From Café Olé to Bishop's Lodge

Things have been a little busy since just after Easter. Work, family things and just everyday responsibilites have kept me occupied all day long for a few weeks now. Astro D and I have been trying to get together for coffee and a chat - but she has been quite busy as well. We finally were able to meet up today and get caught up. We met at a coffee shop that neither of us had been to before - The Café Olé. It opened back in November, replacing PD Bean. The new place is pretty nice. Astro D and I enjoyed some coffee and tea while we talked. I guess we had a lot to catch up on because we met at 9:00am for coffee and tea and we were still talking when noon rolled around. So we decided to have some lunch. After eating lunch and talking some more we finally parted ways at around 2:00pm. It was nice to see her and catch up on things. Hopefully it won't be so long before we get together next time.

After leaving Astro D I headed out to Bishop's Lodge. Wronghat placed a letterbox there just two days ago and I had some time today so I decided to go and look for it. I headed up Bishop's Lodge Road and turned into the Resort. I made my way to the Visitor's Parking area and read the clues. I found the trail head and started my way up. The box was placed at the top of Pincushion Hill. The hike wasn't very long but it was pretty steep - at least the last half of it was. Once at the top I had a great view of the entire Resort. That view is the picture posted here. For anyone who has read Willa Cather's Death Comes for the Archbishop, which is based on the life of Bishop Lamy, you can see the steeple in the bottom right corner of the picture that is Bishop Lamy's private chapel.

Back to the box. Once at the top of the hill and after a few pictures I read the clues and located the hiding the spot of the box. The box is hidden on the down hill side under a small juniper covered with rocks. The hill is pretty steep and and I had a hard time keeping my footing. Finally I had to grab onto one of the branches of the juniper to hold myself up and reach for the box with my free hand. Once I had the box I carefully made my way back to the top of the hill. I sat and stamped in and enjoyed the views. When I was finished stamping in I put the box back together and proceeded to the front of the juniper. This time I knew to grab the branch and I didn't slide down the hill. Once back on top of the hill I took a few more pictures and the hiked back down to the trail and back to my car. It was a very nice day, relaxing and visiting with a friend and letterboxing - who could ask for more.

Raspberries, Christmas Trees and a Wonderful Drive

The forecast for today was for a beautiful and sunny day. So Thomas and I decided a day out was appropriate. So this morning we decided to go for a drive and do a little letterboxing. So we left Santa Fe and headed north on I25. Our first stop was in Glorieta. I have three boxes from our El Rancho de Los Letterboxes event that I wanted to replant but haven't had the chance. So the first box that we placed today was Battlefield New Mexico. I found a nice hiding spot and jotted down clues before we headed off for more of our adventure. From here we headed north again on I25 to Las Vegas. We drove through Las Vegas and then continued on NM 518 to La Cueva. The first order of business was to find Fantastyk Voyager's Salman Ranch - La Cueva box. The box is hidden near the Salman Raspberry Ranch and an old grist mill. It was an easy find and a nice stamp, and after stamping in and rehiding the box it was time for the second order of business. To hide another box from the event. That box was Water-powered Grist Mill and this was the perfect spot. I found a great hiding spot in no time and after writing down and rechecking the clues we were ready to continue on. I really like this old grist mill and the area so I think it is a nice place to visit and a great drive.

From the intersection of NM 518 and NM 442 we continued on NM 518 to Mora. Along the way we kept an eye out for a nice spot to hide my last box. We reached Mora but did not find a spot for my box. We then turned onto NM 434 so we could find another Fantastyk Voyager box. This one is called Christmas Trees in July and is hidden in Christmas Tree Canyon. We got to the spot and found the landmarks and pretty quickly found the box. It is such a peaceful area and we really enjoyed the box and stamping in. After getting the box back in its hiding spot we left the area and made our way back to NM 518. I still needed a spot for my last box and we had a choice . . . either return home the way we came or continue on 518 and make a loop. We decided on the loop. And we were glad we did - the drive was beautiful and relaxing. We drove through Mora, Cleveland, Holman and Tres Ritos and still hadn't found a spot for my box. But not far out of Tres Ritos Thomas spotted just what we were looking for. A descansos on the right side of the road a little ways up on some rocks. And just before the descansos was a pullout that we had already passed. So when he could Thomas turned the car around and we went back to the pullout. It was the perfect place. A nice serene and beautiful place. Across the road from the pullout is a stream and trees and hills. So I planted my Descansos letterbox at the pullout and you can walk a little ways along the road to see a real descansos.

