocked the view and grabbed the box. I sat right there and stamped in - it was so peaceful, very quiet and relaxing. I got the box back in place and made my way back to the car. We still had time for one more box. The last box we looked for (and found) was Albuquerque Diner. This is hidden near the Triangle Park Police Substation (which is prefabricated diner - called a Valentine Diner- that has been converted into the substation) and was a quick and easy find since the area was pretty deserted. I guess it might be a challenge during busy week days but today was quiet. I stamped in and rehid the box and returned to the car. It was a great letterboxing day with beautiful weather.

We ended up meeting our friend at O'Neill's Irish Pub for dinner and then we saw The Manhattan Transfer at Popejoy Hall. We had a great trip and some busy days but I enjoyed every minute of it. I will be posting again soon as Astro D, rubberpeace and I are going to Farmington next week for some major letterboxing - there are quite a few boxes up there in Northwest New Mexico.