Homerdoodle 2021

This past weekend Boxing Turtle, Daddy's Favorite Princess, Lil Ewok and I attended the Homerdoodle event.  We left home at 8:30 Friday morning and drove up to Moonshine, Ill.  The princess and I had stopped here a few years ago with friends.  There were 2 boxes here but they have both gone missing.  We enjoyed some Moonburgers, got t-shirts, and planted a box.  

Then we headed to Casey.  The princess and I had been here before but they have added several new things since then.  And there were a few new letterboxes to find too.  We planted the first boxes here.  One of them has been marked missing and I checked on it while we were here.

Then we headed north to St Joseph.  We found 1 and planted 1.  I as hopping to get more boxes here but we were running out of time.  I had promised the kids that we would only box until dinner time and then the kids could swim at the hotel.  

We had dinner at the Cracker Barrel and got a box there.  We checked into the hotel and the kids swam for about 30 minutes.  They were pretty tired, we went back to the room, and I logged my finds and posted the clues for the 2 boxes I planted. 

Saturday, we got up, had breakfast at the hotel, and set off for Homer.  We checked in and hit the trails.  I wish someone would have remined us to use bug spray.  The mosquitos were horrible.  After walking the first trail, my younger two said they would spend the rest of the day in the car.  But we did get them out again and they enjoyed the nature center.  

We boxed until 5.  I told the kids we would have dinner on the way home.  We stopped in Paris and had pizza.  We got another box while we were close.  Then I drove until we got to Vincennes and Boxing Turtle drove the rest of the way.  He has his permit and needs night hours.  We got home about 9:30 pm.

For the two days, we found 146 boxes and 3 hitchhikers.  It was very different from a normal letterboxing event but we had a good time once we got the bug spray on.  

Homerdoodle Event

Stamping on the trail

On Saturday, the kids and I went to the Homerdoodle Event in Homer, Ill.  We left at 6 am and arrived just after 9:30.  We only made one stop on the way up to go potty and grab breakfast.  I had my phone take us the "fastest route".  I think she was having problems because the roads kept getting smaller and at one point she told us to go east and then turn into a corn field.  I deiced that we would not be coming that way home.

We checked in, exchanged with the hostesses, and got our clue packet.  I think I grabbed two table top boxes and then we hit the trail.  We found a series of 19 stamps called, "Frogs are lucky! They eat what bugs them!"  All of the stamps (except for the last one) were bugs.  They were great carves and we found the stamp that I sent to the event too.

Kid Table

When we finished that trail it was time for the group photo and lunch.  After lunch Daddy's Favorite Princess wanted to stay in the a/c and stamp event/table top boxes.  We asked the hostesses if she could stay and they said yes.  They had a kid table set up with papers, markers, stamps, etc.  They also had bubbles, side walk chalk, and popsicles.

Trail Selfie 

After lunch the boys and I hit the trails again.  We did a nature series and found 22 boxes.  This was a nice shady trail and I found my 800th box during that series.  But the boys were getting grouchy and fighting over who would get the box, who would stamp first, who would put it back, etc.

Event/table top boxes

When we finished those I promised them we would stay at the shelter for a bit.  We got back and we only had 40 minutes to exchange, stamp table tops, event boxes, etc.  We stamped as many as we could and ended up staying a little late.  You know they want you to leave when they start taking your chairs away.  So we threw in the towel.

One of the hostesses had talked about a fancy playground area and I let the kids play there a while.  Lil Ewok ended up slipping on the rocks and getting a little wet.  After a while I talked the kids into getting 5 more boxes.  The stamps were wildlife in the park.

Playscape 

I would have liked to have gotten more boxes but the kids were hungry and tired so we left.  We went up the interstate and found a restaurant.  While we were there I studied the map and picked a different way home.  We got back just after 10:30 that night.  Homer is about 3.5 hours from home and my husband said that he didn't realize how far we were going.

We found 55 traditional boxes, 3 hitchhikers, 1 cootie, 64 event boxes, and a few exchanges.  I was hoping to get more traditional boxes and exchange with more people but I guess there is only so much you can do in a day.