Well, we were now done letterboxing and all we had to do was enjoy the ride home. We continued on NM 518 through Los Mochas and then turned onto NM 75 making our way through Rio Pueblo, Vadito and Penasco before turning onto NM 76. This passes through the towns of Chamisal, Trampas, Ojo Sarco, Truchas and Rio Chiquito. In Rio Chiquito we turned onto NM 503 and drove through Cundiyo and Nambe before getting to Pojoaque. Then we took US 285 to NM 599 and then to our house. We had a wonderful day, found two nice letterboxes and put three letterboxes back into action. Spring in New Mexico is pretty nice.

Sealed with a Kiss

Today Thomas and I were in Albuquerque to visit his cousin. After our visit we took a little time to do some letterboxing. The first box that we searched for is a box by Wronghat. The name of this box really had us wondering if we should attempt it. The box is titled Stench. We had a nice walk along the Paseo del Bosque Bike Trail - it was a beautiful day in Albuquerque. Fortunately, we didn't encounter any stench except for the box. I am assuming the name came from where it was placed - right near a wastewater treatment plant. We only met up with about four people on our walk so it was easy retrieving the box and replanting the box. And thankfully there was a bench to sit on while stamping - all in all a nice walk along the Rio Grande.

From the bosque area we drove across town to the Elena Gallegos Picnic Area. We entered the park and made our way to the trailhead. We were looking for Domingo Baca's Kiss - this would be our second attempt - the first time we looked for the box it was missing and we were Kissed Off. PetroPunks replaced the box and we decided to look for it today. The walk to the rock outcropping where the box is hidden is pretty easy but getting up to the granite lips was a little challenging. We had to scramble over rocks and cacti to get there. We finally got to the lips and followed the new clues. We found the box right where it was suppose to be and boy were we thankful - the scramble up was a lot of work. So I stamped in and then rehid the box. We then leisurely made our way back to the car. It was time to head back to Santa Fe. We had a nice time in Albuquerque, enjoyed the Spring weather and found two great boxes.

Easter Trip to Louisiana (Part II)

Baton Rouge to Lafayette
Friday, April 2, 2010

We didn't set an alarm for this morning, we decided to just sleep until we were ready to get up - that happened to be 7:30am. We got ready and packed our things and got them into the car, then we had a little breakfast before heading out. There were a few boxes we wanted to find before leaving Baton Rouge. Our first stop was at Baton Rouge Community College and it was a great day to be there. The campus was deserted so it made it easy to look for boxes and not be seen. We found both boxes that we looked for here and once we had stamped in and had the boxes back in place it was time to head to another location. That location was the USS Kidd. It is docked near the River Center and is a museum now. Again, we found both boxes we looked for but this time it took a lot more stealth. This place was a lot busier that the last and it took us several tries and lots of waiting before we were able to retrieve both boxes - but eventually we got them, stamped in and then replaced them into their hiding spots.

At this point we decided to put letterboxing on hold and do a little sightseeing. We drove to the Capitol and made our way inside. Our intent was to go up to the observation deck but that wasn't to be. They have had in closed since last July and it isn't scheduled to be reopened until April 12th (and by that time we will be back home). So we walked around the main entry, saw the House and Senate chambers and read about Huey Long's assassination. We then returned to the car and were about to head out and make our way to Lafayette when my brother called me. He and his wife were not too far from Baton Rouge so we decided to meet up for lunch. Thomas and I had about 30 minutes to kill so we decided to look for one more letterbox until they arrived. We drove to LSU and found Mama Cache's Skiouros letterbox. It was right were it was suppose to be and it was a quick and easy retrieval. I stamped in and rehid the box. By this time my brother was almost to Baton Rouge - so we picked a restaurant and met there. After a nice lunch and getting to know my new sister-in-law we all headed for Lafayette. Thomas and I made a pit stop on the way to my sister's house. I had a box I wanted to plant at the Lafayette Welcome Center. I had a hard time finding a good spot but eventually found one that I think will work. After hiding the box we made our way to see the family.

We arrived at my sister's house and in no time the whole family was together (except for my oldest nephew who is in Iraq, but he was there in thought). Tonight we had a crawfish boil. I ate so much and my stomach is very happy. It was good to see the family and we all had a great evening.

Easter Weekend
Saturday, April 3, 2010 and Sunday, April 4, 2010

We didn't do any letterboxing this weekend except for planting one box on Saturday. I placed a box on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Campus near Cypress Lake. I think this is one of the best spots on the campus and I found a pretty good hiding spot. The rest of Saturday was spent visiting with the family and doing lots of eating. We had boudin, crawfish etouffee, cracklin and lots of desserts. On Sunday Thomas and I spent a little bit of the morning at Lake Martin just walking around. It was beautiful. We saw a couple of gators, lots of egrets and some turtles. We also saw one water moccasin and thankfully we where in the car and just saw it slither across the road. We then went to my sister's house for Easter lunch. My sister and brother-in-law decided to do a barbecue since the weather was so nice. It was an absolutely perfect day. Tomorrow we need to return to New Orleans for a very early flight on Tuesday.

