A Southern Thanksgiving Letterboxing Trip

The Family is gathering in Acworth, GA at my brother's house for Thanksgiving. Thomas and I decided to make a vacation of it. We will visit Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
November 18 - 30, 2010

Birmingham Boxing

This morning when we woke up it was overcast and looked like it was going to rain. I checked the weather and yes it was supposed to rain in the afternoon. We decided to set out letterboxing in Birmingham for as long as the weather allowed. The morning went well - just a little overcast and chilly.

We started our day near Trinity Medical Center at a Fitness Course. We walked about a mile and found two boxes. There were suppose to be three boxes but when we found the hollow stump there were only rocks and no box. But we did enjoy our walk - it was a nice peaceful place and we only saw two other people. From here we made our way to Altamont Park. There is an overlook here where you can see the city and more than that Sloss Furnace. The box we found was G is for Ghost Stories and it is about a man named Jowers that was killed at the furnace and supposedly still haunts it. The box was easy to find and I sat and stamped in and then took a couple of pictures before we moved on. We drove to Ramsey Park, there are two sections of the park - one north of Country Club Rd. and one south. There is a box in each section. I found both without problems, stamped in and replaced them.

Our next stop was the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. I had clues for three boxes here and one of the boxes was a series of two. When we entered the gardens we got a printed map and then checked out the big display map in the courtyard. I read all the clues and figured out where all the boxes were (to an extent) - one had you go to different areas to get info before making it to the next part. First we went to one garden and got info for the puzzle box then went to another garden and found our first box. I sat in a gazebo and stamped in and then put the box back into place. Then we continued on with the puzzle. We gathered our info and made our way to the first box. Unfortunately I think the box is missing - the clues were pretty straight forward and we couldn't find it. The clues stated you needed info from the first box to find the second box. But reading the clues to the end it is easy to figure out where you need to be. So we made our way to that garden and found the box. After stamping in we went inside to the library and found the third box. I found a table and stamped in and the put the box back where I found it. We really enjoyed the gardens. Even though it was late Fall there were still some flowers left. There were also some dried hydrangeas that were just as beautiful. I can't even imagine how spectacular that place is in the Spring.

By the time we left the Gardens (we were there for about two and a half hours just enjoying the place) we decided to get some lunch. I punched in food places in the Garmin and we found a sandwich place. So we drove there to find that it was not a restaurant but a catering place. But they did sell box lunches with a sandwich, chips, a deviled egg, and a brownie. We took the lunches to go and drove to Vulcan Park. There was a box here and we decided we could have a picnic lunch before looking for it. We ended up eating in the car because it had become more overcast and a little colder. So when we finished eating we headed up the hill to look for the box. It was a pretty easy find and I sat on some stairs to stamp in. After rehiding the box we walked around the park. This park is home to the largest cast iron sculpture in the world - a 56 foot statue of Vulcan. He sits atop a very tall pedestal and overlooks the city of Birmingham. We were going to up to the top of the pedestal to get a better view of the city but it was too cold so we just decided to move on. After leaving Vulcan Park we drove to Rhodes Park and looked for a box. It took a little time either because I wasn't reading the clues right or they were off a bit. But I eventually found it and of course that is when it decided to start raining. It was just a light drizzle so I was able to get under a tree and keep dry. I replaced the box and returned to the car. The rain came down a little harder. So Thomas and I decided to go to the movie. The only thing was that the movie we wanted to see didn't start for about two and a half hours. I looked at the clues we still had and found a couple of drive-bys that we could snag and bring to the car to stamp in. The first one gave us trouble finding and with the rain we decided to stop and go to the next one. The second one I found without a problem. I actually sat in the car and read the clues and found the landmarks and spotted the tree I needed where the box was. So a quick dash later and I had the box in the car and stamped in there. I replaced the box quickly and got back to the car just as the rain really started coming down.

Even though we still had a little over an hour to wait for the movie we decided to head to McWane Science Center and hang out where it was dry. We went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I at the IMAX Dome. We got our tickets and just sat and talked until it was time for the movie. First, I really thought the movie was incredible and thoroughly enjoyed it. And second, seeing it at the IMAX Dome was fantastic. It was Harry Potter beyond huge and all over the place. I wish we had this kind of theater in Santa Fe. The movie was pretty long and by the time we got out it was 6:30pm and we wanted to grab a quick bite to eat and fill the car with gas before returning to the hotel to get packed for our trip home tomorrow. So we made a couple of stops and got to the hotel and packed. Everything is now ready for our early morning flight home. We had a pretty good trip overall but I will be glad to get home.

