Letterboxing: A Treasure Hunt for the Whole Family

Road trips can be long and boring, so before we get to our official destination we like to do some Letterboxing along the way. If you have never heard of letterboxing, it is very similar to Geocaching except a GPS is not required which makes it more like an old fashioned treasure hunt. Also, instead of little trinkets, you are searching for a box with rubber stamp to stamp in your Letterboxing journal and a book to leave your mark to show you have been there. Having these planned before any road trip is essential. You can have your children take turns reading the clues, figuring them out and of course the always favorite, stamping the books. It adds to the excitement of the drive while discussing the last letterbox, the next clues or trying to figure out what the next stamp could possibly be. It also is a great way to get your family to work as a team while trying to get to the same goal.  

To get started it is best to visit this website: www.letterboxing.org. The site is excellent and has everything you will need to know to get started, find locations all over the world and print off the necessary clues.

The next step will be to create your "handle", "character" or I.D.  I found the best and easiest way was to visit the local craft store and find a rubber stamp that everyone likes.  Some people like to make there own out of white erasers and you can find out how to do that by going here: http://www.mitchklink.com/letterboxing/carving.htm But for newbies, I'd stick with buying one for your whole family or one for each individual in your family.  When we began five years ago, we were a family of five; hubby, three boys and me, so I chose a stamp with three Cootie bugs and made our name "Ima Cootie". To make it more special, we use turquoise ink when we leave our mark in a Letterboxing journal and usually leave a note like, "This was a fun one" or " What a great hike" with our "Ima Cootie", date and where we are from.

It's always a lot of fun to look through the journal to see who else has been there, what notes they leave and where they originated.

One of the fun parts about Letterboxing is the secretiveness. Most are placed where people walk by everyday and have never noticed a SPOR(suspicious pile of rocks) or a perfectly placed downed log. Some boxes we have found have even been in museums behind furniture or in crevices and supposedly the museum workers don't even know they are there, so it is imperative that you search very sneakily and when you find it, remove yourselves from the location to open it and do the stamping. Then very quietly and covertly put it back and secure it in it's original location so that others can find it just like you did.

Most of our road trips, vacations or days out include at least one letterboxing adventure which have taken us through the woods, in museums, historical and government buildings, lighthouses, rest areas, on top of waterfalls and even under benches and statues at the beach.  There are so many things we would have never discovered or experienced together if we had not gone on these little treasure hunts. They keep everyone busy and excited when you've run out of other things to do.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

California or Bust

 Map for this Roadtrip    http://mapq.st/RgBgvA

Snow on the ground, Snow on the ground.....
Having seen snow on the ground since November and not an end in sight, we decided to head west for an educational road trip. (the only place we could find without snow) We decided this on a Friday and the following Monday, mom, grandma, the three boys and baby were in the van before the sun was up!

Our first stop was in Missouri at Meramac Caverns. http://www.americascave.com/ It was a much needed break from driving! We were the only people crazy enough to be on a vacation in February, so we got our own personal tour of the caverns even though the tour guide seemed to think there were hundreds and would leave long uncomfortable pauses for those who wanted pictures...since it was only us, it was a bit strange.:) We did learn that the caverns were once used during the Civil War by the Union soldiers as well as a hideout by Jesse James and his gang. The grand finale to the tour was a rendition of God Bless America that had us all laughing for the entire trip. For some reason they felt it was a good idea to flicker the lights to the beat of the song in various positions and the clicking noise overwhelmed the whole song...guess you had to be there. LOL

Our next stop was to see the infamous Buffalo that tried to attack me 16 years ago while singing to him through the fence at a rest area in Oklahoma. http://www.route66university.com/photos/postcard_26/slides/buff_ranch.html  I am not sure if it was indeed the same buffalo, but the boys enjoyed the story anyway. We also took a few pictures with the local art while we were there.

In Texas, we stopped by two of the Oddball Roadside Attractions that these great United States have; the VW Slug Bug Ranch http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/6767 and the Cadillac Ranch. Both of which are broken down cars upended sticking out of the ground with spray paint covering them. We tried to also find a letterbox at one of them, but couldn't locate it. Apparently they recommend leaving your mark with spraypaint, but we did not have any.

Then we hit Arizona! We were very excited. We stayed in another Roadside Attraction, the Wigwam Inn and Curios. http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/10294 They told us that the Inn and the vintage cars that they have parked at each Wigwam were the inspiration for the movie Cars. The Wigwams weren't luxurious, but adorable and I would definitely stay in them again!

We finally made it to the Grand Canyon and what a beautiful sight it was! http://www.nationalparks.org/explore-parks/grand-canyon-national-park I never imagined I would be so impressed by it and can not wait to go back and spend more time there.

One more state until our destination, but then we had car problems.... things were flashing and we were losing power so we pulled into a rest area and called a tow truck. Luckily it was only a bad battery that had been pushed too far, so we were back on the road and headed to Kingman, Arizona to rest and swim at the hotel.

