Albuquerque Letterboxing Adventures

 

A few days ago, my kidlets and I drove into Albuquerque to have some fun hunting for letterboxes. Some new ones had been placed and the kids always like to try to be First Finders because they usually receive a collectable certificate or even a little trinket, like a collectable pin, or something that relates to the location where the letterbox was found.

(Our first box was found along the banks of the Rio Grande River)

I don’t often write about letterboxing on this blog because it’s more focused on animals and ranch goings-on, but I’ve all but abandoned my Twins Plus One blog, which is where I usually posted about letterboxing and the fun things my kidlets and I do together. I also figured that not everyone is as interested in letterboxing as my family is, and might end up glassy-eyed and bored if I posted too much about it. lol!

(Here’s my daughter Jenna posing in the Cottonwood Bosque along the Rio Grande)

But maybe if I explain exactly what it is, y’all might enjoy it a little more….and I might even bring a few converts into the letterboxing fold. *evil grin*

(My kidlets posing creatively in the ‘Labrynth’ after finding the river letterbox)

So What is Letterboxing?

Letterboxing is an intriguing pastime and hobby combining artistic ability with orienteering ‘treasure-hunts’ in parks, forests, indoor and outdoor locations, and cities around the world. Letterboxing began in Dartmoor, Devon England in 1854 and is now enjoyed throughout the world. Letterboxing really took off in in the United States after the Smithsonian magazine article in 1998.

(We found a little critter resting on one of the flower pods)

Letterboxes can be hidden almost anywhere. Most are planted in scenic, outdoor areas, but others have been planted in bookstores, libraries, zoos, pubs, coffee shops, cemeteries, playgrounds, and one was even planted in the Smithsonian while another was planted at Disneyland.

(Our next letterbox directed us to walk along the ditch banks in the Albuquerque’s North Valley)

Participants seek out these hidden letterboxes by cracking codes and following clues found either on Atlas Quest or Letterboxing.org . A compass is often used. A GPS, only rarely. Unlike Geocaching, where finders collect trinkets, the prize found in a letterbox is a miniature piece of art known as a rubber stamp—usually a unique, hand-carved creation.

(The kidlets enjoyed exploring these private pathways between the coyote fences and houses. Jenna posing on a bridge over a ditch. This water comes directly from the Rio Grande River)

 

Letterboxers stamp their discoveries in a personal journal, then use their own rubber stamp, called a signature stamp, by stamping it into the logbook found with the letterbox, perhaps writing a note about the weather or their adventures in finding the letterbox.

(Our third letterbox of the day directed us to the Albuquerque Aquarium.

Later they often log their finds onto Atlas Quest or Letterboxing.org to let the Placers know they found their box, as well as to keep track of the letterboxes they found.

(This box was easy to find, but tough to take. It was right out front so we had to be stealthy and sneaky. While my kids grab the letterbox, I act like the photo crazy Mama taking tons of photos of my kids and anything that moves…or doesn’t. lol!)

 

(We have a Bio Park membership so we spent a couple hours inside visiting with the Aquarium residents and then came back outside to get the letterbox. This box required a lot of stealth and sneakiness. Notice the Security Truck to the left! But the kids were excited to be awarded Second and Third Finder Certificates for their efforts. Whoohoo!) 

Here’s a few photos from inside the Aquarium.

(Jenna made a friend. See? He’s smiling at her)

 

We always spend time just sitting and watching.  

Technically it’s still summer and the days are long, so after we left the Aquarium we went in search of a few more letterboxes.

The next two letterboxes took us to the Paseo del Bosque Trail, which is a 16 mile paved pedestrian/bicycle/equestrian trail that runs parallel to the Rio Grande River. It runs north and south on the east side of the river, and connects several picnic areas, the Rio Grande Valley State Park, the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park, the Albuquerque Biological Park ,(including the Aquarium, Botanic Gardens, the Zoo and Tingley Beach) and the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

(We found the bicycling related letterbox and then did some exploring. Here’s Jenna posing on the bike sculpture)

 

The trail has been named one of the "best bike trails in the West" by Sunset Magazine. It is also a popular equestrian trail, with trailhead parking for horse trailers.

(The twinlings brought their scooter and a bike and rode around the duck and fishing ponds at Tingley Beach)

 

(While Jenna and I watched the ducks and geese)

The main trail is paved, and in the Corrales Bosque segment there is a parallel ditchbank dirt trail, which is popular with horseback riders.

Shhhhhh!

At Tingley Beach you can rent fishing supplies, paddle boats and bikes. They also have RC boats you can play with, too. The Train Depot for the train that travels from the Zoo to the Aquarium and Botanic Gardens is also located here. While we were there, a movie was being filmed, too. Not sure which one, but the signs said ‘MAC’.

As the sun was setting, we left Tingley Beach and went in search of another letterbox along the bike trail. This letterbox was placed at a memorial of a fireman and father of three that was killed while riding his bike before the bike trail was built. We were thrilled to find that we were the First Finders, too!

 

On the way home, rain began to sprinkle, but we decided to try and find just one more letterbox. With the help of my sleuthing twinlings, we found the letterbox and then stayed to play for a little while, too.

 

So, were you paying attention?

How many letterboxes did we find that day?

My family has been letterboxing for 3 years now and we have found 179 boxes in 6 states. And we have placed (or hidden) 16 letterboxes. Our goal this year is to reach 200 boxes found. We are getting very close!

You can check out our totals and other letterboxing posts over at my other blog Twins Plus One.

For more info on letterboxing:  

More on Letterboxing.

 

Thanks for joining on us on our Letterboxing Adventures!

From the Tower of,