Back in Birmingham

This morning the rest of the family left for home. Thomas and I stayed to spend a little more time with my brother and his wife before heading back to Birmingham. After getting ready and packing all our things Thomas and I loaded the car. Then we followed my brother into the city of Acworth to find a letterbox. This box was hidden in a small little park in the downtown area. The box was easy to find and we stamped in while enjoying the quaint little park. After the box was in place my sister-in-law wanted to go to a cemetery where she and my brother had found a letterbox back in January. I had told her that it was 'unavailable' because the placer removed it because of construction. She said she knew the area and was pretty sure there wasn't any construction that had gone on or was going on. So we arrived at the cemetery and we followed the clues to see if the box was indeed gone. And it was - we looked all around and she had remembered exactly where it was but the spot was empty except for the rock. I was a little dumb founded because there wasn't any construction anywhere near the area - old or new, so I don't understand why they removed the box. Oh well, time to move on. Next we drove to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park to find The Cheatham Challenge. This box is at the Cheatham Hill part of the Battlefield. It was a little bit of a puzzle - you had to find a marker and count letters and get the letters at specific numbers then unscramble them to form words and then follow the clues. I found the box and stamped in and then we walked around the area reading the plaques and then I took a couple of pictures. This brought us to our end of letterboxing and we made our way into Marietta to the town square where we looked for a place to eat lunch. We ended up eating at Shillings on the Square and had a nice visit and a good meal. When we were done we said our good-byes and Thomas and I headed off for Birmingham.

We drove south on I75 and then west on I285 and then west on I20. We didn't get too far on I20 before we decided to stop and try for a couple of letterboxes. Our first stop was Boundary Waters Park to look for Wee Three Leaves. We had a nice peaceful walk along the trail and found all three boxes in the series. Once the last box was found, stamped into and rehidden we headed back to I20. Again we didn't get too far before we exited again to head into Clinton Nature Preserve. Here we followed a set of picture clues to find Frog Kissin'. This park was really nice with some great trails. We found the park and stamped on a bench near a small lake or pond. It was pleasant here and found the place as peaceful as the last park we stopped at. After stamping in we got the box back into place and headed for the car.

It was around 4:30pm and we decided to get back on I20 and head straight into Birmingham where we would find a spot for dinner and then get to the hotel. We did gain an hour crossing from Georgia into Alabama but it was still dark by the time we had dinner. We are now checked in and relaxing. Tomorrow we spend the day in Birmingham and will do some sightseeing and letterboxing.

Thanksgiving in Acworth

On Wednesday Thomas and I left Asheville kind of early. Our original plans were to drive part of the Blue Ridge Parkway from Balsam to Cherokee (the southern entrance of the Great Smokey Mountain National Park) and visit the park for a little while before heading to my brother's house in Acworth, GA. But as we left the hotel and started our drive there was so much fog it was hard to see very far and we figured we probably couldn't enjoy the parkway or the park so we scratched those plans and headed for Georgia. The drive was pretty good and we stopped a couple of time to take a picture or two and before we knew it we were in Acworth. We pulled in to the driveway and were greeted by my brother, Brent; his wife Heather; my dad, Dale; his wife, Janel; my sister, Mona; and her daughter, Madison. We sat and visited for a while and then everyone decided they were hungry so we all piled into the car and went for an early dinner. After dinner we just returned home and visited. My other sister, Donna; her husband, Mark; and their children, Tori, Ryan and Hali all showed up around 10pm and we ended up talking until around midnight.

