Monumental Trip Comes to an End

Well, our trip to the Dakotas has come to an end and we are now home. We did a ridiculous amount of things. You can see our list of things we did and saw at Dakota Trip Stats. If you are interested in reading about our trip you can go to A Monumental Letterboxing Trip. This was our first trip to the Dakotas and there were three states I needed to find letterboxes in (North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska) to add to my letterboxing map. And we completed that quest - I can now add them to my map and now I only need three states (Virginia, West Virginia and Hawaii) to have letterboxed in all 50 states. This particular trip was amazing and I loved everywhere we went - this is an amazingly beautiful country and I so enjoy exploring it. Between everything we did I was able to find 35 letterboxes  on this trip and now I am 38 boxes shy of 5000 - another big letterboxing milestone.

A Monumental Letterboxing Road Trip

Thomas and I are headed out on another road trip that will include 11 states (NM, CO, WY, SD, ND, NE, KS & TX [MT, IA & OK - just a bit]); 16 National Park Units (Fort Laramie NHS, Devils Tower NM, Mt. Rushmore NM, Jewel Cave NM, Wind Cave NP, Badlands NP, Minuteman Missile NHS, Theodore Roosevelt NP, Fort Union Trading Post NHS, Knife River Indian Villages NHS, Homestead of America NHS, Brown v. Board of Education NHS, Tallgrass Prairie NPres, Fort Larned NHS, Albates Flint Quarry NHS, & Lake Meredith NRA); 4 State Capitol Buildings (SD, ND, NE & KS); adding 3 states to my letterbox map (SD, ND & NE); and numerous, interesting, scenic, beautiful roadside attractions and areas. We will be on the road for about two weeks. It should be busy and fun. We will be traveling June 9 - 21, 2018. If you want to follow along you can go to A Monumental Letterboxing Road Trip to read all about our adventure.

A Side Trip to Texas

Today we decided to cross the border and head to Texas to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. We left Carlsbad sometime around 9:00am and made the 50 mile drive in about 45 minutes. Traffic was light and it was a good drive. Before we headed to the park we stopped for a letterbox. The clue for Love This Spot #24 by Road Junkies is just a photo with a heart marking the location of the box. Under the photo it says "(Map location is precise.)" and if you use the 'View Map' button on Atlas Quest it shows the exact location of the box - pretty neat. So we made our stop and I easily found the box. It is planted up on a hill and the area is pretty exposed. This morning in the Guadalupe Mountains it was 45° and really windy. So stamping in was kind of a challenge - it was hard keeping things from blowing away. But I finally got everything done and got the box back in place.

Now we could head to the Pine Springs Visitor Center and check out Guadalupe Mountains National Park. We arrived at the Visitor Center and I got my National Park Passport Stamps and then I looked around the gift shop and picked up some postcards, a patch and a pin. Then I talked with a Ranger about the park, got my unigrid and then asked for the Senior Ranger Booklet. I found a place to sit and looked through the booklet to see what sections I needed to fill out. First, we watched the short information video (which helped me to answer the questions in the Slideshow Sleuth section) and then we used the map on the unigrid, the exhibit in the Visitor Center, The Pinery Trail and the Rangers to answer the questions in the rest of the sections. Besides the Slideshow Sleuth section there are also the following sections in the Senior Ranger booklet . . . Map Work, Where Am I?, Just Outside the Visitor Center Doors, Critters, What is that Plant?, For Your Information,  and Completion. The booklet also includes information sections. There is Beginnings which includes Safety Always Comes First with information on how to stay safe while in the park. Then there is What's Involved which talks a little about hikes in the park and what it takes to complete the Senior Ranger Program. There is a list for Shorter Visits where you have to hike one trail, watch the 12 minute video and complete three of the sections in the booklet. Then for Longer Visits you have to complete the requirements in the Shorter Visits list plus watch the 7 minute video at McKittrick Canyon Contact Station and you can substitute  the activities with other challenges like a FYI Trivia, a GPS find in the McKittrick Canyon area, do some bird watching and recording or attend a ranger led program. Also in the booklet are some Chihuahuan Desert Fun Facts and a list of all the hikes in the park. When I completed all the activities in the booklet I returned to the Visitor Center and talked with a Ranger about the information in the booklet, the took the Senior Ranger pledge and got my Senior Ranger patch. The Ranger also gave me the Junior Ranger badge and signed my certificate. This is the second Senior Ranger program I have completed and I have also completed some Junior Ranger programs.

