(16 photos in gallery) While in Big Bear over Thanksgiving weekend, my sister-in-law, Jeanne, suggested we explore the area, searching for Letterboxing and Geocaching sites. I’d heard of Geocaching, where people hide tiny items for others to find via GPS coordinates. Letterboxing is somewhat similar, but has more of a treasure hunt element because of the clues given that you must follow to locate a box with a rubber stamp and log book inside. We had luck finding one Geocache site in an old graveyard on the east end of Big Bear, but couldn’t locate the other that should have been in the crook of a tree, 36 paces from the main road where the coordinates ended.
Switching to Letterboxing, we drove out toward Holcomb Valley and followed clues, hiking up the mountain past another old, somewhat restored, graveyard, to an old tree stump. Under loose rocks was a plastic box that had seen better days, had been there for years. Inside was a log book and rubber stamp. Jeanne stamped the tree shaped stamp into her personal log book, and then she and my brother each stamped their own marks into the log book as a record. We each wrote notes into the log book, stating our names and the date we’d found the site, then put it all neatly back.
What a fun activity, outdoors, exploring the area. My camera was clicking away, as you might well imagine. I highly recommend trying for yourself! ~SueBee
SueBee and Kat 
Interesting…
It will take you to places that you might not otherwise visit so that has to be a good thing.
Yes, I agree.
I heard about geocaching about five years ago. I downloaded an app in my phone with great anticipation, just a week before a major job promotion that consumed my entire life…and then there was the bomb of newly mom hood…and now I think…why haven’t I don’t this sooner with my kiddos?! It’s like a treasure hunt. 🙂 I thank you for sharing your experience and inspiring me!
Letter boxing sounds fun too…will have to look into that as well!
I hope you give it a go! We had so much fun!!