The Four Corners Letterboxing Event

As usual I was up early and ready for the day - which was hours before the Letterboxing the Four Corners: Media of the Region event was to start. So I decided to head to Berg Park and find a couple of boxes before the event was to start. I went to the Tucker St. entrance to the park but the gate was still closed and locked. So I drove around the corner and parked on the side of the road. There was a place to enter the park here and I headed east on the trails.

Le Pew

As I was walking to the first box I turned a corner and about 50 feet away I spotted a skunk. I have to tell you that I think this park is infested with skunks because everywhere you go there is that distinctive odor that is undeniably skunk. When I spotted the little black and white 'stinker' I came to an immediate stop. I watched to see which way it was moving and thankfully it was headed in the opposite direction that I was headed. I waited a few minutes and then continued on my way to the box. I arrived at the area and looked for C4's Smile box. This was a quick and easy find and I found a nice spot to sit and stamp in. After rehiding the box I went to look for another box. This box was in the vicinity of where I had seen the skunk earlier. I slowly approached the area looking for anything black and white. I didn't see anything but the odor was really strong - so I decided to go back to the car and get some breakfast. I ended up at Dunkin Donuts and had a donut and coffee. When I was done I returned to the park and this time the Tucker St. gate was open and Astro D's car was parked there. As I entered the trail I didn't immediately see Astro D so I returned to my car where I had left my phone. As I was calling her to see where she was at I heard someone call out my name. So I walked toward the voice and quickly found her. She told me that she had also seen a skunk when she started on the trail. I walked along with her while she found some of the boxes I already had. Then we got to the area where I had seen my skunk and again we searched the area and when we were satisfied that there was no skunk we looked for the box. This box was Los Muertos Agradecidos: Trumpet Player. Astro D located the box and we found a place to sit and stamp in. After this box was in place we decided to head over to Animas Park and the event. We parked and headed to the event area and found that quite a few people were already there.

I spent some time visiting with people and getting a few exchanges. Then I stamped in to the event stamp and then visited with a few more people. The event stamp was fantastic - RNR did a great job carving it. There was plenty of food and some table top boxes - which I took advantage of. There were also a few boxes hidden around the event area. I found S. . . P. O. R., Tyfol Dragon Attacks Letterboxers, Table Top Food: Strawberry & Watermelon, Wildflower: Flower & Stem and 2-Lip: Flower & Stem. After a couple of hours I hit the trails with Astro D and AZJokester. I had found most of the boxes already and only needed to find a few new ones.

Astro D & AZJokester

So I mostly just walked and visited with them as they found boxes. We spent hours walking all over the park as they found boxes. As for me I found On Location: Route 66, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Bar Scene, Jump Into River, Blowing Up Train and Stained Rose. We followed the trails and kind of did a circle around the park ending up back at the event area. By this time the event was over, everyone was gone and the area was cleaned up. So Astro D and I headed for our cars while AZJokester decided to keep letterboxing. Both Astro D and I were hungry so we decided to go to a place AZJokester had recommended - Serious Texas Bar-B-Q. After a nice meal we called it a day and we left the restaurant and headed for our hotels. When I arrived at the hotel I gathered my things and went to my room. I took shower and put on my flannel pj bottoms and a t-shirt and started logging my finds and exchanges. While logging in I suddenly remembered that there was a box hidden outside of my hotel. So I put on some shoes and grabbed my letterboxing bag and headed out in my pj's to find Aspen's Red Lion box. There is a walking path behind the Red Lion Hotel that leads into Berg Park and the box was hidden on the trail near the hotel. So this was a quick and easy find and once I had stamped in and put the box back in place I returned to my room.

By this time I was starting to feel tired but I wanted to get this post done. I had a great day at the event and really enjoyed my time visiting and letterboxing with Astro D and AZJokester. The Farmington letterboxers did a fantastic job with this event and I am looking forward to the next one they host.

Out and About in Farmington

Well the Jeep is fixed and working fine so I had plans to get around Farmington today. This morning I got some things ready and then I went to the hotel lobby to use their computer to print things out. While at the computer I ended up seeing some other letterboxers - Children of the Forest and AZJokester are staying at the same hotel as I am. After visiting with them for a minute I returned to my room and gathered my things and set out for some letterboxes.

My first stop was at Hood Mesa & College in the north part of Farmington. Here I had clues for six boxes and I left with only 50% of those. I found West Virginia U Stained Glass, Hercules and Nala. I didn't find 2012 Annular Eclipse, Hercules' Muses and Na na Na na Na na Na na Batman. It was a nice walk on a very quiet trail - I didn't see anyone while I was out there. I hope that the boxes I didn't find were there and I just missed them. From here I drove to Sandalwood Park and easily found BirchMoon's Hunger Games: District 12 Seal. Again I was the only person out there. I was starting to feel like I was in the twilight zone. After stamping in and replacing the box I continued on my way. Soon after leaving the park I stopped on College Blvd to find huginn's Metals: Zinc box. This was a quick and easy find and thankfully there was no traffic and I could get the box without being seen. I stamped in while sitting in the car and then replaced the box when the road was clear. Next I drove to San Juan College and had no trouble finding C4's Santa's List. This was out away from the school at the end of one of the parking areas and it was pretty isolated so I felt that no one would see what I was doing. After I replaced the box I drove and parked closer to the buildings and went in search of another box - this one is a mystery and I wasn't able to figure it out. When I returned to the car I wasn't sure what I wanted to do next so I returned to the hotel. I went over some things and decided to walk over to Berg/Animas Park. The trail from the park comes by the back of the hotel I am at. I spent a couple of hours walking around the park and I found a few boxes - Los Muertos Agradecidos, Ben-Hur, Illegal Alien and At the Movies: A Self Portrait. After finding these boxes I decided to walk back to the hotel and rest a little. I was really hot and felt tired. I walked back to the hotel and saw ArnoldZiffel, Agent 86 and BirchMoon checking in. I really think we should have gotten a group rate for the letterboxers staying here. Back in my room I ended up just sitting and reading for a couple of hours. During this time I was texting with Astro D who was out at the park letterboxing. We decided to meet for dinner and do a little more letterboxing.

Around 5:15pm she picked me up at the hotel and we headed downtown. We wanted to eat at 3 Rivers Brewery and there were a few boxes in the area. We ended up looking for three boxes but only found two. One of the clues said to look for the black benches in the front of the building. There were only burgundy benches and we didn't see the box. But we found the other two boxes that are hidden on opposite ends of an alley behind the restaurant. They were both quick and easy finds. After getting these two boxes we had a great dinner at 3 Rivers and got to visit for a while. Once we were done eating Astro D wanted to go to Civitan Park to look for some boxes. So we made our way to the park and found three boxes - Walking with a Friend, First Love and Too Koi. All were quick and easy finds. From here Astro D brought me back to my hotel and we called it a day.