The next morning we were ready to go and finally crossed into California. And then it happened. We were heading up a big mountain and Zachary said something smelled funny. We thought it must be outside. And then the car started smoking and the OverDrive light was flashing again. We pulled over and I was sure the van was on fire. We called another tow truck (Thank God I have an iPhone that can map the closest one) and were towed back to Needles.

The tow truck driver took us to the best, cheapest guy in town, only to be told the they were closed because the owner was in court that day, so they took us to a Mobil. After looking at the van, they informed us it would take $4000 to fix and take at least a week. I don't know if you have ever been in Needles, but there is nothing there!

I called around for a rental car and with the amount of people we had and because of some Golf Tournament in the area, a car was hard to find! Eventually through the tow truck company receptionist's, we were able to locate one back in Arizona and while grandma stayed with the kids in the the Mobil parking lot, the receptionist drove me to the rental car place. Now, we had to decided what to do with the van with 150,000 miles on it and had numerous transmission problems. We were offered a couple hundred for the van from the tow truck place for scrap metal and we felt that would be a better solution than to try to drive this van back to Illinois. We cleaned out the van and headed on our way.

It took us the rest of the day to get to where we had our reservation in California and we were exhausted. Especially after shoving all of us and our stuff in a Grand Marquis! I checked us in even though the hotel was in a seedier location than I would have wanted to stay in, but it was a Howard Johnson...of course it was safe....

We unloaded the van and headed into the room. As I do in all motel rooms, I pulled of the bedspreads(because in case you were unaware- they do not get washed, but like once a year, if that) and there on the boxsprings was......... blood. Not a little blood- I am talking soaked in blood as if someone was murdered in the room! We reloaded the car and I headed to the office to let them know we were not staying and hand in the key. I explained that we were not goimg to stay there because the room was kinda scary. She asked "scary?" I responded "There is blood all over the boxsprings, it looks like someone was murdered in between the beds". She didn't bat an eye and just said "ok, you'll have to deal with expedia to get your money back!" WOW !!!!

We got back in the car and headed towards Disneyland where I knew things would be nice due to being a tourist area. We found a Holiday Inn Express on the strip and got a very nice room with a view of the fireworks from the park.

The next morning Eric flew into LAX and Alex, Kenley and I picked him up while the other two stayed with grandma at the hotel. Daddy had done his research and found a few vans for us to go look at, so we headed to CarMax and ended up leaving with a "new" Grand Caravan!

We didn't have much of a day left after all of that, so we picked up the others and headed down the road to Bubba Gumps for dinner! http://www.bubbagump.com/locations/anaheim/The next day, we took everyone around to show them our old apartments and stomping grounds and down into Hollywood to Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Sign and the stars on the sidewalks. http://www.hollywoodchamber.net/ We tried to go to City Walk, which was free 14 years ago, but is no longer, so took a photo and left to head to Santa Monica and daddy's college and back to the hotel.

The next day we had decided to go to Knott's Berry Farm, http://www.knotts.com/ but decided at the last minute that we couldn't possibly be in Anaheim and not go to Disneyland, so surprised everyone by going there instead! It was a great day! http://disneyland.disney.go.com/

The next morning Eric got back on the plane and we got back in the van. We took a different route this time and headed straight to Tombstone. We were excited to see this infamous town and disappointed when we got there. The acting was cheesy and the sets were, too. The only cool thing was the original building- "Bird Cage Theatre". http://tombstonebirdcage.com/ It is now a museum and still has the original wallpaper and curtains. It is incredible to see things that old.

Our last stop was Rock Hound Park in New Mexico. http://www.americansouthwest.net/new_mexico/rock_hound/state_park.html
It is a Jasper and Geode mining spot and we did find a few small geodes and rocks of Jasper. We had planned this to be one of three mining stops along the way home after stopping at the Alamo, but Eric called to let us know his radiator was broken and he had no transportation. We decided it was time to go home instead of our other stops and spent the whole next day and night driving back to Crystal Lake,

It took us the rest of the weekend to recover, but I am already ready for another roadtrip!!!!

Life Happened

In memory of my mother, Kathryn Margaret Menge Viers, 07/14/1949- 02/02/2014

had intended to write here on a weekly basis, but life happened and spring and summer flew by just like the title of this blog, "In a Blink of an Eye".

Shortly after my last blog post in April, my mother was told her lung cancer was back and with a vengeance. It had metastasized into her shoulder bone, lower back and chest area. My sisters and I, along with my mother searched for answers and second opinions which lead us to the Lancaster Cancer Center. (www.lancastercancercenter.com/)  My mother moved in with my family in an apartment that we had built in our basement and chemo treatments began.

My sisters and I planned a birthday party for my mother for July and invited anyone who had ever been in her life. It was a great turn out and my mother was very happy to see so many people whose life she has touched in some way. We gathered together a scrapbook of written memories and pictures from everyone at the party and those who could not make it to give to her for her birthday.

