On Our Way to Wyoming

Thomas has his annual WASHTO conference this year in Laramie, Wyoming so we are off on another trip. And while Thomas is at his conference I will be letterboxing. This morning we left Santa Fe sometime around 6:00am to begin our journey. There were no boxes for me to stop and get in New Mexico so we just drove along I25 until we got to Raton. We decided to take a break from the drive and fill the car with gas and get some breakfast. We stopped at a restaurant that was recommended to Thomas on one of his many work trips to Raton. This local place is called the Oasis Restaurant. The food was really good and it was a nice break from the drive. After eating we stopped and filled the car with gas and then we got back on I25 headed to Colorado.

Welcome to Colorado!

We only went a few miles and then took exit 460 to find The Woodshed's Colorado Highway Mountain Passes: Raton Pass letterbox. The box is hidden at a pullout at Raton Pass in Colorado. You can get a great view and picture of the Colorado Welcome Sign from here. When we got to the pullout there was no one there so it was easy to find the box, stamp in and then put it back in place without being seen. A nice box and a nice break along this drive. Back on I25 we drove another 18 miles and stopped at the El Moro Rest Area just north of Trinadad. The Woodshed has a series of four boxes here. I found The Art of El Moro series. This wasn't an easy task - this has to be one of the busiest rest areas I have ever seen. When we pulled in the entire lot for cars was full except for two spots. I was skeptical about being able to find the boxes but since we were here I gave it a try. I went to the area for the first box and quickly found the hiding spot but had to wait about 5 minutes for a man to move away and quit staring at me. When the coast was clear I grabbed the box, stamped in and put it back in place. The second box was very near the first one and this one was easier since I had a wall and a bush to block me from most views and I only had to watch one direction. Again I grabbed the box, stamped in and then put it back. I then went in search for the third box. Like I said the parking area was full and there were cars parked right in front of the hiding spot and there were people sitting in two of the cars and there was no way I could have gotten the box without being seen.

El Moro Rest Area - Trinadad, CO

So I left that spot and went in search of the fourth box. This one was a little easier but still took a little time. It is near the entrance to the rest area and I just sat there waiting while car after car kept coming in - I counted twenty-three cars before there was a long enough break to get the box. I grabbed it and found a spot behind a wall to sit and stamp in totally obstructed from view. Getting the box back in place was easier as I just went and sat at the spot and dropped the box back in place. I then went back to the car and we started to head out and since that third box was at the far end of the rest area I thought we could stop and see if it was a bit safer. There were only three cars parked near the spot and all were empty - so Thomas kind of blocked me from view while I grabbed the box. I took it back to the car and quickly stamped in so we could get it back in place before the owners of the cars returned. It took us about 40 minutes to be able to get the boxes with all the people hovering about. It was definitely a lesson in stealth. Then we were back on I25 heading north. Everything was going well and the drive so far was uneventful and pleasant. But then we arrived in Pueblo. We first encountered signs about road work ahead and then we saw signs that the interstate was closed and we had to detour. They had us exit the interstate and go into Pueblo, turn right and drive a ways and then turn right again and rejoin the interstate at another exit pass whatever road work they were doing. It was stop and go, moving along very slow - the whole detour took us 45 minutes. When we finally were back on the interstate and moving at the normal speed limit we were thankful - unfortunately that didn't last long. Just as we entered into Colorado Springs the traffic became increasingly backed up. We moved slow for a while and then we gained speed and then we had to slow down again and there were a few time when we came to a stand still. There was some construction but not enough to stall traffic - we never did find out why it was so busy and backed up. Not that it mattered because this traffic pattern continue all the way to Denver and beyond. The drive between Pueblo and the north area of Denver took us just over three hours (normally about a two hour drive). Once we got past the I70 interchange the traffic began to thin out. From Denver to Fort Collins was much better. We exited at Fort Collins (Exit 269) and then took Hwy 287 up to Laramie. Just before we reached the Wyoming border we stopped at a rest area to find preboxed's Wagon Ho! - Overland Trail box. This was a quick and easy find and in no time we were back on the road for our final stretch into Laramie.

