Letterboxing

Yesterday was more of an outside day at the Jolli Lodge—the sun was warm, clouds were few and far between. An off shore breeze brought in FREEZING cold water so we couldn’t swim, but it was still a perfect day for Ellie to visit.




We walked her dogs along the beach and then headed out to go letterboxing. Heard of letterboxing before? It is a worldwide phenomenon that requires only a stamp, small notebook and a sense of adventure. First, you go online and print out a set of clues—some are rhymes and some are directional. You then follow the clues to an off-the-beaten-trail spot where you’ll find a Tupperware, old bottle or other nondescript container. Inside lies a location stamp and a notebook. The successful letterboxer stamps her notebook with the location stamp and the location notebook with her stamp.




We set off for a letterbox in Leelanau State Park. Uncle Doug and Aunt Martha assumed we would just walk through the woods, follow a few easy directions, stamp the book and go home.




After walking for close to a mile and having not yet reached the start point for the first clue, Aunt Martha was thrilled to run into a park ranger. She tried to cheat by asking him whether he knew where the letterbox in his park was. (Not exactly the stealth attitude that is needed for letterboxing.) The ranger had only ever heard of letterboxing, and was excited to see our clues but said that technically letterboxes are not allowed in the Park (oops!)

Fast forward at least an hour--we climbed dunes, hiked through the woods and down a ravine and dodged LOTS of P.I. Unfortunately, no letterbox. Did we incorrectly follow the clues, did we miss the letterbox, had it been removed? Who knows, but the hunt was just as fun as it would have been to actually find the stamp. Hopefully Ellie will be able to go with her parents and have another go at it. For my part, I can’t wait to see if there are any letterboxes in Brooklyn Heights, Newtown or perhaps even in Berlin or Freiburg!

In other news, what is Aunt Martha doing to Ellie? Check back tomorrow to find out.







HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!