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Welcome! If this is your first visit, please read the introduction at the bottom of the page. You are welcome to leave comments, but comments including hints will not be published. If you have a puzzle you'd like to recommend, please contact teamajk through geocaching.com -- Enjoy the puzzles!

Saturday, December 31, 2011

New Year's Eve - 12/31/11

With today's puzzle from Texas, I wish you a very safe and happy:

New Year's Eve

Tomorrow we'll ring in the new year in Michigan.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Dr. Alberti - 12/30/11

Today's puzzle from Ohio reminds me of those hospital TV shows where you might hear in the background:

Calling Dr. Alberti To The OR STAT!

Tomorrow we'll celebrate New Year's Eve in Texas.

(Sorry this one went up a day early originally ... forgot that December has 31 days!  Another puzzle was posted for 12/29, in case you missed it.)

Bonus Blog #52 - 12/30/11

For our last regularly scheduled Friday "bonus" blog, I have an online image processing tool passed along to me by a reader. You could have some fun playing with:

Victor Image Processing Library, Online Image Processing

Bonus blogs may still appear periodically, if I find more interesting and useful sites to pass along.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Twelve Zeros - 12/29/11

Today's puzzle from California is:

Twelve Zeros

Tomorrow's puzzle will be from Ohio, and we'll have the last regularly scheduled "bonus" blog. 

Sorry for the confusion on today's date!  It's easy to get off track while you're on vacation. :)

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Tetris - 12/28/11

Today's Colorado puzzle is based on a game I used to have a lot of fun playing.  Let's see if you remember:

Tetris

Tomorrow we'll check out a puzzle in California.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Just say NO! - 12/27/11

Today's puzzle was brought to my attention by a reader who suggested I check out this Arizona CO.  Get ready to:

Just say NO to SuDoku!

Tomorrow we'll be in Colorado.

Monday, December 26, 2011

Boxing Day 12/26/11

Today's puzzle from California will teach you a little about:

Boxing Day

Tomorrow we'll be in Arizona.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas! - 12/25/11

With today's puzzle from Ontario, Canada, I:

Wish You A Very Merry Christmas

Tomorrow we'll celebrate "Boxing Day" in California.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Holiday Letter - 12/24/11

It's Christmas Eve and I couldn't let the year end without sending out, from Canada, the traditional:

Holiday Letter

Tomorrow we'll head east to Ontario.

Friday, December 23, 2011

The Prime Directive - 12/23/11

Today's featured puzzle out of Virginia has a Star Trek theme.  If you were a fan of the show, you are sure to know the:

Prime Directive

Tomorrow we'll have a holiday puzzle from Canada's Alberta province.

Bonus Blog #51 - 12/23/11

I found today's site as a result of a reader's suggestion.  It is chock full of different mapping tools and information.  I bet you can find something useful at:

The GPS Resource Library

Next week will be our last regularly scheduled bonus blog.  Others may appear as I come across them.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Reindeer Games - 12/22/11

I couldn't resist sharing with you, from Ohio:

TTNBX

Tomorrow will find us in Virginia, and we'll have a "bonus" blog.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

States - 12/21/11

I had a suggestion to check out the puzzles of this Nevada CO and decided to share with you one about:

States

Tomorrow we'll be in Ohio.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Dreidel - 12/20/11

In honor of those folks who will begin observing Hanukkah today, I offer this Vermont puzzle in which you get to play with a:

Dreidel

Tomorrow we'll visit Nevada.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Off Your Rocker - 12/19/11

At first glance I thought this South Dakota puzzle might be related to the series of caches featuring one of my favorite restaurant stops while traveling (I was wrong).  However, what I did find was a puzzle with a unique twist on a common theme.  I wonder if you will be:

Off Your Rocker

Tomorrow we'll return to Vermont.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

One Week 'til Christmas - 12/18/11

With one week 'til Christmas I figured it was time for another seasonal puzzle, so I bring you from California:

Christmas Songs on the Grid

Tomorrow we'll be in South Dakota.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

My Hero - 12/17/11

Today's featured puzzle from Pennsylvania is the first in a series with the fun name of "Puzzled by Puzzles."  I wonder if you remember:

0 My Hero

Tomorrow we'll return to California.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Solitaire - 12/16/11

Today's puzzle from Australia will have you playing:

Solitaire on the edge

Tomorrow we'll head to Pennsylvania.