On Thursday I had kind of a bad day. My dad has lots of opinions and he tends to bait me when it comes to political issues. All my life we have been democrat, my grandfather was involved in local politics and we were democrats. Now most, if not all of my family are republicans. My dad doesn't want the government telling him what to do - his examples are things like making him wear a seat belt and making him have insurance. But when I try and explain that the very people he is voting for are also telling people what they can do with their lives, he doesn't care - he just doesn't want to be told he has to wear a seat belt. I try to tell him that they are affecting Thomas and my's relationship but it doesn't matter. Do you have any idea how it feels to have your father tell you that your life isn't as important as whether he has to wear a seat belt or not? It just devastated me. I can't even count on my family to help promote my relationship. Of course, they tell me they support me and Thomas and that they support gay marriage but then they vote for the very people who are adding constitutional amendments to state constitutions taking away that very right from me. And don't throw in anything religious or moral - I don't want to hear it - this isn't a religious issue, it is a civil rights issue. My dad is constantly bringing up how democrats aren't honoring the constitution, but when people are trying to impose their religious beliefs on me by adding laws telling me what to do isn't that not honoring the constitution. I thought we were all guaranteed the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - I guess it only applies to certain people. All my life I could never do anything right in my dad's eyes. Once when I tried out for baseball and didn't make the team it took me over an hour to go home and I was right in my feelings about not wanting to go home - when I got home and told them I didn't make the team all he could say was that I probably didn't want to make the team and didn't even try and then he walked away. My feelings didn't matter. I was constantly told I was stupid, lazy and worthless. Added to this I was confused about my sexuality and I had no one I could talk to about this and was frequently beaten up in the locker room because some of the guys at school assumed I was gay. I have had so much counseling about this but I still have tons of issues. My self confidence and self esteem are pretty low. No matter how many good things I hear I always fall to very low depths at one negative comment. It takes me a while to work out of it but eventually I start feeling better and then something else comes along. I have to say it takes more to get me down now than it used to but I still have lots of problems to work through. I could go on about things that happened as a child but I think you got the jist of things. So I had a hard time being in the Thanksgiving mood and really wanted the day to end. My brother's wife had her children and grandchildren and her mother there but I just couldn't bring myself to mingle. I found a spot on the couch and just sat and watched whatever was on TV. I was in bed for 8:00pm (which is highly unusual for me) and found it hard to get up the next day and face everybody.

On Friday I was still not feeling all the great but everyone wanted to go into Atlanta and visit the World of Coca-Cola. So we piled into four cars (Thomas and I alone in ours) and drove to Atlanta. The World of Coca-Cola has exhibits that talk about the start of Coke and its history. We say a 4D movie about how Coke is made and we saw a lot of the old commercials. They also have tons of memorabilia on display. At the end of the tour they have a tasting room where you can taste Coca-Cola products from all over the world - Thomas and I found that we like the ones from Africa. Then on your way out they give you a bottle of Coke. It was a nice tour and gave me something to do to take my mind off of things. Once we left the World of Coca-Cola we stopped at The Varsity for some dinner. This place was good, kind of a greasy spoon hamburger joint. After dinner we all returned to Acworth and a quiet night of watching TV.

Saturday morning it was decided that we would all go to Stone Mountain. Except for my dad and his wife - they left for home because they wanted to have Sunday to rest before returning to work on Monday. They were gone before I woke up - never said bye or anything. Anyway, we all got ready and then drove to Stone Mountain. We entered the park and then walked around and did a few things and then a group of eight of us wanted to walk up to the top. Before we headed up we tried to find one letterbox but it didn't materialize - we really didn't spend that much time looking for it since we needed the time to walk to the top. So we followed the Cherokee Trail until it met up with the Walk-up Trail and then we made our ascent. It was a little work at some points but the views were worth it. We could see the skyline of Atlanta and we were there at dusk so we got to see the sun starting to set. It was also really cold up on top of the mountain. The wind was pretty strong and with nothing to block the wind it cut right through you. So the eight of us made our way down and about half way down it was dark and we had to really take our time to make sure we stepped correctly. Once at the bottom we followed a paved path that took us to a sidewalk and back to the entrance of the park. We met up with the rest of the group and did a couple of more things before leaving for home. At home we ate and watched the Georgia vs Georgia Tech game (my sister-in-law is a BIG Georgia fan and was really having a hard time as the game stayed close all the way to the end. Thankfully for her sake Georgia won and it all ended well. Off to bed so that we could do a few things in the morning before heading back to Birmingham.

Unfortunately I didn't get to do much letterboxing, there just wasn't much time especially at Stone Mountain. I will have to make another trip out here just to get in some letterboxing at the mountain.

Biltmore & Asheville (or Sunshine & Rain)

Today we planned to spend the morning at Biltmore Estate and the afternoon letterboxing in Asheville. Last night when we were at Biltmore we asked if there was a good time to visit as to avoid too much of a crowd. They told us that coming when the house first opened or waiting until around 4:00pm. We decided we would go first thing. Since they don't open until 9:00am we didn't have to rush this morning. We slept until 7:30am and then had a leisurely breakfast. Then we made our way to the Estate. We parked and walked to the Rampe Douce and from there walked up the Vista to the statue of Diana. There is a letterbox near here and we decided we had enough time to get the box before the house opened. So I followed the clues and found the box. It was a nice peaceful morning to sit and stamp in - no one else was around and I wasn't worry about being seen. We got the box back in place and then walked back to the statue of Diana. I took a few pictures of Diana and of the house from the top of the Vista. Then we walked down to the house to take our tour. We had audio tours with our admission tickets so we stopped and picked up the headsets before beginning our tour. This morning we spent about two hours walking through the house listening to everything that the headsets had. It was a very interesting tour and I really love the house. The only thing I can't understand is why someone needs that big of a house - it just seems like a waste. Once the tour of the inside was done we took a walk through the gardens and made our way to Bass Pond. We had a beautiful, sunny morning to spend in the gardens. While walking we also looked for two letterboxes - we got to see all that Frederick Law Olmstead designed and found two boxes in the process. The gardens are beautiful even though all of the flowers are gone for the winter and most of the leaves have already died as well - I can't even imagine what this place looks like in the spring. After an hour spent in the gardens we left the Estate and went to get some lunch.

