A Letterbox Trip to North Central Arizona

Even though I was just in Arizona visiting the Grand Canyon and celebrating my friend's (Regina's) birthday I have decided once again to make my way west. This time I am headed out to the Sedona/Prescott area. There is a letterboxing event taking place this coming weekend in Cottonwood and it was schedule for Mark and Sue Pepe's visit to the area. I decided I wanted to get out and do some letterboxing and there are plenty of boxes between here and Prescott. And there is the added bonus of the event. This will be my first time to actually stay in the area, Thomas and I made a quick pass through Sedona a few years ago but we only stayed about half a day. Now I actually get to really see the place. I have decided to write a trip blog about this and you can read all about it at North Central Arizona Letterboxing Trip. I hope to keep up with blogging each night to journal what I did each day. Well it is time to go I have last minute things to do before leaving in the morning.

Lunching with Letterboxers and Finding Two Letterboxes

Today I met Astro D, rubberpeace and ArnoldZiffel for lunch at The Ranch House. We had a great visit and talked a little about trips we have planned. ArnoldZiffel is leaving soon for Eastern Europe, rubberpeace is going to Tucson, Astro D had plans for Truth or Consequences, Flagstaff and Sedona and I am leaving on Monday for the Sedona and Prescott areas. It was a good lunch and visit and it was nice to catch up with everyone.

After lunch I decided to look for a couple of boxes that were recently placed by ArnoldZiffel here in Santa Fe. My first stop was Travel Bug. This is one of my favorite spots - a travel book store and coffee shop. I went in and asked for the box at the counter. The woman knew exactly what I was asking for and I took the box to a table to stamp in. This box is called An American Pig in Paris and I loved the stamp. It was nice to be inside and have a table to use to stamp in - I got a great image of the stamp. When done I returned the box to the woman at the counter and was ready to get to the next box. I drove to Governor Miles and Nizhoni and parked. I read the clues in the car and was able to spot the area where the box was hidden. So I grabbed my things and headed out. I grabbed the box (called Revegetation - great stamps) from its hiding spot (which is wonderfully done) and took it to a spot where I could sit and stamp in. While stamping in someone came up and asked what I was doing - thankfully it was ArnoldZiffel. She lives just around the corner and was taking her dog for a walk. They continued on and I finished stamping in and then replaced the box.

I had a great afternoon visiting with letterboxers and finding letterboxes. I wish I could do that everyday. Thanks ArnoldZiffel for the new boxes and thanks to Astro D, rubberpeace and ArnoldZiffel for a nice visit.

Back in Albuquerque for More Letterboxes

This evening Thomas and I are going to a birthday party for a couple of friends in Albuquerque and we decided to go a little early and do some letterboxing. We left Santa Fe around 2:00pm and about half way to Albuquerque we noticed the sky was getting dark and it looked like it was raining up ahead. As we got closer to Albuquerque we did get a light drizzle but nothing major. So we made our first stop at the Marriott Pyramid North to look for C4's Out West series of two boxes. The first box is hidden in the parking area and I felt a little uncomfortable because it is right in front of the building and there is a window looking right out to the hiding spot. But I did my best not to seen and I found the box. I grabbed it and decided to take it into the hotel since that is where the second box is hidden and stamp into them at the same time. So we walked in and went straight to the elevators and made our way to the 10th floor. I easily found the second box and then I looked around for somewhere to sit and stamp in. There was no place but there was a table against the wall near the elevators so I decided to use that and just hope that no hotel personnel came by. Luckily only three people passed to get into the elevator and none of them said anything. I finished stamping in and then put the boxes back together and then replaced the one on the 10th floor before heading back down to the lobby. We left the hotel and replaced the other box and then made our way to the car. I just hope that no one saw us because there is that window and I couldn't tell if anyone was looking out. I also got two first finder certificates - I was surprised that I was the first finder on these boxes - I guess none of the Albuquerque boxers have had time to get out there.

We left the hotel and made our way to the next location - Sandia Casino. I had clues for four boxes there and to tell the truth I was a little nervous about hunting for these boxes. But Thomas and I had a plan for one person to look for the box and the other to be lookout. The first box we looked for was Farwell Road Trip by Sunny Delight. This box is hidden under the apron of a light post. We parked right at the post and looked around. This part of the parking area was empty - there was only one car anywhere near this post and that made us feel exposed. There was also a camera on the next light post over to our right. But the way we parked blocked us a little and I was able to get the box without a problem. I stamped in while in the car and the replaced the box and thankfully no security guards showed up. Next we crossed to another parking area to look for awty's 3 Girls Trippin'. We parked and I read the clues and figured out where I needed to go. I made my way to a shelter with a bench and I was able to see some rocks on top of the wall near a beam. I looked around and climbed on the bench and picked up the rock. I then felt around (unable to see on top - too high) and came up empty handed. I put the rock back and returned to the car - the hiding spot is right on the edge of the parking area and cars kept driving by so I didn't put too much effort into finding the box. At this point we decided to leave the car where it was and head inside the building to look for the next box.