Bonus Blog #50 - 12/16/11

Today's feature is a multipurpose reference site with oodles of information and tools just waiting for you.  It will bear some sifting through, but lots of goodies are available at:

Martindale's "The Reference Desk"

Next week we'll have another multipurpose reference site, and that will be the penultimate regular "bonus" blog.  The blog will be continuing, perhaps in a slightly different form, but bonus sites will be added only as I find them, rather than on a weekly basis.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

A Good Magic Trick - 12/15/11

Today's puzzle from Pennsylvania features a good magic trick ... will you be one of the ones to figure out how it works quickly?  (I wasn't!)  Hope you enjoy the:

Magic Card

Tomorrow we'll visit Australia for another card-related puzzle and have another "bonus" blog.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Sokoban - 12/14/11

Today's puzzle brings us to the Netherlands.   If you've never played this little logic puzzle game before, you can translate the Dutch which explains the rules you'll need to follow to get through ten levels of the addictive game:

Sokoban

Tomorrow we'll be in Pennsylvania.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Peace - 12/13/11

Today's puzzle from Washington is the first of 42 entries in another puzzle series that forms a shape on the map.  Be sure to look at the map for:

PEACE SIGN SERIES #1: Can You Feel the Peace?

Tomorrow we'll try out a game-based puzzle in the Netherlands.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Dozen Day - 12/12/11

Today's puzzle in Ohio was chosen in honor of the pair of 12's in today's date.  Have fun with:

One Dozen Domeciles

Tomorrow we'll pay another visit to Washington State.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Merry Mary - 12/11/11

Today's puzzle is another one from New York, and was passed along by a reader in honor of the season.  The year is speeding by ... it's hard to believe that in just two weeks folks will be wishing each other:

Merry Mary

Tomorrow we'll celebrate 12/12 with a puzzle in Ohio.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Cryptology 101 - 12/10/11

Back to basics with today's cache from Utah.  Try your hand at:

Cryptology 101

Tomorrow we'll return to New York.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Good, or Lucky? - 12/9/11

News flash!  I noticed this in the forum, and I think it is a step in the right direction:  Referring to the updates on geocaching.com performed on 12/6/11: "In the last release we made it possible for Basic and Premium Members to add "corrected" coordinates to Mystery and Multi-caches. Visit the cache page and click the pencil icon next to coordinates, paste your new coordinates in the field and submit. That's it! The new coordinates will be hidden from others so there is no reason to fear spoiling the final location. When you download the GPX from the cache or generate a Pocket Query your new coordinates are included." 

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming:  Here's a New York cache I'd love to be able to find some day.  To make the find:

You'll Have To Be Good, or Lucky!

Tomorrow we'll be in Utah.

Bonus Blog #49 - 12/9/11

Today's tool will help you with transliterations in fifteen different languages:

Transliteration

Next week a multipurpose reference site.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Overboard! - 12/8/11

Today we find ourselves in Texas with:

Overboard Steed Ah Malty Keg

Tomorrow we'll be back in New York.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Snoopy? - 12/7/11

A reader sent me this link to an interesting map of dog-related puzzle and letterbox caches in New Hampshire which form an interesting shape:
http://www.geocaching.com/map/beta/default.aspx?lat=43.602433&lng=-71.3293

The unusual thing about the group is that it is set up so that the actual caches do not have to be within the usual 2 miles of the posted location ... they will be found in many different cities around the area.  What a fun idea.  Many of the puzzles are similar ... I chose this one because I like the string quilt the dog is napping on: 

SD ~ CAN'T SWIM

Tomorrow we'll be in Texas.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Geocaching by the Stars - 12/6/11

Some days it seems like I can solve every puzzle I look at, and other days I can't get numbers to shake out anywhere.  Some days I spot the cache in the first spot I look, and others, I go around in circles for what feels like hours.  Wouldn't it be great to have psychic knowledge of which days are good for puzzling or caching and which days to avoid?  Today's puzzle from Australia includes horoscopes for:

Geocaching by the Stars

Tomorrow we'll be in New Hampshire.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Can't See For Looking - 12/5/11

Today we return to Canada's Alberta province, and a puzzle which asks:  "Has this ever happened to you?"  In a word:  Yes.  We are definitely afflicted with the affliction of:

Can't See For Looking - CCARS08

Tomorrow we'll return to Australia for another puzzle related to geo-frustration.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

In Memory of Lennie - 12/4/11

Today's downstate NY puzzle features a television show that the CO's wife enjoys.  I certainly hope she's not:

Wife #300

Tomorrow we'll return to Canada's Alberta province.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Geocursing - 12/3/11

We've probably all done it, but here's hoping that today's puzzle from Canada's Alberta province won't lead to much:

Geocursing

Tomorrow a TV-themed puzzle from downstate NY.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Joey-Jo Sheepsower - 12/2/11

Today we meet a character out of Virginia named Joey-Jo.  He's had several exploits chronicled as puzzle caches including:

Joey-Jo Sheepsower Horked His Dad's Car

Tomorrow we'll head back up to Canada.

Bonus Blog #48 - 12/2/11

Today's site will quiz you with (and give the answers to) some puzzles involving number sequences, and there is a link to the "Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences."  You might be able create a fun geocaching puzzle out of these:

Puzzle Sequences

Next week: a transliteration tool.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Happy Birthday A! - 12/1/11

Today is the birthday of one of our team members, so in his honor I'd like to feature the first puzzle he created, part of our "PIE" Series.  We've had a great time making them, and you can link to a bookmark to the rest of the series from:

Puzzled, Ithaca Edition: 3/3/11

Tomorrow, a return visit to Virginia, and another "bonus" blog.

This blog was originally conceived as a one-year project, which would give us one month left to go.  If you're interested in seeing it continue (in one way or another) please post a comment or contact me through geocaching.com, username teamajk.  Thanks -

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Origami - 11/30/11

Today's puzzle from Michigan will have you making an:

Origami - Butterfly

Tomorrow we'll return to central NY.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Puzzler's Paradise - 11/29/11

Today we pay our first visit to Japan, and a series called "Puzzler's Paradise."  Sounds like a great place to me!  Have some fun with:

Puzzler's Paradise: Face Time

Tomorrow we'll be in Michigan.

Monday, November 28, 2011

50 states - 11/28/11

Today we're visiting our 50th state on the blog:  North Dakota.  I hope you get an A+ in:

Geology 101

Tomorrow we'll pay a visit to another new spot for us:  Japan.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

A Favorite CO - 11/27/11

Today's central NY puzzle is from the first cache I found by a CO who has become one of my favorites.  We love all his caches - puzzles, multi's, and traditionals alike.  His very creative and unique hides (often in plain sight) always keep us guessing and have provided a ton of fun.  Have some fun with:

Ridge Cemetery Puzzle

Tomorrow we'll head for a puzzle in the one state we haven't visited thus far on the blog.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Tempus Fugit - 11/26/11

Today we pay a return visit to Germany, with a reminder that:

Tempus Fugit

Tomorrow we'll return to central NY.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Black Friday - 11/25/11

Today is the day that many folks will start their Christmas shopping in earnest.  In honor of the day, I bring you, from California:

The Gift

Don't forget to check out today's bonus blog.  Tomorrow we'll make a return trip to Germany.

Bonus Blog #47 - 11/25/11

Today we have another cipher-solving site, which contains some ciphers I hadn't ever even heard of before.  I need to spend some time looking at this one:

BION's cipher page

Next week  ... a site related to number sequences.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving! - 11/24/11

Today, a pair of puzzles celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday. Once you've been able to check off California's:

Top Six Signs You've Eaten 2 Much on Thanksgiving

you may feel the need for, from Washington:

Thanksgiving Day Mental Aerobics

Tomorrow we'll have a puzzle from California and another bonus blog.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Decode Da Dot Dash - 11/23/11

Today brings us back to Ohio, where you can attempt to:

Decode Da Dot Dash

Tomorrow, a pair of puzzles from California and Washington in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Negatory - 11/22/11