These are the programs I have completed . . .
Great Sand Dunes Junior Ranger Program
Centennial Junior Ranger Program
Historic Preservation Junior Ranger Program
Gila Cliff Dwellings Senior Ranger Program
Boston African American Junior Ranger Program
Boston National Historical Park Junior Ranger Program
Guadalupe Mountains Senior Ranger Program

I learned about the Junior and Senior Ranger programs from a letterboxing friend - Desert Flower. She has a blog called Junior Ranger - Senior Friendly Programs (Exploring the National Parks for all Ages). She has completed quite a few of the programs and writes about them. I found that her blog is very helpful and the Junior and Senior Ranger programs help me learn more about the parks.

While I was working on the Senior Ranger booklet I was also trying to find the signs I needed for Azroadie's Guadalupe Mountians Park Webbox. I found the signs and got the words I needed so I could enter them into the URL. So while at the main Visitor Center we watched the video, looked at the exhibits, talked with Rangers, walked the Pinery Trail, read about the Butterfield Stage and completed the Senior Ranger Program. So we headed for the car and talked about what we wanted to do next. It was almost 1:00pm and we were getting hungry but we were considering visiting the McKittrick Canyon area. In the end we decided to head back to Carlsbad to get something to eat. It has been a busy few days and we decided that getting something to eat and the going back to the hotel to rest a little.

We arrived in Carlsbad and found something for a late lunch and then we headed back to the hotel. By this time it was almost 4:00pm. We got a few things packed and I got some things ready that I wanted to get done on our way home. I logged in some things and got this post done. Now I think I will do some reading and hopefully get to bed early.

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

Back Home From TALE 12

This morning I woke up in Austin to rain. I had planned to go letterboxing again at McKinney Falls State Park since there were still some boxes I hadn't found yesterday at the TALE 12. But the rain seemed not to want to stop. So I decided to just head home. So I packed up my stuff and loaded the car then checked out of the hotel. Before leaving Austin I filled the car with gas and got some coffee. I wasn't sure how far I would get but I decided to drive either until I was tired or until I arrived home. It rained for most of the drive and thankfully it wasn't too hard of a rain and there wasn't too much traffic so the drive wasn't bad. I ended up making it home around 8:30pm and was glad that I decided to make the trip home today. I really enjoyed my trip to Austin and the event but I am glad to be home. But as usual I am looking forward to my next letterboxing adventure. You can read about this adventure at Don't Mess With Texas in Austin.

Heading to Texas for Another Event

A few days ago I decided to make a trip to Texas to attend TALE 12 - Don't Mess With Texas letterboxing event. I quickly made some plans and got a hotel and then gathered some clues. Today I packed and got last minute things done and tomorrow I start my drive to Austin. I will stay the night in Abilene since it is about a 12 hour drive to Austin from Santa Fe. I am looking forward to TALE this year since I missed it last year - I always have a great time at Texas events. I am hoping for good weather but the forecast is saying overcast with a probability of rain. We will see how things go and I will blog about the trip at Don't Mess With Texas in Austin. Lets hope the weather holds up and we have a great day for the event.

