Once parked I sat in the car and read the clues. The box was a short walk away and I debated whether to take my things with me or just run and get the box and bring it back to the car. The wind in Santa Fe had been brutal for the last few days and I wasn't sure I wanted to sit out in the wind while stamping in. Eventually I decided to just take my things and make the best of it. I followed the clues and when I got to the hiding spot I had to wait a few minutes for a guy who was walking a dog. Once he left I was all alone and I nabbed the box easily. To help block the wind I sat next to a wall and protected all the papers and baggies. Fortunately nothing blew away and I got the box back into its hiding spot without any incidents. this was a quick and easy find and a nice break during my errands.
Monday, April 28, 2014
One Quick Find
Today I had to run a few errands and I was going to be in the vicinity of a new letterbox so I decided to take my letterboxing supplies with me and stop for this box. The box is called Risen! and was placed by C4. It is hidden in Amelia White Park off of Old Santa Fe Trail. Once parked I sat in the car and read the clues. The box was a short walk away and I debated whether to take my things with me or just run and get the box and bring it back to the car. The wind in Santa Fe had been brutal for the last few days and I wasn't sure I wanted to sit out in the wind while stamping in. Eventually I decided to just take my things and make the best of it. I followed the clues and when I got to the hiding spot I had to wait a few minutes for a guy who was walking a dog. Once he left I was all alone and I nabbed the box easily. To help block the wind I sat next to a wall and protected all the papers and baggies. Fortunately nothing blew away and I got the box back into its hiding spot without any incidents. this was a quick and easy find and a nice break during my errands.
Once parked I sat in the car and read the clues. The box was a short walk away and I debated whether to take my things with me or just run and get the box and bring it back to the car. The wind in Santa Fe had been brutal for the last few days and I wasn't sure I wanted to sit out in the wind while stamping in. Eventually I decided to just take my things and make the best of it. I followed the clues and when I got to the hiding spot I had to wait a few minutes for a guy who was walking a dog. Once he left I was all alone and I nabbed the box easily. To help block the wind I sat next to a wall and protected all the papers and baggies. Fortunately nothing blew away and I got the box back into its hiding spot without any incidents. this was a quick and easy find and a nice break during my errands.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Pojoaque and Taos Letterboxing
Yesterday Thomas and I talked about getting out of the house and doing something today. So I suggested some letterboxing between Santa Fe and Taos. So I did a search and printed out all the clues for letterboxes that I hadn't found in these areas and got all my supplies ready last night. This morning after having some coffee we headed out. Our first stop was Cities of Gold Casino. We were looking for Tewa Yiya by C4. This box is hidden about 100 feet from the front door of the casino hotel at the handicap parking spots. We parked and I started walking toward the hiding spot and immediately noticed two people standing at the front entrance and there was someone sitting in their car right in front of where the box was hidden. So I turned around and went back to the car and we decided to move and scrap that box - just a really bad hiding spot. We next took NM503 toward Chimayo to find two boxes. First we drove approximately 6.5 miles and stopped at a crossover to find Life is Good by Sunny Delight. 
This was an easy and quick find. I took it back to the car to stamp in because it was pretty windy this morning. After stamping in and replacing the box we drove about another half mile to find No Longer There! by C4. This was another quick and easy find and again I stamped in while sitting in the car because of the wind. After I stamped in I replaced the box and then we returned to US285/84 and headed north through Espanola and then NM68 up to Taos. When we arrived in Taos we decided to stop and get a bite to eat. So we had a good breakfast at Sagebrush Inn and some more coffee before continuing on. For the next box we headed to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. We were looking for Popular by The Cruising Crew. We drove across the brigde and to the rest area on the west side. As we pulled in we noticed four EMS vehicles, a hearse and a BLM truck and the trail head was blocked off with yellow crime tape. There were also about 20 people at the trail head. We asked a couple of guys what was going on but they said they couldn't talk about it. They did tell us that the trail would be open in about 10 minutes. We watched them roll a body on a stretcher up to the hearse and load it and then in less than five minutes all the people and vehicles left. We are not sure if it was a suicide or murder but there definitely was a dead body. Anyway, after all everyone left we headed down the trail to find the box. It was only a short distance to the box and we found it without a problem. We found a flat rock to sit on so I could stamp in and I had to have Thomas help me hold papers and logbooks because the wind was quite active. Thankfully we got through the stamping in without anything blowing away and then we got the box back into its hiding spot. 
