Since committing to this trip months ago, it has been the one constant thing I have thought about. Each and every day without fail I think of some aspect of this trip that I need to plan, buy for, research, and yes now I have given myself the ultimate excuse, Blog about. But I find myself disappointed at times. I am running out of things to research and there is still so much time before the day actually arrives. The snow is not helping in any way possible. If there was no snow then I could at least busy myself with local letterboxing while biding my time for the western tour extravaganza.
I have already printed out all, and I mean ALL the letterboxes in the cities and towns Jay and I will be visiting. (I do a daily search to make sure there are any new ones). OK the are countless towns we will drive through, but I mean the places we will stop and visit or camp. It would take the rest of my life to print out each and ever box along the way, let alone find them all. Though it is a interesting goal. I digress. I took the double sided clues and placed them into a "trip" binder so they can be readily accessible at any time. Unfortunately, since this trip is covering so much mileage, I had to a little box triage. I can only concentrate on drive-bys and under 1 miles. I pains me to even consider it. I'm sure there are some lovely hikes along the way, especially in Colorado and Wyoming, but there just isn't enough time in the day to do them all and I'm going for maximum boxes. There maybe some longer ones thrown in at special places.
The next thing I needed was hiking boots.........
Now I don't know much about boots. What to get, where to go....I have no knowledge base at all. My mom bought me a gift card to Dick's Sporting goods for Christmas, thinking it would be a good place to buy the hiking boots I so desperatly deserved. Jay and I went there with our hopes running high. The first problem was, and this type of sentence can never end well when started like this one has, there was sales associate in sight. We looked around at all the boots and had the deer in head lights look plastered on both our faces. Where do we begin, was there a woman's section? Finally we spotted something in the corner that slightly resembled a woman's size boot and wandered over into that area.
I had borrowed my friends hiknig boots for the day a week before and felt they were comfy enough to hike in. When I saw them on the shelf I went for them. After what seemed like HOURS I finally found someone coming off break to help me. I asked her for a 7.5 and after a look of "I can't believe you are making me do actual work" she trodded off. When she came back with a triumphant look on her face she informed me that they only had my boots in the tan suede not the dark brown I wanted. So I figured I'd use my mom's generous gift card another day and went to EMS.
Thank God I did because there I found bookt that were much much much more comfortable. They were...
VASQUE Women's Breeze Hiking Boots
My husband ............to be cont.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Maps
There are a few items a good letterboxer needs. I have a back back that holds all the "important" necessities including my signature stamp, logbook, ink pads and pen. I also have extra freezer ziplocks, extra logbooks, an extra lock and lock container, bug spray, a shovel, and any hitchhiker or cootie I can offload while on the trail. I also have a VERY important item that I believe I would be lost without. I have a map for the area in which I am going to do the day's letterboxing. Some letterboxers believe they can do without this tool, using instead a GPS or even just the yahoo/google directions printed offline. This is a grave mistake in my book( though I do have and use a GPS for directions occasionally). I have planted many boxes with the use of my maps in areas that do not show up on a GPS. I also feel GPS devices only work well if you have an address to input. They do not give you an overview and it makes it harder to change your mind about where you would like to go next.
With all that said, I knew we needed a set of maps that would help us find our way on our western letterboxing and brewery tour. We immediatly knew we should look at the company that made the maps I use for letterboxing. Unfortunetly we found out that Arrow Maps no longer made any maps. So instead we looked at American Maps and Randall. We found some, but the same idea that the GPS will save us all has apperently affected the map makers. We were looking for spiral bound street maps that would aid us in areas like Denver, Boulder, Rapid City, and others that would be confusing to navigate. We found none. The maps we did find were not ad detailed as the Arrow maps we were acustomed to and almost none were made sooner then 2003. I'm not sure what we are going to do about this map problem. Though I'd rather not, we may have to pin the locations we would like to visit on Google Maps and then, heaven forbid, print them all out.
If you know where I can get good street maps of Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, South Dakota, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico. Please let me know!
Laura (EverAfter83)
With all that said, I knew we needed a set of maps that would help us find our way on our western letterboxing and brewery tour. We immediatly knew we should look at the company that made the maps I use for letterboxing. Unfortunetly we found out that Arrow Maps no longer made any maps. So instead we looked at American Maps and Randall. We found some, but the same idea that the GPS will save us all has apperently affected the map makers. We were looking for spiral bound street maps that would aid us in areas like Denver, Boulder, Rapid City, and others that would be confusing to navigate. We found none. The maps we did find were not ad detailed as the Arrow maps we were acustomed to and almost none were made sooner then 2003. I'm not sure what we are going to do about this map problem. Though I'd rather not, we may have to pin the locations we would like to visit on Google Maps and then, heaven forbid, print them all out.