A Day in New Orleans and the End of the Trip
Monday, April 5 2010

This morning we told the family goodbye and headed for New Orleans. We were on the road by 7:15am and decided that we would have a relaxing day. We drove and made our first stop in Plaquemine at St. John's Cemetery. We stopped to find Blackberry Patch's Plaquemine Persimmon. We had a very nice time walking amongst all the old grave stones. I took a few pictures and then looked for the box. I found it right where it was supposed to be. I found a place to sit and stamped in and then rehid the box. From here we drove Hwy 1 to Donaldsonville and crossed the Sunshine Bridge. At this point we stopped for a little breakfast before taking I10 the short distance into New Orleans. We decided to make our first stop at City Park. We have never been to this park and we wanted to look for a few boxes and take some time to walk around. We looked for seven boxes and found five. The two we didn't find had notes in the clues that they may be missing. The park is beautiful and it is hard to tell that it was under water after Hurricane Katrina. We spent about three hours in the park before moving on. From City Park we head to the French Quarter. I wanted to walk around here because I always enjoy this area. We went in and out of quite a few shops, had some beignets and then an early dinner at a little restaurant on Chartres Street. We walked to Jackson Square and sat and rested for a little while. I was happy to see the City so alive again. There were quite a few people and New Orleans seems to be regaining its old character. We decided we wanted to get a hotel close to the airport since our flight in the morning is pretty early. So here we are relaxing in the hotel and ready for our return to Santa Fe.

Easter Trip to Louisiana (Part I)

Santa Fe, NM to Zachary, LA
Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Thomas and I are headed to Lafayette, LA to visit my family for Easter and the trip started very early this morning. We were up at 3:00am (NM Time) to get ready and leave for the airport in Albuquerque. We got last minute things ready and loaded the car - we left Santa Fe by 3:40am and drove to the Sunport. After parking the car, taking the shuttle, checking in and making our way through security we were sitting at the gate at 5:05am ready for take-off. Our flight from Albuquerque to Houston was quick and uneventful. The layover in Houston was good and we even boarded the plane and took off a little early as we headed to New Orleans. We arrived at Louis Armstrong/New Orleans International Airport at 11:05am (about 15 minutes ahead of the stated arrival time), picked up our luggage and took a shuttle to the rental car place. The check in for the car was quick and easy and we were headed for our first destination by 11:30am. We drove to Springfield, LA and more specifically to Tickfaw State Park. Our mission: To plant a series of letterboxes representing some of the Louisiana state symbols. Once at the park we studied the map and decided on a trail to hide the boxes. We headed to the trailhead parking and began our walk. We tried to space out the boxes so that they weren't too close to each other and when we got to the end of the trail we had only planted five of the seven boxes. So we returned to the parking area and went down a second trail to plant the remaining two boxes. I have named this the Sportsman's Paradise Series and it is Louisiana's version of my Land of Enchantment Series. I hope the letterboxers in Louisiana enjoy this series. I am very happy with the way they turned out.

Once this was completed we left the area and headed to Baton Rouge. I had three boxes that I wanted to plant there. We made our way to the first location and found a hiding spot rather easily and I was quite happy with it - it fits with the stamp perfectly. After hiding this box we made our way to the Capitol to meet up with Blackberry Patch. We arrived there a little before her so we searched for Little Plates of Ice. I had found some of them on an earlier trip and wanted to look for the others. We had mixed results. There are five boxes in this series. We found three of the five on our last trip and on this trip we found only one of the other two. I'm not sure if the other one was missing or not - it could have been there just not where we looked. Anyway, by this time Blackberry Patch was on the front steps of the Capitol waiting for us. So we made our way there. We visited, exchanged LTC's and talked letterboxing. After a little while I looked for another box of hers and found it - we visited some more while I stamped in. Once this box was rehidden we parted ways. I still had a couple of boxes to hide before it got dark. We found hiding spots and wrote out the clues. The three boxes I hid in Baton Rouge are another series - this one called Huey P. Long (The Man, The Bridge and The Building). Now it was time to head to Zachary. It was dark and getting late but there was one more box I wanted to find before calling it a night. So we headed to the location and found the Lagniappe box. This is a letterbox hidden in a library and it has cards in it that have clues for boxes in the area. So I stamped in and copied clues for two boxes, then returned the box to its hiding spot. It was close to 9:00pm by this time and both of us were tired. Thankfully we had hotel reservations and it was a quick check in and to the room. Even though I am tired I wanted to get my finds logged in and write this blog before getting to sleep. I hope I covered everything and I hope it makes sense because it has been a long day. So off to bed now and I will report back tomorrow.

