Origami Logbooks

Today I joined Astro D at rubberpeace's house to have a day of logbook making. I wasn't sure what we were going to do when I first mentioned to Astro D that I wanted to get together to make journals. I knew I just needed some motivation and some new ideas. I was really surprised and elated when I learned that rubberpeace was going to teach us some origami tricks to making logbook covers and a map fold that could make a logbook that opened to a single flat sheet. All the things that we made today required mostly folding with very minimal glue and sewing.

We first learned to make a logbook cover that has a diamond design on the cover with tabs that can hold the pages. rubberpeace first had us fold some thin paper just to practice without having all the bulk. I liked this design because you can do a simple sewing technique to add in a signature or you can even tuck the first and last page into tabs to be held in that way. There are also tabs on the outside that you could add other design elements. This started with a square piece of paper and ended up as a square cover.

The next one that we worked on was similar in that you could either sew in a signature or tuck in the first and last pages. This one you start with a rectangular piece of paper and it comes out as a rectangular cover. It has tabs on the outside on the back and front that open towards the spine so you can add a decorative element to the cover as well (or you could use a two sided paper that gives a design by itself). On the inside you end up with a diagonal pocket at the bottom and a little tab at the top. This is where you can tuck in the signatures. I think I will probably use this one the most. I like the shape and all the tabs and all the possibilities of design and decorating.

At this point we took a break and had some lunch. rubberpeace had stuff for sandwiches with some fruit salad, carrots and all the condiments. For dessert Thomas made his Texas Brownie cake and we all had a piece. During lunch we discussed taking one or two classes at Papers! in Albuquerque - both the classes we looked at seemed interesting.

Well it was back to work after lunch and at this point rubberpeace was going to show us a map fold. I got excited about learning this because I had an idea for a logbook that opened up to a single flat sheet. I wanted to use this for an event stamp so that when you opened it up it was like a banner and you could see at a glance all the people who had attended the event. rubberpeace actually showed us two different folds. The first one was a little more complicated. You can start with a rectangular sheet of paper any size you want. We did two easy folds creating a plus sign from top to bottom and then side to side. The next two folds were a little more complicated. They were diagonal folds but you had to match the first two folds and all the folds have to intersect in the middle of the page at the same point for the fold to work well. After those four folds were done the next few folds were easy and then you had to do a reverse fold that was a little difficult. But I have to say it is worth it to make all the folds exact and to learn this fold because you can use it to include large pages into logbooks and scrapbooks so that they fold smaller to fit the pages but then open up large to be able to read it better or hold more information. The second map fold was a lot easier and only required four folds - I have to say I liked the first map fold better and will use it soon.

Thanks rubberpeace for taking the time to teach us all this and for your great hospitality. It was a great day with Astro D and rubberpeace and we always have fun talking about letterboxing. I also talked with rubberpeace about her most recent trip to the North Oregon Coast. Every time I hear about her trips to that area I really want to go there. So now Thomas and I are planning an Oregon Coast trip for this October. I am hoping to get plenty of ideas for places to go, things to see and letterboxes to find in the area. And anyone attending the El Rancho de los Letterboxes event in Santa Fe this September will get to see logbooks made from all that we learned today.

Staurolite

A little over a year ago Highwayman and I were suppose to go on a rockhounding trip with Astro D and The Great Wuga Wuga. That was scheduled on June 6, 2008. That trip got delayed due to my Detached Retina. We finally got to go on that trip today. You can read about the whole trip at A Day of Rockhounding. But I will just report about the letterboxing part of the day here.

Astro D had planned to plant a box at a place where there are staurolites (aka Fairy Crosses). The box is called Staurolite. It is a little drive to get there and you can either park at the beginning of the forest road and walk the two miles in or if you are in a 4WD vehicle with high clearance you can drive to within yards of the box. So we arrived at the area where you hunt for these crystals and The Great Wuga Wuga, Highwayman and I went up the hillside and looked for these crystals. While we were hunting for rocks Astro D looked for a spot to hide her box. When we returned back to the path Astro D gave me the clues and I went to look for the box. I followed the clues and found the spot for the box. I actually had a little trouble finding the box itself - it is a camo bag hanging in a tree and it blended in well. After retrieving the bag I sat down on the trail and stamped in. It is another great stamp by Astro D. I also got an actual staurolite as a first finder prize.

Thanks Astro D for a great box and a wonderful day. I really had a nice time at this site and I always have fun when there is letterboxing.

