Letterboxing Opportunities Abound in Richmond
Locals and visitors alike understand that Richmond can be a popular destination for American history enthusiasts. Racing fans flock for the area every six months to take in big events on the Richmond International Speedway, as well as summer concerts and festivals keep everybody entertained. For hobbyists considering letterboxing, Richmond is rich with several possibilities to add timeless souvenirs for your collection, and memories to treasure.
A Brief Letterboxing Primer
For the main benefit of readers a new comer to this centuries-old practice of "treasure hunting," letterboxing is similar to the "geocaching" trend gaining interest among GPS users. Letterboxing have their origins inside mid 19th century in England, where secret boxes storing letters and other communications were happened upon or hunted. Visitors would leave something in return. In recent years, enthusiasts will hide letterboxes (often a plastic, sealed container) containing plastic stamps plus a guestbook in several places outdoors, and hunters use the stamp because of their own notebooks, while stamping the letterbox book to allow the dog owner know it has been discovered. An Internet hunt for popular letterbox sites Letterboxing and Atlasquest will yield countless such boxes hidden worldwide.
Letterboxing in Richmond
One can discover several letterboxes in the metropolitan Richmond area, in urban and rural locales. Traditionally, unusual letter boxes for sale will check Internet sites for clues on how to locate the boxes - some may give precise directions, while others may present a puzzle to decode to be able attain the goal. For an notion of what you should expect in Richmond letterboxes, here are a couple select ones designed for search:
An Irish Lass in Hollywood - hidden inside Hollywood Cemetery
The Siren's Song - hidden around the campus of the University of Richmond
Deep Run School - hidden near Short Pump Park
The Carillon - hidden near a war monument
Slippery Rock - hidden in Deep Run Park
Rules of Letterboxing
Some things to remember when going on a letterboxing expedition:
Make sure you have directions available. You won't require a compass unless looking for a challenging box, but it is good to print the directions through the letterboxing websites so that you don't get lost.
Be discreet if you locate a letterbox. Some letterboxes hidden in parks and landmarks could be removed by staff or stolen, if you decide to find a box be mindful by using it and be sure it can be hidden where you think it is, so others will get it later.
Plan your route. There could possibly be several different letterboxes hidden inside a few miles of each other. Do your research and you may produce a whole day of the search.
Have fun! Letterboxing together with your kids can be a great approach to encourage their orienteering skills.