My Dear Watkins

Watkins Regional Park, Prince George's County, MD

Clues: They require a bit of imagination.
Terrain: A series of 5 boxes on a one mile loop. The walk is fairly
easy with a few hills.
Placed: 1/12/03 by Celtic Pride
Nearest town: Mitchellville

Directions to park: Take exit 15A Central Ave East (Rt. 214) from the
Capital Beltway (495/95). Go approximately 4 miles and turn right onto
Watkins Park Dr. (Rt. 193). Go 1 mile and the park will be on your
right. Follow the signs to the Nature Center.

Directions to boxes: Park at the Nature Center and head around back
and take notice of the wonderful Raptors caged there. Please don't
pester them as they are a bit skittish. From there, head to your
right and onto the blue/yellow blazed trail.

As the stage is set for your quest, head around backstage and continue
on the trail. Good deductive reasoning is required, as following the
trail can be tricky. Take a couple of steps up into 221B Baker street
and into your adventure.

After passing some footbridges, the alert detective notices a series of
root locks regulating the water level in a small stream. Curiosity
gets the better of you, and you head 30 degrees to the uppermost lock.
Looking around in an easterly direction, you notice two men, one larger
than the other, standing close and talking low so no one can overhear
them. What they don't know is that just beyond them, within earshot,
hidden in a small log behind some rocks, Sherlock is listening!

What did he hear? Is Moriarty up to something? What is his dastardly
plan? Are there too many questions? Sherlock ponders as he continues
down the traildoes he hear music? Yes, there are too many questions.
He knows the music has a calming influence on the soul and thinks that
it is just what his mind needs. Unfortunately, the music suddenly goes
wild and looking off to the right of the trail, he sees that the
orchestra has become a tangled mass of wood and strings. From there he
looks a little up the trail and to the right and sees a lone bow
resting on the neck of his beloved violin. At the base of this
instrument, Sherlock's musicmaker can be found.

Well rested and with soothed nerves, our hero continues on his way. He
knows his foe is somewhere ahead, but where? He needs to find clues to
his whereabouts. Remembera good detective can figure out the correct
way to go. Even though a bridge may be washed out, the right way
should be elementary! Crossing through the murky swamp he wonders, "I
wonder what is lurking below the surface? I'm not sure I want to find
out! I'd better walk carefully so as not to fall in." When finally a
decision needs to be made to go 130 degrees or 328 degrees - Sherlock
doesn't ponder looking around. He knows to go NNW, but what next? He
stops to think at the first very large leaning post on the left side of
the trail. He glances around and wondersis someone spying on me from
a secret lookout? He heads in that direction to see what he can find.
He spies a double-wide tree containing a secret passageway from the
trunk to the baseis there something there? Nooit is too easy - maybe
he has been set up. As he turns, he sees someone race across the
triple-deck natural bridge and he boldly gives chase. He sees
something (maybe a clue?) fall as his foe races off of the bridge and
out of sight. He searches the area and at the end of the third deck,
his clue finder hits paydirt!

Now that he has his clue, Sherlock thinks, "I am now in need of a good
smoke after a day's hard work." He continues on the trail and stops
where, if Mother Nature had her way, the trail would be blocked. He
decides to sit at the end of the stool nearest the swamp. Here, where
many sticks meet, he finds his smokestack.

He heads back home, retracing his steps back down the trail. When he
gets to his prior decision point, he heads in the direction not yet
taken. Up the stairs and down the stairs, he heads for home. On his
way, to the left of the trail, Watson is giving him a bow. At Watson's
feet there is a Hat Off to You for completing the adventure! Continue
on this trail to the Nature Center parking lot.

Notes: 1) Off trail walking through some brambles is required. Be
careful when poking into holes and under logs.
2) A compass is not really needed, but might prove useful.
A good detective always has many instruments at his disposal!