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TO THE LETTER(BOX)
February 21, 2008
By Mary Forsell, Contributing Editor
 I first heard about letterboxing from a woman who was already steeped in it.
With her four kids, she habitually goes out in search of letterboxes—that is,
weatherproof containers filled with surprises—hidden in our area. She confesses
to venturing out in a blizzard once to find one. When her husband goes on
business trips, he often sneaks off from his colleagues to go "boxing."I
admit I listened with a frozen smile on my face when she told me about her
hobby, making a mental note to avoid further social interaction. But,
eventually, curiosity got to me and I went to www.letterboxing.org
and www.atlasquest.com to
see what she was talking about. These sites offer clues to finding boxes in your
area. Here's what I learned: Usually hidden in a public outdoor spot like a
park or nature sanctuary, the boxes contain a unique, hand-carved stamp and a
logbook. You need to bring your own stamp, stamp pad, notebook, and pen. So when
you find the box, stamp your own stamp in the logbook and then take their stamp
and impress it in your notebook (letterboxers usually make their stamps
themselves; details on how to do it are on the aforementioned sites). Note the
date or any comments in the logbook. Then put it back, well hidden, contents
intact. Not all letterboxes are in the wild. Where we live in New York's Hudson
Valley, many of our libraries have letterboxes hidden on shelves. 
   OK, I get
it now! It's like going on an art tour because you get to admire the gorgeous
creations of others, but it also feels like a treasure hunt. Not to mention,
your kids will actually be excited to take a walk in the woods. 
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So...it's like geocaching with art?
I have heard of letterboxing. My family and
I enjoy geocaching -- my son has almost
found 200 geocaches in our area! But the
artistic side of me would love letterboxing
because of the stamps. Talk about collecting
your own memory book full of stamps from
letterboxes you have found!
Posted By: Georgeann, Carrollton, TX
I am so excited about this. I have never
heard of letterboxes, and I am looking
forward to participating in my area.
Posted By: FRZornes, Bothell, WA
Our family has been letterboxing sporadically
for years, ever since I read an article about
it in the Charlotte, NC, newspaper (we live
in Iowa now). We even went searching for
letterboxes in the Virgin Islands a couple of
years ago while on vacation. It's great fun
for all ages!
Posted By: Phyllis, Clive, IA
We have been letterboxing for a couple of
years and love it! It is great fun for the
whole family! It's fun to research and look
for boxes in out of town places you visit
too!
Posted By: Sheri, Dublin, Ohio
Wow! I am embarrassed to say that I had
never heard of it before. (I need to get out
more apparently!) I will most definitely
check out our area to see what gems are
hidden around. Originally from the Hudson
Valley as well, I'll suggest it to my
parents to do with our little girl when
she's visiting Grandma & Grandpa. of course
I'll probably have to wait until she's old
enough to walk, but a great idea
nonetheless! Thanks for filling this
clueless gal in on such a fun secret game!
Kelly
http://www.kellyschwark.com
Posted By: KellySchwark.com
I just checked the site, and there are more
than 2 DOZEN right here in our new town! How
exciting. Now I can't wait for the snow to
melt!
Thanks!!!
Posted By: KellySchwark.com
I must admit, this has me intrigued.
Posted By: www.mosaicqueen.typepad.com
Sounds fascinating! Another good reason to
get off the computer.
Posted By: Maureen Cooper
Fascinating! I never heard of this before.
Its always fun to find those little secrets
in the world.
Posted By: Susan
Can't wait for SPRING to give this a try!!
Posted By: Sharon Yoder
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