I am tired tonight and I am hoping I get a good nights sleep so I can be ready for the event tomorrow. I think it will be a fun day.

The Lost Day

After my marathon boxing yesterday today was the complete opposite. I had worked out what I wanted to do today and had everything ready. But when I got to the car it seemed that the car wasn't ready. I tried starting it and all it did was make a few clicking noises and the windshield wipers moved up. So I waited a minute and tried again - still nothing. So I called AAA and they told me it would be about an hour. So I returned to my room to wait. About 30 minutes later I went out and tried to start the car again and it actually started. So I called and cancelled AAA but I wasn't sure I wanted to go driving around Farmington and get stranded. So I went back to the room and read for a while. Two hours later I tried starting the car again and it didn't start at first but after a couple of tries it started. I then noticed the check engine light was on. Then I decided to call the Jeep dealership and see if they could look at the car today. They said to bring it in. So I left it at the service center and they shuttled me back to the hotel. So I spent the afternoon reading and relaxing waiting to hear about the car. It turned out that the battery was bad - so they put in a new battery and I asked them to do an oil change while they had it. At 5:30pm they picked me up at the hotel and I got the car back. So as not to have a complete day of no boxing I decided to head to the library. I only found one box - RNR's Dragons Read Here. A great box and I loved the clues. After getting this box I then tried to look for a couple of others. One was in a spot and I felt uncomfortable poking around so I stopped looking and tried another. I didn't find that one but I am not sure I was in the right place. So I did find one box but I would have much rather have spent the whole day letterboxing. I still have tomorrow - so I need to plan what I want to do.

A Walk in the Park(s)

This coming Saturday is the Letterboxing the Four Corners: Media of the Region event and the park where it is being held is full of boxes. Some which have been there for a while and new ones that have been planted for the event. Looking at the list of boxes available (and that doesn't count boxes that people will plant on Friday or Saturday) I knew there was no way I could get them all and take time to visit with other boxers. So today I decided to spend the day in Berg/Animas Park and see what kind of damage I could do. The park is actually a combination of things - Berg Park, Animas Park, Riverside Nature Center and the Berg/Animas National Recreation Trails. There are about 5 miles of trails in the two parks and there are two bridges that cross the river providing access to both parks. Here is a map of the Berg & Animas Park Trail System.
Over the last few days I have been gathering clues and mapping them out on the map. So I had a good idea of where the boxes were located. This morning I decided to start in Berg Park and make my way along the north side of the river and cross the eastern most bridge into Animas Park. Then I would work my way along the south side of the river and then crossing back to Berg Park on the western bridge and then back to the car. I wasn't sure how many boxes I would get or how long I would spend in the park but that was the plan for the day. There is parking and access for Berg Park on San Juan Blvd. near the corner of Scott Ave. which is right around the corner from my hotel, so I decided to start there. After parking I walked into the park and looked at my map and clues and started my letterboxing adventure in Berg Park. I walked the Riverside Trail, the Woodland Trail and the Nature Trail looking for boxes. Some were quick and easy and some took me a little time and thought. But as I learned more about the park things got easier. I found all the boxes that I was looking for on the north side of the river and had a great time. These are the boxes I found in Berg Park - Escher's Goose and Fish, Game of Thrones, Greetings, Four, Hosmer, Honoring Veterans: Memorial Weekend, The Kiss, Who is That Masked Man: Tonto and Lone Ranger, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Leaphorn & Chee, Fleur-de-Lys, Georgia O, Red or Green? and Leaphorn. At this point I crossed the bridge into Animas Park.

In this park I again walked all the trails I mentioned above and I also took time to visit the prairie dogs and the Riverside Nature Center. Along the way I took breaks on benches scattered throughout the park for snacks and water. I had some problems with boxes on this side of the river and I wasn't able to find a couple of boxes - not sure what I did wrong but I can probably look for those again on Saturday. I really enjoyed walking the trails at this park and finding boxes. Here is what I found in Animas Park - Return to the Moon, Corn is Maize, GAQLBE10 - Maine, Cowboys and Aliens, Gilmore Girls, Where's the Four Corners?, Gunnison's Prairie Dogs, Horse of Another Carver: Pokey, Cheveyo, Great Day for UP!, Ultima's Owl, Blacksheep, Flutterbye the Four States, Around the World in 80 Days, I Love Lucy, The Searchers, Dances with Wolves, Calvary Trilogy, I Think I'll Go Home Now, Stagecoach, Native Art and Mesa Verde.

All in all it was a great day. I spent about 7 hours letterboxing in the parks. By the time I reached the car I was sweaty, thirsty, hungry and exhausted - but it felt good. Now I can have a relaxing time at the event and enjoy visiting with people. So I left the park and decided to just stop at a store and get something that I could take back to the hotel to eat. I ended up getting a pre-made salad and some fruit. When I got back to the hotel the first thing I did was to take a shower and get some clean clothes on. Now that all the logging of boxes is done I think it is time to get to bed - I know I will sleep well tonight.

Back to the Farmington Area

Last week I spent three days letterboxing in the Farmignton area and today I am back to get some more boxes. I am taking advantage of the fact that there is an event on Saturday - I just have added some days so that I can make a dent in the list of boxes in the area. So this morning I left Santa Fe kind of early because my plan was to drive to Navajo Lake State Park and get the boxes there - I had clues for three series (one series of six and two series of three) and then some individual clues as well, for a total of 16 boxes.

San Juan River

I didn't make any stops along the way and I arrived at the park around 9:45am. I entered the park from Aztec on NM173 and made my first stop at Cottonwood Day Use Area. Here I looked for SunnyDelight's Animals of Navajo Lake State Park: Cottonwood Campground and C4's Navajo Lake Fish. Both series were hidden along the same trail and I followed the clues finding boxes from both series as I made my way along the trail. The trail is nice as it follows the San Juan River. There were several people out fishing along the bank as I took my walk. I probably walked about a mile and a half total looking for the boxes. I ended up finding only five of the six boxes - I searched for a while for a box and couldn't find it so I moved on and when I made my way back I tried again and still had on luck. So I made my way back to the car and headed back to NM173 and then to NM511 and made my way to the dam. At the beginning of the dam was a parking area where I stopped to find the first box of a six box series by Sunny Delight - Animals of Navajo Lake State Park: Pine River Campground. After finding this box, stamping in and then replacing it I continued onto the dam and stopped at a pullout to check on a box I have there. A couple of years ago I got a couple of note that the box was missing. So I had recarved the stamp and made a new box to hide.