Today's puzzle is from downstate NY.  Have I found it myself?  For now, that would be:

Negatory

Tomorrow we'll head back over to Ohio.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Kapell - 11/21/11

Today we make our first visit to Luxembourg, and a puzzle called:

Kapell

Tomorrow we'll be back in downstate New York.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Dart Corner - 11/20/11

Today brings us to Illinois and:

Dart Corner

Tomorrow we'll travel to a new country for the blog:  Luxembourg.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

A Bad Feeling ... - 11/19/11

I hope that when you see today's Texas puzzle you won't be thinking:

I've Got A Bad Feeling About This ...

Tomorrow we'll find ourselves in Illinois.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Eel Trout - 11/18/11

Today's puzzle brings us back to California.  I wonder if you can catch the elusive:

Eel Trout

Tomorrow we'll be in Texas.

Bonus Blog #46 - 11/18/11

Today we have a tool passed along to me by a reader.  Try playing with:

Decrypto 8.5, Online Cryptoquip and Cryptogram Solver

Next week: Another tool for ciphers.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Welcome to Puzzle Street! - 11/17/11

I love the concept for the Nova Scotia, Canada, puzzle series featured today:  a single trail, with 50-odd puzzle caches hidden along it, all solve-at-home style, with geocheckers.  How much fun does that sound like?  If I ever get to Nova Scotia I will get myself to "Puzzle Street."

PS01: Welcome to Puzzle Street!

Tomorrow:  a puzzle from California.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Many Ways - 11/16/11

Today's puzzle brings us back to Ohio.  As with most puzzles, there are:

Many Ways to Look at It

Tomorrow we'll be in Canada's Nova Scotia province.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Polly's Pretty Tulip Patch - 11/15/11

The snow has already been flying around here, so there is no doubt that winter is just around the corner.  Let's just say that winter is not my favorite part of living in central NY.  I suppose the folks in Vermont, where today's puzzle is from,  know a thing or two about winter, themselves.  I'm already thinking of spring, which brought to mind:

Polly's Pretty Tulip Patch

Tomorrow we'll swing back out to Ohio.

Monday, November 14, 2011

It Begins ... Again 11/14/11

I featured a puzzle from this series of Central Park Gate caches a while back, but figured they were worth another look for those who might have missed them.  They don't need to be done in any particular order, but for this one:

It Begins At The Merchants' Gate

Tomorrow we'll head back to Vermont.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Sunday Morning Talk Show - 11/13/11

Today we'll be visiting Washington, D.C. for a puzzle you can solve after watching your favorite:

Sunday Morning Talk Show

Tomorrow we'll make another trip to New York City.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Sonic Pros - 11/12/11

Today's puzzle takes us back to California.  What do you know about:

Sonic Pros

Tomorrow we'll head to Washington, D.C.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Veterans' Day - 11/11/11

Today's featured puzzle from Arizona was placed two years ago today, on Veterans' Day.  The holiday is in honor of  the fact that major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.  Many geo-events will be marking 11/11/11 on the calendar, but I thought it fitting to honor the original 11/11 with a:

Veterans Puzzle

Don't forget to check out today's "bonus" blog.  Tomorrow we'll head for a puzzle in California.

Bonus Blog #45 - 11/11/11

Today's site might help you out with a photo puzzle.  Give it a try and see what you can find:

Jeffrey's Exif viewer

Next week: a tool for cryptograms.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Nefarious - 11/10/11

A puzzle from Connecticut in honor of the last of the one/zero dates of the year:

Nefarious: A simple puzzle for geocachers

Tomorrow, a puzzle from Arizona in honor of Veterans' Day.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Glacial Boulders - 11/9/11

Today's puzzle is our first from Estonia.  If you ever get there, you'll have to be sure to check out the:

Glacial Boulders

Tomorrow, we'll head for Missouri.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

On Time - 11/8/11

Today's puzzle brings us back to Minnesota.  In order to solve it, you'll need to be:

On Time

Tomorrow we'll head for a new country for this blog:  Estonia.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Connect the Dots - 11/7/11

Today's featured puzzle is from Texas.  To figure out where the cache is, you'll need to:

Connect the Dots

Tomorrow we'll head for a puzzle in Minnesota.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

PDR - 11/6/11

Today's puzzle finds us back in California. Good luck with:

PDR

Tomorrow we'll be looking at a puzzle from Texas.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

RIP - 11/5/11

Today's New York puzzle is the first one we solved that led us to a cemetery.  We have since come to really enjoy the wide variety of interesting old cemeteries around this area.  We missed the original, so we are glad this CO decided to:

Redo RIP

Tomorrow, back out to California.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Fried - 11/4/11

Sometimes a puzzle leaves me feeling fried.  See how you feel after trying today's Missouri puzzle:

Fried Fraud

Don't forget to check out today's "bonus blog."  Tomorrow we'll check out another central NY puzzle.

Bonus Blog #44 - 11/4/11

Today's site will help you find strings or a specific group of digits in pi, e, or √2:

Mathematical Constants Search

Next week: a photo tool.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Chocolate Bar - 11/3/11

Today's puzzle is from what I would refer to as "downstate" New York.  I wish it were still true that a:

Chocolate bar costs 47 cents

Tomorrow we'll head to a puzzle in Missouri.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Blue Birthday - 11/2/11

Today's featured puzzle comes from Texas.  Everybody has one, and mine happens to be today.  Hope it won't be a:

Blue Birthday

Tomorrow we'll check out another NY puzzle.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Inspector Morse - 11/1/11

Today's featured puzzle is our first from Ireland.  I enjoyed the Inspector Morse books and tv series and have been watching the spin-off Inspector Lewis series on PBS this fall.  Thus I am pleased to bring you:

Inspector Morse Won - Oh.

Tomorrow we'll visit a puzzle in Texas.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Halloween Puzzle Nightmare - 10/31/11

Happy Halloween everyone!  A pair of Halloween themed puzzles for you to mark the occasion.  Hope this first one from Texas won't turn out to be a:

Halloween Puzzle Nightmare

And from Vermont, everyone loves:

"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown"

Tomorrow we'll take our first visit to a puzzle in Ireland.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Donut Denial - 10/30/11

Today's puzzle cache from California made me hungry ... in the words of the FTF:  "Mmm ... donuts."  Hope you never have to deal with:

Donut Denial

Tomorrow we'll celebrate with a pair of Halloween themed puzzles.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Monk - 10/29/11

Another television-inspired cache for you today, this time from Minnesota. If you've enjoyed Monk, then see what you can make of:

Monk Mk II

Tomorrow we'll head to California.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Anaquote - 10/28/11

Today's puzzle out of Florida had me trying something new.  Take a shot at:

Anaquote Uno Adventure Cache

Don't forget to check out today's bonus blog.  Tomorrow we'll be in Minnesota.

Bonus Blog #43 - 10/28/11

I recently found an expanded version of a tool I presented way back in January ... this one has the capability to go all the way up to base 64, and handles very large numbers more accurately than some of the other online converters. 

Number Bases Conversion Tool & Bases 2 - Base 64 Converter

Next week:  another mathematical tool.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Milestones - 10/27/11

Today's puzzle cache from Ohio honors caching milestones and those who help us get there.  See what you make of:

Milestone Makers - Our Pillars of Geocaching

Tomorrow we'll check out a puzzle in Florida and have another "bonus" blog.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Cut and Paste - 10/26/11

Another fun one out of Central New York for you.  All you haveto do is:

Cut and Paste

Tomorrow we'll head back to Ohio.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Google This! 10/25/11

Today's puzzle out of Canada's Nova Scotia province recommends:

Google This!

Tomorrow we'll be back in central NY.

Monday, October 24, 2011

An Experiment - 10/24/11

Today we have another puzzle from Kansas.  See what happens when you do:

Experiment 626

Tomorrow, a puzzle from Canada's Nova Scotia province.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

King James Version - 10/23/11

A puzzle from Kansas for you today.  You'll need to use the King James Version to solve:
2 Timothy 2:15

Tomorrow we'll stick around Kansas for another day.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

CITO - 10/22/11

Today's Texas puzzle reminds us that a nice fall Saturday is the perfect day for a:

CITO Cache

Tomorrow we'll head to Kansas.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Just Add Numbers - 10/21/11

Today's California puzzle is a classic from one of the titans of the geocaching puzzle world, kablooey.  All you have to do is:

Just Add Numbers

Don't forget to check out today's "bonus" blog.  Tomorrow, we'll head back to Texas.