While eating we looked over the clues for letterboxes in the area and mapped out a plan. We found our first letterbox just across from the entrance to the Estate off of All Souls Crescent. The box was called A Lady of Biltmore - the stamp was carved by Kirbert and the box placed by dixie. It was a nice find. While stamping into this box it began to rain a little - nothing too hard - really just a drizzle. I was stamping in the car so it wasn't a problem and the hiding spot wasn't far away so I made a quick dash to replace it. The next two stops were also drive-bys and even though the rain would stop and start I was able to get those boxes and bring them back to the car to do the stamping. But I was getting wet going back and forth - but it was for letterboxing so it was okay. The next stop was Riverside Cemetery and there were five boxes here. The cemetery was quite large and it was hilly with lots of winding roads. So there wasn't a planned layout and it was hard to see from one area to the other. So I read one of the clues and Thomas parked near the first marker in the clue - Thomas Wolfe. From here we tried to drive to find the next few markers mentioned in the clue (the clue was pretty long and had lots of names). We ere having trouble but since it was raining I really didn't want to just walk the entire thing but I didn't really have a choice if I wanted to find the box. So I got out of the car (Thomas decided to stay in the car and read) and started walking. I found the first three markers but then I couldn't find the next one. I jumped ahead thinking I might find another name mentioned. No luck and it started raining harder. So I got back in the car and read all of the clues trying to keep names in my head. The rain stopped, I got out again and walked - I found a name for one of the clues (not the original one I started) and found a box - WooHoo!!!!!. I stamped in under a tree to try and keep things as dry as possible and once in place I got back in the car and reread the clues. We tried several things and decided it was best to call it quits before I got too wet. And as we were driving out I found a marker from the first clue I was working on and from there things fell into place and five minutes later I was in the car doing my stamping thing. After I put this box back we decided to leave the cemetery - I just didn't have it in me to keep walking in the rain to find all these markers - the cemetery was a very confusing place and I think the rain messed with my concentration. We decided to do a couple of indoor things. First we drove to the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We looked around at all the crafts and I was able to get two passport stamps. The Rangers there told me to drive a couple of mile south to the Visitors Center for the Parkway and get two more stamps there - but we had to hurry because they would be closing in about 15 minutes. So I got four new passport stamps and we stayed dry. From here we drove to downtown Asheville to make two more stops for letterboxes. All indoors and dry. The first stop was French Broad Chocolates. We found the box and stamped in and left with some chocolate for later. The last stop of the day was at Malaprop's Bookstore and Cafe. There are two boxes here and you have to ask for them. We got both of them and some coffee and found a table to sit and relax. I stamped in and we drank our coffee and talked about our day and our plans for tomorrow. I returned the boxes and we headed for the hotel.

We got things organized since we leave Asheville tomorrow morning and head south to Acworth to my brother's house. Depending on the weather we may or may not make a detour to the Great Smokey Mountain National Park.

Driving Again: Savannah to Asheville

This morning we left Savannah and started our drive north to Asheville. We didn't have all that much planned for today because we needed to be in Asheville before 5:00pm. It took us about two and a half hours to get to Columbia, SC and this was our first stop. We made our way to the South Carolina State House. It is a beautiful building and they were putting up Christmas decorations all around the outside. We took a self guided tour and loved all the great architecture in the building. After about 40 minutes we went outside and walked around the building and watched them hang wreaths on the front of the building. I had clues to a box hidden here and we had to get a couple of numbers by finding a plaque and the number of times that Sherman's cannons hit the building. Once we had these we went in search of the box. Unfortunately we never found it - and we tried twice. From here we drove to Harbison Lake. We took a walk around the lake and found a series of three boxes and a single box placed by TheBoogies. These were really nice carvings and we enjoyed the one mile walk. After the walk and letterboxing we decided to eat a little lunch before driving on.