A Fantastic Event and Trip

When I woke up this morning my plan was to leave Somerville and letterbox my way back to Abilene. There I would spend the night and then leave for Santa Fe in the morning. So I started getting things packed and was mapping out a few boxes to find when all of a sudden I had this feeling that I didn't want to do any of it. I only wanted to get home. So I abandoned my plans, packed everything and loaded the car. I was about to make the entire drive home today. The car was full of gas so I just got on the road and headed out. When I got to Caldwell (just north of Somerville) I decided to grab some breakfast and coffee. So I pulled into McDonald's. When I went in I noticed Mosaic Butterfly and Corazon. So I went and said hi, then ordered my food. I decided to eat while driving so I took my food to the car and headed out. The drive was uneventful. The weather was great and since it was Sunday the traffic was light. I stopped a few times for gas and snacks but that was it. I made it home around 7:00pm and even though I was tired I was really glad I was home. Now that I have unpacked and showered I guess it is time for some sleep. If you want to read about my trip you can go to Artistic License Letterboxing Event and Trip.

Attending the Artistic License Event

Tomorrow I am leaving to take another trip to Texas. This one is to attend the Artistic License Letterboxing Event at Lake Somerville State Park in Somerville, TX. I have decided to take a pretty direct route. The drive will take me from Santa Fe to Clines Corners then through Santa Rosa, Fort Sumner, Clovis, Lubbock and to Abilene. This is where I will spend the first night. Then on Tuesday I will take Hwy36 all the way to Somerville which will be my base for a week. I will letterbox all around the area and attend the event on Friday afternoon, all day Saturday and then on Sunday morning. On Sunday afternoon I will back track to Abilene for the night. On Monday I will make the drive back to Santa Fe. I am looking forward to this trip as I haven't spent much time in that area and I think it will be an interesting trip. You can read all about the trip by clicking on the image.

A Letterboxing Event in Santa Fe

Back in May of this year, Astro D, ArnoldZiffel and I met to plan a letterboxing event. We talked and came up with some ideas and then tweaked those ideas into an event. We spent the summer planning Letterboxing with Altitude. Things were divied up and we all did our part over the summer to check on boxes, carve stamps, reserve the location and send out notices. We decided on Hyde Memorial State Park and before we knew it things had fallen into place and the event was upon us. Today was the event and it turned out great. Lots of folks showed up - boxers came from all over New Mexico (Las Cruces, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Galisteo, Farmington and Tijeras) and from Colorado, Arizona and Texas.

I arrived just before 8:00am at the gate and had to wait for the Ranger to open up the area. Thomas was with me and while we were waiting a couple of people showed up as well. About 8:10am we were at the group shelter and setting up. The event was actually scheduled for 10:00am but people started arriving soon after we were set up. Everyone gathered at the shelter and visited. There were exchanges, personal travelers and event stamps. Throughout the day people would head out to letterbox and then return to visit or get exchanges. There were plenty of incredible boxes for the event and most of them are staying around.

The day turned out fantastic. We had great weather and the aspens were already showing a hint of yellow. Letterboxing in Hyde Park and along Ski Basin Road was wonderful and I recommend that anyone planning a visit to Santa Fe put that area on their list. You will find some great boxes and enjoy a beautiful area. Thanks to everyone who attended the event and for traveling to be here with us. We hope you had a great time and hopefully we can have another event in the near future.

Making Our Way Back to Santa Fe

Today we head home, so we decided to get an early start. We were up at 5:00am and on the road by 5:30am. It was dark and the road was empty so we made good time. We did stop for coffee about an hour into the drive and at this time Thomas decided to take a nap in the back seat while I drove. It was actually a very relaxing drive along US54 for a few hours and then just before Plains we turned west onto US 160. We drove directly west on US 160 for a short time and then headed south and southwest on US 83 then took KS 51 west into Hugoton. We decided to stop here and use the restroom and get a little breakfast. Forty minutes later we were back on the road - I was still driving and Thomas was still resting in the back seat. From Hugoton we headed southwest on US 56 driving through the Cimarron National Grasslands and Elkhart before crossing the border into Oklahoma. We continued going southwest on US 56 until we arrived in Boise City.