A SONG in my Heart and a BIRD in My Hand

Today I was home all morning because my car was at the dealer getting a 48,000 mile servicing. So I cleaned the house, paid some bills, caught up on emails and finished logging in finds and putting away things from my trip to Arizona. I decided to check LbNA and AQ for boxes planted in New Mexico - I have a search set up with AQ so I usually get notifications when a new box in New Mexico is logged there. But with LbNA I have to go there and check on a regular basis. It had been a while since I checked and I was pleasantly surprised to find that a Texas letterboxer had made his way into New Mexico and had left a couple of boxes. Silver Eagle placed Santa Fe Songbird in Santa Fe on August 12, 2009.

So when the dealership called that my car was ready I got a ride into town to get the car and I brought my letterbox stuff along. I made my way to Upper Canyon Road and to the Santa Fe Canyon Preserve. When I got there the road to the parking area for the Preserve was closed (construction - there was a backhoe doing some work at the entrance to the parking area). So I decided to drive a little further up Canyon Road and parked along the road where I knew I could get into the Preserve and start my hunt for the box.

I couldn't believe how lush the Preserve was. I don't remember it being so overgrown and thick with vegetation. I didn't have to go far to reach the landmark for the box and I easily found it. And WooHoo! I was the first finder. And it was a great little stamp of a bird. I sat on some rocks nearby and stamped in and then rehid the box. After hiding the box I walked around the area and enjoyed all the green. Not far from the box are some benches so I sat for a little while and just daydreamed. After that I finished the loop around the Preserve and then walked up the road to my car. Thanks Silver Eagle for a new box in Santa Fe.

Safe and Sound at Home

I wasn't so worry about getting an early start today since I was pretty close to home. So I didn't get on the road until 8:30am. There wasn't much traffic so it was a pretty nice drive. I drove straight through to Albuquerque and since it was still early I decided to try and find a few boxes before heading up to Santa Fe.

I started my hunt on the westside since that was where I was coming in from and made my way to Coors. The road not the beer and found the starting point for Westside Breeze. I followed the clues and walked to the landmark for the box. When I got there I read the clue again to determine exactly where to look for the box. I looked around and didn't see anyone so I reached under the statue and moved a few rocks but didn't find the box. I reread the clues and determined that this was the spot. So I decided to look around and I went to the side on my left and squatted down. And when I looked under the statue I saw something orange (like orange PZKut), so I reached in and pulled it out and it was the stamp. So I looked under the statue again to see if I could find the box and the logbook. I didn't find them, so I walked around the area and found the logbook in a bush next to the statue. I never did find the container. I decided to take the stamp and logbook home and contact the placer - I hope they write back soon so this box can be replaced. I then headed to my next destination - an area off of Rio Grande Blvd. just north of I40. There were two boxes in this area, one on a short walk between some houses - nothing really too exciting and the other took you on a short walk to the river. Nice and peaceful! (The theme I had for this weekend.) After getting these two boxes I made my way to San Mateo to find Dawn Light. The box is hidden in a little park that runs along San Mateo and has a large orange sculpture called Dawn Light. It didn't take me long to find the box and stamp in so I took some time to take a few pictures. It had been a long day already with the drive and it was getting pretty hot in Albuquerque so I was ready to call it a day. I decided to look for one more box on a short walk before heading home. I made my way to Jefferson where there are lots of businesses - pretty much an industrial area. From the time that I turned down the road to the parking area for the box to the time I left that road I did not see another person - it was pretty weird. It was like all life form had disappeared. But that was okay it was nice and peaceful. I found that last box and stamped in and rehid it. I did make one last stop for gas before heading up to Santa Fe.

I am back home now safe and sound. I had a great weekend - it was nice and relaxing - just what I needed. And I got in some letterboxing - what could be better.

