This message board is open for business! Enjoy!

Hello, Illinoisiers, or whatever you prefer to call yourselves.... =)

I'll be riding Amtrak back to Seattle on the 25th and have to switch trains in Chicago. So if anyone is interested in a quick meet, it might be possible. Might being the operative word. Looks like I should have a two to three hour layover between trains, assuming everything is running on time at Union Station, I think it is. If anyone wants to try looking me up during the layover, let me know. =) But it all depends on the trains running on time, blah, blah, blah. But I'll definitely be in Chicago--briefly--on the morning/afternoon of the 25th this month. =)

Happy trails!

-- Ryan

Is anyone in or near Princeton, Illinois?

I've got a letterbox out there that I think has gone missing, and would love some help in replacing it.

I won't be driving across the country this summer, so I need a collaborator.

http://www.atlasquest.com/lboxes/showboxinfo.html?gBoxId=8086

Lisascenic

Are there any planned events?
Im watching for new boxes in my area like a HAWK, and am planning on a few of our own soon!

(Very new, and Hooked)
CinemaBoxers

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Are there any planned events?

Have you joined the Great Lakes list yet? The letterboxers there are wonderful and friendly (as well as crafty and clever - watch out!). Regional email lists are a great way to get to know some local letterboxers and find out about gatherings in your area, especially the spontaneous, informal ones.

If you haven't joined yet, be sure to mention letterboxing in your membership request so the group moderators know you're not a spammer.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LbGLK/

Welcome!

TurtleMcQ in Ithaca, NY (but a former resident of the Badger State)

My girls and I will be planting a series plus some singles very soon. In fact, the four year old would have me up all night carving so we could do it tomorrow if she had her way!
Stacy

Welcome CinemaBoxers!

Cute name -- my partner-in-crime Atom 118 filled me in on the meaning. :) As for events, there aren't anymore planned for IL this year right now as far as I know. There are a couple in the works in MI though. On the AQ "My Page" there is a section for upcoming events, where you can read up on the "Dog Days of Summer" gathering in Augusta, MI which is about a 2.5-3hr from Chicago on I-94. The park it's going to be in is large and good for boxing. Otherwise, there is a huge annual Greak Lakes region gathering the weekend after Memorial Day weekend -- next year it will be in MN.

I also highly recommend you join the LbGLK group on Yahoo. Everyone's super friendly, and you'll learn a lot about the boxes and placers in the area.

Take care,
Coffee Beans

We did our first plant today...
IM SO EXCITED! Cant wait to see who finds it first!
There are now several in the general area to make it worthwhile for people to head up!

Paula

Northern IL! Enjoy!

We spent a week scouting - and did two sets of plants this week.
I hope anyone who finds them enjoys them.

Paula

Hi all,

If any of you are planning to attend the Star Trek 40th
Anniversary convention in Chicago on September 8, 9 & 10, I will be there
too. I would love to meet some fellow letterboxers and do an exchange.
I also have a personal traveller making its debut at the
convention, so I hope I have some takers. Here's the info:

http://www.atlasquest.com/lboxes/clue/index.html?gBoxId=18835

The convention is at the Wyndham O'Hare, so for those of you who
are not going but are going to be in the area, perhaps we can work
something out as well.

Thanks!
Trekkie Gal

We finally finished planting the last of the Jumanji boxes in the current series. Clues have been updated. Enjoy!

has anyone contacted you? I just tonight dregistered on atlas quest. lots of catching up to do, but I saw your post, and I live about an hour an away. I was hoping to visit your box anyway sometime soonish. if someone else has verified it, I'd really like to know, and if they haven't then i will. either way, just let me know.

bigpurplefoot

You'd have better luck posting on the "Illinois" board or the "In the News" board. But I wouldn't post my phone number on here if I were you..just use your email address.

LW PhD

My family and I will be staying a few days in Schuamberg and would love to get some Chicago area boxes.
There are 4 of us (2 adults, an 8 yob and a 6 yog). We particulary like the boxes with great historical information and ones that really show off the sights.
Any recommendations?

Does anyone recognize the name "slice of" from Bloomington, IL? I found one of their hitchhikers in GA and need to contact them.