A Complete Circle
Thursday, April 1, 2010

Our day started at 7:00am with a wake up call. We got dressed, packed, loaded the car and had a little breakfast before leaving Zachary to head up to Clinton. We had planned lots of letterboxing and a meet up with Mama Cache. We arrived at the First Baptist Church and met with Mama Cache in the courtyard of the church. It was a beautiful morning and we loved the church. We exchanged LTC's and talked about letteboxing. It was a nice time and I learned that Mama Cache attended high school with one of my cousins - ain't it a small world.

After a great visit it was time for finding boxes. Mama Cache has a box called Louisiana Seasons and she has had a little trouble with the hiding spot. She is trying to find a better spot and in the meantime she has made the box unavailable. But she is nice enough to hide it when someone is in town and wants to get it. So our first stop was at the Masonic Cemetery to get the Spring stamp - Take Me Out to the Ball Game. It was a great stamp and we enjoyed the cemetery, some very old and wonderful gravestones. Leaving the cemetery we made our way to find MC's Bridge Out series. These were quick and easy and once you had both stamps they fit together to complete the bridge - I loved it. Once we had these two stamps we then went to find babadge's Squad Car. This is a cute little stamp carved by a young carver - it was pretty darn good. I stamped in and returned the box to its hiding spot. From Clinton we drove to Jackson and stopped at a cemetery just before getting to Jackson. Blackberry Patch has two boxes hidden there. Audubon Series: Yellow Throated Warbler and Duh Da Da Dum Dum? - both are nice boxes and carves and the cemetery was wonderful. We had a nice walk around the graves and enjoyed some of the beautiful head stones. By this time we were hungry and it was a good time to stop for lunch. On our way to the cemetery we passed a restaurant and noticed the parking lot was full, usually a sign that the food is good. So we left the cemetery and headed back to that place - Chef's To Go. We weren't disappointed, the food was delicious - I had Red Beans and Sausage over Rice. The only problem was that they served us way too much food. Neither of us could finish the entire meal. Now that our hunger was satiated we could focus on finding more letterboxes. The next stop on the list was the Audubon State Historic Site. Blackberry Patch has four more boxes in the series here (one at the cemetery we were at earlier). I headed out on the trail to find the boxes while Thomas took a tour of Oakley Plantation House. I found the Ivory-billed Woodpecker and sat down on a log to stamp in. I enjoyed the stamp and box and got it back into its hiding spot. I continued down the trail to the next box and easily found the Cerulean Warbler. Another great stamp and box. There was another box in the series but I wasn't sure where to find it. The clues don't tell you the exact location - you have to figure it out. Not sure if I was tired or not concentrating or what but I never did find the starting point. But it wasn't for a lack of trying. I did take a side trail (not sure if that was what it was - it was a cleared path but it wasn't gravel like the main trail) and was eventually stopped in my tracks. I saw something laying across the trail and at first thought it was a branch or something like that. But as I got closer (maybe three feet away) I jumped back. It was a thin snake about five feet long. He was just laying there and pretty much had no intention of moving. He only moved his head to look at me once and that was it. For a split second I thought about walking around his tail but then had a moment of clarity and thought he might move faster than me and turn and jump at me. At that point I decided I didn't want to find the box that bad and since I wasn't even sure this was the right place I decided to let the snake have the trail. I returned to the main trail and headed to the Oakley House to meet Thomas. We walked around the house and grounds for a bit and then headed back to the parking lot. I had one more set of clues for a box at one of the picnic areas near the parking lot. I followed the clues but never did find the box. Thomas and I sat at one of the picnic table and watched a peacock walk around. We took turns reading the clues for the two boxes we couldn't find and decided we needed to move on to our next location. From the Audubon Site we drove a short distance to the Mary Ann Brown Nature Preserve. Lucy Locket has two boxes there that we missed on our last visit. It didn't take us long to find In Search of: A Home and In Search of: A Brain. After stamping in and rehiding both boxes we left the preserve.

A little over a year ago I planted a box at the Mary Ann Brown Nature Preserve but that wasn't where I wanted it. Unfortunately at the time Hurricane Gustav had just made a mess of things in the area and the place I had planned to plant that box was closed due to down power lines. Mama Cache was kind enough to get the box from M.A.B.N.P for me and place it at Locust Grove State Historic Site for me. I had never actually seen this site since it was closed on our last visit so I wanted to make a stop there. We arrived at the site only to find a man repainting the picket fence around the graveyard. He had half the graves covered in plastic because he was using a spray gun to paint with. So we didn't get to look around and we didn't get to see the hiding spot for my box. Oh well, I know it is in good hands with Mama Cache. It was now about 4:00pm and I wanted to try and find a box at Port Hudson State Historic Site. And since it closed at 5:00pm we needed to head that way quickly. While Thomas drove I read the clues and once we arrived at the site we made our way to the parking area mentioned in the clues. The clues have you walk about a half mile down a trail to an observation tower, count the steps and then return to the parking area. Once back at the parking area things became very confusing. You were suppose to take the number you got from the steps and divide it by nine. Then you were to go to the NW side of the parking lot opposite the handicapped spot. When I did my compass reading to find the NW side it was where the handicapped spot was. So I was totally confused, but we tried anyway. So we went opposite the handicapped spot and counted the spaces using the number we got after dividing by nine. From there you had to take a compass reading that lead you to a stump 50 feet into the woods. It was all messed up so we just looked around (the area wasn't all that big). We only found two stumps and neither of them fit the bill and we didn't find a letterbox. So we left that parking area and looked for another one but nothing ever became clear so we called it quits and headed for Baton Rouge.