Little Boy - Greenhill Cemetery, Laramie, Wy

We arrived at the hotel at 6;00pm - we had estimated A 3:30pm arrival with stopping to eat, fill the car with gas and letterboxing. So with the added traffic it took us 2+ hours longer. We still arrived in plenty of time for Thomas to shower and get to his conference dinner. After Thomas checked in we got our bags up to the room and Thomas jumped in the shower to get ready for his dinner and I headed out to find a few letterboxes. I drove about six blocks from the hotel to Greenhill Cemetery. I spent about 30 minutes here finding three boxes - Public Hand's A California Quail Comes to Wyoming, Grumpy Grinch's Horned Hooter and Batty Girl's Spring Flowers. This was a pleasant letterbox hunt since the place was empty. I only saw one car with two people and they were leaving as I was entering. After finding these three boxes I decided to call it a day and returned to the hotel. Thomas was at his dinner when I returned so I walked next door to the hotel to a deli for a sandwich. I brought the food back to the room to eat and I logged in my finds at the same time. Even with all the traffic it was a good day. Tomorrow I am on my own as Thomas is busy the entire day with the conference. I am sure I can keep myself busy with letterboxing.

Letterbox Maintenance

Recently I started reviewing notes that people have sent me over the last year when they found my boxes. And I made a list of boxes that needed some maintenance. But I also had boxes that haven't been found in a while and I made a second list of those. Today I decided to head out to Madrid and Cerrillos to check on boxes in those areas. First I made a list of all the boxes with the basic clue and then made notes of what might be needed. I gathered a couple of containers, 2 logbooks, a handful of zip locks and a camo bag and headed out.
I first drove past Cerrillos and past Madrid on NM 14 (The Turquoise Trail) and stopped at a pullout between mile markers 23 & 24. Here I was checking on my Alphabetical New Mexico: T (Turquoise Trail) box. I parked and got out of the car and tried following the directions.

View from my Turquoise Trail Box

But a landmark that I had used was not very noticeable so I decided to just rewrite the clues. So I looked around made notes and came up with a much better clue. I then went to the box and opened it to check on the stamp and logbook. I had made a new logbook (an updated version so that all my Alphabetical New Mexico boxes are the same - I know my OCD is working full force). Everything was fine with this box so I turned around and headed back through Madrid. Next I stopped at the north edge of town and parked near the park. I stopped here to check on Twinville Trekkers' Beatles Series #9 "Day Tripper". This box is in great shape and didn't need any maintenance. So I got back on NM 14 and drove to Cerrillos. My first stop was near the cemetery to check on Bandaid's A Kiss From Connecticut - this box was in perfect order as well.

So now I drove a little further up the road to Cerrillos Hills State Park.

View from Cerrillos Hills

When I hike this park I usually follow the same route and that is what I did today. I had a list of all the boxes in the park in the order I was going to walk. I parked at the kiosk, paid my fee and then started my hike. I crossed the street and took the Jane Calvin Sanchez trail. My first stop was to check on my Felis concolor box. Everything was good - the box was closed well and the baggies were also closed well and it was dry and the clues were good. So I put it back in place and continued on.

Cholla Blooms

On the same trail I stopped and checked on Wronghat's Cerrillos Birr box. This box was also in great shape so I continued on my hike. I got to the end of the trail and then crossed the road again and took the Escalante trail. The next box I got to was Twinville Trekkers' Who? Who? box.

New Trail Sign

At first I couldn't find the box but then I noticed it lying on the ground and it was all chewed up. I am glad I brought that camo bag with me. I took the box back to the nearby bench and put the stamp and logbook into a new ziplock and then into the camo bag. I then hung it back up in the tree. Hopefully it will be okay. Then I continued on the Escalante trail and made my way to the Mirador Overlook. I followed Astro D's clues to find her Miner at the Mirador box. All was well with this box so I put it back in place and then continued on. I retraced my steps on the Escalante trail to the road and then walked back to the parking area.

