Happy Pawlidays

09/06/2006 Happy Pawlidays has been confirmed missing - a victim of the flood of June of 2006.

Warning: 07/04/2006 the trail to Happy Pawlidays has now been closed, hopefully temporarily. Keep checking back for updates.

After finding the Laura’s Childhood Luvs – Candyland box, take a drive down the little road which meanders through the playing fields at the Trout Run Sports Complex. Park in the grassy field which houses an old burnt out black car. Head towards the river, following the path around to the right. Stay on the Exeter River Trail until you reach the underpass. Continue along the path by the river for another .1 of a mile until you reach the first bench on the right side of the trail. Behind the bench is a rotted stump about six feet tall. Look in the stump for Barney’s first planted box. Some of you may recognize the stamp as the seasonal stamp that Team Little Dog has used the past two Christmas holidays. It is now a find! While you are in the area, be sure to look for the Exeter Scenic Trail Rocks letterbox.

This is a picture of the trail taken on June 28, 2006 during the flood of 2006. The river which is usually below 13 feet was at 22.9 feet on that day.

License to Plant - DE

This Pennsylvanian visited the lovely state of Delaware, the First State of the United States, and left a little Pennsylvanian memento there. To find it, park in the little parking lot at the corner of Woodlawn Road and Thompson Bridge Road aka Rt. 92. Take the little trail in a westerly direction till you come to a T where you will turn left. Take 92 steps, in honor of being on Rt. 92, to a little path on the right side of the trail, beside this V tree. You will see several massive downed trees. Behind the first one is a little rotted stump. Look under the SPOR there.

He Was a Big Man

Length: 1/2 mile

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Introduction to the Empty Basket Series

You know how you just seem to accumulate a bunch of stamps from various occasions and they just sit around and do nothing but take up space. I have a basket that I dump them all into, the ex-postals, the ones that I carved because I just liked the clipart, the ones I planned on using for something but never did and frankly, I just need to get rid of them and use the space for new useless stamps.

And you know how some people who letterbox think that the stamp and logbook should represent the area where they are hidden? They won't hunt for a silly little stamp unless it is historic or they brag that a tourist could find all of the highpoints of their town just by following their letterboxes?  I am usually that person but I have reached the breaking point with the large amount of stamps that I have accumulated through the years.

I need to empty my basket so I am going to plant a series of stamps totally irrelevant to the area that they are in and those who are a bit particular are forewarned!

The Empty Basket Series

You know how you just seem to accumulate a bunch of stamps from various occasions and they just sit around and do nothing but take up space. I have a basket that I dump them all into, the ex-postals, the ones that I carved because I just liked the clipart, the ones I planned on using for something but never did and frankly, I just need to get rid of them and use the space for new useless stamps.

And you know how some people who letterbox think that the stamp and logbook should represent the area where they are hidden? They won't hunt for a silly little stamp unless it is historic or they brag that a tourist could find all of the highpoints of their town just by following their letterboxes?

Well, this series is to say - I don't care! I need to empty my basket so I am going to plant a series of stamps totally irrelevant to the area that they are in and those who are a bit particular just don't need to look for them.

And with this introduction, I am posting my first three Empty Basket Series letterboxes. Watch for more to be posted as soon as I find just the right spot for my useless stamps!
#1 Why Not (hide it since I have never used it?)Length: 1/2 mile

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#2 Yeah Right (this stamp really belongs in these woods!)

Length: 1/2 mile

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#3 Whatever! (possessed her to put this stamp in these woods?)

Length : 1/2 mile

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#4 - Whoopee Doo (there is already another box in these woods)

Hike length 1/2 mile

This stamp was originally carved in honor of those who went down in Flight 93 on 9/11. It was intended to be placed near the site of the actual wreckage. The Immobile One has no problem stopping at this site whenever we are in the area but he has no patience with my search for a good place to hide this box so, after two years of carrying it around with me, I have decided to give it a home.
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Blue Marsh Letterboxes

Little Stinker
Difficulty: Easy
Date Planted: November 6, 2005
Length of Walk: 1/2 mile

Planted with permission of the US Army Corps of Engineers

Enter the State Hill Boat Ramp area at Blue Marsh. There is a $3 fee to use this section of the park from May 1 through September 30 but you pay the fee once to enter any of the fee areas of the park. I have attempted to make it worth the money also by planting several boxes in this area.

Go to the kiosk at the beginning of the Squirrel Run Nature Trail. Instead of turning left onto the trail, turn right and take the trail up the hill, following a branch of the Blue Marsh Lake.

Stay on this trail until you cross over a tree in the path. A few feet after the tree, you will see a four trunked tree on the left. Two of the branches are stripped of bark. Look in the center of this tree for the Little Stinker.