Before leaving for this trip I had worked (for quite a few hours) on a mystery box that Blackberry Patch had hidden in the Baton Rouge area. I had gotten confirmation from Blackberry Patch that I had figured out the right location so we made our way there. I had no problems finding the box and stamping in. While I was doing that Thomas was on the GPS looking for a hotel. After getting the box back to its hiding spot I returned to the car and we headed for the hotel. Thomas got us checked in and then we went to have a little dinner. Then it was time to call it a day. After all the letterboxing we did it was nice to have a hot shower and relax. We had a great day today and ended up making a complete circle returning to Baton Rouge for the night. Not sure what we are doing tomorrow except that we need to head to Lafayette by early afternoon. I'll be back to let you know what we do.

A Trip to Tucson (Part II)

Spending the Day at the Molino Basin Campground
Monday, February 15, 2010

This morning was a typical morning of waking up, getting ready and eating breakfast - nothing special. Once things were in place and the car loaded we wanted to run one quick errand before starting our letterboxing day. We drove to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona to give them the information on the dog we found yesterday. We brought the collar and gave them directions to finding the dog. We also left our names and numbers if anyone had any questions. They seemed to be grateful that we brought in the information. And with that done we drove back up the mountain. Today we decided to hike some trails that started at the Molino Basin Campground. First we looked for two boxes in the campground. We found 6th @ Molino pretty easily but were stumped by the second box. We followed the clues but came up empty handed - I am not sure if I didn't understand them or if I just couldn't find the box. After about 20 minutes we decided to move on. We left the campground and crossed the Catalina Highway to the Bellota Trail/Arizona Trail. Our goal was to find Azroadie's Sonoran Desert Animals 2009 Series. I guess we hiked about a mile, maybe a mile and a half and found all five boxes. It was a great way to start the day. A beautiful morning in the Santa Catalinas and five more wonderful Azroadie boxes.

Next we crossed back over the road and walked back into the campground. We drove to the back of the campground and parked near the trail head for the Molino Basin Trail. From the trail head you walk up a short distance to a junction. We took the left turn and walked a half mile or so and found two nice letterboxes - Lame Duc Visits Arizona and 5th @ Molino. After stamping in and rehiding the boxes we made our way back to the junction. We now went the other direction. We were searching for New England Sugar Shack and after walking a little ways up the trail we found it. We stamped in and rehid the box and then talked about what to do next. We decided to hike the trail to the Prison Camp. The place where we had parked to hike the Sycamore Reservoir Trail. There were seven boxes somewhere on that trail that we wanted to find. So we had a great two mile hike. We arrived at the Prison Camp and then read the clues for the boxes and started to make our way back to Molino Basin Campground. We reached the landmark for the Stocking Stuffer Series by angel1551us. This series has six boxes - they are planted pretty close together at different places off the trail. You had to find one to find the other because the clue always started from the hiding spot of the box before it (except the first one - she had the starting point for that one in the clue). It took a little time to find all the boxes but it was worth it. One more box to go - Azroadie's Arizona National Scenic Trail. We found the first landmark and followed the rest of the clues and found the box. A nice simple stamp of the Arizona Trail logo used on the trail markers. After rehiding the box we enjoyed a leisurely walk with a cool breeze following us.

Back at the car we realized that we were tired. After hiking out in the sun for most of the day we were just plain worn out. But we were also hungry, so on the way back to the hotel we stopped for dinner. We are now showered and relaxing in the hotel room and ready for tomorrow.

All Around Tucson and Ending in Tucson Mountain Park
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Happy Mardi Gras!