We then headed back toward Taos and stopped at Taos Mesa Brewing Company to find a box of the same name by The Cruising Crew. We followed the clues which had us drive through the gate and park. Then they said to walk back toward the gate to the wooden fence on the left. Then it said to follow the rocks to the corner and look under a large rock. I have to tell you by this time I was so confused and I felt very exposed because the building had big windows and I couldn't tell if someone was watching. Also there were a lot of rocks and the clues were a little confusing so I decided to scrap this box as well and we headed out. From here we made our way through Taos and back toward Santa Fe. We made one last stop of the day at a pull our along the Rio Grande to find ArnoldZiffel's Blue River. This was another quick and easy find and a great stamp. Again I brought it back to the car to stamp in because there was still wind to deal with. Once the box was back in its hiding spot we decide to call it a day and return home. We had a great outing and enjoyed the four boxes we found.
This was an easy and quick find. I took it back to the car to stamp in because it was pretty windy this morning. After stamping in and replacing the box we drove about another half mile to find No Longer There! by C4. This was another quick and easy find and again I stamped in while sitting in the car because of the wind. After I stamped in I replaced the box and then we returned to US285/84 and headed north through Espanola and then NM68 up to Taos. When we arrived in Taos we decided to stop and get a bite to eat. So we had a good breakfast at Sagebrush Inn and some more coffee before continuing on. For the next box we headed to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. We were looking for Popular by The Cruising Crew. We drove across the brigde and to the rest area on the west side. As we pulled in we noticed four EMS vehicles, a hearse and a BLM truck and the trail head was blocked off with yellow crime tape. There were also about 20 people at the trail head. We asked a couple of guys what was going on but they said they couldn't talk about it. They did tell us that the trail would be open in about 10 minutes. We watched them roll a body on a stretcher up to the hearse and load it and then in less than five minutes all the people and vehicles left. We are not sure if it was a suicide or murder but there definitely was a dead body. Anyway, after all everyone left we headed down the trail to find the box. It was only a short distance to the box and we found it without a problem. We found a flat rock to sit on so I could stamp in and I had to have Thomas help me hold papers and logbooks because the wind was quite active. Thankfully we got through the stamping in without anything blowing away and then we got the box back into its hiding spot. We then headed back toward Taos and stopped at Taos Mesa Brewing Company to find a box of the same name by The Cruising Crew. We followed the clues which had us drive through the gate and park. Then they said to walk back toward the gate to the wooden fence on the left. Then it said to follow the rocks to the corner and look under a large rock. I have to tell you by this time I was so confused and I felt very exposed because the building had big windows and I couldn't tell if someone was watching. Also there were a lot of rocks and the clues were a little confusing so I decided to scrap this box as well and we headed out. From here we made our way through Taos and back toward Santa Fe. We made one last stop of the day at a pull our along the Rio Grande to find ArnoldZiffel's Blue River. This was another quick and easy find and a great stamp. Again I brought it back to the car to stamp in because there was still wind to deal with. Once the box was back in its hiding spot we decide to call it a day and return home. We had a great outing and enjoyed the four boxes we found.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Cerrillos Hills and Museum Hill
A couple of days ago I got a note about one of my boxes at Cerrillos Hills State Park and I have been wanting to go out there and hike anyway so I made plans to head out there today. Also there is a new box that I could look for. I made it to the parking area and paid my fee. Then I crossed the road to the Jane Calvin Sanchez trail. When I arrived at the first mine I stopped and from this point on I was checking the clues for my Felis concolor box. So I read the clue and checked the degrees for the side trail and it was fine. I then counted the steps and made it to the next point - everything still good. From here I kept going checking the clues along the way until I reached the box. 
All the clues were pretty good but since I had a note that the clues were a little off or confusing I decided to tweak them a little. So I added a couple of landmarks and then I added a compass reading at the end to help find the hiding spot. So after I checked the clues and made sure the box was in good shape I returned to the main trail and continued on to find the new box - Cerrillos Birr by Wronghat. I found the landmark and followed the rest of the clues and easily found the box. The box is hidden near a bench so I sat there to stamp in. This is another great stamp by Wronghat and the hiding spot is nice - the views are fantastic. After I replaced the box I continued on the trail which takes me to the main road in the park but up a ways from the main parking lot. So then I walked along the road back to my car.
From Cerrillos I made my way back to Santa Fe and more specifically to Museum Hill. I went back to check on two boxes I couldn't find on Sunday. The first one I looked for is in the overflow parking area for the Folk Art and Indian Museums. I did a really good search and even dug down a bit because the clue said the box was buried. I made sure to check all around the area but I still didn't find the box. So I went over to the Spanish Musuem to check on that box. I first looked under the rock again but no box so then I kept searching the area around the tree and I found the box about a foot from the rock. I took Year of the Horse by Sunny Delight to the car and stamped in there. Wen I was done I returned the box to its hiding spot and made sure the rock was over the box. I am glad I found this one and I hope I just missed the other one - I would really hate it if that box was already missing.
