This blog chronicles my letterboxing adventures. It includes posts that share my travels that are letterboxing related, the letterboxes I have found and planted as well as the people I have met along the way. There are also photos included to help give a complete picture of the fun I had.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Letterbox Maintenance on the Hyde Park Circle Trail

Last week I made plans with Agent 86 to go hiking today on the Hyde Park Circle Trail. We agreed to meet at the Borrego Trail parking area at around 9:00am. Yesterday I found out that we would also be joined by ArnoldZiffel and BirchMoon as well. So I parked there and Agent 86 met me and then drove us to the Hyde Memorial State Park parking. ArnoldZiffel and BirchMoon had already started hiking so Agent 86 and I headed up the trail. We met them at the first box of my Land of Enchanment Series. They had already stamped in so I did my maintenance and then got the box hidden so that it would be good for the winter. By the way, there was some snow on the trail and more snow off the trail as we got a little storm a few days ago. We continued our hike and after they stamped in to the box I did the maintenance I needed and then replaced the box. We did this up to the top of the trail and that got five boxes of the series updated. Along the way we also tried to find a PI Joe box but had trouble - hopefully it is there and we just couldn't find it with the snow. After a short rest at the top we continued our hike now heading down. When we got to the bottom I did maintenance on box number six and while I did that Agent 86 walked up to the Borrego Trail parking and got my car while ArnoldZiffel, BirchMoon and I waited at a pullout. So we only did the west side of the Hyde Park Circle Trail. I will have to get the three remaining boxes in the Spring once the snow is gone. It was a nice hike, I love this trail and I want to get up there again this Spring or Summer.

Monday, November 14, 2016

Letterboxing Along the Freedom Trail

Today Thomas had some meetings to attend at his conference so I decided to head out and visit the Boston African American National Historic Site and then walk the Freedom Trail. And along the way I would do a little letterboxing. So I left the hotel and walked down Congress Street and went back to the Boston Children's Museum to replace the stamp I found last night. After getting that done I continued along Congress Street. This route took me to Post Office Square where I looked for MSPCA-Angell by Parhelia. This box was hidden like the one I found yesterday, just the stamp on a magnet under a bench. A quick and easy find and a nice, beautiful stamp. After stamping in and replacing the stamp I continued my journey. If you want to read about the entire trip you can go to A Visit to Friends and Walking the Freedom Trail. While I was our walking Thomas called and said his meetings were done and he was going to come and meet me. So he took a taxi and met me at the African American NHS.

The next box we looked for was The Little Prince by Haptotrope. It is a bit of a mystery - you have to answer a few questions to get to the actual location. I had figured it out at home so we just headed to the location. The box is an indoor box and I was a bit leery about looking for it because the clue didn't state whether or not anyone there knew about the box. We eventually did ask because I didn't want to be digging around and look suspicious. Thankfully someone did know about the box and we ended up talking to four of the staff and had a great conversation about Boston and about letterboxing. They were extremely friendly and helpful. The clues for the box are clever and once I felt comfortable looking around I easily found the box. I took it to a table and stamped in while Thomas kept talking to a couple of the staff. After replacing the box we continued on our walk.

We looked for one last box at the end of the day (by that I mean 'as it was getting dark'). We made our way to the Old North Church to find The Patriot by Yumgirl. The box is hidden in the garden area around the church. The clues were a little vague but as I walked around they made more sense and I eventually found the box. It was getting darker and I noticed that the gardens were surrounded by fences and gates and I became concerned that I might get locked in. So Thomas went and stood near the front of the church in case anyone came around to lock up and then he could come and get me. I took the stamp to a bench and stamped in. As I was finishing stamping and putting things away a tour guide and five other people came out of a door right near where I needed to be to get the box back in place. Thankfully, they ignored me and went on with their tour and I was able to get the box back in place without a problem. Then I went and met Thomas and started heading back to the hotel.

It was a great day and I loved the letterboxes I found. There were some nice stamps and some of the clues were interesting. Thanks to all the people who placed boxes in Boston. And you can read about the entire trip at Boston, Leominster and Boston.

Sunday, November 13, 2016

A Tiny Stamp

Thomas and I spent yesterday and this morning with our friends in Leominster. Around 11:00am we took the train back to Boston and then went and did some sightseeing in Charlestown. Afterwards we started walking back in the direction of our hotel. Along the way we stopped for some dinner and I realized we were close to a letterbox. So after dinner we left the restaurant and walked along the Harborwalk to the Boston Children's Museum. The clues for the box said to face the entrance and then look left past the bike racks and go to the bench between the second and third light posts. So I followed the directions and sat on the bench and reached under it and I found a tiny stamp glued to a magnet stuck to the bench - no logbook and no box. the box was Boston Children's Musuem by West Dover Quidditch Team and the stamp was carved by Ariadne (and I think she did an excellent job). I think that is a perfect way to hide urban stamps. It was dark by this time and cold so I decided to take the stamp back to the hotel and then return it in the morning. It was a quick and easy find and an incredible carve. The stamp is only a half inch square and nicely detailed. Happy to find my first letterbox in Boston. If you want you can read about the entire trip at Boston, Leominster and Boston.
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