A Little Further West and then Back to East

For some reason I didn't sleep that well last night (I usually don't have problems sleeping) and I was up at an ungodly hour this morning - 4:30am. Well I was awake at that time but I didn't actually get out of bed until 5:00am. So I showered, got dressed, packed and loaded the car. I then went to the hotel lobby and had some breakfast. With all that I was still on the road by 6:30am and found my first box by 6:50am. I actually enjoyed it - it was so quiet and peaceful, no traffic and no people. It made hunting for boxes much easier. Especially since my first two boxes of the morning were on the Northern Arizona University campus. I found Riordan Mansion and Old Main. Both had terrific carvings and were hidden in beautiful areas. It was a great way to start the morning. The other thing that helped me was that last night I looked up all the locations in Flagstaff where there were boxes and put the addresses into my Garmin GPS. It sure helped me to navigate my way around Flagstaff. From NAU I headed for Thorpe Park, well not actually Thorpe Park but near it. I had to find an area with a very tall flagstaff. It wasn't difficult - the flagpole was pretty obvious. I had to walk a short way down a trail from the flagpole and pass a pond and then take an urban trail for a few steps to find the box. I enjoyed the walk but was a little dissapointed to find a store bought stamp. It was all good though and continued on my quest. I arrived at Buffalo Park, read the marker with the statue of a buffalo and then entered the park to begin my search. I followed the clues and arrived at the spot where I thought the box was hidden. Man oh man is this a busy park. There were so many people out there walking or running - I had to wait almost 15 minutes before I could even attempt to look for the box. Luckily there were some great views of the San Francisco Peaks and I was able to take pictures until the coast was clear. Unfortunately I didn't find the box. I looked rather quickly the first time because there were people coming down the trail and I didn't have time to give the area a thorough look. After another five minute wait I had the chance to look much closer but still came up empty handed. For the placers sake I hope I was either in the wrong place or I just wasn't looking careful enough because of all the people around. Anyway, it was time to move on. I made my way to the Museum of Northern Arizona and quickly found the trail I needed and started walking. It was only about a 10 minute walk to the box but it was in a beautiful area. Kind of a little canyon with lots of vegetation and rocks. I had the place to myself so I took my time stamping in and just enjoyed the moment. But all good things must come to an end and I had to be on my way. Last night when I went to bed I hadn't decided exactly what I wanted to do today but while I was eating breakfast and while I was out boxing in Flagstaff I decided to continue going west on I40 for a little further and see what might happen.
Back on I40 heading west my plan was to stop in Bellemont to find Azroadie's Historic Route 66 box. I always enjoy his carvings! I exited the interstate at Bellemont and made my way to the frontage road. After a couple of miles I was on Route 66. I drove until I reached the parking area for the 1931 alignment of Route 66 and began my walk. I didn't have to go far and I easily found the box. I sat under the tree where the box was hidden and stamped in. Again I found myself totally isolated - not another soul in site. So after rehiding the box I decided to walk further down the trail just to enjoy the peacefulness of the morning - that is what the intention of the trip was all about. When I got back to the parking area I studied the map on the board and then consulted my map and decided I could continue my drive on Route 66 pretty much all the way to Williams so that is what I did. I drove to Parks and then continued until I arrived at Deer Farm Road. There were two boxes at Deer Farm and there was petting zoo as well. Both boxes are hidden out in front of the farm so I found them both and went to sit at a picnic table to stamp in - it was nice to have a solid surface to stamp on. I finished and rehid the boxes and then entered the farm (I thought it was a little expensive for what if was - and you had to pay extra for food to feed to the deer). Anyway, I walked around and it was neat to have all these deer come up to you for food and get to pet them. When I ran out of food they actually started pulling on my shirt - they were like your pet at home trying to get your attention to feed them. I ended up spending about 45 minutes just hanging out with the deer. They also had other animals - potbellied pigs, goats, reindeer, mules, camels, llamas and a bird that barks. So I left the farm and drove to Williams. I needed to find the depot for the Grand Canyon Railway. I found a spot to park and walked to the depot. It was pretty quiet there and it was easy to retrieve the box. There was a bench nearby so I sat and stamped in and enjoyed the warm day. After hiding the box I walked through the depot and then headed to the main part of Williams. I found a place to have a quick lunch and while eating I decided it was time to head back to New Mexico. I was having a great time and feeling pretty relaxed - the trip had accomplished its purpose. So I filled the car with gas and drove down Route 66 to return to I40. In Williams Route 66 makes a loop (each part a one way), so when I made the turn to loop around almost immediately the traffic came to a standstill. Well it didn't actually stop it just slowed to a crawl. It wasn't long before I realized what the problem was. They were having a car show and one lane was totally blocked off and filled with incredible cars for quite a ways. The traffic was moving so slow I was able to take a few pictures from my car window. Once I reached the end of the car show the traffic eased and in no time I was back on I40 - this time heading east.

