Eric,
I would imagine that the search or clues for the box would make for an interesting letterbox. Case in point ,we just returned from San Luis Obispo a had a absolute ball with Ryan's "Walking Tour " letterbox. If you could set up the letterbox with some sort of a twist similar to what Ryan set up then I would think you would have a winner. Click on his box in SLO and you will see part of what I mean. His "Run for the Border" is another example of some creative clues. Remember there are no rules. Don

----- Original Message -----
From: Eric Polk
To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 9:04 PM
Subject: [LbNA] Thrill of the Hunt or the Reward?


I have been doing some Geocaching lately and have found a lot of them in the middle of urban areas. Most of the letterboxes I have seen have been in more rural, wild or park-like areas.

The question I have is what is important about letterboxing? Is it the thrill of hunting the box (the final location doesn't matter)? If it the reward at the end (the stamp)? Or is it the location that the box is at?

I was thinking about putting boxes in urban areas and wondered if anyone would be interested in finding boxes in unexciting locations like flood channels and bushes at shopping centers. The hunt would be challenging and there would be a stamp but the location would not be glamorous.
___________________________
Eric Polk

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
ADVERTISEMENT




Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

< locations like flood channels and bushes at shopping centers>>

Ugh. I was reading your post, thinking that I liked the reward of the stamp
equally as much as the hunt & location--but once you mentioned bushes at
shopping malls I realized that I wouldn't have much interest in finding that
box--so I'd have to say that location is VERY important. (Heather really had to do
some cajoling to get me to join her in going to THREE freaking
Jack-in-the-Boxes to figure out Ryan's clues...but even that eventually rewarded us by
leading somewhere nice.)

I have gone after a few boxes in urban areas--heck, I even planted one in a
bookstore. But in those cases, the boxes were still in nice/interesting
locations.
Still--I think that just about anywhere you'd plant 'em, somebody would come.
(Flood channels, tho? At some point it'd likely be washed away, right?)

--Wild Woman

I may be materialistic but it's the collection of the stamp images for my log
book that's the quest for me. Second is any cryptic clue that might be
involved as I love trying to crack codes (you wouldn't believe how many codes I've
"broken" with little chance of ever getting to the location of the box itself,
i.e. Ryan's boxes in San Luis Obispo.) Nature is nice, hiking is good for me
(they try to convince me) but the stamped image is the real icing in my log
book's cake.

~~Doublesaj & Old Blue~~
P6 F22 V5 A10 HH1


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

. . .however, now that I think about it, letterboxing has taken us to so many
beautiful, interesting and amazing places we would NEVER have gone to
otherwise. . .I think, though, there's room for every kind of letterboxing
experience, shopping mall or steep precipice!

~~Doublesaj & Old Blue~~
P6 F22 V5 A10 HH1


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I enjoy some urban boxes, but personally I still prefer that even if it is
an urban box, it still be in an interesting locale-a nice park, a historic
spot, or just some zany location that is interesting (like the one that I
heard about on the Vegas strip). I enjoy the stamps as much as the journey,
but personally I just can't get excited about one at a mall-type location.
It just feels a little run of the mill to me.

just my two cents
Cadenza

From: "Eric Polk"
Reply-To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 21:04:58 -0700
To:
Subject: [LbNA] Thrill of the Hunt or the Reward?


I have been doing some Geocaching lately and have found a lot of them in
the middle of urban areas. Most of the letterboxes I have seen have been in
more rural, wild or park-like areas.

The question I have is what is important about letterboxing? Is it the
thrill of hunting the box (the final location doesn't matter)? If it the
reward at the end (the stamp)? Or is it the location that the box is at?

I was thinking about putting boxes in urban areas and wondered if anyone
would be interested in finding boxes in unexciting locations like flood
channels and bushes at shopping centers. The hunt would be challenging and
there would be a stamp but the location would not be glamorous.
___________________________
Eric Polk

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ADVERTISEMENT

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service
.




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

wow, didn't know poison oak was fun!? I guess everyone has their quirks
(-:

From: "Annye Keenberg"
Reply-To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thu, 29 May 2003 00:09:14 -0700
To:
Subject: RE: [LbNA] Thrill of the Hunt or the Reward?


>I was thinking about putting boxes in urban areas

We've just begun locating places for boxes and my son had suggested planting
equal numbers out in the wild and within the city. His reasoning was it
would allow those with physical disabilities to participate. He's doing
letterboxing as a 4-H project, so one of his goals was to make the hobby
more available to the members within his club, some of whom can't make it
out into the wilds but could easily make it to a box hidden within the city.