Navajo Lake

When I parked in the pullout I followed the clues I had on AQ and they took me right to the box. I was so happy to see the box was still there. So I decided to tweak my clues a little and hopefully no one else will have a problem. I continued on my drive and headed for the marina and campground area. There is an historical marker at the entrance to these areas and I stopped here and found kingbee's Navajo Lake Pine River. I found it easily and quickly stamped in and the continued on. I stopped at the Visitor Center first and got a map of the park and found a box in the parking lot - C4's Bears: Care Bear. Then I went to the marina and parked at the upper level and found C4's On the Lake. From here I entered the campground area. I stopped at the Main Campground where I looked for two boxes from the Animals series - I only found one, I had a little trouble with the clues but I did search and never found the box. Next I moved on to the Pinon Loop Campground and found another Animal series and C4's Bears: Smokey. Then I went to the Cedar Loop Campground and found an Animal series box and finally ended at the Juniper Loop Campground for the last box in the Animal series. Now it was time to head to Farmington.

I had planned to stop for three boxes at the Aztec Sports Complex but when I arrived in that area I was starving - I hadn't eaten all day. So I headed through Aztec and on to Famington where I stopped for a bite to eat. After eating I realized I was really tired and so I headed to the hotel to check in. I relaxed for a bit and then logged things in and finally have written this blog post. Not sure what I am doing tomorrow but I am sure I will figure it out.

A Little Aztec and A Little Farmington

Thomas has a few meetings this morning and then he has the afternoon free. So I am going to do some letterboxing this morning and then pick Thomas up and continue the day. Thomas got a ride to his meetings with a coworker and I took my time getting things organized and then headed out.My first stop was really close to the hotel and that was at Berg Park at the corner of Scott Ave. and San Juan Blvd. where there is a parking area.

Berg Park Bridge

Here I was looking for two boxes - one of which had a recent attempt. Not far down the trail I looked for Sunny Delight's Great Blue Heron. I followed the clues and checked out the whole area and didn't find the box. So I moved on. A little further down the trail I crossed a bridge to the other side to the river. Not far after crossing the bridge I arrived at a plaque on a rock base, this was my landmark. I then searched for Sunny Delight's Just Roast It. This time I had more luck and found the box. I took it a little further up the trail to a bench where I could sit and stamp in. It was a beautiful morning in the park and I had a nice time. After replacing this box I retraced my steps to the car and continued with my day. I did make a quick stop at Dunkin Donuts for a cup of coffee before moving on. Then I stopped at Farmington Museum and Visitors Center at Gateway Park. Here I found Sunny Delight's Vintage Fire Truck. I stamped in at a picnic table and then replaced the box.

Aztec Logo

Then I took some time to go in and get some information and walk through the museum. From here I made my way to Aztec (that is where Thomas' meetings were) and parked at the corner of Chaco St. and Aztec Blvd. in a small parking area near an old truss bridge. There are stairs going down to the river where there is a trail. Going down the stairs I looked for huginn's Metals: Magnesium but unfortunately I didn't find it. Then I started looking for C4's Aztec Ruins series. I found the first box Aztec quickly and stamped in while sitting on the stairs. I then replaced it and went in search of the second box - Pottery. Here I got really confused. The clue said to look at the lower tip of the rock stream that runs from the corner of a sign. There were hundreds of rocks. After turning over about fifty I decided to give up and move on. The area where I was in located between two busy streets and I felt uncomfortable and the box wasn't worth that. So I moved on to the next box - C4's Easter Morning. I followed the clues and quickly found this box. There was a bench nearby so I used that to sit and stamp in. The third box in the Aztec Ruins series was at Aztec Ruins National Monument. So I drove the short distance there and followed the clues. I pulled into the RV parking area and got out of my car to look for the box. Immediately a couple in an RV got out and started yelling at me that I shouldn't be taking up an RV space. I pointed out to them that there were other spots and no other RV's in the vicinity that needed the space and that I wouldn't be long. So I started walking to the area where the box was suppose to be but I couldn't look for it because the man was following me. He kept telling me to move my car and get the "HELL" out of here. I decided to just go into the building and he finally left me alone. Fifteen minutes later I returned to my car and left. I didn't look for the box because the man was glaring at me from his RV and I decided that if they saw me they may take the box out of spite. This totally reinforced in me how rude RVer's are - I have had other issues with them. Anyway it was time for me to go and meet Thomas.

Yellow Salsify

Purple Fuzzy Flower

 Once I had gotten Thomas we decided to get a bite to eat and then we would head out to Crow Canyon. We drove from Aztec on US550 to US64 in Bloomfield. Then we took US64 east through Blanco to CR 4450. We drove to 5 Mile Bridge and when we crossed Largo Wash over the bridge whe noticed how wet it was. So we stopped and decided it would be foolish to drive 20 mile out and then try driving through the wash in this condition. The possibility of getting stuck was monumental and neither of us want to take that chance. We ended up returning to the hotel and Thomas had a headache so he decided to take a nap and rest and I decided to go out and do some letterboxing. I headed out to Animas Park off of Browning Parkway. I parked near the big red building and then set off on the trails. I wasn't sure how many boxes I would look for but I had enough clues to keep me busy. I started my search from the Riverside Nature Center and not far down the trail I found Which Way is the Bus Traveling? by Sunny Delight.

Animas Park

This was a quick and easy find and there was a bench nearby to sit on and stamp in. Then I continued on my search and eventually found Aspen's Osage Girl in Navajo Country. I stamped in and replaced the box and then started looking for Aspen's Hubie and Bertie's Hitchhiker Hostel. I had a little trouble translating the clues but eventually found it. As I sat and stamped in the wind picked up and the sky clouded over. When I was done stamping in I went and put the box back in place. The box is a larger box and it was hidden in a very large pile of river rocks. As I was restacking the rocks to hide the box one of the rocks moved and smashed the middle finger of my left hand. I had a few choice words at this time. My nail was bleeding and I kept squeezing it to get as much blood out from under it as possible. Luckily I had some napkins in my letterboxing bag which helped. But I decided to call it a day as my finger was throbbing and bleeding. So I returned to the car and made my way to the hotel. At the hotel I washed my hands and got some more blood out from under my nail and then put a bandaid around it. I am hoping that the nail won't eventually fall off. It is a little darker than my other nails but not bad and I took some aspirin and it is feeling better. After getting cleaned up Thomas and I headed out for dinner. Now we are relaxing in the hotel and ready for our drive home tomorrow. We don't have any plans to letterbox on the way home so it will just be driving.

I had a good time in the Farmington area and found some neat boxes and saw some interesting places. And now I have a better idea of the boxes and the area so next week I can do a lot more letterboxing.

Hart Canyon Road and Alien Run Trail

Today I am going on another drive - this time along Hart Canyon Road just north of Aztec. I have clues for three series planted along here. The three series have a total of 18 boxes and that is my plan for the day. I didn't leave the hotel until a little after 8:00am so I didn't start boxing until around 8:40am. At the beginning of Hart Canyon Road (aka CR2770) there is another road that goes off to the right and there is a small building in the space between the two roads and this is where the first series starts. The first series I started looking for was C4's Arch Rock Stampede (a series of 10 boxes) and I found the first one without a problem. I then continued my drive up Hart Canyon Road stopping at different odometer readings along the way to find a box.