It was an uneventful drive and I didn't stop until I reached Gallup. By this time I was tired of being on the road and decided to find a hotel for the night. Tomorrow I will head back to Santa Fe - I may stop in Albuquerque for a few boxes but we'll see how things go when I get there.

A Vulture, Stoned Wood, Teepees, Ghost Town and Lava

I continued my westward journey this morning back on I40 heading into Arizona. I got a pretty early start and found my first box in Sanders. The box is called Voracious Vulture and at first I thought that it was missing and that my day was starting off on the wrong side of the stamp. The first thing I noticed was that a tree that was mentioned in the clue was gone (well not actually gone - just cut back - and the branches were piled up off to the side). But I looked for the box using the other clues and I found a pile of rocks but no box. So I started looking around and found the box out in the open about ten feet from where it should have been. After stamping in I rehid the box in the original spot and I hope I hid it well enough now that the tree is gone and the area isn't as concealed. Back on the highway I headed for my next destination - Holbrook. But I got distracted. I saw a sign for the Petrified Forest and since it has been at least 15 years since I last visited this place I decided to take a detour. I wasn't really thinking and forgot that Arizona doesn't follow Daylight Savings and it wasn't quite 7:00am. I ended up having to wait about 15 minutes for the park to open. It was worth it. I forgot how incredible this place is. I drove the entire park and stopped at almost every pullout and took tons of pictures. It was a wonderfully relaxing morning. I got to the park before the crowds and was able to enjoy the drive with traffic. When I got to the end of the park I decide to take US180 to Holbrook instead of driving back through the park and hitting I40. Best idea of the day, a nice quiet drive.

Once in Holbrook I made my way to the Wigwam Motel to find 'Sleep in Wigwam!' and 'Wigwam Motel - Nakii'. I loved both boxes and I didn't have any problems finding them. After stamping in and rehiding the boxes I walked around and took pictures. It got me thinking - I wish I could go back in time and spend two or three weeks visiting towns like Holbrook and driving Route 66 in its heyday. Okay enough daydreaming - on to the next box. I had to drive a few miles south of Holbrook to find a Convoy left by Kristal and Ron. It was an easy find and I was on my way again. I rejoined I40 and drove about 50 miles just to visit some ghosts. Well actually just a ghost town - I didn't actually see any ghosts. As I exited the highway and made my way into Two Guns I was taken aback. Quite a few buildings and all of them falling apart. I drove up to the building with a sign advertising Mountain Lions. From here I began my search for the letterbox. I ended up near a bridge sitting on the edge of Canyon Diablo while stamping into the box. When I first got to the area I was a little worried because there seemed so many spots where snakes could hide. So before walking around I read the clues and threw rocks near the area to make sure no creepy crawlies were there. Once I knew it was safe I reached for the box. I actually enjoyed sitting there - it was kind of peaceful and relaxing - just what I needed. After spending about 30 minutes walking around I headed for Flagstaff.

Once in town I made my way to a park to hunt for a series of three boxes. Unfotunately there was a "Trail Closed" sign where I needed to go. So I changed my plans and headed out to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Two boxes here and I decided to look for the one that was further in the park. So I drove to the parking area for the Lava Flow Trail. I picked up a trail guide and headed out. I needed to find post #11. The trail was a little confusing and it took me a while to find the landmark. Once there I looked for the next landmark - a pine tree shading the trail and the next, a tall snag. So I walked up to the snag, located the compass bearing and found the box. I was a little skeptical that I would find it because on AQ there were three attempts on this box, but it was right where it should be and the view from the box was of the crater and it was beautiful. After rehiding the box I drove back to the entrance and pulled into the O'Leary Campground. I parked and headed up the trail to the lookout. I only had to go in about a quarter of a mile to reach the landmark. I found the box, stamped in and put the box back in its hiding spot. I decided that I was done letterboxing for the day and wasn't sure when or if I would ever be back to this park so I continued my walk for about two miles before turning around and heading back to the car. It was still pretty early so I drove back into the park and hiked the Lenox Crater Trail. By the time I got back to the car I was tired and decided to find a hotel and get some rest. I am not sure what I am doing tomorrow I will see how I feel when I wake up.