We stopped in Boise City to find a couple of letterboxes and to take a little break. First we drove to the Cimarron Heritage Center to find jb kokopelli's North to Alaska: Bombing of Boise City. This was a pretty easy find and I stamped in while sitting in the car. I replaced the box and walked around to take a couple of pictues - one of a large tinman and one of a lifesize metal dinosaur. Then we drove to the Boise City Cemetery to find To OK From CO by Tai Chi and Chai Tea. This was another quick and easy find and again I stamped in while sitting in the car. Now that we were done with boxing in Boise City it was time to continue our drive. I continued to drive so that Thomas could read (I guess the book he is reading was getting good). We continued on US 56, crossed into New Mexico and made our way to Clayton. Since we were here I wanted to check on my Alphabetical New Mexico: K ("Black Jack" Ketchum) box and to find To NM From CO Purple Mountain Majestical Greetings by The Woodshed. We were successful on both counts - I found the To NM From CO without a problem and my box was safe and in good shape. We left the cemetery and drove into town to fill the car with gas and then make the last leg of our drive home. The rest of the trip was uneventful and we didn't make any stops until we arrived home. We had a great trip and found some nice boxes but as always we are glad to be home with our dogs. And now I have added Kansas to my letterboxing map.

Letterboxing Along US 54

We are off again on another trip. Thomas is attending a conference in Pratt, Kansas and I am tagging along. The conference is S.P.I.R.I.T. (Southwest Passage Initiative for Regional and Interstate Transportation) and is focusing on trying to get funding and approval for the upgrade of US 54. They want to four lane the highway from Wichita, Kansas to El Paso, Texas. One of the main reasons I wanted to tag along on this trip was because I wanted to find letterboxes in Kansas so I could add that state to my map.
So we left Santa Fe early this morning and drove to Clines Corners and through Santa Rosa to Tucumcari. This is where we hit US 54 and headed northeast. There were no letterboxes for me to find along US 54 in New Mexico so we just drove. We made our first stop in Dalhart, Texas. Here we looked for three boxes (well we looked for one and kind of looked for two others). The first box we looked for was The Empty Saddle by Wag Time. This box is hidden in Memorial Park Cemetery and when we arrived there was a funeral going on but it was on the opposite side of the cemetery from where the box is hidden. I easily found the box and stamped in while sitting in the car. I replaced the box and then we headed out. Usually I like to walk around the cemetery and take some pictures but I didn't want to impose on the ceremony so we just decided to move on. Next we made a stop at the Dallam/Hartley Veterans Memorial. The box was marked as retired but I took the clue just to make a stop at the memorial. I quickly looked for the box but didn't find it. Then we drove to where the Mission Twin Theater was supposed to be. There was a comment left that said the theater had now been turned into a evangelical center.

Stratford Station

So we drove by but didn't even stop to look for the box. From here we took a detour off of US 54 and headed east on TX 297 and ended up in Cactus, Texas. We made our way to Tumbleweed Drive to look for a box by jb kokopelli. We needed to find a sign but we drove up and down the road twice and never found the sign we needed. We then noticed an area on the side of the road that had been torn up and they were doing some kind of water or gas main work and I got this strong feeling that that was where the box had been. As we looked around we found a pile of cross ties (which was mentioned in the clue) and decided that the box might be in the pile. But we didn't have any luck finding the box.  To get ourselves back on track we headed north on US 287 and rejoined US 54 in Stratford, Texas. Here we looked for two boxes by Wag Time. We didn't find Beauty Shop Bygones but we had more luck finding The Stratford Station. After stamping in and replacing the box we filled the car with gas and then headed out to continue our trip along US 54.

It wasn't long before we crossed into the panhandle of Oklahoma and then into Kansas.

