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Grand Adventure
Letterboxing at Shades Beach
This was our final hoorah of the 2007 summer season at Shades Beach park in Harborcreek. Explorers met for some fun on the playground, a picnic lunch and a great letterboxing adventure. Families were given clue sheets with hints to find 4 letterboxes hidden throughout the park. At each station, the kids stamped into the letterbox book, then used the letterbox stamp to make a mark in their own books. The also got a little treat at each letterbox. When the kids returned to the pavilion with all 4 stamps, it was prize time!!
Letterboxing is an exciting, easy and FREE activity that families can do anytime, anywhere. There are letterboxes hidden all over the world! If you'd like to learn more about letterboxing or find clues in your area, go to letterboxing.org or atlasquest
After you read up on how to letterbox, here are a couple of Erie letterbox clues to get you started:
Don't Give Up The Ship 2
CLUES
To find the "Don't Give Up The Ship" letterbox, you'll want to read more about the Brig Niagara. Where better than a library? Attached to the Niagara museum is one of the nicest libraries, Erie County Public Library (Blasco Library) located at 160 East Front Street. The library is open Mon-Thur 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Fri-Sat 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Because this letterbox is inside the library, I ask you to be careful not to draw attention to yourself and your letterboxing activities... remember, your care will help other letterboxers enjoy this box for years to come!
In the computerized catalog, look up the book U.S. Brig Niagara: A Crew Handbook by authors Walter Rybka and Daniel Moreland. See if you can find the book without asking for help. The end of each row of books has the numbering system on it, to make your search a bit easier. NOTE: The letterbox is NOT upstairs in the Heritage Room - it is on the main floor of the library.
The "Don't Give Up The Ship" letterbox is located on the underside of the shelf holding the Handbook, suspended by magnets directly below the book. Don't worry if the Handbook is checked out, just find where it would be located with other naval history books and look underneath.
Directly behind you is a standing book rest, against the wall and next to the window. This might make a good location for you to stand and complete your letterboxing activities with some privacy.
Please make sure the letterbox is closed snugly when finished, we don’t want the contents to fall out!
Also, take care to place it in the exact location described for the next visitor!
Asbury Woods Letterbox
Clues:
The letterbox is hidden on Grandfather Tree Trail.
Start at the outdoor picnic pavilion area adjacent to the Nature Center. (It has picnic tables and a stone fireplace.)
Head to the boardwalk behind the pavilion. The boardwalk starts as a Y. You should go to the left. You will know you are going the correct way when you soon come to a path that leads to “Swamp Path” on the left. You will continue to go straight. You will leave the boardwalk and head to the left. Follow the blue sign labeled “Grandfather Tree” Trail. Do not take Touvell Trail when you get to a fork. Continue on Grandfather Tree Trail. You will pass a bench and another sign for the Grandfather Tree. Soon enough you will find an enormous red oak tree labeled the Grandfather Tree. It has a large blue sign on it telling you approximate age of the tree. From the Grandfather Tree you will take 18 steps to a tree with a hole at the base. For those with a compass, the reading is Northeast from the blue sign. When standing at the Grandfather Tree, scan the nearby trees and I think you will find the one you seek. The letterbox is hidden in the hole. It is Covered with some leaf litter. Be sure to poke around with a stick to make sure there aren’t any critters in the hole too. If you wish you can continue a bit farther on the trail to a nearby bench to complete your letter boxing activities.
Make sure to rehide the box carefully. You should be able to fit the box into the hole so that it is not visible from a distance. Add a some fallen leaves or twigs to disguise the location well. Enjoy the rest of your visit to Asbury Woods. There are other trails or the Nature Center to explore.