Triple Point

The first three matched up perfectly and I had no problems but the fourth one was a little off but as I was looking for a sandy road on the left I was able to find the spot and find boxes 4 and 5 here. After this things really fell apart. My mileage didn't match the mileages in the clues so I had to try and match landmarks. The clue for the sixth box talked about 'Triple Point'. I found a formation with three spires right off the road and the mileage was close enough that I figured I was in the right spot. I parked and walked up to the formation and started following the clues. I didn't find a box but I did enjoy the area and after about 20 minutes I decided to move on.

 [Note: Usually I print out any New Mexico clues as they show up and when I am heading out I check to make sure the clues are still valid - if not I reprint them. For box #6 in this series I didn't notice that it was marked as retired when I checked it - so not finding the box was my bad. I need to be more diligent when planning boxes.]

So now I was looking for box 7 and the mileage was still off. But I was looking for a smokey cave and eventually found it (incidentally this is where one of the other series starts - but I was trying to finish this series first so I didn't stop here).

Yellow Prickly Pear Bloom

The clue stated I needed to turn left onto a side road just past the cave. So I turned on the first road I came to. The next part of the clue stated you would go over a cattle guard, which I did. Then after that nothing made sense and my mileages weren't matching at all. So I looked for the next landmark which was a "Y" in the road (there were lots of "Y's" in the road so I stopped at any one I saw. I was looking for a tree at the intersection with a 'spor' but never found one, so I never found box #7. The next box was to continue on the road until I saw Arch Rock but I never found it. So I turned around and went back to the smokey cave.

Sego Lily (aka Mariposa Lily)

I parked in front of the cave and zeroed out my odometer (the clue stated I was to be at 6.1 here) and decided I would just drive the distance between the cave and box #7 (this was at 7.5, so I needed to be at 1.4 on my odometer). At 1.4 there was no "Y" so I drove until I got to one - still no box. So I went back and looked to see if I had missed a "Y" and I hadn't. So I decided to just forget about the rest of the boxes in this series and move on to the next series. I drove back to the smokey cave and pulled up to it and found the first box in Sunny Delight's Alien Trail series. At the cave I zeroed out my odometer and had to calculate my mileage since the mileage for this series started at US550 and I had now blown that with driving up the side road. This time the mileages all worked out. According to this series the cave was at 5.7 so I made this my zero. After stamping in and replacing the first box I moved on. I went .3 miles and found box #2 quickly and the continued on. At 6.9 miles there was to be a parking area and for me that was 1.2 and I was in the right spot. From here I was hiking the Alien Run Trail while looking for the last four boxes of the Alien Trial series and the two boxes for the ET in AZ?? series (actually only one because the second box was marked retired). So I started my walk and only a short distance down the trail I found box #3. After stamping in I went through a fence and up a small hill and was greeted with an amazing view. A green valley below with incredible rock formations to the right and a beautiful snow capped mountain range in the background. I stood here for a few minutes enjoying everything. Incidentally I was the only car in the parking lot and I didn't see anyone else on the trail - it was so peaceful. Anyway, I continued on the trail and found box #4 of the AT series and box #1 of the ET series in the same area.

View from Alien Run Trail

I stamped into both and replaced them and then continued on to box #5 in the AT series. This one was just a little ways up the trail and I had no problems finding it. After stamping in I started for the last box. So that you know - the trail I was on is called Alien Run Trail and is so named because of an alleged UFO crash here. Now I was looking for a sign on a post off to the right in an open area which marks the actual site of the crash. So as I walked I kept my eyes peeled for the sign. Eventually I saw it and made my way to it. The second box in the ET series was hidden at the base of the sign (which is bare - and I guess it was too tempting for someone who was there to take the box) and there was nothing there when I arrived. So I followed the clues for the last box in the AT series and easily found it. You went from the sign to the chin of a man made rock outline of an alien head and then to the box. I found it, sat down and stamped in and then replaced it. I then found a nice spot and had a snack and some water and enjoyed all the beauty around me. Twenty minutes later I made my way back to the parking area and then headed back to US550.

Here are some articles about the alleged UFO crash near Aztec . . .
Aztec, NM: UFO Crashed Here
Aztec, New Mexico Crash Recovery of 1948
1948, The Aztec UFO Crash
Aztec (New Mexico) UFO Hoax
The Aztec, New Mexico UFO Crash

By this time I was hot and tired and decided to call it a day. On my way back to the hotel I decided to stop at a store and get some fruit and snacks. Once at the hotel I took a shower and relaxed for a while and then decided to write this post. I still have tomorrow so I will also make some plans for that.

Lots of Driving and Some Letterboxing

Letterboxes in the Farmington area have grown in number over the last few years and I haven't been up to that area in a while so I decided to tag along when Thomas told me he had to work in Farmington this week. On May 30th there is an event in Farmington so I will be back next week as well. I am hoping that these two trips will allow me to chip away at the list of boxes in that area. As I have been planning the trips and mapping out boxes I found out that there are over two hundred boxes available for me to find. I think it will require a few more trips to get caught up. But I am hoping I can at least put a dent in the list. So this morning I left Santa Fe to make my way to Farmington. I am going to meet Thomas there since he has to work this morning and will drive up later with a coworker.
My plan was to find a few boxes along US550 as I made my way north. There were six boxes I hadn't found yet. My first stop was at the Perea Nature Trail near San Ysidro.

View from Perea Nature Trail

Here I walked the one mile loop and found Sunny Delight's Another Duo: Coyote and C4's Another Duo: Roadrunner. They were both pretty easy to find and I enjoyed the morning walk all by myself - and I mean that - there wasn't another person around. I made my way back to the car and continued my drive north. A little past San Ysidro I stopped along the road to find Wronghat's Herma box. I quickly grabbed it and took it back to the car to stamp in. After replacing the box I got back on the road and made my way to Cuba. In Cuba I stopped to find a box from a series that I had found some of the boxes back in the winter. I couldn't get this one box because the rock it was under was frozen in place. Unfortunately I still didn't get the box. The rock I was looking for wasn't there and neither was the box.

Angel Peak

So I continued on until I got to CR 7175 and the entrance to the Angel Peak Scenic Area. I was here this past winter and there was snow everywhere so I couldn't find any boxes. So there were two boxes I needed to look for. I easily found Sunny Delight's Lone Hoodoo box and found a bench to sit on while stamping in - the bench is placed directly in front of Angel Peak so I had wonderful views while stamping in and I could also see the lone hoodoo just to the right of Angel Peak. After getting this box back in place I looked for the next box - C4's Angel's Song. I had no luck with this one - I am not sure if I was just reading the clues wrong or if I just wasn't seeing the right landmarks. After about 20 minutes of going back and forth on the trails I had to give up and move along. The next stop was just before Bloomfield off of CR 4990 on CR 4998 at the East Hammond Cemetery. Here I found Sunny Delight's Orange Jack-o-Lantern. This was a quick and easy find and I was back on the road in no time. I then stopped in Bloomfield to fill the car with gas and get a snack before I continued with my day.