So we vote for yes, plant them in urban areas! The thrill, we feel, lies in
finding the box, adding the stamp, knowing there is a secret shared by a
small group of people. Yes, the fresh air, wildflowers and poison oak are
fun, but we can walk in the woods to get those should we feel the need after
locating too many urban boxes :)

Annette



Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service
.




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

>I was thinking about putting boxes in urban areas

We've just begun locating places for boxes and my son had suggested planting
equal numbers out in the wild and within the city. His reasoning was it
would allow those with physical disabilities to participate. He's doing
letterboxing as a 4-H project, so one of his goals was to make the hobby
more available to the members within his club, some of whom can't make it
out into the wilds but could easily make it to a box hidden within the city.

So we vote for yes, plant them in urban areas! The thrill, we feel, lies in
finding the box, adding the stamp, knowing there is a secret shared by a
small group of people. Yes, the fresh air, wildflowers and poison oak are
fun, but we can walk in the woods to get those should we feel the need after
locating too many urban boxes :)

Annette

That is so not fair!


>wow, didn't know poison oak was fun!?

It's fun when you are proving that not everyone has a reaction to it by
calmly walking through a patch :)



Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service
.




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

>wow, didn't know poison oak was fun!?

It's fun when you are proving that not everyone has a reaction to it by
calmly walking through a patch :)

I would agree with Don and Gwen. Urban boxes can be rewarding,
challenging and fun, it depends on the nature of the box, the clues
and still, the location.

Part of what makes letterboxing fun is the variety... the variety of
stamps, the variety of log books, the variety of folks you meet, the
variety of clues, the variety of locations.

For instance, I have a couple of boxes planted at the top of very
large sand dunes near the lake here in Michigan, which provide a
great location, a fantastic view from the top, and a good amount of
exercise. Because it is not the norm, people joke about it and
say, "wow, you made us work for that, but it was really fun..." even
though every bone in their body is aching. But I can bet if every
box I planted was at the top of a sand dune, it would get boring real
fast. Just like if every box was a 5-mile hike through pristine old
growth forest, the kind where the air is clean and cool and
everything is bright green, it would still get to be a bit of the
same after a while. As hikes go, I could do that every day and not
tire of it. But as a letterboxing experience, it couldn't maintain
the thrill. Same goes for clues, it is the variety that keeps them
fun and interesting, some being just straightforward, leading you
right to the box, others frustrating you for hours, days, even weeks
to figure out just the starting point.

For me it comes down to the total package, the location being only
one factor in the overall box experience. If your location is hum-
drum, you can still have a killer box by making the clues
extraordinary, or the stamp, or even the log, or better yet... all of
the above. Even a pair of socks is a cool gift if it comes wrapped
in creative packaging and is delivered to your front door by a
singing messenger.

Deb (SpringChick)



--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "Eric Polk"
wrote:
> I have been doing some Geocaching lately and have found a lot of
them in the middle of urban areas. Most of the letterboxes I have
seen have been in more rural, wild or park-like areas.
>
> The question I have is what is important about letterboxing? Is it
the thrill of hunting the box (the final location doesn't matter)?
If it the reward at the end (the stamp)? Or is it the location that
the box is at?
>
> I was thinking about putting boxes in urban areas and wondered if
anyone would be interested in finding boxes in unexciting locations
like flood channels and bushes at shopping centers. The hunt would
be challenging and there would be a stamp but the location would not
be glamorous.
> ___________________________
> Eric Polk
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Eric ~ I do believe that your question and the answers it has received proves that their truly are no rules to letterboxing. I suggest you make and plant boxes that make you happy. And just like in "Field of Dreams" ~ They will come!
Memlili
(Who has one box to plant in a location that is anything but beautiful but will lead to a beautiful spot and has great sentimental meaning to me. Hopefully someone will choose to seek it out. If not, it was still important to me.)

Eric Polk wrote:
I have been doing some Geocaching lately and have found a lot of them in the middle of urban areas. Most of the letterboxes I have seen have been in more rural, wild or park-like areas.

The question I have is what is important about letterboxing? Is it the thrill of hunting the box (the final location doesn't matter)? If it the reward at the end (the stamp)? Or is it the location that the box is at?

I was thinking about putting boxes in urban areas and wondered if anyone would be interested in finding boxes in unexciting locations like flood channels and bushes at shopping centers. The hunt would be challenging and there would be a stamp but the location would not be glamorous.
___________________________
Eric Polk

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


Yahoo! Groups SponsorADVERTISEMENT

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.


---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Free online calendar with sync to Outlook(TM).