I40 and Route 66 to Gallup, NM

We have been doing a lot of work around the house and both our jobs have been very stressful lately. Both of us have been feeling that stress and we decided we needed a little break from the day to day stuff. Thomas went camping for a few days with some friends from work and since I had quite a few days off myself I decided to head west for a few days of letterboxing. I had some things to do this morning and an appointment at 1:00pm and decided to hit the road early this afternoon. It was a beautiful day in Santa Fe, clear skies and the temperature was about 89 degrees, so I figured it would make for a good road trip. The drive from Santa Fe to Albuquerque was a little strange. There was a lot of traffic and it was moving quite slow. The normal speed limit is 75mph but at times we were only going 35mph. And there were a lot of cops out - I counted 10 police cars just between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. As I made my way into Albuquerque the temperature was at 94 degrees - I didn't stop here - I just merged from I25 to I40 and headed west. I40 wasn't too bad - I usually don't like I40 because there normally is a high volume of 18 wheelers - today not so many. My first find of the day was at a rest area along I40. I really liked the clues for this box. The placer video taped the area where she placed to box with the intention of using it to write the clues - she ended up just using that video as the clues. And the stamp was really nice - a very good line drawing of a car driving along and someone throwing a letterbox out the window. The only bad thing was the area - there weren't really any great views and the rest area could use some sprucing up. Anyway it was a nice diversion from driving. After stamping in and rehiding the box I continued on my way.

My next stop was at the Continental Divide. There is an exit off of I40 with some curio shops and a Continental Divide marker. The box was hidden off the side of the road under a juniper tree. There was a dilapidated old hogan nearby and the views from this area were spectacular. I found the box, stamped in, rehid the box and took some pictures and never once saw another person. The only thing around was the traffic on I40. My intention was to continue on and make my way to Flagstaff tonight. But as I was driving away from this box I realized that it was already after 5:oopm and decided I wanted to find two more boxes in Gallup and then call it a day. I really am not in an hurry to get anywhere at any particular time - I just wanted a nice relaxing get away.

So I arrived in Gallup and exited onto Route 66. I passed the famous El Rancho Hotel (a lot of celebrities used to stay here) and made my way to Tiny Tooter. This box is hidden under an old caboose just off of Route 66. This was an easy find and a quick stamp in. I liked the caboose and especially the map that was drawn on the side of it. One more box to go - I continued driving down Route 66 until I reache Kitchen Ranch (this restaurant has been around since the early 1950's). The box was hidden just off the side of the parking lot of the restaurant. Another quick drive-by find and I was done for the day. After rehiding the box I looked for a hotel.

I have now checked in and had some dinner and a good shower. I have also wrote in my journal and logged in my finds. It was a nice afternoon and a very relaxing start to a few days of getting away from the same old grind. Oh, and the temperature in now 65 degrees.

Letterbox Check-Up

This morning I decided to do some checking on my boxes in the downtown Santa Fe area. I am happy to report that all of the boxes are alive and well but there are a few little things I need to report.

I started my checks on Canyon Road. I parked at the beginning of Canyon Road near Paseo de Peralta and started my walk. I parked very near one of the boxes and checked on it - it was in place and everything associated with the clues was accurate so I moved onto the next box. I only had to go a little ways for the next one and it was in place. Unfortunately when I reached for the box I hit it and pushed it out of reach for my hand. My hand was a little too big to reach in so the box may be a little too far back for some people to reach - I hope to rectify that problem. (Note: this box is hidden next to a telephone pole - there is a yellow, metal, half-circle sleeve next to the pole. That covers a pipe inside. The box is suppose to attached to the inside of the yellow metal not to the pipe inside. Unfortunately, it was on the pipe when I reached in and that is how I hit and moved it too far back. Please attach it to the yellow part inside when replacing it - Thanks!) I am hoping that someone with a smaller hand can get to the box and place it more in reach. Time to continue on. I reached my next box and had to make a decision. The clue for this box is a photo collage and about a week ago I was on Canyon Road and noticed that a major landmark for the box was gone. After looking at the photo clue and looking at the hiding spot I made the decision that the box was still findable so I left it in place. At some point later on I may move it but we will see. I was still on Canyon Road so I checked on an artTrekker box - it was in place and safe - I don't know why I checked on it because I knew it was safe because Astro D had checked on it recently. Now I took a side road and headed toward downtown and on the way I checked on another box - absolutely no problem with this box. I made my way to Alameda and checked on a box hidden along this road - it was in the right spot and safe so I continued on. From Alameda I walked into the downtown area just skirting the Plaza and checked on a box that I had not checked on in quite a while - this box doesn't get many finders so I was a little nervous that it might be missing - but alas my fears were for naught - the box was there and well hidden - that made me happy. From here I moved a little further away from the Plaza and checked on a box that I have had a few problems with. The sculpture that I originally use for the box was taken away and since the box was attached to the box was also taken away. Luckily rubberpeace happened to see them taking a part of the sculpture away and got a phone number so that I was able to retrieve the box. Then when I went to rehide the box I ended up knocking my head on a statue. I eventually moved the box to its current location and not long ago received a note that it was missing. Astro D and I went and checked on it and sure enough it wasn't where it should have been. But Astro D's keen eyes spotted it right in front of us in the open - so we moved it to the correct spot and I am happy to report it is still there. The next box took me on a little walk even further away from the Plaza. I love this spot, it is peaceful and has great views. The box was in good shape and right where it should be. Now I headed back to the Plaza area. I checked on another artTrekker box and it was in place so I moved on to my next box. This box went missing once and I replaced it almost in the exact same spot so I get really nervous that it may go missing again. But when I sat on the bench and reached under it there was the box. I only had one more to check on and this one is just off the sidewalk at a pretty busy intersection and can be hard to be discreet. So when I reached the area I stood there, looked around and when the coast was clear I reached in and found the box. WOOHOO!!! All the boxes were in place, that made me very happy. Now, you may have noticed that I haven't mentioned any box names and I have been very vague about the spots. All of my boxes that I checked on today are mysteries or semi-mysteries so I didn't want to give anything away. But now you know that if you look for any of my boxes in downtown Santa Fe they should be there.

