Brasstown Falls

This is another postcard I purchased (at Sunrift Adventures) yesterday afternoon while letterboxing.

Brasstown Falls is considered a hidden gem in Oconee County in South Carolina. Some hikers might consider it a drawback that each falls has to be viewed separately...Little Brasstown Falls, Brasstown Cascades, Brasstown Veil, Brasstown Sluice.  Pictured above is the Brasstown Veil and Brasstown Cascades.

The trail is steep and rocky, and supposedly it takes an hour or two to climb into and out of the gorge.  I'm not sure; I haven't been here, either!

Wildflowers

This is another postcard I purchased (at Sunrift Adventures) yesterday afternoon while letterboxing.

Oconee Station State Park is located near Walhalla, South Carolina.

The Oconee Station Falls (a.k.a. Station Cove Falls) trail is 7/10 mile on a wide, mostly flat, old logging road.  I guess at least some of these wildflowers (pictured above) can be seen along the trail?  I'm not sure; I haven't been to this park.

The wildflowers pictured above (from left to right, top to bottom) are:
     Bloodroot
     Canada Violet
     Sessile Bellwort
     Dwarf Iris
     Toadshade
     Foamflower
     Yellow Trillium
     Rue-Anemone

At the end of the trail, the Oconee Station Falls trickles over the edge of a 50-foot high ledge.

Of note, the park features several Revolutionary War-era structures.

Whitewater Falls

This is a postcard I purchased (at Sunrift Adventures) yesterday afternoon while letterboxing.

The Upper Whitewater Falls (pictured above) is located in North Carolina.  Some consider it to be the highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains with a drop of 411 feet.

The Lower Whitewater Falls is located in South Carolina (about two miles downstream).  It drops another 400 feet.

Dog Boxes

My husband, T, and I went letterboxing this afternoon.  For T, it was a "treasure hunt."  Both letterboxes we attempted to find today were dog-related.

The first box was "Man's Best Friend" and was located at a business where one would take a dog that wasn't feeling well.

Here is T, getting ready to stamp his "logbook" with the treasure we found!

The second box was "Saving Jimmy" and was located at a dog park near this business.

Here is T, who "jumped" in front of my picture of the dog park!

Here we are, on our way to look for the letterbox.

My husband and T relaxed while I stamped my logbook.  (T blew a kiss to me!)

Here is T, getting ready to stamp his "logbook."  He likes to look at the treasure before he stamps!

The owner of this letterbox carved the stamp from a drawing she made of her dog, Jimmy.  She and her family saved Jimmy from an animal shelter.

Linked to:
   Mommy Moments
   Titus 2 Tuesday
   Wonderful Wednesday

5

The second letterbox we searched for was "5."  It was planted in Five Forks...

by a letterboxer who has lived in South Carolina for five years.

watching Mama look for the letterbox

stamping the find

Palmetto Pastime

I cleaned out and straightened up my letterboxing "kit" a couple of weeks ago, which made me want to go letterboxing!  (I didn't realize it had been more than a year since my last find.)

Today being Independence Day, my husband had a holiday from work.  We took the opportunity to go letterboxing!  We looked for two letterboxes and found both of them.  That doesn't always happen!  :P

The first letterbox we searched for was "Palmetto Pastime," planted by a letterboxer who lives in California.  He planted it on a cross-country road trip!

Nancy Lincoln Inn

We had a full day today.

First, we went to Hodgenville...to look for a letterbox at the Nancy Lincoln Inn.

The Nancy Lincoln Inn was built in 1928 to accommodate increasing numbers of motorists who were coming to rural Kentucky to visit Abraham Lincoln's birthplace. It was named in honor of Lincoln's mother.

Not only did I find The Mother Lode letterbox, but I also found a hitchhiker!  (That's always a fun surprise.)

A hitchhiker is a letterbox without a permanent home.  A hitchhiker is hidden with another letterbox, and the person who finds it is expected to take the hitchhiker to another letterbox.

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 at Sinking Spring Farm in a log cabin located where the enshrined log cabin now stands.

This is the Memorial Building which houses the log cabin.

T wanted his picture taken on the steps in front of the building.

This is Sinking Spring.

The welcome center had some displays for viewing.  I think this was the Lincoln family Bible?

Thomas and Nancy Lincoln,
their daughter Sarah,
and their son, Abraham

This is T, waiting patiently for me to take a ton of pictures.  ;o)

Jamestown Settlement - Letterbox

We found a letterbox at Jamestown Settlement...The Three Sails.

~Our first Virginia letterbox!  :)

Memorial Day Hike

We went letterboxing this afternoon:  my husband, T, and I.  My husband doesn't typically go with us.  However, when we're looking for letterboxes deep in the woods, I do feel safer if he's with us.