Since all of my sisters and I were all together in one location, we posed for family portraits with the daughters and grandchildren,minus husbands. (my sisters' idea, not mine)

Chemo Treatments continued and my sisters and I searched for ways to make special moments and memories with mom.  We planned a trip to Cape Cod since mom had mentioned that she had always wanted to go on a real clambake.  I took control of the planning and tried to make it as fun and memorable as possible by stopping by silly road side attractions or odd touristy places.  You can read about it here: http://funfamilyroadtrips.blogspot.com/2013/11/mother-daughter-trip-to-cape-cod-bsoton.html .We did have a great time and laughed a lot more than any of us had in a very long time, especially together, but mom grew tired very quickly and we worried for her health.

After we all arrived home, we continued chemotherapy along with numerous blood transfusions due to low hemoglobin.(I say we, but really it was just my mother enduring the treatments) Halloween Came and went as well as our first annual Halloween party and Dr. DeGreen ordered a new scan to see if chemo was stopping the growth. Unfortunately, the cancer has shown to be a rapid growing cancer even with the treatments. After discussions with the doctor and family, mom decided for her own quality of life, she would stop treatments.

We've recently moved her upstairs into the family room to be closer to everyone and hospice  has begun to come almost on a daily basis to help care for her.

We have all gone through so many pre-grieving emotions; anger, sadness, depression, denial and everywhere in between, sometimes even all in one day. 

As we move forward into Thanksgiving and Christmas, we are trying to remember to make every moment count and last a lifetime.

View shared postMy sisters and I planned a birthday M

5 Traditions that will Bring the Family Together and Make a Lasting Memory

With the Holiday season upon us, it's a great time to begin new traditions that will make a lasting impression and create quality family moments to be shared for years to come.

Here are 5 of my favorite traditions that I love to do or will be beginning with my family this year.

1)Get a Little Crafty- Make homemade ornaments with your family and then pick a day to go to a nursing home or hospital to hand them out to the residents or patients to spread some holiday cheer and teach your children about compassion.
Make sure to call ahead to let them know you are coming and your intentions so that they are ready for you and can lead you in the right direction when you arrive.
Over the years, we have never come across a facility that wasn't happy to have us, but you want to make sure that it is within their policy to ensure a great experience for all.

Here are some great easy ornaments everyone can make:
Recycled Card Ornaments:
http://cathiefilian.blogspot.com/2008/12/make-it-recycled-card-ornament.html?m=1

http://theornamentgirl.com/blog/being-crafty/recycled-christmas-card-ornaments/






Salt Dough Ornaments:
http://www.katyelliott.com/blog/2009/11/diy-salt-dough-ornaments.html

 

2)Vacation Memories- This is a tradition that you can start all year round and remember at Christmas. When you go on family trips or special outings, buy a Christmas ornament that represents that trip. For example, the ornament from our Maine trip a few years back, is a man looking at a globe because grandpa kept getting us lost.Every year when we unpack it, it brings up great memories that we all reminisce about and laugh.  Make sure you write with a marker on the bottom or back, the place and date, so that you can always remember which trip it is from. This is a great way to remind eachother of the fun times you've had together and start up conversations even in those teen years.

 

3) Raise Your Voices- What better way to enjoy the season than to gather with a bunch of your friends and their children and practice a tradition from years gone by. Go online and print some lyric sheets, if needed, of traditional Christmas songs, bundle up and go caroling in your neighborhood. You don't have to be wonderful singers for your neighbors to enjoy it and to make memories your children will remember. Make sure to end the evening by warming up with a mug of hot cocoa!

 

 

4)Lovin' From the Oven- As cliche as it sounds, nothing can bring on more holiday cheer and make lasting memories for a child then baking and decorating Christmas Cookies.  Even the biggest Scrooge in the family will enjoy putting eyes and buttons on a gingerbread man. When the cookies are all baked, package them up and go together to deliver them to family and friends that may not have time to bake cookies for themselves this year.

For a creative way to package the cookies or other gifts, grab a coffee can, oatmeal container or even a shoebox, cover them with paper, pom poms and other holiday trimmings!

http://aneleganttouch-lynden.blogspot.com/2012/07/christmas-in-july-use-scraps.html

 

 

5)Celebrate While Learning- There are many traditions which we do today that started in countries of our ancestors or from ideas that other nationalities began and still some that we have yet to learn. Spend a few days this holiday tasting traditional Christmas recipes, singing songs, learning cultures and creating ornaments and decorations of other countries. There are a lot of sites online where you can find information. My favorite is  http://www.santas.net/aroundtheworld.htm  or you can follow this blog as I will be writing about different Holiday traditions throughout December!

 

 

Family Memories are easy to make in the wintry holiday season, these are just a few that I gladly share. Make sure with all the hustle and bustle that you take a little time to enjoy the little things that make living all worth while. Happy Holidays!