Back on I26 headed north we made a stop at the North Carolina Welcome Center. One to get a map and some information and also to find a letterbox. First I went in search of the letterbox. It was an easy find and away from all the activity so I didn't have to worry about being seen. After stamping in I went into the Center to get the things I wanted and then we were on our way again. Oh, and with this find I added reached 28 states that I have now letterboxed in.

The drive to Asheville didn't take us too long and and the entire day's drive was pretty good. We arrived at the hotel and checked in. We had made reservations with a package to Biltmore. When we checked in we got the package which included our tickets for admission to the Estate. It also included admission for tonight for their Candlelight Christmas Celebration. Our tickets were for admission into the house at 7:00pm. But once we were checked in and refreshed we decided to go to Biltmore a little early and walk around the gardens a little. Our hotel was only about a 10 minuted drive to the entrance to the Estate and then we had a couple of miles to drive to the parking area. We then took a walk from the parking lot to the house. We climbed the Rampe Douce and took pictures of the house across the lawn. Then we made our way up to the house and had some hot chocolate and did a little shopping (although we didn't buy anything). When it was time for us to enter the house we took our place in line. The entire house was decorated for Christmas - there was a Christmas Tree in almost every room. They had a choir and some dancers that you could enjoy as you walked around. This place is amazing - 250 rooms, the entrance hall alone is as big as our house. We spent about an hour visiting the house and then we decided to leave and get some dinner. Even though we walked through pretty fast we enjoyed the visit and got a feel for the place. We have tickets for tomorrow again and we will be able to spend a little more time.

A Savannah Sunday

We have been having a great time on this trip and we certainly have been keeping busy. So we decided not to set an alarm for this morning and we would just get started when we felt like it. So we had a little of a sleep in and a relaxing breakfast before setting out for a letterboxing day in Savannah. Our first stop was Catholic Cemetery to look for Weeping Willow's Despair. We followed the clues which took us for a little drive through the cemetery. We were able to see some amazing statues and gravestones before arriving at the box. It was a beautiful carving of an angel. I stamped in while sitting in the car and then rehid the box. after the box was in place I walked a little and took some pictures and then we were on to the next box. The next box was also in a cemetery - LaPageville Memorial Cemetery. We followed the directions to the cemetery and parked near the entrance. This was a strange cemetery. It had two tall brick columns connected with a large arched wrought sign with a bell. No other fencing. There was only grass and trees - no grave markers. After reading the clues more I found out that all the bodies had been moved when the land was sold in the 1060's and all the old markers have long disappeared. But somehow this gave the area an eerie feeling. Anyway, I found the box and was glad I did. It was an amazing carving and made the eeriness fade away. Once we were done here we drove just down the road to Aldersgate UMC to find two boxes. One of the boxes was hidden behind the church and the other one was across the street behind the gym for the church. I found both quickly and took them back to the car to stamp in. Rehiding the boxes was a little more difficult as people were showing up for services. But after a little patience the boxes were back in place and we could move on. Bonaventure Cemetery was our next stop. Most of you probably know that Bonaventure Cemetery was made famous by the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil in two ways. One, the author mentions it in the beginning and at the end of the book and two, the cover photo is of a statue that is in the cemetery. The man who took that photo is also buried here at the cemetery, his name is Jack Leigh. We stopped at the cemetery office for a map and learned some news about the bird girl statue that appears on the cover of the book. She has been moved to Telfair Museum in Savannah because of vandalism and because the family felt that there was too much traffic at their plot. There were two boxes here we wanted to find. Johnny M. - in memory of Johnny Mercer who is buried here and King of the Dead. These two boxes just happened to be hidden in the same area of the cemetery so Thomas and I parked near Johnny Mercer's grave and walked to find both boxes. I found one box, stamped in, put in back in place and moved to the second box repeating the steps. King of the Dead is probably my most favorite box that I found in Savannah. The carving is fantastic, a two part stamp that is done extremely well and I really loved the cemetery - that pretty much pushed it far ahead of any other box I found here. So after a morning of cemeteries and a church (I guess that is a good way to spend a Sunday morning) it was time for a break and some lunch.

