WV Family Magazine’s
Summer Day Trip Guide
Places to Go & Things to Do
Summer Day Trip Ideas
- See our family-friendly calendar in the Summer issue for great events going on this summer.
- Summer is a great time for WV Fairs and Festivals.
- West Virginia is full of history. Check out the Summer issue for museums and historical sites.
- Kids love animals - visit the Pittsburgh Zoo or the WV Wildlife Center.
- Factory tours are a great way to learn about American industry and history. Visit www.factorytoursusa.com for destinations.
- Take a class together - crafts, pottery, photography, dance.
- WV has many great parks, each with its own accommodations and activities to fit your needs. Check out parks listing in the Summer issue.
- Participate in a charitable event - Habitat for Humanity, charity walk or run, etc...
- Are you missing something? Maybe! Get a tour book from your local library or visitor center and visit attractions in your town/county that you did not know about.
- Berry picking is a fun activity for the whole family. Berries can be found in Spring and Summer. Apples and pumpkins can be found in the fall.
- Visit a flea market. Explore local treasures and meet some interesting people.
- Go on a walking tour. Visit a nearby town/city and tour the downtown area. Make a day of it, shop and dine.
- See the Summer issue for more family fun ideas - train rides, riverboat rides, horseback riding, and more.
Turn Your Day Trip into a Treasure Hunt
Letterboxing: A Treasure Hunt for the Entire Family
By Carla Cosner
Are you looking for a creative way to break away from everyday routines this summer? Letterboxing is a treasure hunt game for the entire family that takes you on adventures to many new places. Letterboxing combines navigation, treasure hunting, and exploring. The purpose is to find small boxes which have been hidden in public areas (there are approximately 20,000 boxes across America). The creators of the letterboxes posts clues online so others can find them.
AtlasQuest.com and Letterboxing.org are two letterboxing community sites where letterboxes are registered. Each box is a waterproof container with a unique stamp and a log book inside. Finders use posted clues/directions to find letterboxes. Finders bring their own stamp and log book/journal, as well as an ink pad and a pen or marker. When a letterbox is found, the finder uses the stamp from the letterbox to stamp their journal as a record of the find. The letterbox stamp is often a handmade stamp to represent the location or adventure. Clues are sometimes educational or contain history about the location. The finder can also write notes in their own journal about the letterbox adventure (date, name of letterbox, general location, etc…)
The finder then stamps their own stamp into the letterbox log book and writes the date, trail name or group name, and town/state they are from. The finder can also look through the logbook to see who else found the letterbox, where they were from, and read any comments that were written. Before leaving the site of the letterbox find, place all contents back into the waterproof container, rehide the letterbox in its same location for the next finder.
Once home, register your find at one of the Letterbox community websites and print the clue for your next adventure.
Good luck and enjoy!
Letterboxing: 10 Tips for Getting Started
- Go to www.atlasquest.com and enter your zip code to see if there are any letterboxes in your area. Be sure to check the status of each to make sure they are still active.
- Each Letterbox registered also has a list of attributes - drive-by location vs. a hike, how long of a hike, pet friendly, compass needed or not, etc...
- You can read the clues and comments from other finders to find the most interesting one to start with.
- Print the clue(s) for your first letterbox location.
- Make or purchase a rubber stamp which will be your signature stamp. (Go to www.letterboxing.org for directions.)
- You will also need the following items: small journal or notebook, pen or marker, ink pad, compass.
- You may also want to have a small bag or totebag to carry your items.
- Before heading out on your first adventure, be sure to read the tips and articles on atlasquest.com and letterboxing.org.
- Take a camera, picnic lunch, or snacks, insect repellent, good walking/hiking shoes, jackets if needed. Plan to make a day of it and enjoy the time away from your every day routine.