In Bloomfield I drove east on US64 for about 45 miles and then took NM 527 north for 17 miles to the Sims Mesa area of Navajo Lake State Park. I looked for a series of five boxes by Sunny Delight called Animals of Navajo Lake State Park: Sims Mesa. But I only found three of the boxes - Mountain Lion, Rabbit and Bear - the Mouse and Bobcat eluded me or they ran away.

Wines of the San Juan

After spending about 40 minutes here I retraced my drive back to Bloomfield. Before I arrived in Bloomfield I made a stop near Blanco off of NM511 at The Wines of the San Juan. I pulled in and parked and went in search of two letterboxes. I found awty's Blue-Winged Olive quickly and took it back to the car to stamp in. I then replaced it and went in search of a second box. But as I was walking around a man came out and asked if he could help me. I told him I was just looking around and thought I would do a wine tasting. He then informed me that they were closed on Tuesdays but offered to do the tasting and that he was the owner. I was glad he did - they have some wonderful wines and I ended up leaving with three bottles - one for me and the others for friends. After the tasting I asked if I could walk around and take pictures - the owner said yes and I walked around taking pictures and trying to look for the box without being obvious. I found the landmarks but didn't see the box. I may have missed it since I felt uncomfortable knowing that the owner was in his house and could see me from there. So I decided to leave without finding the box. I then made my way to Bloomfield and the Riverwalk at the end of 1st Street. I think I had about six clues for the area. I started going in one direction and tried looking for four boxes - I only ended up finding two of the boxes and they were store bought so I didn't feel like putting too much energy into these boxes. At this point I decided to call it a day and drive to Farmington to the hotel. On the way I stopped and picked up a salad to have for dinner. I finally got checked in to the hotel and settled. It was a long day and a lot of driving but I did see some beautiful areas and had a great time. Now I need to plan what I am doing tomorrow.

On Our Way Home From Farmington

After a great day yesterday and a good night's sleep we slept in this morning and it was 9:00am before we left the hotel and started our journey back to Santa Fe. We left Farmington and stopped to fill the car with gas in Bloomfield before hitting US550. We drove for a short distance and then turned into the Angel Peak Scenic Area. I had clues for three boxes in the area (later I found out that there was another box) at three different places. First we stopped at Sage Picnic Area and found C4's Angelic. A quick find, but I had to kick the rock loose since it was a little frozen. I sat in the car to stamp in because the temperature was in the teens. After replacing this box we continued up to Castle Overlook and found Sunny Delight's Castle Rock box. Again this one was frozen a little but I was able to loosen the rock and get the box. I sat in the warmth of the car to stamp in and then returned the box to its hiding spot. Then we drove all the way to the end to Angel Peak Campground and parked at the picnic area. We started following the clues but I got confused almost immediately. The clue says to go to the lookout tip and I figured either there would be a sign or the path would lead to only one spot. I was wrong on both accounts. There was no sign anywhere for a 'lootkout tip' and the path went in a couple of directions. We did try and look around at three areas that seemed to match some of the clues but we came up empty handed. We spent about 25 minutes looking for this box but gave up because we got too cold. We did spend a little time taking pictures and enjoying the peace and quiet - we were the only ones there on a cold Sunday morning.

From Angel Peak we got back on US550 and headed to CR7900. As we made the turn we noticed a woman selling bread and biscochitos.  We bought one loaf of bread and one package of biscochitos and then continued on CR7900 to look for three boxes. At the intersection of CR7900 and CR7950 we parked in a parking area near the first box and Thomas waited in the car while I went in search of Macao in Chaco. I made it to the spot only to find the box exposed and open. The logbook was laying next to it and there were three crayola markers in the box but no stamp. I picked everything up and looked around the area but I was unable to find the stamp. I put everything there back into the box, covered it and then put it back in its hiding spot. When I returned to the car I made a note on the clue sheet to contact the placer about the mess. We then continued on CR7900 for two more boxes. First we stopped at a windmill and found BFF - a quick and easy find, I stamped in the car and rehid the box and then we were on our way. The next box was a few miles down the road near a small hoodoo that the placer described as a turtle. I quickly found Chaco and took it back to the car to stamp in. After replacing the box we turned around and made our way back to US550. Along the way Thomas noticed some hoodoos off to our left so we pulled into the area and took a few pictures.

When we got to Cuba we made a stop to see if we could move the frozen rock to find the box we missed yesterday but it was still being obstinate and we called it quits ad moved on. We continued our drive and somewhere around San Ysidro we stopped at a pullout with a great view of Cabezon Peak and found ArnoldZiffel's New Mexico Centennial Stamp. After stamping in and getting a couple of pictures we were on our way again. In Bernallio we stopped for a late lunch and the completed our drive to Santa Fe. It was a great overnight trip and it was nice just to have a little getaway.

Spur of the Moment Trip to Farmington

Last night Thomas came home from work and announced that he wanted to do something this weekend. He said we could leave in the morning and come home Sunday and asked where I wanted to go. I asked him if he felt like letterboxing since I had quite of few clues for boxes in the Farmington area. He said that would be fine. So we got things together and packed overnight bags before going to bed.

This morning we got up at 6:00am and got a few last minute things ready and then we hit the road. We drove south on I25 to Bernalillo and then took US550 through Cuba and up to Bloomfield. As we drove we enjoyed the lack of traffic since it was early and it was a Saturday. We didn't make any stops until we reached Cuba. We decided to stop here and have some breakfast. We ate at the Cuban Café and took our time and talked and sipped our coffee. We really didn't have anything planned or needing to get anywhere at any certain time so we just relaxed. After about an hour we got in the car and decided to look for a few letterboxes before leaving Cuba. I read the clues and made a mental list of landmarks and we were on our way. The first stop was at the post office. I wasn't too keen about looking for a letterbox around a federal building but when we pulled into the parking lot it was empty. The box was easy to find and I don't think anyone could see me. I took the box back to the car to stamp in and when it was time to put the box back the coast was clear and I easily got the box rehidden. We then continued through town looking for landmarks. The next box was a series of four boxes and they were planted at different gas stations in town. We found three of the four boxes and I stamped in while sitting in the car. For the fourth box we found the right spot but the rock was frozen in place and we couldn't budge it. We decided we would continue on and we would have to look for it at another time. So we left Cuba and continued on our drive.

Not far out of Cuba we turned on to NM96 and drove to La Jara and stopped at the post office. The place was closed and no one was around so it was easy to grab the box and return to the car to stamp in. After replacing the box we returned to US550 and then stopped near the Apache Nugget Casino to look for another box. We were supposed to find an elephant doing a handstand. Well I never found an elephant but after some searching we did find the box. It was a little work to scramble up a snow and loose rock covered hill but I did it and grabbed the box. There was no where to sit and stamp in so I went back down the hill to the car and stamped in there. That meant when I was done I had to traverse the hill again. I did it and then we were able to continue on our way. Before arriving in Bloomfield we made one last stop at CR7500 to find Wronghat's Vicissitudes. This was a quick and easy find. I stamped in while sitting in the car and then returned the box to its hiding spot. I then walked around the abandoned house and took a few pictures. Next we made the last little bit of the drive to Farmington.

