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I have not done this but I am very curious if you enjoy doing it.
I remember when I was at the beach this past summer and I knew there was sites nearby but I chicken out of looking afraid I might get in trouble or people think I am really weird.
Do you do this alone or do you and your partner or friends do this together and how did you get started or learn about this activit?
My family letterboxes. We enjoy it, but don't get to go out as much as we would like to. My kids love it, they love the challenge of the clues and of course the stamps. Don't be chicken, just go out and try it!
'LETTERBOXING is an intriguing pastime combining navigational skills and rubber stamp artistry in a charming "treasure hunt" style outdoor quest. A wide variety of adventures can be found to suit all ages and experience levels.'
This sounds a lot like geocaching, where little gifts are placed in the woods or along trails and then clues are given (or sometimes GPS coordinates) so that they can be located by others, who will then take the gifts and leave their own to be found by another. I am assuming the goal of letterboxing is to fill a memory book with a collection of inked stamps from various locations (by way of getting families outside together to search for the boxes)? Sounds like a great way to bond with the kids.
Huh? I read the site linked to and still don't get it. The Getting Started explained about equipment and vaguely about the rest, but...
I must have missed something in the reading.
I will try to explain it, let me know if it makes sense, lol.
We love outdoor activities and visit alot of outdoor recreation areas. We read about letterboxing and decided to give it a try. Its like a treasure hunt. You print out clues that will lead you to a letterbox. A letterbox is usually a tupperware type container. Inside is a logbook and a stamp. You need to bring your own stamp, many people carve their own stamps. Its like your letterboxing signature, unique to you only. Take your stamp and stamp it in the logbook that you just found. Then you take the letterbox stamp you just found and stamp your own logbook. We always bring a pen to write the date we found the letterbox and to write what city we are from. Your personal logbook holds stamps from all the letterboxes you have found. The logbooks in the letterboxes hold the stamps of everyone that has found them.
Some letterboxes have been hidden for years and people from all over the US, Canada, and overseas have found the boxes and stamped in them. My family has hidden letterboxes in our area and within days people at a campground had found them. We check on the letterboxes once in awhile and alot of people from all over the western states have found them.
Go to letterboxing.org and locate your state, click on the region you live in and see what is in your area: Letterboxing North America
Some people think its totally silly, but its alot of fun. If you are an outdoors type person and like hiking, then this is for you. Some of the letterboxes don't require too much walking, so there is something for everyone. Some of the clues are very difficult and really makes you think. Some require you to decipher clues, some are history oriented, etc. I have grade school kids and they love letterboxing. Each kid has their own stamp and they help read the clues and lead us to the boxes. Its a fun family activity for us. We pack a picnic lunch and go for the day. Last year we found a series of letterboxes planted by retired teachers. Thier clues were full of local history and we learned alot.
This sounds a lot like geocaching, where little gifts are placed in the woods or along trails and then clues are given (or sometimes GPS coordinates) so that they can be located by others, who will then take the gifts and leave their own to be found by another. I am assuming the goal of letterboxing is to fill a memory book with a collection of inked stamps from various locations (by way of getting families outside together to search for the boxes)? Sounds like a great way to bond with the kids.
Yep, its alot like geocaching. Instead of trading trinkets (which my kids think is awesome!), you stamp each others logbooks instead. Alot of people handmake logbooks with leather covers, fancy papers, etc. I haven't tried that yet but I am sure I will down the road.
Its a great way to spend time with your family. My kids beg us to go letterboxing now, lol.
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