Well today is my 4th letterboxing anniversary. I found my first letterbox (Santa Fe Trail Microbox by Silver Eagle) four years ago today. So I thought I would start the day by finding a box by my letterboxing buddy - Astro D. She has a box called Saguaro Sunsets in Tucson off Picture Rocks Road. The trail where the box is located is wonderful, the area is completely covered with saguaros, jumping chollas, ocotillo, prickly pear and a host of other cacti. We arrived at the trail around 8:30am and it was just a short walk to two stately saquaros that were the landmarks to find the box. I quickly located the box and found a safe place to stamp - I did mention that the area is covered in sharp, spiky things. The stamp is incredible - a three part stamp that ends up being saguaros silhouetted against a sunset thus the name of the box. We saw so many birds in the area as well. I won't pretend to know what kind of birds just that there were a lot of them. It was such a wonderful spot, a fantastic stamp and an incredible letterboxing moment -what a way to start off my 4th anniversary - thanks Astro D for another great box.

In this area there were three other boxes I wanted to look for before we headed off. We first tried to find Wee Willie Winkie but came up empty handed. I think we were in the right place but I couldn't make heads or tails once we were there. Nothing made sense, nothing matched anything in the clues so after 20 minutes we decided to move on. So we found a park and quickly located Go Fetch! Hitchhiker Hostel. I had four hitchhikers with me. So after stamping into the box's logbook I took one hitchhiker and left three in the box. So that left me with two - one of which is in a race with three other hitchhikers to see who makes it to Houston first. From here we made our way to find Larry Lizard Loves to Read and find him we did. It was a clever hide and a nice stamp. I stamped in and rehid the box and once back in the car we looked at our clues to see where to head to next. I had mapped things out so after consulting said map I decided on looking for The False Inspector Dew. Another great hide by the same person that placed Larry Lizard. And the box was hidden in the same manner as Larry Lizard. Again I loved the stamp and hiding spot.

At this point things took a turn for the worst. We headed to University Blvd. and 4th St. to look for the first box of the All Souls Procession Series. Finding somewhere to park was a challenge and we ended up parking about three blocks away from the hiding spot. Thomas stayed with the car and I walked to the area and followed the clues. I am pretty sure (but not 100%) that I was in the right spot. But all I found was a pile of rocks - no box. I did a little search of the area but found nothing. So I returned to the car and after looking at the map we decided to look for Apparition: Alfred Hitchcock. We found the hiding spot and parked then I had to wait until there were no cars or people around because the hiding spot is smack dab in the middle. Once the coast was clear I went to retrieve the box. I had to maneuver carefully because a cholla cactus was guarding the hiding spot. WooHoo I found the box, so I took it back to the car to stamp in. But it wasn't that simple, when I opened the box there was only a logbook - no stamp. I am guessing that the last finder forgot to put it back in the box and drove away with it in their car - only speculating here. Anyway, I decided to stamp in (just not to count it as a find) and leave a note that I found it and that the stamp was missing when I did find it. I replaced the box in its hiding spot and we headed off to find box 2 in the All Souls Procession Series. We got to the area and located the hiding spot and made our way to it. I found the box just where it was supposed to be. Unfortunately, the stamp and logbook were gone and in their place were slips of paper with notes on them. By this time I was a little disappointed. Once we were back in the car I decided to forgo three other boxes in the same area (it seemed to be jinxed). We headed a little ways away and went to search for MDCLXXIII. We made it to the location and found the huge landmark. Then we started looking for the rest of the clue. It took about 10 minutes to locate a couple of numbers and a word but once we did the box was there and the stamp and logbook were in it. So I stamped in and was glad to be back on track (pun intended). By this time we were hungry and we realized it was actually lunch time. So we found a little sandwich shop and enjoyed a wonderful meal out on the patio (did I mention that the weather was absolutely gorgeous the whole time we were in Tucson - sunny and in the mid '70's). After lunch I studied the map and decided on two more boxes in the near vicinity of where we had lunch. So off we went. Our first challenge was to scour S. Arizona Ave. and find the most peaceful spot. It took us two passes to located the clue but once we did all the other parts fell into place and I located the box. Then I was able to Breathe! I stamped in while sitting in the car and then replaced the box. On to the next stop. The next box we looked for was Railroad Pennies. We found a box similar to this one on day one of the trip in Las Cruces, NM. The box is hidden near some railroad tracks and pennies are placed on the track for the trains to flatten them when they pass. I didn't have a problem finding the box but I was only able to find a couple of pennies. I took one and left about eight more for the next finder. I went back to the car to stamp into the box. While I was stamping in a train passed and flattened the pennies. So I finished stamping in and went to replace the box and I also looked at all the flattened pennies that are now waiting for someone else to find them.