We arrived in Farmington and made our way to Lions Wilderness Park. There were quite a few boxes here and we felt it would be a good place to start. First we drove to the amphitheater area and searched for two boxes. Both were pretty easy to find and weren't far walks. The first one I found was right on the side of a road near a parking lot. So I went and retrieved the box and brought it back to the car to stamp and then after stamping I walked back and replaced it. The second box was a little walk down a road that was blocked from motorized vehicles so Thomas stayed in the car and I walked the short distance to the box. I found it easily and then took it back to a picnic table to stamp in. I was done in a short while and replaced the box and then returned to the car. From here we drove to the disc golf course area of the park. A while back I solved a puzzle clue by Sunny Delight called Charlie Brown Christmas Dance Scene. I was determined to look for this box since solving the puzzle took a little bit of time. This is actually a series of seven boxes hidden in and around the disc golf course. We started at the first one and had to wait a little while for a group of four to finish the hole. Once they left we followed the clues but didn't find the box. I am not sure if it was there and we missed it or if it is indeed missing. So after about 15 minutes of searching we decided to continue on for the other six boxes. After about 2 hours of walking all over the course and following clues we found the last six boxes without any problems - well maybe a couple of problems - at a couple of the boxes we had to wait for groups to play through with their frisbees. The boxes took us around the course and we started and ended up at the parking area. We got in the car and drove toward the exit of the park but before leaving we turned toward a picnic area to look for one last box in the park. I wasn't sure whether we would find the next box because there had been an attempt on it recently but since it wasn't on a long hike we decided to look for it. I followed the clues and easily found the box without any problems. I took the box back to the car to stamp in and then returned it to its hiding spot. Now we were ready to leave the park. I had clues for a box at Sandalwood Park just down the road from where we were. So we headed there. We parked and started following the clues. There was a comment that a finder had made on AQ that some of the landmarks were missing - mainly pink flags marking the trail. But we decided to try it anyway. We gave it a good try but never really located anything in the clue so we decided to call it quits and head to one last place before calling it a day. Our next stop was at San Juan College to look for a couple of boxes. There were two in particular that we searched for - RNR's Professor Stevens and BirchMoon's Numb3rs. We knew the area we needed for RNR's box but BirchMoon's box had very clever obscure clues. Instantly I found the first number in the clue for Numb3rs and we were on our way. These clues took us to the courtyard for the Little Theatre. This is where Professor Stevens is hidden. So we concentrated on those clues and quickly found the box. I sat on a bench and stamped in while Thomas looked for the next number for the other clue. After stamping in I replaced the box and joined Thomas. It took us a few minutes to locate the next number and we were now getting the hang of looking for the numbers. The next clue I figured out quickly and we continued on our walk to find the box. The last clue was a little difficult but we bumped into a security guy and he was able to give us some insight (we did not tell him we were letterboxing, we told him we were doing a scavenger hunt). A little while later we found the box. I stamped in at a nearby bench. After stamping in I copied the clues for the bonus box (I am not giving anything away here - she mentions the bonus box in the clues) and then we returned the box to its hiding spot. Thomas and I sat down again and tried to make some sense of the bonus box clues. I wasn't getting anywhere looking at the clues so we got up and walked around looking for something that made sense. By this time the sun was starting to go down and it was getting a little cold. But we kept trying but we found absolutely nothing - no sign of anything that made sense with the clues. We finally decided to give up since it was getting dark and hard to make out things - so we walked back to the car and headed out for something to eat. After dinner we checked in to the hotel and relaxed. We had a great day and tomorrow we start making our way home.

Farmington Letterboxing Trip - Part III

Today was our last day in Farmington and it wasn't a full day - we planned on doing some letterboxing and then heading back to Santa Fe by 11:30am. We all met for breakfast around 7:ooam and then we returned to our rooms to get our things and then we piled into the truck and it was time to letterbox.

Astro D and rubberpeace

Last night at dinner we planned out what we wanted to do today so we were ready to go this morning. Our first stop was Ricketts Park which is home to the Connie Mack World Series. There are two letterboxes here but only one available at this time. We looked for the one that is unavailable first - the box is Connie Mack World Series by Aspen. The clue states that the box is only available during the world series for a week in August but we noticed that there was a find logged in January of this year. So we thought maybe the box had been left in place but we didn't find it. Then we moved on to the next box - Baseball Reflections by RNR. This was an easy find and we took it to a picnic table to stamp in. I forgot to mention that it was a little cold this morning and the picnic table was aluminum so we got quite a little shock when our tushies hit the bench. Anyway we stamped in and enjoyed a great carve by RNR. We then rehid the box and headed for the next destination. We made our way to the Boys and Girls Club to find AAUGH! by BirchMoon. Another quick and easy find and we stamped in while sitting on a low wall. I love this stamp because it is from the comic strip Peanuts - one of my favorites. After we got the box back in place we got back to the truck and went to find the next box. This box is Arkham City Riddler: Box 2 by BirchMoon. I can't tell you where we went to find this one because it is a mystery. But is was a nice place, a nice stamp and a nice hide. Once the Riddler was back in place we made our way to Vietnam Veterans Park so that Astro D could find my Alphabetical New Mexico: F (Farmington) box and so rubberpeace could find The Lucky Box. Both boxes were found and they were stamped into and then we made our way to our last stop.

Shepard Girl

We arrived at San Juan College and began our hunt for three boxes. The first box we looked for was San Juan College. We read the clues and started looking where we thought the box might be but we came up empty handed and we also felt that the clues didn't really match the area we were looking in. So we moved on to the next box. Astro D found the box quickly and we sat at a table and stamped in to Kanji Series #2: To Study (appropriately hidden at a college). After getting this one back in place we wanted to find the Bookstore and look around. We entered into the Student Union and began our search for the Bookstore (and I used the word 'search' because that was what it turned out to be). We went upstairs and followed signs until we came to one that pointed for the Bookstore downstairs. We gave up on the Bookstore and went in search of Zodiac #1: Aries by BirchMoon. We had to find a statue in front of the Little Theatre and then follow the clues to the box. Once we finally located the Little Theatre and the statue it was a quick and easy find for the box. We stamped in while sitting on a low wall and then put the box back in place. Now we had to figure out how to get to the Bookstore and look for San Juan College again. We returned to the Student Union and followed signs again but no luck - we then asked three people for directions before we finally arrived at the Bookstore. And once we arrived there the clues to San Juan College got a little clearer. So we looked for the box. But we still didn't find it. So we decided to call it quits and go into the Bookstore. While Astro D and rubberpeace looked around I decided I wanted to try one more time for the box. So I left them in the Bookstore and went out to find the box - and I did just that. When they came out to meet me they found me sitting at a table stamping in. I found out that they had completely given up on the box and had just thrown away their clues.