After a light lunch and a little rest we were ready for some more letterboxing. We stopped at the American Legion to get a quick box that honors canine soldiers. This was a drive-by and that is exactly what we did. Moving on we decided to visit the Oatland Island Wildlife Center. We found three boxes in the center and one outside the center. We attempted a fourth box in the center but never found it. Thomas and I enjoyed the walk on the trail but I was a little saddened with the displays and the way the animals looked. The exhibits did not seem to be well taken care of and the animals seemed less than happy. I noticed this more with the Birds of Prey exhibit. The cages were small and looked confining. I felt sorry for the birds because their most basic activity (flying) was totally taken from them. I am sure in these times of poor economy that their budget and income have been hurting but I was really taken aback at what I saw. I truly hope that the animals are happy and well taken care of and that I was just reading too much in to it. We left Oatland and decided to try for a few boxes placed here and there around town. We stopped at Old Church Cemetery and found only one of three we looked for - a little disappointing since even the cemetery wasn't all that much to visit comparing it to the ones we saw this morning. Very near this cemetery was the Wormsloe State Historic Site with its 'Tabby Ruins'. So we paid our entrance fee and drove the mile or so from the entrance to the museum and ruins along the oak lined road. After parking we walked to the ruins and looked around and then we searched for a letterbox. Well, the box wasn't there (or should I say we couldn't find it) and the ruins weren't really all that interesting. I would say that the best part of this visit was driving down the road for a mile with 400 oak trees lining it and creating an arch for us to drive through. Leaving here we drove to the next location with clues for two boxes. The clues state that the placer works at this place and had permission to plant the boxes, it also shows that both boxes were found in August of this year. After 20 minutes of looking we came up empty handed. I was quite disappointed and a little peeved because this place had no value for me at all - It was a house converted into a mission for parent and child services - it wasn't a beautiful place and there was no history so it felt like a complete waste of time for me. Especially since the placer works there (well, not really sure about that since the boxes were placed back in 2007 and they could have moved on) and she could have easily updated the clues to missing or retired instead of leaving them active - well live and learn and now time to move on. One last stop before calling it quits for the day and returning to the hotel. We stopped at the Savannah Park & Tree office and looked for a letterbox/geocache hybrid. We found this one but it was a little disappointing because the stamp was store bought and really had nothing to do with anything. So we ended our day and visit to Savannah with a 2/7 rally. Now don't get me wrong, we had a great time in Savannah and we saw and experienced some incredible things. I just wish that even though we didn't find the letterboxes that at least the places we visited would have been at least interesting. We headed back to the hotel and cleaned up and then went for a walk and ended up finding a great pizza place called Vinnie Van Go Go's for dinner. It was a nice walk with a cool breeze and we had a nice relaxing meal and after we took the long way around back to the hotel stopping at a couple of the squares to sit and relax. Now back at the hotel we got all our things organized because tomorrow we drive from Savannah to Asheville.

Saturday in Savannah

Today we spent the entire day in the historic district. It all started at 8:00am in Johnson Square just three blocks from our hotel. Here we met Dirk Hardison from Savannah Rambles for our 'Grand Ramble' of Savannah. Dirk is an architect and has worked in preservation in Savannah for about 20 years. He has great knowledge of the architecture of the city as well as its history. During the tour we visited about 16 (+/- 1-2) of the 24 Squares. We did a zig-zagging through the squares starting from the riverfront and working our way south to Forsyth Park. Each time we stopped Dirk would discuss the architecture and history of the surrounding buildings and square. He also discussed the differences in the buildings and how that was impacted by the era in which it was built. He talked about the different architects and how they were influenced by the times. He also pointed out oddities in some of the buildings and certain features that were added out of a necessity. About half way through the tour we stopped for a short refreshment break. We each got something to drink and snack on and we sat and just talked about things for about twenty minutes then we continued the tour. We ended at Forsyth Park and here is where we stayed while Dirk went on his way. It was an incredible tour and it oriented us to the city and gave us a very good history of the start of Savannah. I think it was the perfect way to start our visit here.
So now we had the afternoon free to do some letterboxing. Since we were already in the historic district and I had clues for a few boxes here we decided to work our way back north to our hotel. We had already been to the areas where the boxes were hidden but we couldn't find them during the tour so we ended up visiting most of the squares a second time. We attempted eight boxes this afternoon. Our first one we didn't find - I am pretty sure we were in the right place because the clues were really straight forward and there was no box in that spot, we even searched a small area around the spot and still came up empty handed. So we just continued on our way. The next four boxes we looked for were found easily and we enjoyed sitting and stamping in while enjoying the beautiful afternoon. Two of the boxes were at a cemetery. The first one we looked for in the cemetery I kind of scoped out from a distance as I made my way to the hiding spot. I realized as I got closer that there were three women very near where I needed to be to look for the box. So I just looked at some of the graves and would look over to the women every now and then, but they just weren't moving. Then it dawned on me that they were stamping - they were letterboxers. They put the box back in place and started away from the area which brought them right past me. So I asked if they were letterboxers (even though I already knew the answer) and we had a little conversation. Unfortunately none of us suggested an exchange and all I know is that they were from North Carolina - oh well. After we finished with these four finds we attempted the next box and came up empty handed. I took the compass reading three times and each time it pointed me to the same spot but not to anything that was described in the clue. So I did a sweep of the area covering an arc of about 30º to either side of where I was getting my reading. We still came up empty handed so we decided to move along. We found the next box without any problems and found a bench to sit and stamp in. After this one was back in place we headed off for one last box. This one was a little bit of a mystery with a photo clue. I had figured out where we needed to be to see the place in the photo and when we arrived there we got ourselves in position to see exactly what was in the photo. Unfortunately we never found the box - so we ended up 5 for 8 - not too bad.
By this time we were ready for dinner. We had planned to hit River Street and do some walking and visit some shops while scoping out the restaurants. We ended up eating at Fiddlers Crab House. It was pretty good and gave us a chance to rest our feet from all the walking we did today. After dinner we walked a short distance along River Street stopping in at a few places for squished pennies, postcards and at River Street Sweets for some chocolate and pralines before making our way back to the hotel. It was a nice day but we are both tired. Tomorrow we are still in Savannah but we are venturing out of the historic district to do some letterboxing.