The other thing I did while checking on these boxes was to look for another statue for another box. I am about to retire another signature stamp and need a place to hide a new box. I found only three statues that could possibly work - I need to have a metal surface near the statue that can hide a magnetic key holder. It can be really hard to find good spots, especially ones that allow the finder to be discreet and that will not be noticed by the casual walker-by. Hopefully soon I can hide a new box and post those clues. I had a good walk and am happy that all those boxes are alive.

A Day With the Dead

Astro D had a series of two stamps that she had placed at our Santa Fe SPOOKtacular Letterboxing Event back in 2007. She had decided not to leave them at the place we held the event, so she took them home and marked them as unavailable. She had always planned to rehide the boxes and had picked out a new spot. But as we all know life can get in the way of plans and the boxes remained unavailable until today. She found the boxes in her closet a while back and decided it was time to get them back out there. So yesterday she called me to see if I wanted to accompany her when she went to replant them. And I decided it would be a nice outing and I like the trail she wanted to place them on so I jumped at the chance to go with her. The name of the boxes are Cancion de Amor and La Catrina and the series is called Day of the Dead. So she decided that a good spot to put Day of the Dead boxes would be on a trail to a ghost town. Our destination today was the Glorieta Conference Center and the trail to Glorieta Ghost Town.

I arrived at Astro D's house at about 9:00am and we chatted a bit and then hopped into the car and started our trip. On the way to Glorieta we pulled off the Interstate at a little Civil War Memorial/Museum. I have passed this place quite a few times and never even noticed it. It was a little strange and a little interesting. We only spent a little time here before heading out, but I think I might stop again next time I am in the area. We arrived at the conference center, parked and headed for the trailhead. We had a leisurely walk and just talked about everything and nothing. At one point we thought we may have passed the landmark that Astro D was wanting because we were talking and not paying attention. One of the nice things about the walk was all the wildflowers - they were everywhere - it was wonderful. Eventually we reached the first old car and Astro D searched for a spot for one of the boxes. I took some pictures while she hid the box and wrote the clues. Once we were done there we headed back the way we came. There was still one box to plant (and on our way we passed a tree that would make a good landmark) so we walked back to that tree and looked around for a spot to plant the box. We eventually found a good spot, hid the box and Astro D jotted down the clues. Now it was back to the car. We left the conference center and decided to check out a Civil War Site. We both had read about a battlefield that had been closed to the public but was recently opened. We found a fenced parking area and a couple of plaques but not really any hiking trail or battlefield. Not sure if we were in the right place - I will have to do more research.

By this time it was a little after noon and we were both hungry. We were going to stop at Real Food Nation but they were closed so we ended up at Harry's Road House and had lunch out in the courtyard. We relaxed and talked and ate - it was a nice lunch. After lunch we drove around town, stopped at Cost Plus, went look at a couple of statues and then ended up back at Astro D's to end the day. It was a great letterboxing outing and is always fun spending time with Astro D - thanks Astro D for a great day.