Cuban Cafe

This same thing also happened yesterday when we searched for Desert Discs at Lions Wilderness Park. Anyway, after stamping in and laughing a bit we put the box back in place and headed for the truck.


It was time to say goodbye to Farmington and head back to Santa Fe. We made the drive to Cuba where we stopped for lunch at the Cuban Cafe. We had a great lunch which included the best homemade chips and salsa. We also had a great talk about the trip and all the great boxes we found. Then it was time to make the last bit of the drive home. Astro D and rubberpeace dropped me at home and our trip came to an end. We would like to thank BirchMoon, Wronghat, RNR, huginn and Aspen for all the wonderful boxes they have placed in the Farmington area. We would also like to thank Kaw and BirchMoon for meeting us for dinner - we had a great visit. You all made this a great trip to the Farmington area.

Oh, and today I hit another milestone. When we found the Kanji Series #2: To Study letterbox it marked my 500th letterbox I have found in the state of New Mexico. WooHoo!

Farmington Letterboxing Trip - Part II

So it is day two in Farmington and we had a lot planned. After breakfast at the hotel we gathered our things and piled into Moby (Astro D's Land Cruiser) and we headed out for a day of letterboxing. Our first destination - Crow Canyon.

Crow Canyon

We headed east from Farmington to a little past Blanco on US 64 and then turned south on Co Rd 4450. We drove a little over 20 miles to our destination at Main Petroglyph Panel in Crow Canyon. We walked the short distance from the parking area to the petroglyphs. There are two letterboxes here - Aspen's Crow Canyon and my Alphabetical New Mexico: C (Crow Canyon). Astro D and I found Crow Canyon on a previous trip but rubberpeace needed to find that one. And both Astro D and rubberpeace needed to find my box. We walked along the trail and we all took pictures with Astro D and rubberpeace taking a break to find the boxes and stamp in. I really love this place. It is a bit of a drive and out in the middle of nowhere but it is so beautiful and peaceful the drive is worth it. After all the pictures were taken and the boxes back in their hiding spot we made the trip back to civilization. We drove to Bloomfield and stopped for lunch. We ate at Triangle Cafe. It was a nice lunch and it gave us time to plan out our afternoon letterboxing.

Farmington Lake

The afternoon was busy and windy. One minute it was cloudy and the next the sun was out, one minute it was warm and the next we needed jackets. But no problem, we are letterboxers and we persevered. We really had a great day and a lot of fun. We letterboxed around a lake and in parks. We perused all four seasons, learned a little Japanese and studied local trees. We hunted horcruxes, spent time with frisbee golf and cheered for Women's basketball. We even found some Easter Eggs while letterboxing in Lions Wilderness Park - I guess they didn't count the eggs before they left.

We found the following boxes this afternoon - Le Quattro Stagioni Series, Kanji Series #1: Child, Juniper, Road Apple Rally, He Strikes, Harry Potter Horcrux Series #3 - Salazar Slytherin's Locket, Desert Discs, Sandalwood, Women's March Madness 2012 Series, Lion's Pool, Pinon and The Green Man. Some really great boxes were found today but we all agreed that Juniper was our favorite find. I can't really say why because it would give things away but it was worth hunting for. We took a break for dinner at Three Rivers Brewery (yes the same place we ate last night - it was really good) and after finding a few more boxes we headed back to the hotel. Tomorrow we will do a little letterboxing in the morning before heading back to Santa Fe.

Farmington Letterboxing Trip - Part I

We are at it again. Astro D, rubberpeace and I are off on another letterboxing trip. A couple of months ago we took a letterboxing trip to Gallup. You can read about that trip at To Gallup and Back (Part I) & (Part II). This time we have headed a bit further north and will be in Farmington. It has a been a couple of years since we have been here and there are quite of few boxes for us to find. We will see how we do over the next three days.

Wildflowers

Astro D and rubberpeace picked me up at a little after 8:00am and we started our trip. We drove south on I25 to Bernalillo and then took US 550. This is where our letterboxing began. Our first stop was about 13 miles up US 550 at Big Chief. This is a defunct gas station/store. There is an historic marker there for the New Mexico Historic Women Marker Initiative - this one honors Trinidad Gachupin Medina. Near this marker we found Big Chief New Mexico by ArnoldZiffel. This was an easy find and a quick stamp in and then we were on our way. We drove only a short distance and then turned into the Ojito Wilderness and White Mesa Bike Trails so that rubberpeace could find Wronghat's Wind Down at White Mesa. It was a short but nice walk to the box. And while rubberpeace stamped in I took pictures of the area. From here we had a great view of Cabezon Peak. After this box was back in hiding we continued on our trip. The next stop was at the Perea Nature Trails, again for rubberpeace to find a box. This box is Black Mesa Inbound. Another quick stamp in and then it was time to hit the road again. [Astro D and I had found both these boxes on earlier trips.] Still on US 550 and just a short drive up we stopped for Stone Faced by RNR. This was placed near a mesa that has a profile resembling a rhinoceros. We all needed this one so we took the short walk and nabbed the box. We sat and stamped while the wind started getting worse. Once we were done and the box was back in place we continued our trip. We made it to Cuba a short time later and stopped at the Visitors Center to find another Wronghat box - Calder in Cuba. This was a quick and easy find and we stamped in at a picnic table near the box. By the time this box was back in place it was time for lunch. We had a really good meal and a nice visit at El Bruno's. Their sign said "Excellent Mexican Food" and I agree - we had an excellent lunch. Now that we were full and rested it was time to get back on the road.

Angel Peak

Our drive to the next box was a little longer than the ones we did this morning but soon enough we arrived at Angel Peak Scenic Area. At this stop it was Astro D that needed a box. We arrived at the Cliffs Picnic Area and she found my box - Angel Peak. The wind was still blowing pretty hard but she managed to stamp in while getting some cover from the juniper where the box was hidden. Once back at the car we returned to US 550 and drove up to Bloomfield. Here we stopped to find Wronghat's Promenade. We found the box at Verde De Rio San Juan Park. It was a short walk along the river to the box and we stamped in at a nearby picnic table. After stamping in and rehiding the box we made our way to the next one. We drove to the starting point for Juneau Alaska NW N.M. but then things got sketchy. We weren't sure where to go and we had some trouble understanding the clues. So we decided not to worry too much about this box and we headed out. We drove up to Aztec and stopped at Riverside Park. Here Astro D needed to find Maine Quarter (rubberpeace and I already had this one). Another quick and easy find and it was on to another box in the same park. That box was PAC-12. This was planted near a walking bridge by the river. We sat and stamped in and then rehid the box.

