Niagara Scenic Parkway Boxes

Today is our first full day in Niagara Falls, NY and it is cloudy, rainy and chilly. We opted out of doing anything that would get us wet and make us cold. So we decided to letterbox along the Niagara Scenic Parkway. So we drove from Niagara Falls up to Youngstown (about 13 miles away) to start looking for boxes. We made our way to the Oakland Rural Cemetery on NY18. Here we looked for two boxes. The first one we looked for was Live Free or Die by J and M Boxhunters. I followed the clues and got to a spot where we were looking for two stumps with a third stump on its side. We didn't see the two stumps. So we just started looking for any stumps and while looking for stumps Thomas found the box out in the open. So while I was stamping in Thomas looked for a spot to hide the box that would go with the clues on AQ. Once I finished stamping in Thomas took the box to a stump on its side and I found two stumps together that would put the third stump behind these two. Then I wrote down the clues so I could notify the placers. Now that we had completed things with this box we went in search for the next box. The clues to this one were spot on and we easily found The Boom of 1812 by White Stallion. I used a large fallen tree as a table to stamp in on and then we rehid the box. Time to head back to Niagara Falls.

For the next box we stopped at Whirlpool State Park. We followed the clues and walked along the Niagara Gorge Rim Trail to some stairs. The stairs took us down to the Whirlpool Rapids Trail. We only had to go a short distance to find Connecticut Yankee in Upstate NY by Celtic Roots. This would have been an easy find except for the number of people that kept passing us on the stairs. Finally there was a break in the traffic and I was able to get the box. I took it down the stairs a short distance to stamp and then when I was done brought it back to its hiding spot. Then we made our way up the stairs and back to our car. Then we headed for the last box on our list.

This box's starting point was the Aquarium of Niagara. We parked and started walking. We crossed the pedestrian bridge and arrived at the Niagara Gorge Discovery Center. From here we followed the Great Gorge Railway Trail and located all of the landmarks to get to Native American Orca by FrogQueen. Unfortunately, we didn't find the box. We searched the entire area and there was nothing. So we decided to call it quits and get something to eat. We were able to find three nice boxes and had a good time - even if it was a little damp. You can read about anything else we did at A Rainy Day in Niagara Falls.

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.

Finding, Planting and Maintaining Boxes

Since we are having an event on September 20 (Letterboxing with Altitude) we have decided to try and check on all the boxes off of Hyde Park Road. I have done a few but I decided to head up today and do some more checking, planting and finding.

The first stop was at a pullout between mile markers 5 & 6. There is a trailhead across from this pullout which is the start of the Little Tesuque Trail and the Burn/Juan Trail. Unfortunately there are no signs anywhere on the trail to mark this, but there is a wooden post at the start of the trail. Not far down the trail I checked on a box I had found quite a while ago - Heroes on the Line - which is still there. Then I went a little further and found a box - Gnome Day 2014: Amelie's Gnome by ArnoldZiffel. I easily found the box and sat down to stamp in. It is a great little stamp and I enjoyed finding this box. After replacing it I was ready to plant some new boxes. At first I thought I was going to take the Burn/Juan Trail off of the Little Tesuque Trail and plant the boxes there. But after walking the trail for five minutes I realized that the trail was nothing but uphill and decided to return to the Little Tesuque Trail. I spent about a half hour to forty-five minutes walking the trail looking for hiding spots for a couple of boxes. I had an idea of what I was looking for but finding just the right spot was a little harder than I thought. Eventually I found a spot for the main box and I got it hidden and the clues written down. Then I continued along the trail to look for another area for a few more boxes - this is where it took me a while. Finally I made a decision and got the rest of the series hidden - this box is called Southwest Charm. Now that I had the boxes in place and the clues jotted down I could return to the car and continue on with my plans.