Thanks! Mark4

We're from Champaign and can't say that I recognize it, given how close we are.

Sorry I wasn'ty able to help!

BasketCase

Thank you! If I don't hear anything, I plan to recarve the stamp and send it out into the wide wide Lbing world!

Mark4

Have you looked completely through their logbook? Sometimes they'll have their contact info on the inside of the back cover - their "real" name.

Just a though...

BasketCase

I could ask on the Illinois yahoo group, if you'd like. What is the name of the HH?

Or, there is a Hitchhiker list that Wanda and Pete keep up. Here is the link:
http://alum.wpi.edu/~p_miner/travelers.html

Hope that helps.
Stacy

What is the name of the HH?

Thank you. I've checked the Hitchhiker lists with no success, but thanks for the link! The HH is called "All Night". I appreciate your help.

Mark4

I posted this message on the Indiana board earlier, but since we're so close to Illinois, I thought I'd post it here too.

There's been some talk about hosting an event here in Evansville, Indiana, so I've been looking into some rental facilities. The best place I've come up with is the Bent Twig Outdoor Education Center at USI. You can check it out at http://www.usi.edu/events/benttwig.asp. There aren't a lot of trails left around here that would accommodate a large amount of boxes, so I kind of thought we would just do PT's and exchanges and such.

There is camping at Burdette Park which is 4.5 miles away, and at Rocky Falls which is 2.5 miles away. There are also two hotels a couple of miles up the road. USI is within 10 miles of all Evansville, Newburgh, and Henderson, Kentucky boxes, and 20 miles from beautiful historic New Harmony.

At this point, we're looking at Satuday, November 17th.

Let us know what you think!

Thanks!

~ The Toadfrogs ~

Wish I could find an excuse to visit my family in Evansville that weekend. :)
A of JJJAKER in Greer SC

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Wish I could find an excuse to visit my family in Evansville that weekend.

How about an early Thanksgiving? That would be a good reason to visit.

~ The Toadfrogs ~

Hi! We're planning a visit to Chicago, and wondering if the locals have any recommendations on good boxes to hit. I believe we'll be staying near Naperville, but we'll have a car and don't mind driving around town for an exceptional box.

We'll only be in town for a couple days, so we need to narrow down our choices (there are some many in the area!!). Any favorites?

P.S. "Good" can mean a lot of things in letterboxing. For us, it means good stamps, good stories, good hunts, or good hiding places!

There are MANY wonderful boxes to visit while in the area...much of it depends on what kind of boxes you are looking to find. There are some great drive-bys...some in cool historic locations...some long hikes...and some with fun stories. Also, how much do you really want to drive around town? You can choose one general location and then find many there...or do ALOT of driving.

If you have a list and want some feedback...please email me directly.

Atom 118

I'll be in Elmhurst over Labor Day weekend, helping my sister move to her new house. I do not have a car (I'm flying in), and I don't think I'll have much free time. That being said:

Can I get recommendations for relatively quick LBs within, say 5-10 miles of Elmhurst?

Is there a possibility of meeting for an exchange? You'd have to come to me, and I don't know where I'll be or when. Oooh! We could invent a new kind of exchange - a "Mystery Exchange" where you'd have to guess where and when I'll be! Hee hee hee.

I have a feeling she'll keep my pretty busy, but just in case I can talk her into a break I thought I'd check out options.

I don't suppose there are boxes at ORD, are there? I should ask Amanda.....

Thanks heaps,
-AG

Darn it!! You picked a weekend when we will be much further west in IL! I don't think there are any boxes at ORD, I have to look at a map to see what is within a few miles of Elmhurst.


The Cottontails

Oh, I'll be mapping things out from AQ and LbNA, too, but ofttimes it's better/easier to ask locals!

Thanks!
-AG

Just moved from Glen Ellyn so I won't be able to meet you but I can give you some really nice close-by towns to search. Not sure where the boxes are, though, because we weren't boxers last year...Anyway, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, and Naperville are close and really nice spots to visit. If you find some boxes that are "must sees", please let me know! I plan on moving back one day.

Mark4