Prickly Pear Bloom

From here I took the Village View trail to check on my Los Vaqueros box. This box was also in great shape but I had to tweak the clues a little because a sign has been removed. Then I returned to my car. I really enjoyed my hike and I realized that it has been quite a while since I have been on these trails. They have done a lot of work on the trails, removed some signs and put all new trail signs - so things are marked really well. They have also changed and added some trails so at first I was a little confused - I didn't bring a map because I use to know the trails and didn't realize things had changed. But I really enjoyed myself. It was a quiet morning and I only saw three people on the trails. Also the chollas were in bloom everywhere in the park.

I left Cerrillos and headed north on NM 14. I made one last stop at a pullout somewhere around mile marker 35. At this spot I checked on two boxes - Fantastyk Voyager's Magical Gate and rubberpeace's Rock! Paper! Scissors! boxes. These were both in great shape! Once these were checked on I made my way home. I have a great time doing some maintenance on these boxes. I got the clues updated on Atlas Quest and Letterboxing North America so that if anyone heads out to find my boxes they shouldn't have any problems. So now I need to plan my next outing for more maintenance.

More Cholla Bloom Photos . . .

Letterboxing the Enchanted Circle with Astro D

About two weeks ago I was going through letterbox clues for boxes that were within a day trip distance. I put together five stacks. On June 1st I took a road trip from Santa Fe to Adrian, TX and back to find letterboxes along I40.

Jesus Nazareno Cemetery

Then on June 2nd I got an email from Astro D asking if I wanted to make a road trip to Red River so she could check on one of her boxes. Of course I said yes. Going to Red River (well really driving the Enchanted Circle) was one of my stacks. I had a few clues for boxes in that area and I needed to replace a couple of my boxes that had gone missing. So we planned to go letterboxing today. I had everything ready last night and had arranged what I needed to get done to match the drive. So this morning I went to Vote at 7:00am and then after that I met Astro D at her house. Around 8:30am we left Santa Fe and headed north on US285 driving through Pojoaque and Espanola.

Dennis Hopper's Gravesite

In Espanola we turned onto NM68. We made a quick bathroom stop in Pilar at the Rio Grande Gorge Visitor Center. Then about five miles past the Visitor Center we turned onto a dirt road so that Astro D could do some maintenance on one of her boxes. We parked immediately after we turned onto the dirt road. Then we followed her clues and walked up the dirt road to the box. She wasn't happy with the hiding spot so she picked up the box and checked it and added some things to it and then she found a better hiding spot for Staurolite. Once that was complete we drove up to Rancho de Taos so that I could find her Honorary Mayor of Taos letterbox. This box is about Dennis Hopper who is buried in a cemetery off of NM518. When Astro D wanted to do this box she asked me to carve the stamp - I found an image, carved the stamp and gave it to her to plant.

Cross near a grave.

She said she had a hard time finding the cemetery as there are no signs leading to it. We drove into the cemetery and made our way to an area in the back where you can park. We went and found the box and brought it back to the car to stamp in. When I was done I put the box back in place and then we spent some time walking around and taking pictures. The cemetery is named Jesus Nazareno Cemetery and is listed as being on La Canada Road (off of Espinoza Road which is off NM518). It is a very interesting place and a great spot for a box. We left the cemetery around 11:00am and went to the Trading Post Café for lunch. Astro D was taking me out for a birthday lunch. We ended up sitting out on their patio and had some fantastic food and a great visit. After eating we continued on our letterboxing journey.

We continued a short way up NM68 to NM64. This is the start of the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway. Our first stop along this road was at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park. My Alphabetical New Mexico: V (Vietnam Veterans Memorial) letterbox went missing and I finally had it ready to replant.

Eagle Nest Lake

I went back to the same area where the original box was planted but soon decided that I didn't want it there. So we walked around the area and soon found a great spot. I got the box hidden and we sat and wrote out the clues and I took some pictures. With that completed we continued on to the next stop at Eagle Nest Lake State Park. My Alphabetical New Mexico: E (Eagle Nest Lake) box seemed to be missing - so last Fall I went and checked and figured out that the trail had been redirected. After about 20 minutes of searching I found the box. I was going to just replant it there and then but the logbook was soaked. I decided to take it home and make a new book and then go back and replace it. Then winter came and it had to wait. So today I was able to get it back in place with the help of Astro D. I am so happy that these two boxes are back in action.