Bonus Blog #42 - 10/21/11

Today's featured site has all kinds of tools for phone numbers, from spelling words to interpretting touch tones.  See what goodies you can uncover at:

DialABC - Tools for Phone Numbers

Next week: A mathematical helper.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

A Familiar Sight - 10/20/11

Today's puzzle is out of California.  It should be a:

Familiar Sight

Tomorrow we'll check out another California puzzle.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

No Conductors Here - 10/19/11

Today's puzzle finds in Ohio, where apparently there are:

No Conductors Here

Tomorrow, we'll head out to California.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Shake Rattle and Roll - 10/18/11

Today's puzzle from Colorado has a couple typos in spelling, but I don't think they will slow you down.  To get the solution you'll need to:

Shake Rattle and Roll

Tomorrow we'll head over to Ohio.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Evil Hex - 10/17/11

Today wraps up our round of NY puzzles.  I hope you have good luck with this one, and don't fall under the:

Evil Hex

Tomorrow:  we'll make our way over to Colorado for a puzzle.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Out of the Blue - 10/16/11

Sometimes the idea for a puzzle will come to you from:

Out of the Blue

Tomorrow:  we'll wrap up our round of NY puzzles.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Ad Astra - 10/15/11

The listing for today's NY puzzle cache about astronauts reads, in part:  "This cache is a salute to those early pioneers who broke the bonds of gravity, escaped the well (however briefly), and saw Earth from afar for the first time."  I bet you will learn something new in solving:

Ad Astra

Tomorrow, we'll start to wind down our tour of NY puzzles.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Just Follow the Directions - 10/14/11

Today's NY puzzle is a fun one and sounds like it was unveiled in a fun way ... over breakfast at a gathering of cachers.  All you have to do to solve it is:

Just Follow the Directions

Don't forget to check out today's bonus blog.  Tomorrow we'll have another space themed cache.

Bonus Blog #41 - 10/14/11

Today's site, formerly known as "spy tools" claims to be "The online toolset for detectives, historians, researchers, students, and especially a combination of all four!"  See what useful goodies you can find at:

AltaMatic - Empowering Amateur Detectives

Next week:  Everything you ever wanted to know about phone numbers.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Warp and Weft - 10/13/11

Today's NY  puzzle talks about weaving, which took me back to the one art class I took in college:  fiber arts, in which I learned to weave on a loom.  Some folks call it "warp and woof" but I learned:

Warp & Weft

Tomorrow, another puzzle from the same CO's.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

NUMB3RS - 10/12/11

In the opening of the TV show "NUMB3RS" Charlie states that:  "We all use math every day; to predict weather, to tell time, to handle money.  Math is more than formulas or equations; it's logic, it's rationality,
it's using your mind to solve the biggest mysteries we know."

For some of us, the "biggest myseteries we know" include geocaching puzzles!  Enjoy this NY puzzle cache inspired by the show:

NUMB3RS

Tomorrow, our NY puzzle run continues.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

A Columbus Cache - 10/11/11

In honor of Columbus Day, which was yesterday, I thought I'd feature a puzzle about Christopher Columbus. However, the only one I tracked down is in the Netherlands and required a lot of translation.  (New idea for a puzzle, someone?)  As an alternative, I am featuring another puzzle from the Columbus, Ohio region, which has a lot of good ones.  If you've cached across the U.S. maybe you will recognize some of the caches in:

Nationwide Review - State of the States

Tomorrow, back to my round of NY puzzles.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Power of 10 Cash - 10/10/11

I hope you'll indulge me today for featuring one of the first geocaching puzzles I ever made, which was in honor of 10/10/10, a year ago today.  This blog is the result of a challenge I set for myself  at that time to solve a puzzle for every day in a year. What a year it has been!  Have some fun with:

Power of 10 Cash

Tomorrow we'll head to a puzzle in honor of Columbus Day (one day late).