Driving along Hyde Park Road I stopped in at the Hyde Park Visitor Center. I picked up some brochures and paid my $5 fee. Then I drove a little further up the road and stopped at a pullout with a fence and a bridge. Here I looked for Wronghat's WrongHyde box. I only had to walk a short distance before I found the box. There was no one around so I found a nearby spot to sit and stamp in. I always love his carvings and I loved the play on locations that he used on the stamp. After stamping in and replacing the box I walked back to my car and headed up the road. My next stop was at Aspen Vista Picnic Area to plant another box - Trembling Poplar. For this box I took the side trail right near the gate - this is the Alamos Vista Trail. About a week ago I had hiked this trail and I had scoped out hiding spots so this time around it didn't take me long to get this box hidden. Once the box was in place I found a spot to sit and write out the clues. While in this area I decided to check on a box on the Aspen Vista Trail. So I took the short walk up the trail and then the side trail to find Astro D's Aspen Vista box - I am happy to report that it is alive and well. Now it was time to head back down the trail and make my way home. It was a good day . . . I found two boxes, planted some boxes and checked on a couple of boxes . . . I loved my time driving and hiking along Hyde Park Road.

An Event in Santa Fe

Back in April I was in Sedona and Prescott, Arizona to do some letterboxing and attend an event. The event was for Mark and Sue Pepe and was hosted by Azroadie and Desert Flower. You can read about my trip at North Central Arizona Letterboxing Trip. During that trip it was suggested that there should be another event in Santa Fe. I realized it had been a while since our last event and when I got home I mentioned it to Astro D. We decided to get together and talk about and ArnoldZiffel expressed interest in helping plan it.

We met this morning at Astro D's house and discussed things at length. Here is what we came up with. We are having an event on September 20, 2014 at Hyde Memorial State Park in Santa Fe. For more information you can go to Letterboxing with Altitude on Atlas Quest. This is the event sign up page and has all the information you will need. We had an event at Hyde Park back in October 2007 and we had a great time. So we are hoping to have as much fun this time. We hope to see you there!

Lunch and a Letterbox

Entrance Sign to the Park

 Yesterday was my birthday and Astro D asked if she could take me to lunch today and then we could go and find a letterbox. Of course I said yes. So after running a few errands this morning I met Astro D at The Ranch House at 11:30am for some lunch. I had a pulled pork barbecue sandwich with homemade potato chips and Astro D had a chicken tortilla salad. We had a nice visit and got to catch up on our recent trips and just life in general. Once lunch was done we jumped into the car and headed north on I25. Our destination was Villanueva State Park. Both Astro D and myself have been living in Santa Fe for over 20 years and neither of us have been to this park. We were both excited to see the area. The main road into the park isn't very long from beginning to end and the visitor center, camping sites, and picnic areas are congregated into two general areas. Either along the main road which borders the Pecos River or on a loop above the main road. There are a few hiking trails that take off from these two main areas. In general the accessible part of the park is pretty compact. Anyway we arrived and paid our fee, then headed to the visitor center for maps and brochures. We left the car parked in front of the visitor center and walked across the road to a beautiful metal bridge that lead us across the Pecos River. This started our search for Road Junkies' Big Buffoon Bags Big Balloons letterbox. Arriving on the far side of the bridge we turned right and took about 60 steps. At this point we found the box. We decided to sit on the trail in the shade and stamped in. Once the box was back in place we walked around and took a few pictures. Then we drove through the entire park just to get a feel for the layout and what the park had to offer. We left the park and drove through the town to see what was there. The entire area is really nice and we enjoyed our time there. But all good things must come to an end and we headed back to Santa Fe. It was a perfect outing and a nice little extra to my birthday. Thanks Astro D for lunch and letterboxing.

Bridge over the Pecos River

Boxing Along I40

All day yesterday I had this feeling that I needed to get out and do a little letterboxing. But as things go I was busy all day with responsibilities (I hate when they get in the way). Then I realized that I had nothing pressing to do the next day so I looked at all the available clues that were within one day driving distance and made a decision. I was going to letterbox along I40 from Tucumcari to Tijeras.


I started the morning off pretty early, I wanted to be able to take my time and not be rushing and driving at riduculous speeds to try to get everywhere I wanted to visit. I arrived in Clines Corners around 6:3oam to begin my search for Wronghat's Worth W8ing 4. I pulled into the parking area and read the clues - I was on the east side of the building (which was pretty deserted) and I needed to be on the west side (which was packed with 18 wheelers). I found a place to park amidst all the trucks and began my search. It was a pretty easy find and I took the box back to the car to stamp in. I really liked this stamp and I was the first finder. After stamping in and returning the box back to its hiding spot I returned to my car and read the next clues - which were for Santa Rosa. Oh, and the whole time I was at Clines Corners I didn't see a single person. I assume they were sleeping in their trucks, eating in the restaurant or getting cleaned up in the bathrooms - but they sure weren't out and about. Even with all the trucks the place seemed deserted.