If you know where I can get good street maps of Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, South Dakota, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico. Please let me know!
Laura (EverAfter83)
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Preparation
About two weeks ago my husband (Jason) and I sat down. I had all the office supplies one would need to start planning a vacation. I had a trusty pen, pencil, highlighter, scrap paper, a very large desktop calender, laptop, and phone, plus a couple of refreshments for good measure. We were in for the long haul. Ok, maybe not the LONG haul, since I had to leave in a manner of hours to join a friend at the casino, but there were many hours in which we could do nothing but plan away. I hate to say it, but we even gave the dog a rawhide so he would fully occupied and not bother us. Sorry Jackson.
First things first, we needed a hotel in Vegas for night number one. I'm still not sure why I didn't think a flight in to the city that never sleeps would be the most important thing to reserve, but that was just the way the thought process came out of my head. As Jay and I looked through dozens of hotel listings we couldn't believe our eyes. There we sat in amazement, staring at the laptop screen at the prices for a night in a hotel on the strip. Sure you may think you are smart and be thinking they were OUTRAGEOUS!!!! Well I can tell you, you would be wrong. It only cost us, get this, $27. If this was the way the prices were going to go on this trip we were in luck. It's just too bad that not the way they went.
I always thought that Las Vegas would be expensive. Maybe its because I always think of the electric bills with all that neon. But the flight one-way down to Vegas was really reasonable as well (~$243 per seat). It then took us about 6 hours to find and book 6 nights of campgrounds from Vegas to the north rim on the Canyon and up to the four corners. (averaging ~ $18 a night for a tent site with no hookups) We decided we would have more of an adventure if we ruffed it! We were almost halfway done with our reservations, but sadly I had no more time left. We still needed to book the other half of our trip, rent a car, and book a flight from Rapid City, SD back to Boston. There was much more to do, but we were having as much fun planning the trip as we thought we'd have on it!
Next Step......Maps!
First things first, we needed a hotel in Vegas for night number one. I'm still not sure why I didn't think a flight in to the city that never sleeps would be the most important thing to reserve, but that was just the way the thought process came out of my head. As Jay and I looked through dozens of hotel listings we couldn't believe our eyes. There we sat in amazement, staring at the laptop screen at the prices for a night in a hotel on the strip. Sure you may think you are smart and be thinking they were OUTRAGEOUS!!!! Well I can tell you, you would be wrong. It only cost us, get this, $27. If this was the way the prices were going to go on this trip we were in luck. It's just too bad that not the way they went.
I always thought that Las Vegas would be expensive. Maybe its because I always think of the electric bills with all that neon. But the flight one-way down to Vegas was really reasonable as well (~$243 per seat). It then took us about 6 hours to find and book 6 nights of campgrounds from Vegas to the north rim on the Canyon and up to the four corners. (averaging ~ $18 a night for a tent site with no hookups) We decided we would have more of an adventure if we ruffed it! We were almost halfway done with our reservations, but sadly I had no more time left. We still needed to book the other half of our trip, rent a car, and book a flight from Rapid City, SD back to Boston. There was much more to do, but we were having as much fun planning the trip as we thought we'd have on it!
Next Step......Maps!
The tour begins!
This all started when I declared to my husband that I wanted to find out where my ancestors came from. I suggested that we go on vacation to the island my grandparents came forth from (Sao Miguel, Azores) and explore there. My husband was not as excited about the prospect as I was and told me that he needed to do more research before we made any plans. So after some debate, I decided I would for go the idea for one year to allow him the time he needed to do all the researching he could handle. One year later (this past December-ish 2010) I approached the subject again, carefully reminding my husband that he had agreed to revisit the idea after a year's time. Well this time I had expected him to jump for joy. I expected him to gather the binder of info he had collected in the past 365 days, give or take a few, and look at me with excitement. Imagine my surprise when, again, he told me he needed to do more research. He actually muttered those dreaded words I desperately wanted to avoid. He said, "We'll see." That only means one thing in my book, NO!
I'm sure my face said it all, disappointment, anger, confusion. I had given him the time he needed and he was still hesitant? He said something about not knowing anything about the place or not understanding the language. At that point I wasn't listening. His voice was drowned out by the blood thumping in my ears. Well I tried, yet again, to appease the situation. I, being the perfect wife and all, suggested an alternative vacation idea.