To return to your car, continue along the path in the same direction that you were going, along a path with many surface roots. You will shortly reach the State Hill Boat Ramp parking area.

For more info on the Blue Marsh Lake Park, go to The Army Corps of Engineers, Blue Marsh. And, no, this is not a picture of the Little Stinker but it is another sight that I saw when I was hiding this box.

Sciurus on the Squirrel Run Nature TrailDifficulty: Easy
Date Planted: November 6, 2005
Length of Walk: 1/2 mile
Planted with permission of the US Army Corps of Engineers
Enter the State Hill Boat Ramp area at Blue Marsh. There is a $3 fee to use this section of the park from May 1 through September 30 but you pay the fee once to enter any of the fee areas of the park. I have attempted to make it worth the money also by planting several boxes in this area.

Follow the path from the parking lot to the kiosk which introduces the Squirrel Run Nature Trail. You can get a brochure describing the different sites along the trail here. Follow the trail till you can see marker #5. About 12 steps before the marker, you will see a faint trail to the left. Take this trail about 25 steps back to a small clearing. When you reach the clearing, you will see a three trunked tree up a little hill on the left. Sciurus is in this tree.

Laura's Childhood Luvs - Poky Little Puppy
Difficulty: Easy
Date Planted: October 23, 2005
Length of Walk: Driveby
Planted with permission of the US Army Corps of Engineers at Blue Marsh Lake.

This is one of a series of boxes based on my daughter’s childhood luvs. Laura is the mother of my beloved grandson, Nicholas, and when she was pregnant with him, we did some shopping in the toy departments to see what toys were the latest rage for today’s infants. We were totally surprised to find that many of the toys that Laura played with as a child are still available and popular today. These boxes began as a series of postal letterboxes and as they returned home, I planted them permanently. While reminiscing, we remembered several other favorites and created new boxes to memorialize them. Because Laura has a physical challenge (she is blind) and also enjoys letterboxing, I am placing these boxes in areas that are mainly handicapped accessible.

Enter the Dry Brooks Day Use area at Blue Marsh. There is a $3 fee to use this section of the park from May 1 through September 30 but you pay the fee once to enter any of the fee areas of the park. I have attempted to make it worth the money also by planting several boxes in this area.

Go to the first parking circle after the fee booth and park near what could be one of the largest trees in the park. You will see a #3 orienteering marker behind the tree. Behind the marker, you will see a hollow stump. Poky Little Puppy is hiding in there. Please stamp in from your car if there are others around.

Quercus Robur on the Great Oak Trail
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Date Planted: October 23, 2005
Length of Hike: 1 mile

Planted with permission of the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Enter the Dry Brooks Day Use area at Blue Marsh. There is a $3 fee to use this section of the park from May 1 through September 30 but you pay the fee once to enter any of the fee areas of the park. I have attempted to make it worth the money also by planting several boxes in this area.

Go to parking lot C and park at the far end of the lot. Cross the field along the lake to reach the Great Oak Nature Trail. You can obtain a brochure describing what is on the trail from the kiosk at the beginning of the trail or from the park office. You should be aware that parts of this trail are very hilly. Follow the trail till you reach the point where you have to choose between the long or short route. Choose the long route. After marker #7, you will cross a boardwalk. After you do this, go 50 more steps and look to your left.

You will notice several downed rotted stumps on the hillside, the first set is about ten feet up and the next is about fifteen feet after the first. Go to the second set and look inside the horizontal rotted log for the Quercus Robur.

If you get to marker #8 without finding this box, you have gone to far. There are no bikes allowed on this trail.


Vulpes Vulpes on the Foxtrot TrailDifficulty: Easy
Date Planted: October 23, 2005
Length of Hike: 1 mile
Planted with permission of the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Enter the Dry Brooks Day Use area at Blue Marsh. There is a $3 fee to use this section of the park from May 1 through September 30 but you pay the fee once to enter any of the fee areas of the park. I have attempted to make it worth the money also by planting several boxes in this area.

To find Vulpes Vulpes, go to the first parking circle on the right, shortly after the fee booth. Take the path which is behind the huge tree. When you reach the Y, turn left and follow the red diamond markers on the Foxtrot Trail. Head downhill towards the lake. As the path begins to turn right, you will see a small trail leading to the lake behind one of the red diamond trail markers. Then you will see a huge tree to the left with wire fencing along one side of it. The box is located about 4 feet up the tree in the V.

The Paoli Massacre

2 Box Series
Difficulty: Very easy
Date Planted:  November 13, 2005
Length of Walk: 1/2 mile

7/10/09 - The American is still in place.
The Englishman is missing.