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

In a message dated 5/29/2003 1:06:05 AM Eastern Standard Time,
ericpolk@attbi.com writes:

> I have been doing some Geocaching lately and have found a lot of them in
> the middle of urban areas. Most of the letterboxes I have seen have been in
> more rural, wild or park-like areas.
>
> The question I have is what is important about letterboxing? Is it the
> thrill of hunting the box (the final location doesn't matter)? If it the reward
> at the end (the stamp)? Or is it the location that the box is at?
>
> I was thinking about putting boxes in urban areas and wondered if anyone
> would be interested in finding boxes in unexciting locations like flood channels
> and bushes at shopping centers. The hunt would be challenging and there
> would be a stamp but the location would not be glamorous.
>

All those things are good to me. I like to find a great stamp, I like to get
taken some place wonderful or interesting but I guess the best part is the
hunt and I best love a good puzzle to figure out.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

In a message dated 5/29/2003 3:07:28 AM Eastern Standard Time,
annye@sbcglobal.net writes:

> He's doing
> letterboxing as a 4-H project, so one of his goals was to make the hobby
> more available to the members within his club, some of whom can't make it
> out into the wilds but could easily make it to a box hidden within the city.
>

THis sounds absolutely great and I am always frantically hunting for ways to
use letterboxing to further my sons' educations and involvement in activities
- for those of us who do this with children, how did you/he make this a 4H
project? How old is he?


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

It started out with the reward. Then I was thrilled when I was
able to solve the clue. And then get the reward. The ultimate for me
is running into another l'boxer on a hunt. I just love to meet people!
When I put it in words it definetly sounds like an addiction!
Psychomommy
P28 F113 X71 V3 E5 C0 R1 SS1 L9

>how did you/he make this a 4H
>project? How old is he?


He's doing it as a self determined project actually. In CA where we live,
there was no project that came close to covering all that letterboxing
does - cartography, environmental sciences, nature study, hiking/outdoor
activities - so he went the independent route this year. Next year, he hopes
to have generated enough interest within the club to have it be a group
determined project. He's a second-year 4-H member just entering 6th grade,
so this is his first self-designed project, and he's designed it so that all
ages of club members (0-19yo in our club) can participate.

His listed goals are, in no particular order, locating boxes in both urban
and natural areas, placing and monitoring boxes in both urban and natural
areas, teaching other club members how to hunt for boxes, teach other club
members how to plant their own boxes, and increasing accessibility to
disabled members. He put down that the project will take three or more years
due to it having no set "completion" point.

For the area where 4-H wants to know what he'll do with the learning, he put
down teaching others how to participate, designing more accessible
placements for disabled members, and compiling a letterboxing journal to
share with others which includes both written information about the
experience and various souvenirs of each hunt - entrance and/or parking
tickets, mapquest directions to get to the parking area we start from, maps
and spotting guides from places, we always take a few pictures at each box,
and in the written areas he talks about the animals, flowers, trees and
rocks he saw during the hunt. He also talks about people we meet during the
outings since we seem to find some very interesting folks out there :)

He isn't putting the actual clues into the book, except those of the boxes
he plants himself. He's undecided still on whether he wants to include the
actual stamped pages or just scan them and use a copy instead - he's
protective of his real letterboxing journal and isn't too sure about tearing
it apart, even for a 4-H project :)

Annette

As one who is physically limited in the amount of walking I can do, I appreciate your son's thoughtfulness. I have to be selective in the boxes I can look for so I appreciate information such as difficulty and distance within the clues. A couple tricks I have learned is to carefully read the clues and see if the route would be shorter if worked backwards or to use trail maps to determine if there is a shorter route back to the car.

--Mahjong

------------------------
We've just begun locating places for boxes and my son had suggested planting
equal numbers out in the wild and within the city. His reasoning was it
would allow those with physical disabilities to participate. He's doing
letterboxing as a 4-H project, so one of his goals was to make the hobby
more available to the members within his club, some of whom can't make it
out into the wilds but could easily make it to a box hidden within the city.

Annette


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

He's doing
> letterboxing as a 4-H project,

Good Morning 4-H friends, I'm Leader of the Pack recently lurking
instead of being fully involved as I have been to busy. Could not
leave this unanswered. I am the leader of the Cock-A-Doodle-Moo 4-H
club. We are in eastern Connecticut. many out this way have seen
boxes put out by and for the club and have come to letterboxing
events at our county 4-H fair. Don't forget to give him credit for
the writing portion of this project writing directions is a great
skill ( ever assemble a kids toy?) I think the writing and reading of
directions one of the best kid components of this project. Not to
mention miles logged and the guidelines for a fit American youth.
Wearing a pedometer will help log in how much fitness is being
gained. We have a couple of handicapped accesible boxes too. Great
to see more 4-H picking up this project. Maybe we can do a postal
exchange with the kids or LB penpals club to club? Just let me know
Carolyn Stearns - Leader of the Pack