Clue #1 -- Cross the first bridge.

Clue #2 -- See a birdhouse on the right.

Clue #3 -- Find a trail marker on a tree.

See a bee on a leaf.  (No...not a clue!)

Clue #4 -- Find the Genie hiding at the far end of a log.

It seems that every time my husband is with us, it starts to rain.  I don't think he really enjoys letterboxing...and I've decided that he must wish the rain upon us so that we can quit and go home!  Maybe I should add that he's not especially fun to have along?  Sarcastic comments seem to issue from his mouth, and he gets kind of grouchy.  Hmmm...maybe I just should carry a baseball bat or something for safety's sake??  lol.

Yes...we were deep in the woods, and it started to rain.  It was a long hike back to our vehicle.  He asked me (as we were trotting down the path in the rain), "Are you still having fun?"  Actually, I was.  :)  I didn't mind getting wet.  T didn't seem to mind either.

I spotted a turtle on the path on our way out of the woods.

At least after all of that, we found a letterbox!  ;o)

Then we went to eat comfort food:  pizza!  A nice Memorial Day was had by all at least two of us!  :)

P.S.  I do think it's nice of my husband to go with us.  I appreciate him for it.

Tennessee Visit

I am sooo happy to have my sweet boy home!  :)

My niece and I left on Thursday morning to drive to Tennessee.  We were late leaving, so we didn't stop...other than once for gas and once for fast-food, which we got "to go."  We made the 8 1/2 hour trip in...8 1/2 hours!

We spent two nights with Miss Bekah and her family.  Then, my niece, T, and I left on Saturday morning for our trip home.  Once again, we drove to Georgia and spent the night with my parents.  It was a nice way to break up a relatively long trip, not to mention the fact that I love to see my parents!  :)

We looked for one letterbox on the way to Georgia, but...more about that in another post.  Other than that, it was a rather ordinary trip.

My husband drove over and met us at my parents' house on Saturday evening. I think he missed T as much as I did...and decided he couldn't wait until Sunday evening (when we were due to arrive home) to see him!

We were in two vehicles, of course; however, we all drove home on Sunday afternoon.  I dropped off my niece at her house, and then I returned my rental car. From there, my husband, T, and I went to a Mexican restaurant for supper...and then home.

I like to travel...but it always is good to be home!

Shiloh

On Saturday while we were in Tennessee, a group of us visited the Shiloh National Military Park.

We watched a 30-minute film to learn more about the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862.

The two-day battle at Shiloh produced more than 23,000 casualties and was the bloodiest battle in American history at its time.

Afterward, T tried on a Confederate uniform.

Confederate soldier

Then, he tried on the Union uniform.

Union soldier

Everyone had a good time.

We looked for a letterbox, too...

but it was missing.

Drat!

Shoe Tree

On our way through Alabama, my niece and I looked for and found the Shoe Tree in Alabama letterbox.

 

Most of you might know what a shoe tree is.  I did not.  I found out:

A shoe tree starts with one dreamer, tossing his or her footwear-of-old high into the sky to catch on an out-of-reach branch.  It usually ends there, unseen and neglected by others.  But on rare occasions, that first pair of shoes triggers a shoe-tossing cascade.

Many contributors use permanent marker to inscribe messages on the sneakers -- greetings, love poems, and life accomplishments.

We didn't add a pair of shoes; however, we thoroughly relished the sight of many, many pairs of shoes left by others!  :P

Welcome Center Letterbox

It never occurred to me that letterboxing could be a lucrative venture.  While T and I were looking for a letterbox at a welcome center, I discovered a five dollar bill...right there on the ground at the base of the tree where the letterbox was hidden.

How fun is that??!  ~Two treasures for the price of one!  ;o)

Afterward, we met my husband for supper at a diner.  When the waitress brought our food to us, she told us that the gentleman who had been sitting at a table near ours had paid for our meal.  He told the waitress (who passed along to us) that he has a child with special needs [too], and that he felt led to buy our supper for us.  He told her that he wanted us to feel blessed.  We could not have been more surprised!

~The kindness and generosity of a stranger.  The Lord blessed us through him.  We did indeed feel blessed!

Whoever you are...wherever you are...may the Lord bless you, also!  :)

Dinosaur Letterbox

My Dad, T, and I searched for dinosaurs this afternoon.

We discovered Headless Taylorsaurus.

In the photos below, T is stamping in his log book.

My Dad was not altogether familiar with letterboxing.  He found it interesting...and of course, T had a wonderful time being with his Grandpa and being outside!  :)