From Eagle Nest we went from NM64 to NM38 towards Red River.

Mines in Red River

Once we arrived in Red River we made our way to Pioneer Road and drove to the end of the road and parked in a lot behind the Black Mountain and Arrowhead Lodges. This is also the lot for the Red River Ski & Summer Area. We were here to check on Astro D's The Dykes of Red River letterbox. Last year she got a note that the box was missing. So Astro D read the clues and I followed them - I easily found the box - the clues were spot on. So she did a little maintenance and then she put the box back in place. Thankfully it was there - if you haven't gone up there to find this box I think you should make plans to go - it is a beautiful area and a great box.

Okay, we now had one more thing to do to end the day.

Clear Creek Cimarron Canyon State Park

We drove back to Eagle Nest and then got back on NM64 to Cimarron Canyon State Park. Our reason for going here was to find a Silver Eagle box. This box is a puzzle so you have to solve it to get the clues - it is one of his Game Series boxes. We followed the clues, parked and walked to the box. We found Hangman Game 82. It was a beautiful walk and a great way to end the day. We returned to the car and made a decision to drive the rest of the way through the canyon and go to Cimarron and then tak NM58 to I25 and return home via the Interstate.

The Palisades - Cimarron Canyon State Park

It was a great day of letterboxing! Thanks Astro D for a fantastic birthday lunch and a wonderful (dare I say an 'Enchanting') day. I am looking forward to taking more of these day trips to letterbox in New Mexico.

Rainy Days and Letterboxing Always Makes Me Smile

It has been a while since I have been able to take a full day and do nothing but letterbox. I decided yesterday since I had absolutely nothing planned for today that I would do a letterboxing road trip and just spend the day letterboxing.

Letterboxing I40

There were a few choices I had in where I could head out to letterbox. I ended up deciding to letterbox I40 from Clines Corners, NM to Adrian, TX. (According to Google Maps this would be a 235 mile drive taking about 3 hours and 23 minutes.) I left home about 7:00am taking I25 to US285 and then onto I40. Not long after turning onto I40 it started to rain. I had clues for five boxes in New Mexico and three boxes in Texas. I arranged the clues in driving order and made my first stop eastbound just before Santa Rosa at Exit 252 at the Anton Chico Rest Area***. Here I went in search of flat tire's I-40: Guthrie "This Land is Your Land" letterbox. I parked at the farthest picnic table and followed the clues from there. This was an easy find and thankfully the picnic table was covered so I could sit there and stamp in. That helped to keep things dry since it was still raining. Once I got the box back in place I continued on my drive on I40 heading for Texas.
My next stop was in Tucumcari at the Blue Swallow Motel. Here I was looking for Wronghat's Blue Swallow Motel box. It was raining again so I parked where I needed to be and tried to find the box's hiding spot from the car. From the clues I was looking for something of a certain color and I thought I had found it. So when the rain let up a bit and dashed to the spot and searched - but I didn't find the box. So I returned to the car and tried spotting another location from the car. My second try didn't yield the box as well. I realized that I was having trouble interpreting the clues and was so I was unable to find the box. After 20 minutes of trying I decided to send Wronghat an email and then continue on my trip knowing that I could stop here again on my drive home. I stopped to fill the car with gas and then returned to I40 to continue my day.

Midpoint Café - Adrian, TX

I drove for about an hour with on and off rain and finally arrived in Adrian, TX at the Midpoint Café^^^. There are two boxes here and I read the clues while sitting in the car waiting for the rain to slow down. From where I was parked I couldn't see either of the hiding spots. So I waited since I wasn't sure where I needed to look for the boxes and I didn't want to soaking wet. After about 20 minutes of sitting in the car and waiting I decided to go into the café and have some lunch. That way I could occupy my time waiting for the rain to stop. I had a great meal and read the clues again. Thankfully when I was finished eating the rain had slowed down to a light drizzle. So I went in search of Wronghat's Flo's V8 Café box. I pretty much figured out where I needed to start and was happy to find that I was indeed in the right spot.