On the road again, I was headed east on I40 and thankfully there wasn't much traffic. I had a nice, pleasant drive to Santa Rosa and took the first exit that I came to. I followed this road into town until I came to the old, broken down and forgotten Club Cafe sign (it is ashame that so many of the beautiful neon signs of the Route 66 days have fallen into disrepair). This is where I needed to start my search for Wronghat's Club Cafe box. I parked in the lot and read the clues. I looked around until they clicked and I made my way to the box's hiding spot and viola - I found the box without any trouble. I stamped in sitting in the car and got my second first finder certificate of the day. This is a really neat stamp and a wonderful carve. Once I completed my stamping and hiding of the box I headed for the Blue Hole. Wronghat has a box here but I have found that one, this time I was searching for Twinville Trekkers' Beatles Series #19 "Fixing a Hole". When I arrived at the Blue Hole there were three people jumping in and out of the water and they paid no attention to me, so I walked around taking pictures while following the clues. Thankfully where the box was hidden they couldn't see me. So I grabbed the box and found a nice flat rock to sit on while stamping in. This is a very nice stamp and perfect for the area. I rehid the box and made my way back to the car to continue my drive east.


Back on I40 I made my way to Tucumcari. Once in town I found US Hwy 54 and headed northeast to Ute Lake State Park. The box I was going to look for was Ute Lake by Reading Rica. I have had these clues for a while so before leaving the house I checked them online. I found them in the LbNA basement and it was marked "Missing". But I decided to drive out there anyway since I had never been to the park. This box was hidden in the Mine Canyon area of the park, so I followed the directions and made my way to the parking and pay station. I read the clues and started searching - but nothing and I do mean nothing. The clues took me to a small scraggly bush and there were no rock piles anywhere around. So I did a quick systematic search working out from that bush and after 15 minutes I called it quits. I then drove down the road and went to the lake and I kind of wished I had brought my kayak - it seemed like a good spot to do a little rowing. Well time to head on back to Tucumcari and then on to my next stop - Conchas Lake State Park. From Tucumcari I took NM Hwy 104 to the park. I followed the clues driving over the dam and then turned toward the Visitors Center and the Bell Point Campground. I was looking for Somethings Fishy by Candyrae. This box is also in the LbNA basement but it is marked as adoptable and does not say it is missing. I parked and started my search. I followed each of the clues but was having trouble finding the box. I started over three times and each time came up empty handed. I then spent about 15 more minutes just seacrching all the rocks in the area but still didn't find the box. I kind of hope that someone else will go out and look for these two boxes if for no other reason but to see if I couldn't find them or if they really are missing. I have to say that I enjoyed Conchas Lake more than I enjoyed Ute Lake, not sure why - just did. Time to head back west. From the park I got back on 104 and then took NM Hwy 129 to Newkirk and I40.


Back on I40 I remembered that I hate driving that road (it is so busy and full of 18 wheelers), the traffic was pretty bad and it was slow at times (the speed of some of the trucks I got caught behind was between 60 and 65 mph). But I turned up the radio and continued my drive to Tijeras. My original plan was to head back to Santa Fe at Clines Corners but it was still early enough in the day to find two more boxes in Tijeras. The two boxes I wanted to find were both from the Twinville Trekkers - Beatles Series #22 "A Day in the Life" and Beatles Series #23 "I'll be on My Way". My first stop was for #22 - I found the location and went in search of the box. It took a little work but I found it and stamped in - and got my third first finder certificate of the day. I rehid the box and the drove to the location for #23. I was looking for a memorial on the side of the road and I was having some trouble, I passed it three times before I finally spotted it. I pulled over and parked and followed the clues to the box. Once I found it I took it back to the car to stamp in, another great stamp from the Trekkers. I think I may have stated this in another post but I really am enjoying this Beatles Series, I think there are about four or five that I still need to get. That will be another road trip. For today I was done. I decided to drive back to Santa Fe via NM Hwy 14. It is a bit slower than I25 but it is much more scenic and relaxing. I had a great day of letterboxing and enjoyed all the boxes and stamps.