Birmingham to Savannah

We started today out early, up at 6:00am, breakfast and then on the road by 7:00am. Not long after leaving Birmingham we exited I20 to Leeds. In Leeds we made our way to the Rowan House to find Historic Stage Coach Route. This was an easy find and the box was planted along the Ashville to Leeds Stagecoach Route. We were unable to visit the Rowan House since it was early and they weren't open yet. But we read the plaque outside the house and it was part of an old Irish Farm which is now a subdivision. From here we drove just a short distance down the street to the Leeds Historical Park. Here there is a war memorial and some grinding stones from Fuller's Grist Mill. We looked for The Little Cahaba letterbox and it was a quick and easy find hidden under a small foot bridge near the parking area. I stamped into the box in the car and once it was rehidden we were ready to hit the road again.

Trying to keep to some sort of schedule we decided to not stop for any more letterboxes until we crossed into Georgia. Not far into Georgia we stopped at the Welcome Center. We looked for and found Georgia - A Peach of a State letterbox. It was another easy find and I stamped in sitting on a bench near the building. It was the perfect box to be my first find in Georgia. After the box was in place I went into the Center to get a new map and some information about Savannah. Time to drive again. We made our next stop in Douglasville at Deer Lick Park. We had a little trouble here because there was more than one entrance and we didn't know that. We pulled into the first entrance and looked around for the box but nothing made sense. Thomas noticed that over a hill was another part of the park. So we went back to the car and drove into the second entrance. Now that we were in the right place the box was an easy find. I sat on a log to stamp in and didn't realize that the log was damp. By the time I finished stamping in and got the box back into place my butt was wet. Since it took us a little more time than we planned to find this box we decided to forgo any other boxes in the area and head for Atlanta.

I had big plans for Atlanta - I wanted to look for two boxes, visit the Capitol, go to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Site and get some lunch. So we parked near the Capitol and found a restaurant. After getting a quick lunch we walked to the Capitol. We visited the Information Desk and got a brochure for a self guided tour and a Capitol Stamp. The we started walking around. It is a beautiful building and we enjoyed looking at all the portraits of past Governors. We stopped in to the Senate and House Chambers and then made our way up to the fourth floor to visit the Art Galleries. They had some very nice pieces in the collection and we lost track of time - we ended up being there for about an hour and a half. We exited the Capitol and walked around the outside so I could get a few pictures and then made our way back to the car. Since time had gotten away from us we decided to leave Atlanta and head a little south to Reynolds Nature Preserve in Morrow.

Once we arrived at the park I gathered my letterbox clues and we set out. We first stopped at the kiosk and looked at the map and sorted out the clues. There were three sets of clues. Two set so clues were four box series each and the other was just a single box. The single box was in the same area as one of the series so we worked on those first. We had a pleasant walk through the Preserve and found all five of these boxes, a couple we had to backtrack and look a second time but in the end found them all. We passed a few people but for the most part we were pretty secluded and had a nice walk. We then started looking for the last series. We found the first box easy enough but it was totally flooded. The box had about an inch of water in it and the logbook was completely soaked and ruined. I stamped the stamp into my logbook and cleaned out the box the best I could. I dried the stamp and baggies and I pressed some of the water out of the logbook. Unfortunately I didn't have the supplies to really fix it up. I replaced the box making sure the lid was on tight and decided I would just write the planter and hope they lived nearby and could do some maintenance. The second box in this series hadn't been found since 2007 so I was skeptical that we would find it and I was right. We got to the last landmark and took a compass reading and we were unable to find the fallen log that intersected with a tree and after searching the area and rechecking the compass we decided to give up on that one and move along. We got to the third box and had some trouble - we thought we had found the right stump and its top laying near it but there was no box. By this time the sun was getting lower and the fourth box hadn't been found in over a year so we decided it was probably time to head out. We got to the car and headed back toward the interstate and that's when things got crazy.