Rute 66 Midpoint - Adrian, TX

From there I quickly found the box and returned with it to the car. Stamping in the car kept my logbook and the box's logbook dry and gave me a chance to relax while stamping in. When I was ready to return the box to its hiding spot the rain had stopped and I was able to put the box back without getting any wetter. And since the rain had stopped I went in search of the second box here - Wronghat's Route 66 Midpoint. I found this box quickly and took it back to the car to stamp in. When I finished I returned the box to its hiding spot and then walked around and took some pictures. Now it was time to hit the road again for my return trip home.

Back on I40, now heading west I stopped nine miles from Adrian at a picnic area to look for Bison Eidolon by Wronghat. It had started raining again so I took my clues and letterboxing stuff to a covered picnic table near where the clues started. I followed the clues from under the shelter and thought I had found the spot I need. The rain had let up a bit so I ran to the spot and searched - no box. I went back to the shelter, reread the clues and tried again - still no luck. Back under the shelter I waited a few minutes and the rain stopped. So I went to the fence line and searched around about 13 fence post. Didn't find the box. I realized that the first place I looked was the right spot so I went back there, found a stick and searched all around the post and the plant near the post - still no luck. I decided it was time to give up and continue my drive.

I checked my phone and had received an email from Wronghat giving me a little help with his box in Tucumcari. So I decided to head back to the Blue Swallow Motel. But before going there I made a stop at the New Mexico Welcome Center in Glen Rio to look for RIclimber's RI Climber Visits New Mexico box. I had noticed a comment on the clue page that someone couldn't find the box and figured it had been geotrashed. But I decided to give it a try anyway - what can I say I am a glutton for punishment. When I left the car to walk to the box it wasn't raining so I was able to read the clues and follow them word for word. And I should have put more faith in that comment I read because I didn't find the box. As I was making my way back to the car the rain started again and by the time I reached the car it was pouring. Even though the rain was adding some difficulty to my letterboxing I was still enjoying it - we can always use the moisture in New Mexico.

Blue Swallow Motel - Route 66 - Tucumcari, NM

From the Welcome Center I made my way back to the Blue Swallow Motel and this time things made more sense and I quickly found the box. There was only a slight drizzle so I didn't get too wet getting the box but I didn't want to get wetter so I returned to the car to stamp in. As always with Wronghat's boxes it was a great carve and representation of the landmark. When I went to return the box the rain had stopped which made it easier to hide the box properly. Now to continue the drive with one more stop before heading home.

After about an hours drive (with on and off rain) I arrived at Exit 252 for the Anton Chico Rest Area*** - Westbound. I had clues for two boxes here. I found a spot to park, grabbed the clues and my letterboxing stuff and set out in search of these two boxes. At this time the rain had completely stopped and the sun was out for the first time today. First I looked for Boxer Lover47's BL Stomps & Stamps in NM. I quickly found the first landmark and took a compass reading and headed in that direction to the next landmark. And voilà, I found the box. There was a nice big, flat rock nearby and I used that to sit on and stamp in. When I was done I put the box back in place and made sure it was hidden well. Then I went in search of the final box of the day - Grumpy Grinch's Forest Footwear. This was another quick and easy find but there was really no where to sit and stamp except on the ground - so that is what I did. Thankfully the ground was dry - I guess they didn't get as much rain as some of the other places I had been today. Once this box was hidden again I returned to the car to head home.

I had a really great day and I enjoyed all the boxes I found and I even enjoyed the rain. I am glad I did this trip to letterbox - it had been on my list of things to do and it made for a greay way to spend a relaxing day. Thanks to all who planted boxes along this route, it really helps break up a long monotonous drive.

***I listed the rest area as the Anton Chico Rest Area because that is what is shown on the New Mexico Department of Transportation's Rest Areas Map. But when you look on google maps it shows as the Vaughn, NM Route 66W Rest Stop. Not sure what it is really called but it is at Exit 252 with a rest area on both the eastbound and westbound sides of I40. I also found a New Mexico I40 Service by the Mile document that list the rest area as Anton Chico (I think it might have to do with it being in close proximity to the town of Anton Chico but I am not sure). This document also list the rest area as being at Exit 251 or Milepost 251. But it is in that area of Exit 252 so you really can't miss it.