Columbus, Anthony and Las Cruces

This morning I got up early so that I could drive to Columbus, NM from Las Cruces. I had two orders of business to deal with - find a box and hide a box. This was my first visit to this part of New Mexico and I have to say that it isn't my favorite. First of all it was really deserted, I think I may have only seen 4 or 5 people in the three hours I was in the area. Second, it was very dry with little vegetation and third, it was so flat - very few mountains or hills in the area. Anyways, I made my way to Pancho Villa State Park. I went to the visitors center and got a map and information of the park. Then I walked through the museum to gain a little insight to the park and area. After about an hour I headed out and decided to look for the box - Where's Pancho Villa? placed by CW Sun Seeker. It was an easy find and from the location of the box you had a great view of the entire park. After I put the box back into its hiding spot I decided to walk around the park and look for a good place to put my box. It took me a while because there aren't very many trees and not a lot of vegetation and what is there looks to be quite manicured. Eventually I found a spot that I felt would be okay - but it still may be a little iffy. But I left it there anyway. The box is Alphabetical New Mexico: P (Pancho Villa). After leaving the park I drove through the small little town of Columbus but didn't see anything that interested me so I decided to head back toward Las Cruces.

As I drove back to Las Cruces I decided to stop at a rest area just west of the city to check on one of my boxes - Alphabetical New Mexico: R (Roadrunner). I had gotten messages that it was missing and wanted to make sure whether it was there or not. And just in case it was missing I had carved a new stamp and made a new box. But the box was exactly where it should have been. So I checked the compass reading and steps and wrote them down since I didn't have the actual clues with me. When I got home I checked the clues and they were right. I think the problem may be that I stated to stand between the legs of the roadrunner and they are metal - that may throw off the compass reading. But I did get the same reading standing between the legs and five steps in front of the legs. So anyway, the box is there and the clues are right.

Once back on I10 I headed past Las Cruces to Anthony, NM. I had to go a little ways past Anthony into Texas and make a U-turn in order to get to the first rest area in the state of New Mexico. Once there I read the clues to CW Sun Seekers' Pinata box. I followed the clues and found the box easily. Once I had the box in my possession I had difficulty finding a spot to sit that wasn't sandy. So I ended up just sitting in the sand. And once I had stamped in I had to clean sand off of everything before packing my letterboxing supplies back in my bag and before putting the box back together - I think I got it all cleaned pretty good. So I walked back to my car and headed for Las Cruces.

My next stop was Old Mesilla and specifically La Posta Restaurant. The box hidden here is another CW Sun Seeker work of art. I had some difficulty finding the box because it is hidden right at the entrance. There were so many people coming in and out I had to sit on a bench and try when the coast was clear. After three tries and not finding it I waited another five minutes and then went for my last try. The box is hidden in a tall planter with a fake plant in a pot sitting in the planter. This time I lifted the plant out of the planter and was able to find the box. I took it outside to stamp in just so no one would question what I was doing if I was sitting on the bench near the entrance. After stamping in I replaced the box without a problem.

From here I headed a little ways down the road to the Masonic Cemetery to find another of CW Sun Seekers boxes. Here I had a little trouble - I followed the clues and everything fell into place and I found the tree (and it is a very large tree). But I couldn't find the box. I spent over 20 minutes looking into the tree and even parted the branches and got inside and still couldn't find the box. So then I checked the surrounding trees but still came up empty handed. So I decided to call it a day and headed back to the hotel room. It turned out to be a good day until I arrived back at the hotel and read some things on one of the talk list. You can read a little about that in the next post.

A Tarantula, the State Fair and Two Letterboxes

Thomas had today off so we decided to make a trip to Albuquerque. It's State Fair time here in the Land of Enchantment and we make it a point to go at least one day during the Fair. I also wanted to check on a box on the way so we made the trip going the back way.

We left the house around 10:00am and headed down NM 14. We stopped in Cerrillos at Cerrillos Hills State Park. I needed to make a few changes to one of my boxes there. The Park used to be just a local one and recently it became a State Park. When this happened they changed the brochures and the old ones were needed to find the box. Anyway we checked on the box and made sure the clues were good, once that was done we continued on our way. As we drove down NM 14 we saw quite a few tarantulas crossing the road. I finally made Thomas stop so I could take a picture. He pulled over and I got out and walked over to the tarantula. That little thing moves fast. It left the road and got into the grass and it was hard to see it and get a good picture. So I found a bottle and pushed it back into the road, but it just kept scurrying back into the grass. Eventually I got a picture and we were back on the road.

