As a grandparent, have you ever felt somewhat competitive with the other side of the family? By that I mean “the other grandparents,” who always seem to do cool things with the set of grandchildren you share in common.
Although you are absolutely delighted that the grandchildren are coming for a long spring weekend, you have this thought in the back of your mind: You are going to have to come up with something new, different and exciting to entertain them. How does combining the exhilaration of hiking with the thrill of a treasure hunt sound? Add the intriguing mystery of a hidden box that you have to search for using clues and maps, and you have the magic magnet that no child can resist. This magnet is called “letterboxing,” and it will not cost you anymore than the price of an ink pad and a small notebook.
Rubber stamp, ink pad, journal book, pencil, letterbox clues, compass, cell phone, snack
Here is the story on how I earned the title of the coolest grandma ever. Lucky for me, I have a friend who is a letterboxer and could fill me in on this family sport. It starts with free registration at www.atlasquest.com, where you will learn about letterboxes hidden in your geographical area. I was able to register in two minutes, and then clicked on “Letterboxes,” then “City Directory,” then “NYS” and finally “Albany.” Up came a list of 100 letterboxes hidden all around the Capital District.
I clicked on the first one, Incredible Inedible Egg (referring to the egg shaped architectural marvel on the Albany Plaza), which leads me to the big clue needed to get started. I made a mental note: Add hardboiled eggs to the Gig Bag for a snack.
On the website I also learned about the option of making up a trail name and creating a rubber stamp that reflects your trail name. When you find a letterbox, you stamp the log book inside the letterbox with your personalized stamp and use the stamp provided in the box to stamp your log book. After that, you put the box back exactly in the spot you found it so it is ready for the next visitor.
With everything in place, I couldn’t wait for the kids to come. I think of a trail name that makes sense for our family – The Eagles! The eagle is the mascot of high school and college alma maters, as well as the symbol of New York. We would cut out our own eagle rubber stamp using a piece of foam and a pair of scissors.
Before the children go to bed on the evening they arrive, they are asked some questions: “Are you as bold as a pirate on a treasure hunt? Are you as clever as a detective about to solve a mystery? Are you as daring as an explorer?” OK, maybe it was a little dramatic, but they bought it. “Well,” I explained, “tomorrow we will set off on an adventure to find a special box hidden away. We will call ourselves The Eagles. We will use a treasure map, a compass and clues to find that box. When we reach our destination and make our discovery, we will leave the imprint of our own signature eagle stamp to prove we were there. So my little eaglets, sweet dreams tonight, and tomorrow we will soar.” Warning: This kind of excitement may cause some difficulty falling asleep.
What’s at the Library?
“The Letterboxer’s Companion” by Randy Hall
“Stamping with Style” by Katherine Aimone
“Basic Essentials Map & Compass” by Cliff Jacobson
What’s Online?
What’s Happening?
Living History Day “Hidden Treasures of Albany”
Sunday, May 4, noon-4 p.m.
Albany County Historical Association at Ten Broeck Mansion
9 Ten Broeck Place, Albany, NY 12210
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