Welcome to Kansas

We did make a stop in Oklahoma but it wasn't for any letterboxes so I am going to write about the trip from just a driving point of view without letterboxing and you can read about that at Driving US 54 . . . and get a little information about another road that was used to cross the United States before the building of our interstate system. Once in Kansas we made our first stop in Liberal, Kansas. We drove to New Hope Church and easily found my first box in Kansas - Holy Grail by SunStateStamper. I stamped in and was so happy to be able to add another state to my letterboxing map. After I replaced the box we headed over to "The Land of Oz" just for the fun of it and to kind of look for a letterbox (which had a few attempts). We didn't find the box because we didn't find the landmark we needed - so we made an assumption that the box was gone. Then we continued on US 54 and made our next stop at a rest area just past the Cimarron River to look for the Nightwatch Box by Aspen. I think I found the right place because I found some flagstone that was mentioned in the clue but I didn't find the box. Time to continue on because with all the little stops we made it was getting late. This was our last stop of the day for letterboxing because it wasn't long before it got dark (since the time change last weekend). So we just drove until we reached Pratt. It was an interesting day eye opening - this part of the country is quite different from anywhere else I have been. Anyway, we had a great day and found a few nice boxes along the way.

Home From My Texas Trip

I was up at 4:00am this morning and on the road by 4:30am. I guess I am ready to get home. I loved driving early this morning because I missed all the traffic and I find that it is peaceful and relaxing. The car was full of gas so I was ready to go. I drove non-stop until Chilicothe where I stopped to fill the car with gas and take a bathroom break. I also decided to get some coffee to make sure I could stay awake all the way home. Again I drove without stopping until I reached Amarillo where I again stopped for the bathroom and put gas in the car. When I stopped the car still had half a tank of gas but I decided it was a good time to take a break from driving and stretch my legs. I made one last stop in Santa Rosa before finishing the last little bit to Santa Fe. I finally made it home around 3:30pm. I had a great time in Texas and you can read about the trip by going to Traveling Texas for Delicious Delights. I am really glad to be home and to be able to sleep in my own bed and now I can start planning for TALE 11 - Naughty or Nice next March.

Headed to Texas for the Delicious Delights Event

I have decided to take a trip to Texas to attend the Delicious Delights event at Lake Houston Wilderness Park near New Caney. I am taking some backroads through Texas as I make my way to the event. I will do lots of letterboxing along the way and I will also visit a couple of friends. I am hoping to find lots of great boxes since Texas has some incredible letterboxers. I always have a great time when I travel throught Texas and I hope this trip proves to be just as much fun as always. You can keep up with my trip by going to Traveling Texas for Delicious Delights.

Back Home After TALE 10

It was an incredible week of letterboxing, visiting friends and exploring Texas but it is good to be home. I always have a great time when I letterbox in Texas. There are incredible carvers in Texas and I find some incredible boxes in interesting places.

Visit Texas

This trip took me into west Texas through towns like Brownfield, Odonnel, Tarzan, Midland, Odessa, Crane and Rankin. Then I traveled east and spent some time in and around the Hill Country in towns like Junction, Kerrville, Fredericksburg, Austin, Bastrop, San Antonio, Marble Falls, Burnet, Llano and Brady. And as I began to return home I drove through Indian Creek, Trickham, Brownwood, Santa Anna, Coleman, Winters, Nolan, Sweetwater and Lubbock. I covered lots of area and enjoyed seeing all these beautiful Texas towns. And TALE 10 was a great celebration of Texas letterboxing. You can read all about my trip by going to

Going on another TALE Adventure

Well here it is again! Time for another TALE. That is the Texas Annual Letterbox Event. This is the 10th anniversary of the event, it is called TALE 10 - A Tale of TALES, and it is being held in Buescher State Park in Smithville, Texas.

Buescher State Park in Smithville, TX

I am really excited about this trip - I always enjoy the event, the Texas letterboxers and finding all the great boxes in Texas. During this trip I will also be visiting a couple of friends. When I travel to Texas I try to make a loop and not drive there and back on the same route. So this year I am heading south from Santa Fe to Roswell and the east to Brownfield. Then south again to Midland/Odessa. From there to Kerrville to visit a friend and then on to Austin, Bastrop and Smithville for the event. After the event I am going to San Antonio to visit friends and then on the way back home I want to visit Inks Lake and Longhorn Caverns State Parks in the Marble Falls/Burnet area. The last part of the trip takes me to Sweetwater, Lubbock, Clovis, Santa Rosa and back to Santa Fe. I have planned to find boxes along the way and that should take me to some interesting Texas towns. If you would like to tag along you can read about the trip at My Tale of my trip to TALE - A Tale of TALES.