^^^Here are some links to more information about Adrian, TX; the Midpoint Café and the Midpoint of Route 66 . . .
Route 66 Halfway Point
Adrian, TX: Route 66 Midpoint
Texas Legends: Adrian - Midpoint USA
Adrian, Texas: Route 66 Midpoint

Another Box in Italy

For this trip to Italy I decided to plant a couple of boxes (even though all but one box went missing from my last trip to Italy), one in Catania and one in Herculaneum.

Mount Vesuvius

I planted Trinacria when we were in Catania (Planting a Letterbox in Sicily) and today I planted my second box. This box is called Vesuvio. I placed it on our visit to Herculaneum (since we weren't going to Vesuvius) and that seemed like a good place to leave it. We made our drive to Herculaneum and then went in to see the ruins. I decided not to put the box inside for two reasons - 1) there were so many people it was hard to do so unseen and 2) I didn't want to make people pay to get the box (even though it is worth the cost to see the ruins). So when we finished our tour of the ruins and we were back at the bus I decided to find a spot in the parking area. At first I had a hard time but then I noticed a spot and some landmarks I could use. So I placed the box and we will see if it gets any visitors and if it lasts for a while.

Planting a Letterbox in Sicily

Thomas and I are in Italy again - but this time we are in Sicily and Southern Italy on a tour with Pinecone Adventures. It is the Southern Italy & Sicily with Pinecone Adventures event. The last time we were in Italy back in 2012 I ended up planting seven letterboxes. At present only one of those boxes is still active. So when this trip came up I had decided not to plant anymore boxes in Italy. But then I found a couple of images I really liked and decided to carve two stamps and make a couple of boxes. So today we had some free time in the afternoon and I took the chance to place a new box. We checked a couple of places but I wasn’t comfortable about hiding a box at any of them. So I finally checked a map and found a large park and decided to walk over and check it out. We arrived at Parco Villa Bellini and I knew immediately that I could find a good spot to hide a box. The park is huge and had different areas including a botanic garden. Almost immediately after entering the park I found a couple of statues and decided to use those as landmarks – so I went from these and found a great spot to hide the box. The area isn’t too landscaped so I think it will last at least a year or two. So I planted Trinacria in Parco Villa Bellini in Catania, Italy. I really hope it gets some visitors and that people enjoy the box.

A Quick Plant and A Quick Find

Back in February rubberpeace asked if I would plant a box for her. She had a stamp that rbrhorno had carved and she put that stamp and a logbook into a ziplock bag and asked if I could make a camo bag and hide it. The stamp is of a sculpture by Kevin Box. It is a representation of the game Rock, Paper, Scissors. She wanted the box to be placed out by his studio near Cerrillos. The studio is called the Kevin Box Studio (aka Turquoise Trail Sculpture Garden) and is near the Garden of the Gods pullout. In the summer you can visit the garden and take a walking tour of all the sculptures. So I finally got around to planting Rock! Paper! Scissors! for rubberpeace today. It is just outside the garden and is available even when the garden is closed. Make sure if you go out to find this box to look up clues for other boxes in the Cerrillos and Madrid areas.

After planting this box I headed into Santa Fe for an appointment. I was a bit early so I decided to look for BirchMoon's Public Art #3: Roundabout while I was in town. This was a pretty easy find even though it is hidden in an actual roundabout with cars going through at a regular interval. Fortunately I was there when the traffic was minimal. I parked on a side street and walked to the roundabout. I waited a minute until a car passed and then crossed to the center and easily found the box and returned to my car to stamp in without any other cars passing. After stamping in I returnded to the roundabout (again without any cars passing) and got the box back into place. It is a nice stamp in a challenging area for stealth.

It was nice getting out today and doing a little letterboxing - it has been a couple of months since I last letterboxed. Hopefully I will get out more as there are quite a few boxes in New Mexico that I need to find.