At this point I decided I was down with being in the city so we headed for Tucson Mountain Park. To get there we went from Ajo Way. I wanted to find another of Azroadie's Geology 101 stamps. It was on an unmarked trail off of Ajo Way. We first stopped at the wrong spot and luckily I realized it before we had gone too far. So we continued a little further and found the right area. The box was just a short way up the trail and we found it quickly. After stamping in and rehiding the box we headed back to the car. From here we drove to Kinney Rd. and more specifically to Ironwood Picnic Area. We parked at the far end and found the trail. We were searching for Azroadie's Sonoran Desert Animals 2008 Series. His clues took us all over the area and we were successful in finding all five of the boxes. We enjoyed our walk in the area except for one spot that was covered in jumping chollas. We were careful here to stay in the middle of the trail and to circumvent any in the way to finding the box. Luckily we left the area unscathed. We had a nice time and we saw some rabbits and quite a few birds and thankfully no snakes. Before leaving the picnic area we stopped to find Picnic Pause by Desert Flower which was near the area we were in. It was a quick find and a nice box. It had been a long day and we were both getting tired and hungry. But we wanted to do one more thing. We drove up Kinney Rd. to Gates Pass Rd. and made our way to the Gates Pass Lookout. We parked and made our way to the viewing area and watched the sunset. It was a great way to end our trip to Tucson. Once the sun had set we drove back into town and found a place to eat. The only thing left to do is to pack, get some rest and make our way home tomorrow.

A Trip to Tucson (Part I)

The Trip Begins
Saturday, February 13, 2009

About two weeks ago Thomas and I decided to take a little trip. Thomas would be finished with the legislative session and it would be nice to get away. We decided on Tucson. Not only would we leave behind the daily responsibilities we would also have a chance for some warmer weather. So early this morning we loaded up the car and headed out.

We drove for a few hours and then decided to stop for breakfast and stretch our legs. We had a nice meal in Socorro and got a break from the highway. After eating we headed out again and didn't stop until we reached Las Cruces. Once in town we found the City of Las Cruces Railroad Depot (which also houses the Las Cruces Railroad Museum). We were looking for a letterbox. The box wasn't in the museum, it wasn't even outside the museum. It is actually located a short walk away near the train tracks. So we walked along the tracks following the clues and easily found the box. After stamping in and getting the box back in its hiding spot we walked along the tracks and found flattened pennies. We knew they were there because it was written in the clues. So I took two home with me and left five regular pennies on the track to be flattened for the next finder. Fun stuff! But it was time to move along.

We made our way to I10 and headed west. There were no more boxes in New Mexico along this route for us to find so we continued driving until we reached Willcox, AZ. There were two boxes we wanted to find. We found Pink Lady Apples quickly, stamped in, rehid the box and then headed for the next box. We found the location and followed the clues but we were unable to find the box. Almost 100% sure we were in the right spot but no box - only two plastic pieces that looked like latches to close a box - that was it! We were disappointed that someone found the box, broke the latches and then made off with the rest (only speculating here). So it was back to I10 and off to see The Thing? Anyone who had driven I10 in Arizona has seen the billboards - "The Thing? Mystery of the Desert" Exti 322. Azroadie has a couple of boxes here. We found one of those boxes on a past trip so today we were looking for the other one. We followed the clues as they lead us around the building and down a dirt road. It took a little searching but we found the box. We sat near the hiding spot and stamped in and then rehid the box. On the way back to the car Thomas and I talked about whether or not we were going to go in and see 'The Thing'. We decided not to - we both agreed that the mystery of not knowing was probably way better than what the thing actually was. So off we drove. Our next stop was in Benson. We headed to the 7th Street Cemetery (also known as the Benson Pioneer Cemetery). We found the box (store bought stamp) - not much to say about that. Stamped in, rehid it and spent about 30 minutes walking around the cemetery. We found quite a few interesting gravestones. One in particular caught our eye. It was for Eddie Fox. His headstone states he was a comedian and clog dancer. Time to move along. Back on I10 we took the next exit to try and find a mystery box. We looked for it but we were unable to find it - we couldn't find a landmark so it threw us off or I solved the mystery wrong and we were not even in the right spot - oh, well we tried. Next stop - Vail. Time was getting away from us and we still had a little ways to go before reaching Tucson but I still wanted to try for a few more boxes so we chose carefully. In Vail we opted for Old Highway 80 - another great Azroadie stamp. Then we found Friendship Hex near the high school. For our last stops of the day we drove south on Houghton in Tucson to find '67 Chevelle and Kristal's Cathouse Hitchhiker Hostel. Both were nice boxes. I had a hitchhiker to leave in the hostel and I took another one with me. I was surprised to see two hitchhikers in this hostel that I had found before in some other boxes. It was a great day but we were getting tired and hungry. So we checked in to the hotel, freshened up and had dinner at a restaurant just next to the hotel. Time to get a little sleep so we can have more adventures tomorrow.