BirchMoon, Kaw, rubberpeace, Astro D

We decided to head to our hotel and get checked in. The hotel we are staying in is the Towne Place Suites by Marriott. This is a pretty new hotel and the rooms are really nice. We all went up to our rooms to get washed up and put our things away then we headed out again to find a couple of more boxes and then meet some other letterboxers for dinner. We stopped for Frolick in the Garden at Gateway Park. I was the only one that needed this box. I found it easy enough and stamped while sitting on the wall where it is hidden. Once done here we headed to the All Veterans Memorial to find Harry Potter Horcrux Series #6 - Harry Potter by BirchMoon and ArnoldZiffel. The area was quiet and it was a quick find - we grabbed the box and found a spot to sit and stamp in. Once that box was in place it was time to head to the restaurant for dinner.

We met Kaw and BirchMoon at Three Rivers Brewery. We did some exchanges and had a great visit and a wonderful meal. It was a perfect way to end the day. Tonight I need rest, tomorrow will be another full day that is going to start with a drive out to Crow Canyon.

Northwest New Mexico Loop - Part III

Sunday, October 31
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

This mornig we slept in, we didn't leave the hotel until around 9:30am. We weren't in a hurry since our plans only involved letterboxing within Farmington. Since we didn't have any long drives we decided to take it easy this morning. When we finally did get around to getting out we headed to Berg Park. With clues in hand and letterboxing gear in tow we headed out to find three boxes. We walked the nature trail and visited the Riverside Nature Center and also walked around the All Veterans Memorial Park. It was a beautiful Sunday morning and the park was a great place to be, we even managed to see two deer. I guess we spent about an hour and a half at the park and managed to find three letterboxes - Love Stars Box, The Tree Sniffers and The Red Brick Box. From Berg Park we made our way to Gateway Park. Here we were looking for two letterboxes. I followed the clues for one and found 'a' box but not 'the' box. I was looking for Frolick in the Garden and what I found was Native Mandala. So before stamping in I read the clues for Native Mandala the box was in the right spot but it was hidden by a brick and the clues stated to look for a rock. So I reread the clues for Frolick in the Garden and retraced my steps to see if I was looking in the right spot. I thought I was but I never found the box. I am not sure I was looking in the right spot or not but we ended up walking all around the garden and still came up empty handed. So I stamped in to Native Mandala and rehid it as I found it. I hope the other box isn't missing - I just hope I misread the clues. We decided it was time to move along.

We headed to the north part of town to Lions Wilderness Park. We drove to the Overlook Shelter Area and parked. While I looked for the box Thomas sat under the shelter and read. I followed the clues and found Here Lies Jose HHH tucked nicely in its hiding spot. I decided to take the box back to the shelter to stamp in where I could have a nice flat surface. The hostel only had two hitchhikers in it (and the clues stated that there should be three) so I didn't take any hitchhikers with me and I didn't have any to leave there either. So I just stamped into the box and rehid it. From this part of the park we drove back to the Amphitheater area. I found Smelly Snail and quickly stamped in and put it back and then went in search of Wronghat's Sting box. I didn't have any problems with the clues and soon I was sitting on the incredible rock formation enjoying the beautiful sunshine and stamping in. This was another wonderful Wronghat/Semicolon box! Once the box was back in its spot I returned to the car. I had a box that I had planned to hide in the park but wasn't sure where. While I was stamping in to Sting I decided that I wanted to put it in the area where I found Jose. So we drove back to the other area but instead of going to the Overlook Shelter we went to the Rocky Point Shelter. It didn't take me long to find a good spot for He Strikes! and get the clues written. I enjoyed this park, especially the landscape - the rock formations were incredible.

When we left this park we decided to find a place to eat and relax for a little while. We had an enjoyable lunch and rested for about an hour before heading out again. We didn't have much left to do in the way of letterboxing. I had clues for seven boxes but only three of them were actually available. Four of them were either missing, retired or pulled. And I still wanted to get one more box planted today. Our first stop after lunch was Vietnam Veterans Park where we found The Lucky Box. I stamped in and rehid the box and then decided to give the park a once over to see if I could hide my box here. The park is small but after looking around I decide it would work perfectly. I think The Lucky Box may have been lucky for me. I quickly found a spot for Alphabetical New Mexico: F (Farmington). There were a lot of things that fit - a big "F" on the hill, I found a bench that had "The City of Farmington" on it and it just felt right. So with that box in place we could move on. We next went to the Farmington Library and found Play-Doh. I sat on the beautiful lawn and stamped in while enjoying the terrific Fall weather. After getting that box back into place we headed off for out last box in Farmington. This one would be a quick drive by as it was hidden right on the side of the road. We parked on a side street and I made the very short walk to retrieve Fly By Knight. I brought it back to the car to stamp in and then I walked it quickly back to its hiding spot. So we managed to get all the boxes that are available in the Farmington area - except one and we will get that one on our way home tomorrow and we will leave one final box in the area as well. All our things are organized and I think we are ready to head on home. Thomas and I both miss Daisy and Buddy and it will be good to get home and see them. And tomorrow just happens to be Buddy's 1st birthday.

Monday, November 1

Today we are going to make our way home to Santa Fe. We did want to get an early start so we were up at 6:00am to get things ready. After a quick bite to eat we got on the road, I was wanting to get to our first stop before the sun was up too much. We left Farmington and made our way to NM550 and headed for Angel Peak Scenic Area. We got there just as the sun started peeking above the horizon. We watched the sun hit the landscape and loved the way the light played on it. We did all this from the car as it was 35 degrees. We finally got out and took a few pictures and then went in search of Wronghat's Angel's Peek letterbox. It took a little bit of searching but we finally found it. I found a place to sit and stamp in and Thomas high tailed it back to the car - he was cold. I enjoyed the views, especially the ones of Angel Peak and Castle Rock. After I got the box back into place we left that picnic area and went to another one so that I could hide a box. I placed Angel Peak at the Cliffs Picnic Area. Once we had the clues written down we headed out.

We continued down NM550 to Cuba, well actually a little bit before Cuba. We stopped at Apache Nugget Casino to find T.P., the letterbox not the roll of, placed here by D-Girl. It was a quick and easy find right near the bathrooms. I took this one back to the car to stamp in as it was still quite chilly. I love the carved image - it really made me smile. And I enjoyed finding this box on our drive home. With the box back in place we were done with the letterboxing portion of our trip. Truthfully we were completely done with our trip except for the remaining miles of the drive home. That is exactly what we did - drive. We made it home around noon and were excitedly greeted by Daisy and Buddy, and today is Buddy's first birthday.

Our trip to the northwestern portion of New Mexico was a lot of fun. We found some great boxes and enjoyed visiting some spectacular places. But as always it is great to be home. We found 31 boxes on this trip and placed 9. Some of the boxes I placed are in out of the way places but believe me it is worth the drive to the area - what you get to see is spectacular.