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Greenbeard's Booty - 10/9/11

Today's New York puzzle is one I'd like to try to get a smiley on some day.  I wonder if I'll be able to find:

Greenbeard's Booty

Tomorrow ... still hanging around in New York.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

As Easy as ABC - 10/8/11

Today I'm continuing the theme of New York puzzles, with another one I was pleased to grab a smiley on recently.  Don't worry, it's:

As Easy as ABC

Tomorrow, another entry in the round of NY puzzles.

Friday, October 7, 2011

So, What Is It?? - 10/7/11

Today's puzzle in the Rochester, NY area had me going for quite a while.  Why?  Well, you'll soon discover:

That's Not ASCII!

Don't forget to check out today's "bonus" blog.  Tomorrow we'll have another New York cache.

Bonus Blog #40 - 10/7/11

Today I'm featuring a site chock-full of useful gems for your puzzle making and solving toolbox.  You'll need to scroll down the page a bit to see them, but check out all the neat items in "calculator city" and "reference city" etc. 

1728.org

This site was brought to my attention by a reader ... if you have a site that others might enjoy, please send it along.

Next week: another batch of "spy" tools.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

MD5 - 10/6/11

Today's puzzle from Switzerland has no English translation, but I don't think that should prove to be too much of a problem.  Take a shot at:

MD5

Tomorrow we'll check out a challenge from New York.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Lost! - 10/5/11

Today's puzzle from NY state was inspired by two TV shows, "Lost" (which I never could get into) and "Lost In Space" (which I remember watching reruns of as a kid:  "Warning! Warning!", "Danger, Will Robinson!" )   Hope you won't get:

LOST (in [cyber] space)

Tomorrow we'll check out a puzzle in Switzerland.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

E.T.? - 10/4/11

Geocaching puzzles can expose us to so many things we'd never have come across otherwise.  Today's Texas puzzle would have us learn something about:

Extraterrestrial Cryptography

Tomorrow we'll continue the outer space theme with a puzzle from NY.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Yum ... Pasta! - 10/3/11

Today's fun puzzle was sent in by a reader from Texas.  If you have solved or created a puzzle you think others might enjoy, please e-mail it to me through geocaching.com (I'm part of teamajk).  I don't think I've mentioned this, but one of my favorite things to eat is pasta.  If you're like me then you will enjoy:

Pasta ala davarle

Tomorrow we'll stick around Texas for another day.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

The Pharaoh's Curse - 10/2/11

Growing up I was fascinated in King Tut and all things Egyptian.  If you followed the story of the discovery of King Tut's tomb, no doubt you have heard of:

The Pharaoh's Curse

Tomorrow we'll head to Texas.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

DateNite - 10/1/11

I have seen challenge caches that require you to find caches on the day that they were hidden ... their "birthday" if you will (for example 6 Birthdays Challenge.)  If you solve this puzzle out of Canada's Alberta province on the day it comes out on this blog, you will be celebrating its 5th birthday!  Today is also a Saturday, when many people celebrate:

DateNite

Tomorrow we'll be back down in Ohio.

Friday, September 30, 2011

I sometimes do too! - 9/30/11

Today's puzzle out of Pennsylvania is from a CO by the name of "CaptainMath."  With a name like that, I'm not surprised that he would say:

I Prefer Pi

(Link corrected ... sorry!)
Don't forget to also check out today's "bonus" blog.  Tomorrow we'll be up in Canada's Alberta Province.

Bonus Blog #39 - 9/30/11

This is a pretty neat cipher solving tool that could come in handy:

Black Chamber Vigenere Cracking Tool

(link updated 12/17/11)

Next week:  Useful calculators, references, and more.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Day of Reckoning - 9/29/11

Did you know that the Three Stooges are geocachers?  Well, today I bring you a puzzle from California placed by Moe, Larry, and Curly.  Good luck with the:

Day of Reckoning

Tomorrow we'll head back over to Pennsylvania for a puzzle, and have another "bonus" blog.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Legends of Hockey - 9/28/11