Once in Albuquerque we headed straight to the Fair. I won't go into all the details but we visited exhibits, saw some animals, walked around the rides and games, and saw a couple of shows. It was a good day to go. It wasn't too busy or crowded so we got to enjoy our day. Once we had seen all we wanted to we left the Fair and went on the search for two letterboxes.

The first one was off Rio Grande Blvd. at the Gail Ryba Recreational Trail Bridge. We parked and took our walk following the clues. We found all the landmarks and quickly found the box. We sat and stamped in with a view of the Rio Grande and the Sandias. It was another great Wronghat stamp and box - thanks big guy. Oh, and I was the first finder! After getting the box back into place we left the area and made our way to Montano and the Pueblo Montano Trail. I was here about a month ago to find another box and I love this area. There are all these dead trees that were carved by chainsaw into different animals and a fireman by Mark Chavez. The box we found was Chainsaw Bear and was another quick find. I retrieved the box and stamped in at a picnic table. A nice stamp in a very relaxing place - I enjoyed finding this box. I rehid it and it was time for us to make our way back to Santa Fe. We had a great day in Albuquerque and enjoyed the two letterboxes we found.

Heron and El Vado Lakes

Thomas and I spent the day in Rio Arriba County at Heron Lake State Park and El Vado Lake State Park. We couldn't get away this weekend so we opted for today to go kayaking and letterboxing. We had a pleasant two hour drive from Santa Fe to Tierra Amarilla. We arrived at Heron Lake State Park and made our way to one of the boat ramps. While we unloaded the kayaks we talked with this older woman who was getting her kayak ready. She was really nice, she told us she lives in an RV and travels around the country (she has been doing this for 17 years - 5 years with her husband before he died and for the past 12 years by herself). Her kayak was an inflatable one, I really liked it, easy to transport and store. Anyway, we got our kayaks in the water and headed out. Heron Lake is a "No Wake Lake" so the water was really still - it was like paddling on glass. We paddled around the lake never really getting into the open larger part. We put our kayaks in the water at the boat ramp near Willow Creek Campground. We paddled through The Narrows and made it into the smaller open area of the lake. We then turned around and paddled back through The Narrows and past the NM Sailing Club and through another narrow passage. At the end of this passage we turned around and headed back to the boat ramp. While going through The Narrows we saw all these birds flying around and eventually noticed all these nests on the rock cliffs on both sides of the water. I am pretty sure these birds are Water Ouzels or American Dippers. It was a great site seeing all the nests and watching all the birds flying around. As we were going around the NM Sailing Club we spotted two blue herons on the rocks just above the water line. Also flying around this same area were red-tailed hawks and lots of osprey. We spent a wonderful two hours on the water - it was so peaceful. We only saw two boats during our outing.

After getting the boats back in the truck we headed off to find a letterbox. This box was planted by PetroPunks a little over a year ago and is called Heron Lake. It is on the Nature Trail at the Willow Creek Campground. It was an easy find and we were the first finders. We stamped in on a stone bench very near the box with a great view of the lake. After stamping in and rehiding the box we headed back to the car. The trail was an easy walk and had a guide that told you about the trees and plants of the area.

We drove through the rest of the park and stopped just as we drove over the dam so I could take a couple of pictures. From there we continued our drive on a dirt road that lead out of Heron Lake State Park and took us into El Vado Lake State Park and around the entire perimeter of the lake. We entered the park from NM 112 and made our way to Shale Point and more specifically to the Rio Chama Trail. This is a 5.5 mile (no, we did not hike this trail all the way) that connects the two parks. The reason we were on this trail was to plant a letterbox. I placed Eagle @ El Vado about a quarter mile up the trail. It is an easy walk to the box and you get a really great view of the lake. Now that the box was hidden we were ready to head home.

The drive home wasn't as pleasant as the morning drive. There was much more traffic - everyone heading home after their holiday weekend. We decided to stop for a late lunch/early dinner at the Café Abiquiu (at the Abiquiu Inn). After a nice and relaxing meal we completed our journey home. It was an absolutely beautiful day and a great way to end a long holiday weekend.