Friday, March 29, 2013

Letterboxing...Another Obsession?

A close up of Camel Rock
Camel Rock from a distance
I had told my friend, Cathy, (the one who got me into the Slice of Life Challenge) that I planned to write about another obsession I almost had.  I think it was replaced with the Where's George obsession...but I intend to get involved again.  It is called Letterboxing.  I read a post yesterday about Geocaching...and these two are similar (in fact, I think I want to try that too!)...but they are different.  Geocaching is more high tech where Letterboxing reminds me of playing pirates in search of a treasure. (Maybe that's why getting married on Talk Like a Pirate Day was so appealing to me.)

"Letterboxing is an intriguing pastime combining artistic ability with "treasure-hunts" in parks, forests, and cities around the world. Participants seek out hidden letterboxes by cracking codes and following clues. The prize: an image from a miniature piece of art known as a rubber stamp—usually a unique, hand-carved creation.
Letterboxers stamp their discoveries in a personal journal, then use their own rubber stamp, called a signature stamp, to stamp into the letterbox's logbook."  From http://www.atlasquest.com/

Letterboxing has a long history...beginning in 1854 in England.  Go to this site for more info on the history. http://www.atlasquest.com/about/history/

I am including videos of two times the I recorded the find!  One Letterbox was found at Swan Creek Park in Toledo, OH where I seemed more concerned about moving a spider.  My husband, Ray came with me for this find.  We follow clues...like a treasure map...and hopefully find a box with a logbook and stamp in it.  This one was not a box but a strong plastic bag.  Sorry...the videos don't work on my iPad or iPhone. (Darn Apple not allowing Flash Player!)

 The other box was found at Camel Rock just north of Santa Fe, NM.  My friend, Stephanie was with me.  We did not have a stamp (which you need to stamp the logbook) and we were on our way to pick up a friend in Santa Fe...so we bought a stamp there, returned and made sure we left our mark.  It is a silly video that gets shaky sometimes...but that must be from the excitement felt by Stephanie and me.

 After we picked up Belinda, we returned to Camel Rock to put our stamp in the logbook.  This was Belinda's first experience with Letterboxing. 
So...now that it is spring and the days are getting warmer....I see some Letterboxing travels in the future....and maybe some Geocaching too.  Maybe, when we travel to the United Kingdom this fall, we can go to Dartmoor, England to where James Perrot left his first message in a bottle.




6 comments:

  1. I've NEVER heard of this. How cool! Who doesn't love a treasure hunt! Next time I go on a hiking trip I am going to have to research if this is a possibility.

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  2. I too have never heard of such a thing. I do know about geocaching, but not letter boxes. Very interesting concept. You do have some of the most interesting hobbies.

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  3. Jackie! I have been letterboxing for the past 8 years...not so much here lately, but it is definitely a sporbsession! (Sport/hobby/obsession) Letterboxing has allowed me to meet some fabulous folks and see some beautiful sights, as you discovered at Camel Rock. You need to talk to our mutual friend Jaci about this as soon as you can. She's quite the pro! You can look me up at AQ as Mama Huntin' Dog and hopefully find some of the boxes I have hidden in the Central Ohio area. If you also look up folks like Trailtracker, Pioneer Spirit, and Safari Man, you will not be disappointed! They are all master carvers...artists indeed! Happy Huntin'! Our other mutual friend Cathy has said she'd like to check this out, so maybe the four of us can get together this summer for a LB trip! What fun that would be!

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    1. I did know that Jaci did Letterboxing...and yes, she is a pro. I have not done much for two years...we, my husband and I, would try to find some on travels...but it has been sporatic. We intend to start again. Thanks for the names. We are just beginners...not even sure of our name..but I think it was Harmony Hoys...since we like to sing and play guitar. You have given me inspiration to begin it again. Thanks!

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  4. I took to letter boxing and introduced it to my students in class a few years back. It was a gret direction writing acivity and adventure. We "planted" them ion the trails behind our school and invite all studetns to give it a try. FUN!

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