Anyway I had a nice day of letterboxing and I enjoyed my little hike at Cerrillos Hill. There are still a few boxes in the Santa Fe, Pojoaque and Taos areas that I can still look for. Hopefully soon.
All the clues were pretty good but since I had a note that the clues were a little off or confusing I decided to tweak them a little. So I added a couple of landmarks and then I added a compass reading at the end to help find the hiding spot. So after I checked the clues and made sure the box was in good shape I returned to the main trail and continued on to find the new box - Cerrillos Birr by Wronghat. I found the landmark and followed the rest of the clues and easily found the box. The box is hidden near a bench so I sat there to stamp in. This is another great stamp by Wronghat and the hiding spot is nice - the views are fantastic. After I replaced the box I continued on the trail which takes me to the main road in the park but up a ways from the main parking lot. So then I walked along the road back to my car.From Cerrillos I made my way back to Santa Fe and more specifically to Museum Hill. I went back to check on two boxes I couldn't find on Sunday. The first one I looked for is in the overflow parking area for the Folk Art and Indian Museums. I did a really good search and even dug down a bit because the clue said the box was buried. I made sure to check all around the area but I still didn't find the box. So I went over to the Spanish Musuem to check on that box. I first looked under the rock again but no box so then I kept searching the area around the tree and I found the box about a foot from the rock. I took Year of the Horse by Sunny Delight to the car and stamped in there. Wen I was done I returned the box to its hiding spot and made sure the rock was over the box. I am glad I found this one and I hope I just missed the other one - I would really hate it if that box was already missing.
Anyway I had a nice day of letterboxing and I enjoyed my little hike at Cerrillos Hill. There are still a few boxes in the Santa Fe, Pojoaque and Taos areas that I can still look for. Hopefully soon.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Letterboxing on Easter
Today Thomas and I had a quiet morning at home and then went to his Aunt's house for lunch. After a nice meal and visit we decided to get out and do a little letterboxing. I had clues for six boxes in Santa Fe and my letterboxing bag, so we were ready to go.
We drove to Museum Hill where I had clues for three boxes. We first went across from the entrance to the Folk Art, Indian Arts and Anthropology Museums and looked for Straight From the Horses Mouth. From the clues I thought this would be a quick and easy find. We parked and I went to the juniper and saw the flat, red rock but after a few minutes of searching around I couldn't find the box. So I went back to the car and read the clues again and checked under the tree again. I still didn't find the box so I asked Thomas to go and try and he also came back empty handed. I thought this is crazy since the box was just hidden yesterday. Anyway, we decided to try for the next box which was at the Spanish Museum. So we went there and parked. Thomas stayed in the car and I went to find the box - Year of the Horse. It was only a short walk and again I found the rock and a hole but no box. So I returned to the car and wondered what was going on. Two new boxes and both missing. I was not feeling good about the way our letterboxing outing was starting. But we continued on. We next stopped at the entrance to Museum Hill at the Santa Fe Trail sculpture and this time we had better luck. We found Horsin' Around right where it was supposed to be. I stamped in while sitting in the car and then replaced the box. From here we drove to Amelia White Park and again we had good luck. We found Horse of a Different Color and again I stamped while sitting in the car. After replacing the box we headed for the last box(es) we had clues for. We parked at Monica Lucero Park and walked the trail heading east first. We found Mystery Animal: Of Course without any problems and after stamping in we returned back to the park and then took the trail in the opposite direction to find Mystery Animal: A Horse. Again this was an easy find and I found a nice place to sit and stamp in. After replacing the box we returned to the car and headed for home.
We had a great day out letterboxing and enjoyed all the great stamps we found. I hope that I was just off on the first two but it all seemed very weird. Thanks to Sunny Delight for all these boxes.
Tuesday, April 08, 2014
Home From Arizona
This morning I was up very early 4:30am and I was on the road by 5:00am. I guess I was ready to be home. I got some coffee and filled the car with gas before leaving Flagstaff and started driving east. I didn't stop until I reached Gallup where I stopped for gas and to get some breakfast and coffee. I took the food to eat in the car and continued my drive. I had an uneventful drive and I was home at about 11:15am.
I had a fantastic trip and you can read all about it at North Central Arizona Letterboxing Trip. I found quite a few letterboxes, met some great new people, visited with old friends and got to see places I had never been. I really loved the area I was in and hope to visit the area again. Now I just need to get back to my normal routine and start planning my next trip.
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