Letterboxing in the Galveston Bay Area

Thomas and I are going on a cruise with my sister and her husband and my brother and his wife. The cruise leaves from Galveston tomorrow and we decided to go a day early (just to make sure we got there on time) and to do a little letterboxing and sight seeing in the area. When I started doing some research I noticed that there had been an event at Jack Brooks Park in Hitchcock, TX (The Cat's Meow) so I decided that would be a good place to start.

Little Blood Sucker

After landing at Houston Hobby we grabbed our bags and headed for the rental car area. After getting that taken care of we headed south on I45 to FM2004 and then to Jack Brooks Park. We knew we didn't have time for all the boxes so we picked an area and started there. We ended up at the Veterans Memorial Playground Area. Walking the trails in this area we found sixteen boxes - CATfish, Hakuna Matata (3), Cat Woman, Clueless Cat, Kitty Ying and Kitty Yang (2), Skitty and Friends (3), Steinlen's Le Chat Noir, Duchess, Cheshire Cat, Curious Cat and Here Kitty Kitty. It was a beautiful day in the park - around 85°F, clear blue skies and a gentle breeze - the humidity wasn't all that bad either. On the down side there were hoards of mosquitoes. We put on a ton of deet and we still got eaten up. We did actually have a little more time to find boxes but we just couldn't stand the bugs anymore. So we made our way back to the car and completed our drive to Galveston.

Cemetery Statue

We arrived in Galveston and checked in to our hotel (The Tremont House), took a little rest and washed up before heading out to do some things. We first stopped at the Galveston Visitors Center to get some info and a map and to look for a letterbox. This box (Brown Pelican) was placed by the Galveston Visitors Center but the two people in the place didn't know anything about it and we couldn't find a brown pelican anywhere in building. So we headed out and stopped at the Bishop's Palace to find Bell Motel's Bishop's Palace Revisited. This was an easy find and after stamping in we walked around the building and took some pictures - we opted not to go in for a tour. By this time we were a little hungry and we stopped for a bite to eat and to sit and relax. We ate at a restaurant near the sea wall. We had a pretty good view of the gulf and a great meal. After dinner we decided to try for a few more boxes before calling it a day. We stopped at Old City Cemetery and found Boots Tex's Prince John and Lone Star Quilter's By the Bay - Quilt Block Series: Creepy Crab. We enjoyed walking around this cemetery and found some neat headstones. On the way back to the hotel we attempted to find Triple XXX Root Beer and Craning for Water but we came up empty handed on both.

So we decided to call it a day and drove back to the hotel and got settled in for the night. It was a great day of letterboxing - I always enjoy letterboxing in Texas - thanks to all the letterboxers who have planted the wonderful stamps that I had the pleasure of finding.

The End of Another T.A.L.E.

Well T.A.L.E. 9 and my letterboxing adventure to Houston has come to an end. This morning I made my way to Hobby Airport and checked in for my flight. I grabbed a cup of coffee and a muffin and found a spot to sit. I had quite a bit of time before my flight so I took out the laptop and worked on some emails and then on the blog. I had a very full and busy few days in Houston. I want to thank all the Texas Letterboxers for their hospitality and for their amazing letterboxes. I had a blast and I really enjoyed the event and Brazos Bend State Park. It was good to see a lot of familiar faces and meet some new boxers. I just looked through my logbook and I am enjoying reliving the trip through the amazing stamps I collected. Already I am anticipating the next event - T.A.L.E. 10 - at the beginning of March next year. If you want to read about my trip go to Getting Wild in Texas for T.A.L.E. 9 to get more details about what I did while in Houston.