A Day Along the Sky Island Scenic Byway
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Happy Valentine's Day

We were up around 7:00am, showered, dressed, had some breakfast and then loaded our gear into the car. Our destination was the Sky Island Scenic Byway that takes you up to the top of Mt. Lemmon. We began our ascent up the mountain and around every turn was a fantastic view. The landscape of the lower elevations is desert with loads of Saguaro Cactus all around. We made a stop at the Babad Do'ag Viewpoint. I took some pictures and enjoyed the view. There are so many pullouts and viewpoints that if you stopped at each one it would take you an entire day just to reach the top. So we enjoyed the views only while driving until we reached the ski area. Unfortunately, we were not able to park at the top and walk around. I guess they were having quite a few skiers and the only way you could park is if you were skiing. So we headed back down the mountain. Now it was time to letterbox.

Our first stop was the Chihuahua Pine Picnic Area to search for one of Azroadie's Geology 101 boxes. This one was Granite. We had to do a scramble since there wasn't a trail. It was a beautiful area and we enjoyed walking around - it did take a little time to find the box but we were loving the area so much it didn't matter. We did have a sad moment. While searching for the box I saw something furry curled up against a very large boulder. As I got closer I realized it was a dog. It had a collar and everything. It must have gotten lost and maybe froze to death - I'm not sure. We took the collar with us because it had a tag for the Humane Society of Southern Arizona and a 24PetWatch.com ID number. We are going to contact them tomorrow and let them know where we found the dog so that if they want to retrieve it they can and give it a proper burial. I know I would want to know if someone found my dog - dead or alive. I really feel bad for the owners - I can't imagine losing my two puppies. Back to happier times. We eventually found the box and stamped in, put it back in its hiding spot and moved on to our next location.

That was the Bug Springs Trailhead. But on our way down to that parking area we stopped for a moment at the Seven Cataracts Vista. What a great spot - you can see waterfalls across the canyon - it was wonderful. After a few pictures we made our way to Bug Springs. We hiked about a mile and found two boxes by Hez, Grumpy and Mona - The Rocking V and The Appaloosa Letterbox - both nice boxes. It was a good hike but the views were mostly of the road - I was ready for some great views. So onward we went.

We turned off onto Prison Camp Road and made our way into the Gordon Hirabayashi Recreation Site. This area was the site of an old Federal Prison Camp and you can see remnants of the buildings on the right as you drive in on Prison Camp Road. We made our way to the back of the campground and parked near the trailhead. We decided to hike the Sycamore Reservoir Trail and look for the boxes hidden along the way. The boxes along the way included the Sycamore Reservoir Trail Series (4 boxes) by Azroadie, AZ Trail #6 and Soldier Trail by Kristal and Ron. We started our hike and within about a half a mile we found box 1 and 2 of the Sycamore Series. We then followed the clues to box 3. Before I knew it we had passed the spots for the other two boxes by Kristal and Ron. Oh well, those could be found on the way back. The last two boxes of the Sycamore Series were a little further along the trail. We reached box 3 , stamped and then followed the clues to box 4. Well let me tell you the trail kept going and going down (and that means that to get out it is all uphill - just a thought). We made it to the reservoir and enjoyed the area - a beautiful spot. Time to head back - the clues for box 4 said to enjoy the reservoir and then head back looking for certain landmarks and that is what we did. We found that box and stamped in and prepared ourselves for the uphill climb back to a saddle. Let me tell you it was hard work or else we are really out of shape. Needless to say we made it to the saddle and found AZ Trail #6. This gave us time to rest while we stamped in. The trail back to the car was mostly downhill so that was a good thing. We reached this sign with trails and mileage on it that sits at a trail junction. We were looking for the trail to find the other box - Soldier Trail. The clues to Sycamore Series stated that the hike was about 2 miles one way and the National Forest Service link for the trail states the same. But the sign we saw says that it is 2.9 miles. I am not sure who to believe but from the workout we got I am going with the sign.
Anyway, we made our way to the Soldier Trail to find Soldier Trail. Much to our chagrin the trail was pretty much an uphill climb but doable. So we followed the clues and found the box, after stamping in we made our way back to the car. Pretty exhausted but very happy. The hike was fantastic - even though it was a lot of work we enjoyed it thoroughly - the views were beautiful, the weather gorgeous and the boxes terrific. I realized when we reached the car that there was also a box near the parking area so I quickly found it and stamped in. It was called I Want S'mores! and it made me want S'mores. All in all we had a great Valentine's Day, we hiked between 6 and 9 miles depending on who you believe and we found 10 great letterboxes. And a plus - we looked for 10 and found 10 - not a one was missing. WooHoo!!!!!

So we made our way back down the mountain and our first order of business was dinner. We had a very quick bite to eat because we were tired and sweaty and wanted to get back to the hotel to shower and rest. Because after all tomorrow is another day.

Oh, I almost forgot - I found my 1600th box today when I found the first box in the Sycamore Series.