Celebrating 12 Years of Letterboxing

It was 12 years ago today when I found my first letterbox and I am still thoroughly enjoying this hobby. Every year since then I go out on this date and letterbox to celebrate. And today was no exception. This morning Thomas and I headed out to find some letterboxes in Moriarty, Edgewood and Albuquerque. We left our house around 9:00am and headed out on this overcast and chilly morning and headed for Moriarty.

We took I25 north to US285 and then turned onto NM41. Here we began looking for our first letterbox. We were searching for Antelope Playground by Kit. We needed to find mile marker 46. There was a short time when we worried that the box might be missing because they are doing construction along NM41 and the sides of the road were all torn up. But the construction ended about a mile before '46'. So we pulled over and parked, I crossed the road and easily found the box magnetized to the post. I took it back to the car to stamp in. Once done I returned the box to its hiding spot and then looked around to see if I could see any antelope - no luck. So we continued on our drive. About a mile up the road we spotted seven antelope off to our right. So we stopped and I got a few pictures. Then we made our way to Moriarty. Once in Moriarty we made our way to the Veterans Memorial which is near the Civic Center. Here we looked for and found Soldier's Cross by Kit. This was an easy find and I sat on a nearby bench to stamp in. In hindsight, I should have taken the box back to the car to stamp in. It turned out to be quite cold while sitting there stamping in. So I worked quickly to finish stamping in and then put the box back in place. I returned to the car and Thomas had decided he wanted some breakfast. So we headed to the restaurant we usually go to when we are in Moriarty - El Comedor. I guess it has been a while since we have been there because the restaurant is now closed and the place is an antique mall. The woman there suggested a couple of other places and we ended up eating at Chili Hills. After some delicious breakfast burritos we continued on our letterbox hunt. We made our way to McCall's Pumpkin Patch. We parked on the frontage road in front of a large pumpkin house. Then we followed the clues for Pumpkin Patch and Harvest Moon by Kit. Our landmark was a tree/bush just south of McCall's on the frontage road. When I walked to the area I found that the tree had been cut down and there were only stumps remaining. I looked around but did not find the box. So we continued on. Driving west on I40 we exited at Edgewood and drove toward Wildlife West Nature Park. We went a bit further up the road to the Edgewood Open Space. Here I went in search of Red Top Diner by reporter at large & Seeker of Flags. I only had to follow the trail for a short distance and was easily able to find the box. I found a nice spot to sit so that I could stamp in. When I was done I replaced the box and then made my way back to the car. Now we could head to Albuquerque to continue letterboxing.

We drove west on I40 through Tijeras Canyon and into Albuquerque. We then exited at Louisiana Blvd. and made our way to ABQ Uptown and more specifically to Trader Joe's. Here we looked for and found Two Buck Chuck by Kit. This was a more difficult find since the box is hidden at a light post and in the parking area where there is a lot of traffic. I had to wait a bit and then sneak the box out from under the skirt of the post. I took it back to the car to stamp in and when I was done I went to return it to its hiding spot. I had to use a bit of distraction to get it back in place. From here we made our way to Woodward Road and found Hello from Las Vegas by Always on Call. Another difficult find again hidden under the skirt of a lamp post. The only good thing was it wasn't as busy here as at Trader Joe's. Once we were done with this box we headed over to the Barelas Senior Center. I was looking for Mercedes y Angel, mis abuelos by Kit. Again, we had to be extremely stealthy as the box is hidden out in front of the building. But we prevailed and I took the box back to the car to stamp in. When I was done, Thomas took the box back to the hiding spot so that it didn't look suspicious with me hanging around the spot a second time. With that done we headed to our last destination for the day - Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm. We looked for and found Llama at Los Poblanos. There is a nice bench near where the box is hidden where we sat and stamped in. the area was beautiful and peaceful. There were geese and llamas near us and this was a great spot to end our celebration of my 12 year of letterboxing.

I had a great time letterboxing today and found some nice boxes and stamps. There was only one box we couldn't find. I did have clues for three other boxes that we opted to skip for today. Those boxes were at businesses and I didn't feel like dealing with that today. But I did get to letterbox on my anniversary and as long as I find one box I am happy. So today was a good day and I found seven boxes.

Santa Fe, Sandia Crest, Cedar Crest and Edgewood

Last weekend we did some letterboxing in Albuquerque, Tijeras and Edgewood. We ran out of time to hit Cedar Crest and Sandia Crest. So we had a couple of clues remaining and we decided to head out today and get some more letterboxes.

We started in Santa Fe. There is a series of three boxes about a mile from my house and I somehow put off going out to get them.

So first thing we headed to Santa Fe Brewing to get Plant a Beer 2017: Santa Fe Brewing (series of three boxes) by ArnoldZiffel. The boxes are hidden along a dirt road next to the brewery. These were quick and easy and then we were on our way out of Santa Fe. So we headed south on NM 14 and made our next stop at Cerrillos Hills State Park. This was a quick stop - I just needed to check on my Felis concolor box. We made the short hike up the Jane Calvin Sanchez Trail and got to the ridge to check on the box. Everything is okay except three of the latches on the box have broken off. I made sure the baggies were zipped tight and the lid was secure on the box with the one latch and then put the box back in its hiding spot and covered it well with rocks. We then headed back to the car and back to NM 14.