The road leading to the interstate was bumper to bumper and it took us about 40 minutes to go 1.2 miles where we finally got on to the interstate. In less than five miles the interstate became backed up as well. From this point we drove 5 miles in 20 minutes. We decided that we would stop for dinner and relax and let the traffic clear up. So we found a nice sit down restaurant and had a nice leisurely dinner and talked about what a great day we had. Around 6:30pm we decided to take our chances and head out. At first the interstate was a little busy but it didn't take long to clear up and we were on our way. Of course we had to forgo a couple of other things we had planned along the way since it was already dark. The drive from Macon to Savannah on I16 was long and a little weird. Since it was dark we couldn't see much. We could tell that the sides of the road were lined with trees. We were able to distinguish the sky from the trees and it felt we were driving in a canyon. There was no way to tell if there was a town or anything on the other side of the trees so we felt completely cut off (and again it was dark and that made it so much worse). Coming from New Mexico driving like this was such a weird feeling - we are used to things being out in the open, you can see ahead that there are lights and a town and maybe a gas station - at least something. We only saw signs and had to assume that there was actually something out there. At one point I had the eeriest feeling that vampires were lurking in the darkness ready to snack on anyone that had a car breakdown and was stranded - I know what you are thinking - I have lost it. Maybe it was just too much driving and too much letterboxing. We did end up stopping for a bathroom break in Metter. As we got to the end of the off ramp and went to make a left turn I noticed this sign just in front of us - yeah the one pictured here - pretty weird, we almost got back on the interstate right then - click on the picture if you would like to learn more. I am sorry if this offends anyone but I really think all those evangelists are creepy.

Anyway we made it safely to Savannah and even though it was 10:30pm there were quite a few people walking around. We checked into the hotel (the staff are very nice and accommodating) and got settled. Tomorrow morning we take an architecture and history tour of Savannah.

. . . And So It Begins!

We made it to Birmingham safe and sound. The flights were pretty uneventful - an hour and a half to Dallas/Love Field and after a two hour layover another hour and a half to Birmingham. I have to say I am not a big fan of flying anymore. I am not worried about a crash, crowded flights or even terrorists. It is all the crap you have to go through. Standing with your hands over your head, with no shoes, no belt and your pockets completely empty while you are total body x-rayed. It is humiliating! None of these things will actually stop any terrorists if they really want to do something. So every time we fly (which isn't very often - we try and drive for our vacations) I am so tense from the time we leave for the airport until we get through all the security. So now that we are in Alabama and have a rental car I am good. I do have to say that everything at the Birmingham airport went well. Getting from the gate to baggage was easy, the bags came quickly and the rental car counters are just a little ways from the baggage claim. The rental car people were extremely nice and efficient. From the time we landed to the time we drove out of the airport in the rental car was only 25 minutes. Not bad.

From the airport we drove to the area near our hotel. We decided to look for two letterboxes and grab a bite to eat before checking into the hotel. So our first stop was the Irondale Public Library to find Spider's Treasure. It was an easy find shelved with books in the reference section. I found a table and stamped in. Once that was done and the box was back on the shelf we headed to Ellard Park. The sun was going down and I could tell we wouldn't have much time to find the box. We followed the clues (there were a couple of spots where we couldn't find the landmarks) and ended up at a picnic table and from the clues we knew it was the right one. From here we used the compass to find a stump - no box there. So we decided to search the area for other stumps - we found three but not one of them had Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. It was time to move on because it was now dark and we couldn't really see well enough to look any more.

Time to eat - since we had just looked for Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe we decided to eat at the place that was the inspiration for the book and movie. It is actually called the Irondale Cafe (and was always called this) - and even though it is in a newer building it is it the exact spot as the original. Thomas had turkey, turnip greens, green beans and a chocolate chess pie. I had fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, cream corn and homemade banana pudding with vanilla wafers. It was soooooooo good!

It has been a long day and flying always wears me out so we checked into the hotel and are just relaxing. Tomorrow we drive from Birmingham to Atlanta and then to Savannah. We well be in Savannah for the weekend - it should be fun.