To get to Monument Park in Malvern:
From Rte 29 and Rte 202, go south on Rte 29 toward Malvern. Turn Left on to
Lancaster Avenue (Rte 30). At the next light, turn Right on Old Lincoln
Hwy. Turn Right on Bridge Street (go over the Train Tracks). Turn Right
on King Street. At the light, turn Left on Warren Avenue. Proceed one
block, and turn Right on Monument Avenue. Continue on Monument, the
park will be on your Left. 

This is a truly stroller capable search. Lil Milkmonster accompanied me on his first
letterbox plant and promptly fell asleep in his stroller.


September 21, 1777 
Paoli Massacre – An American in Paoli
Brigadier General Anthony Wayne and his 1500 troops were preparing for battle
with the British who were supposedly headed for Philadelphia. The
troops rested, prepared their weapons, ate, and unwisely, made a lot of
light and smoke with their campfires. As the British stealthily
approached, sentries on horseback discovered them and rode quickly back
to the encampment shouting warning cries but it was too late – those
guarding the eastern perimeter were fatally attacked. As the remainder
of the camp began to wake up, they also began firing their rifles but
the gunfire simply lighted up their location. A terrible battle
followed, many Americans were fatally attacked and others were deformed
by the bayonets of the enemy. But one American found a safe hiding
spot. 
On the east side of Monument Park, you will see two
cannons guarding the battlefield. Step towards the battle field, behind
the cannons and notice the small grove of trees to the south, before
you enter the woods. Most of these trees are fairly young but you will
see a few mature trees. One of these is shaped in a V with a welcome
hiding spot at its base. Here you will find the American soldier,
guarding his ground.

Paoli Massacre – An Englishman in Paoli
Major General Grey prepares his troops to attack the unsuspecting Americans
in Paoli. He orders them to remove the ammunition from their guns and
to prepare their bayonets for battle. This action earned him the name
of “No Flint Grey”. The British had been given the password to the
American camp by some Tories and were easily able to approach General
Wayne’s encampment. After destroying the troops guarding the eastern
perimeter they rushed towards the main encampment at 1 AM in the
morning. One young Redcoat remained in the woods, preparing to attack
any American who tried to escape.
To find the Englishman, enter the woods to the south of the American and 
head east on the trail. You will notice several little trails leading back out onto the
battlefield. Most of these have story boards at the end of the trail.
The second one does not have a story board, instead, it has an
Englishman. Head towards the battlefield and notice on the right a
stump about three feet high, fifteen steps off of the trail. In this
stump, the Englishman faithfully guards his ground.

To read more about this gruesome battle between General Wayne and General
Lord Grey,  go to The Paoli Massacre.

Daniel Boone Homestead

2 Letterbox Series
Difficulty: Not for small children or bikes, the trail is rough and muddy. It IS a horse trail.
Length of walk: 1 mile

Daniel Boone Homestead is the birthplace of Daniel Boone, the sixth child of Squire and Sarah Boone. Daniel lived here and roamed the woods of Berks County until his family moved to North Carolina in 1750 when he was almost 16. The park, which honors this famous American, houses an historic area containing the homestead and other period buildings. Surrounding this historic site are acres of recreational areas, including picnic areas, nature and bridle paths, a stream and a lake. Also present here is something near and dear to my heart – a Sensory Trail for the blind and low visioned visitor.

These boxes have been hidden with the permission of the Homestead Administrator and I ask that you respect the historic nature of this park and follow its rules. Keep in mind that the trail that you will take is a horse trail and as such is rough and muddy.

The day that I visited to hide my boxes, I saw a hawk, a cardinal and best of all, a fox, so keep your eyes open for the wildlife here. Leashed dogs are welcome. Please be prepared to clean up after your dog.

This stamp consists of two parts to make the complete stamp.

Our walk will take place on a bridle trail to the south of the Daniel Boone Lake.

Turn into the road marked Bridle Path Trail Head and stop at the little kiosk at the second parking lot for an equestrian trail map. Continue down the road and park in the third and final parking area; begin walking the trail that begins there. Follow this trail to the 5A marker and then head towards the 14A marker. About three fourths of the way to the 14A marker, you will see a tree on the right side which looks like this:

Behind this tree is the perfect spot to take a break and stamp in. Sit down and look to your left behind your seat for Box 1.

When you finish stamping in here, continue walking towards marker 14A and then head towards marker 15 and make a right towards marker 6. The trail from 15 to 6 forms a U and when you are about in the middle of the U, look to your left where you will see a stand of pine trees on the left. About 20 feet off trail in this stand, is another perfect spot to stamp in. Again, sit and look to your left under a SPOB for Box 2.

Be sure to allow yourself some time to take the tour and visit the Visitor Center here. You can read more about the Homestead at The Daniel Boone Homestead .

Last found: July 13, 2008

Mimser's Letterboxes

I am going to begin to post all of my letterboxes on my own blog, most of them will be linked to Atlas Quest but the clues will be here.