Ready for T.A.L.E. 9 - Get Wild!

It is that time of year again - the Texas Annual Letterboxing Event. This annual letterboxing event is hosted by Silver Eagle and Baby Bear on the first Saturday in March in one of Texas' State Parks. This year it is at Brazos Bend State Park in Needville and this makes T.A.L.E. 9. The park is about an hour south of Houston and the theme this year is Get Wild (as in Texas Wildlife). I decided to make the trip and added a few days before and after the event for some time to letterbox in the Houston area. I always enjoy this event and love finding boxes in Texas. I will be writing about this trip day by day and if you are interested in reading about this adventure you can find it at Getting Wild in Texas for T.A.L.E. 9. I usually take some time each night to blog about the days activities so please check in often to see what I have been up to. Now it is time for me to finish packing and get some sleep.

Going Native!

I am off on another trip - this one is to Mexia, TX to attend T.A.L.E 8 - and I am really looking forward to it. I am hoping the weather will be good and that the letterboxes will be plentiful. I am also planning on replacing a couple of my boxes that have gone missing while I make my way to the event. I will be traveling down through Lubbock to Abilene. Then over to Waco and down to Somerville before making my way to Mexia. After the event I will drive to Dallas to visit a friend before making my way home. You can read all about the trip by clicking on the picture. Can't wait to tell you all about T.A.L.E. 8!

Returning Home From Louisiana

We left Lafayette this morning to begin our trip back to Santa Fe. We were up at 5:30am and we got everything packed and loaded into the car. We had gassed up the car the night before so when we got the car loaded we were ready to go. We told my sister and her family bye and headed out. We stopped in Carencro to pick up my friend Eddie - we were giving him a ride back to Dallas. Eddie doesn't enjoy letterboxing so we didn't plan any stops to look for boxes between Lafayette and Dallas. We stopped once for gas and once to get a bite to eat. It was a pretty uneventful trip and we dropped Eddie at his house at about 1:00pm. We decided to stop in McKinney to do a little letterboxing - as many times as we have made the drive from Santa Fe to Lafayette we have never stopped in McKinney. I had clues for about 13 boxes and we decided to look for boxes until it got dark and then it would be time to continue our driving. We hoped to make it to Wichita Falls for the night.

Our first stop in McKinney was at the Pecan Grove Memorial Cemetery. It was a nice cemetery and we enjoyed walking around. We looked for and found two boxes in the cemetery - Old Leathercoat, Texas Governors Series and Worst Driver in the World. Two great boxes by Boots Tex and Puddle Splasher - thanks guys. From here we drove just down the road to McKinney Community Center. After parking we headed down the Nature Trail. We had clues for three boxes. We easily found Dolphin in the Creek and Folk Art Series - Quilting. There was one more box but we were unable to find Signpost #3. We did try and follow the directions looking everywhere between Signpost #2 and Signpost #4 but we came up empty handed. We retraced our steps back to the beginning of the trail and looked for another box. We found the area but it looked like it had been cleaned up and we didn't find that box either. Time to head to another area. We drove to Erwin Park and found the starting point to look for four boxes. We headed down the trail and easily found Horn 1867. Once that was replaced we continued on the trail to look for the Let's Do Lunch! Series. We found Box #1 sitting out in the open, stamped in and then rehid it. We followed the clues for Box #2 but we got confused and things didn't seem to make sense and we never found the box. It was starting to get dark so we continued on the trail for Box #3. Again, we found this box out in the open. So we stamped in and rehid the box better than we found it. We then headed back the way we came and made our way back to the car. By the time we exited the park it was dark.

We took Hwy 380 west and stopped in Denton for some food and to gas up the car. We made it to Wichita Falls and found a hotel for the night. There was quite a bit of snow and ice along the road during our drive and the parking lot at the hotel was covered as well. We heard that they were expecting more bad weather the next day. So we decided to go to bed early and get an early start in the morning.