We continued on NM 14 until we reached NM 536. This road is also known as Sandia Crest Scenic Byway and leads up to Sandia Peak. Once at the top we parked and looked for Where's George Series Box #293: Albuquerque Beam Me Up Scottie.

We followed the clues but couldn't find the box. So I texted Astro D to see if she had any insights for me. I looked in the spot she told me and still no box. Unforturnately, I think it is gone. So then we headed inside the Sandia Crest House to look for Sandia Crest Rosy Finch by cottonwoodlady. I had looked for this one before but didn't understand the clues. The placer changed her clues since then and this time I was able to find it. I stamped while sitting on a couch facing a wall of windows with some fantastic views. We put the box back in place and drove back down the mountain. Back on NM 14 we next headed for Ale Republic to find Hail to the Ale! by Kit. There is a parking area across the street from the brewery which is a parking area for the John A. Milne/Gutierrez Canyon Open Space area. The box is hidden across the road from the brewery by a post making it a quick and easy find. I took the box back to the car to stamp in and then went back to replace it.

From here we continued on NM 14 to I 40 and took the interstate east to Edgewood. We exited and then turned left onto NM 333. We drove a little over a mile to an abandoned Indian Curio shop with an horno, a railcar and a "STANDARD" sign. Here we looked for and found Retribution Road by Kit. Again, I stamped in while sitting in the car and then returned the box to its hiding spot. The story of Retribution Road is interesting and it is a story about Route 66 that I hadn't heard before.

Well, we had another great day of letterboxing and found some great and interesting boxes. Thanks to all who planted them.

Albuquerque, Tijeras and Edgewood

Thomas and I decided on another day out doing some letterboxing and today we decided to head to the Albuquerque area. Last night I got all the clues together and mapped things out. And this morning we packed some snacks, lunch and water and headed out.

Once we arrived in Albuquerque we headed to Marble Brewery to find Plant a Beer Day: Marble Brewery by Wronghat. We followed the directions, parked and then headed out to find the box. I was a little confused at first but then things fell into place and I found the box. I took it back to the car to stamp in and then when I was done I walked the box back to its hiding spot. Then we moved on to our next boxes. I had clues for two boxes in the same area - by the musuems. One was at the Natural History Museum and one at the Albuquerque Museum. One of the clues is titled GISHWHES 2017 Wayward AF Team - this is the one at the Natural History Museum. I followed the clues but couldn't find the box. I looked all around the museum but had no luck. So then we moved over to the Albuquerque Musuem and looked for Team Elefunky by TeamElefunky. I think this one is also a GISHWHES box. GISHWHES stands for Greatest International Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever Seen. I don't really understand it but it seems to involve creating art, solving riddles and meeting new people. I don't see how it relates to letterboxing and I am not sure if the people who logged in these plants are letterboxers or not. But after looking around the sculpture garden at the musuem we found the landmarks but didn't find any box. So we left and went to the next box - also a GISHWHES box. This one is GISHWHES 2017 TEAM VOODOO by Vecinos del Bosque. The clue description stated the location and then the clue was 'Huge Bike'. I found the bike but no box. After not finding three of these boxes I wonder if there was or is a box related to these clues. It was all just very confusing. I was almost ready to call it a day and head home but Thomas said lets just move on to the next box. So we did. We headed west on I40 to Route 66 Casino. We followed the directions and parked then followed the clues and easily found the box. I took it back to the car to sit and stamp in. It didn't take long and the box was back in place. So now it was time to leave Albuquerque and head to Tijeras.

We took I40 to Tijeras and then took NM337 south to Oak Flat Recreation Area. Here we went in search of Beatles Series #29 "Blackbird" by Twinville Trekkers. This box is suppose to be done at night and you follow fire tacks using a flashlight or headlamp. I had been our here once before but didn't have any luck so I hoped with Thomas' help we could find the box. On my previous visit I found a fire tack on a tree right near the start of the trail but then after that I couldn't find any more tacks. Today we decided to follow this one trail and we found two pyramid shaped fire tacks but then nothing. After walking for about twenty minutes and searching for tacks we decided that we had gone past where the clues had stated. So we turned around and headed back. On the way back we found a few more tacks but these were round and flat. But still nothing made sense and we didn't find the box. I guess you really have to go at night but I don't know about that - it seems a little too spooky. Once back at the car we decided to eat our lunch and sit and relax.Thirty minutes later we drove back to Tijeras. In Tijeras we turned onto NM333 and drove to the Musical Road. We approached it from the wrong direction to drive on it so we had to make a 'U' turn. Then we drove over the rumble strips (at 45mph) and listened to America the Beautiful. Just past the end of the song we followed the road until the guardrail ended then we pulled over to find a letterbox - America the Beautiful by 66gypsies. This was a quick and easy find and then we were on our way again.The next box we went in search of didn't have any clues. But there was a location - so I did a search and found where we needed to be. We arrived at the location and parked. Then I thought about it and figured out where the box was. So I ended up asking Thomas to go and check and it turned out we were in the right place. So we found Desert Dreams by Kit and I stamped in and returned the box. We decided to go for one more box before calling it a day and heading home. So we drove to Edgewood. I have never been to Edgewood and it turned out that it wasn't at all what I expected. I thought it was a small town like Tijeras but it was bigger and more spread out. We drove to the Church Street Market to find Deep Space Aerial by Kit. This was another quick and easy find and it didn't take long for me to stamp in and replace the box.

We had a good time today and enjoyed the letteboxes we found. It is always nice to explore New Mexico.