We walked through the casino and back past all the conference and meeting rooms and out the back door. I read the clues for Sunny Delight's Mountain Moments and in no time I had found the box. I found a spot to sit and stamp in while enjoying the views of the Sandias. There was no one out back and I just hoped there were no cameras to see what we were doing. I replaced the box and we went back inside and then out the front entrance to look for Kaw's Wandering Eye. We quickly found the spot and the box. I stamped in and then replaced the box. We headed back to the car and Thomas thought we should check on the box I couldn't find one more time. Since I am taller I climbed onto the bench and Thomas was lookout. I moved the rock again and still didn't feel anything except something like hay or straw. So I checked with Thomas that the coast was clear and then hoisted myself up using the stones of the wall and looked in. It was still hard to tell but all I could see was the hay. We decided to call it quits and I am still not positive if the box is there or not. If the spot wasn't so out in the open I might have had Thomas climb into my hands and I would have helped him up for a better look but I think that would have been too suspicious and we wouldn't have had a lookout. So it was back to the car and on to the next  box.

From the casino we drove down Tramway to Academy and entered High Desert Park to look for Lolofifi's Oh Deer! letterbox. There were a couple of people in the park with their dogs but no one was looking at us so I followed the clues and ducked behind the metal sculpture and found a pile of rocks. I started moving them but ended up coming out empty handed. I reread the clues just to make sure this was the right spot and decided to look one more time. Besides the rocks there were quite a bit of dead leaves so I moved all the rocks and then swept through the leave with my hands and I still didn't find the box. I hope that I just missed it but I think it may be missing. Now it was time for one last box before we headed to the birthday party. the last box we looked for was another Lolofifi box and this was My Fifi and it is hidden in the parking lot of the zoo. This was a quick and easy find and I stamped in while sitting in the car. After replacing the box we made our way to the party.

We had a great afternoon and evening in Albuquerque and found some nice boxes. Today made my third day of letterboxing in Albuquerque in two weeks and I still have a few more boxes to find. Well really only one that I didn't get to look for and three that I am thinking are missing. So I guess if someone finds them or the placers note if they are missing or not then I might make another trip to find them later. Thanks to all who have placed all these wonderful boxes.

Oh, and I forgot to say that I reached another milestone today. When I found Lolofifi's My Fifi letterbox it marked my 700th letterbox found in New Mexico - WooHoo! That is a significant number when you realize that there were less than 50 boxes in the state of New Mexico when I started letterboxing back in February 2006.

Letterboxing in Albuquerque, Again!

Today I brought my friend back to the airport for her flight home. Once I had dropped her off I decided to stay in Albuquerque for the afternoon and do some more letterboxing.

My first stop was at Presbyterian Hospital to find C4's Hospital Angels. This is a series of four boxes and they are spread out over the campus. I felt a little uncomfortable looking for the boxes because there are people and windows everywhere. I couldn't tell if anyone was looking out the window or not so I took my time and made sure to be as stealthy as possible. I ended up finding three of the four boxes. I am not sure if I was looking in the right place or not for the box I missed but I never did find it. So I left the hospital with three stamps and made my way to the next box. For the next box I parked somewhere in the vicinity of Carlisle and Central. I started following the clues for Wronghat's Lambency letterbox. At first I was having a little trouble but it didn't take long for things to make sense and in no time I found the box. Then I looked for a spot to sit and stamp in. I walked just a half block away and sat on some stairs. After stamping in I replaced the box and walked back to my car. I decided I had time for one more box. So I went in search of Wronghat's "I Am Not a Number" letterbox. The area where this box is hidden is being worked on and I wasn't sure I would be able to look for it. But I was able to follow the clues and I found the box. Then I took it to a bench so that I could sit and stamp in. While I was stamping in the workers pulled up right to the spot where the box is hidden. So after stamping in I had to wait for a while until I could replace the box. While I waited I talked with one of the guys to see what they were doing. They are putting in a sprinkler system and they had literally dug a small trench for the pipes about three feet from the box's hiding spot. After they left I was able to put the box back and I think it will be safe - the guy told me they were pretty much finished in this area. Now I was done for the day so I made my way back to my car and made my journey back to Santa Fe.

So I did some boxing in Albuquerque last week and today but there are still some boxes for me to find so I do believe I will have to make another trip soon.

A Couple of Boxes in Albuquerque

This afternoon I needed to be in Albuquerque to pick up a friend at the sunport and I decided to go a little early and pick up a couple of letterboxes. First I wanted to get a box from a series I found a year ago this February that was missing. So I made my way to Rio Rancho to find the third box in the series Filmed in New Mexico. I was familiar with the area and I knew exactly where to go to find the box. So I arrived at the area and read the clues and quickly found the box. I stamped using a log as a seat and then put the box back in place. I took my time walking back to the car by walking along the river. It was very nice and quiet so I was enjoying my walk. Once back in the car I decided to head over to the BioPark to look for Stung! I parked and read the clues but I as having a little trouble finding a landmark but then I walked a little further and found what I was looking for. And after taking two more steps I actually could see the box. I grabbed it and took it back to the car to stamp. Once I was done I returned the box to its hiding spot and went back to the car. Now it was time for me to get to the sunport and pick up my friend. If I keep up this finding one or two boxes each time I go to Albuquerque maybe I will get them all in a couple of monthes