In late 2007 my husband and I talked about flying out to California and driving part-way across the country to Colorado, where we would fly back home to Massachusetts from Denver. It sounded like a nice idea, but I wanted to see more exotic places before we had kids. The idea didn't go must past that discussion. My best friend and I both got engaged and would be married within two months of each other in 2008 and between her one week wedding cruise to Bermuda and our two week honeymoon to Hawaii there was no money or vacation time to support a cross country trip. It was dropped then and there, or maybe not.
Now that you had a tid bit of background, you know where this is going. If my husband wouldn't go to the Azores for yet another year then I suggested we revisit the idea of a mini cross country trip. This time I did get the jumping for joy and the vacation planning begun.
I recently got into Letterboxing. For those of you who don't know what this is look it up. No, no I'm kidding. AtlasQuest.com or Letterboxing.org can give you more info. but here is what AtlasQuest defines letterboxing as :
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, by stamping it into the logbook found with the letterbox, perhaps writing a note about the weather or their adventures in finding the letterbox.
Since I have been on this crazy letterboxing kick, my husband and I decided to make this a letterboxing tour of the western states we might not other wise see. There won't be enough time to get them all, not unless we take a year or two off from work. We will be doing mostly drive-bys and some longer hikes here and there where the time allows. We also love beer, so we have mixed in all the microbreweries we could find along the way. I plan to blog the vacation along the way. That way people can suggest boxes and breweries to visit.
The Plan:
The plan is to leave MA and fly to Las Vegas. From Vegas we are driving to the Grand Canyon (North Rim). Then off to the 4 corners. From there cut up (northeast) across Colorado, hitting Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins amongst others. From that point cut up the other way (northwest) and see the great state of Wyoming. With Old Faithful and Gran Teton out the way its back across the state to finally end up in Rapid City, South Dakota. (Better details to come)
I am really excited. For now we are in the planning stage. Let me know if you have suggestions or comments! That's all for now.
Laura
(EverAfter83 to the Letterboxing world)
I'm sure my face said it all, disappointment, anger, confusion. I had given him the time he needed and he was still hesitant? He said something about not knowing anything about the place or not understanding the language. At that point I wasn't listening. His voice was drowned out by the blood thumping in my ears. Well I tried, yet again, to appease the situation. I, being the perfect wife and all, suggested an alternative vacation idea.
In late 2007 my husband and I talked about flying out to California and driving part-way across the country to Colorado, where we would fly back home to Massachusetts from Denver. It sounded like a nice idea, but I wanted to see more exotic places before we had kids. The idea didn't go must past that discussion. My best friend and I both got engaged and would be married within two months of each other in 2008 and between her one week wedding cruise to Bermuda and our two week honeymoon to Hawaii there was no money or vacation time to support a cross country trip. It was dropped then and there, or maybe not.
Now that you had a tid bit of background, you know where this is going. If my husband wouldn't go to the Azores for yet another year then I suggested we revisit the idea of a mini cross country trip. This time I did get the jumping for joy and the vacation planning begun.
I recently got into Letterboxing. For those of you who don't know what this is look it up. No, no I'm kidding. AtlasQuest.com or Letterboxing.org can give you more info. but here is what AtlasQuest defines letterboxing as :
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, by stamping it into the logbook found with the letterbox, perhaps writing a note about the weather or their adventures in finding the letterbox.
Since I have been on this crazy letterboxing kick, my husband and I decided to make this a letterboxing tour of the western states we might not other wise see. There won't be enough time to get them all, not unless we take a year or two off from work. We will be doing mostly drive-bys and some longer hikes here and there where the time allows. We also love beer, so we have mixed in all the microbreweries we could find along the way. I plan to blog the vacation along the way. That way people can suggest boxes and breweries to visit.
The Plan:
The plan is to leave MA and fly to Las Vegas. From Vegas we are driving to the Grand Canyon (North Rim). Then off to the 4 corners. From there cut up (northeast) across Colorado, hitting Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins amongst others. From that point cut up the other way (northwest) and see the great state of Wyoming. With Old Faithful and Gran Teton out the way its back across the state to finally end up in Rapid City, South Dakota. (Better details to come)
I am really excited. For now we are in the planning stage. Let me know if you have suggestions or comments! That's all for now.
Laura
(EverAfter83 to the Letterboxing world)
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