I haven't featured a sports-themed puzzle in a while, so here is one for you today, out of Ohio.  Growing up in the south in the '70s and '80s, we didn't hear too much about hockey.  That has changed somewhat today, with teams popping up in Raleigh, Nashville, and Atlanta (although I see they'll be moving soon).   Try this puzzle, and you might learn quite a bit about some:

Legends of Hockey

(Oops!  Link fixed).
Tomorrow we'll head out to California.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

You Light Up My Life - 9/27/11

Today's puzzle out of Minnesota could have you humming along to:

You Light Up My Life

Tomorrow we'll hop over to Ohio.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Ham Radio 101 - 9/26/11

Today's Minnesota puzzle taught me something new.  I wonder how many of you have already passed:

Ham Radio 101

Tomorrow we'll hang around Minnesota for another puzzle.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Visualize - 9/25/11

For today's puzzle from Washington state, you will need to:

Visualize the Solution

Tomorrow we'll swing over to Minnesota.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

2500! - 9/24/11

Today's New Hampshire puzzle was placed in honor of a fellow cacher making the 2500 cache mark ... a fun idea indeed.  Enjoy:

MSCREP 2500

Tomorrow we'll go back out to Washington state.

Friday, September 23, 2011

A Cipher Challenge - 9/23/11

Today's puzzle is one I hope to eventually be able to get over to the Rochester area and grab ... a 5* find would definitely be worth the trip.  See how you make out with:

Mom-n-Andy's Cipher Challenge

Don't forget to also check out today's "bonus" blog.  Tomorrow we'll head over to New Hampshire.

Bonus Blog #38 - 9/23/11

This site looks fun to play with, and it might even help you solve a puzzle:

Number Cruncher

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Alphabet Soup - 9/22/11

I recently enjoyed finding an Alphabet Soup challenge cache, in which I had to have found a New York cache starting with every letter of the alphabet ... U and X were the last two I logged.  In honor of that fun find, I bring you from Washington state an alphabet soup cache with a puzzle, not a challenge:

PuzzleMania "Alphabet Soup"

Tomorrow we'll have another "bonus" blog, and visit a puzzle in New York.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

? - 9/21/11

Today's puzzle cache from California may have you thinking:

?

Tomorrow we'll head up to Washington state.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Big Old Tree - 9/20/11

This one caught my eye when searching for puzzles near a nearby event.  It's always fun to find a cache in a:

Big Old Tree

Tomorrow we'll head back out to California.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Where's Dog? - 9/19/11

Today's puzzle from Pennsylvania features another cacher of the canine persuasion:

Where's Dog I: Marking Territory

Tomorrow we'll head slightly north to central New York.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Excellent - 9/18/11

Today we take a trip to Florida.  I'd love to cache there in person some day, but for now, solving the puzzles will have to do.  If I get there I'll have to look for:

phrEeloaders eXCellEnt chaLlenge

Tomorrow we'll be in Pennsylvania.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Lonely - 9/17/11

Today finds us in California for a puzzle.  I hope this won't turn out to be a:

Lonely College Cache

Tomorrow we'll head to Florida.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Rooster, Who? - 9/16/11

Today's puzzle is another one from a Vermont CO we've visited before.  Have some fun with

Rooster, Who????

Don't forget to check out today's "bonus blog."  Tomorrow we'll be back out in California.

Bonus Blog # 37 - 9/16/11

Here's another site that could come in handy.  Play with it a little and see what you think:

Unicode Character Search

Next week ... a number cruncher.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Spoiler - 9/15/11

Today's puzzle from Minnesota has the theme of "Something you would've preferred to find out yourself."   Yes, the dreaded:

Spoiler

Tomorrow we'll be back in Vermont.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Frogger - 9/14/11

Today we're "hopping" over to Massachusetts for a puzzle based on an arcade game I remember well.  Give this one a shot, and then you can try the other 9 puzzles (so far) in the series.

Frogger - Video Game Classic Series

Tomorrow we'll head back over to Minnesota.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

PO Box - 9/13/11

Today's Pennsylvania puzzle is one I almost bypassed, thinking it was one of the ones where you go to the post office and have to get a number from a specific:

PO Box

Tomorrow we'll "hop" over to Massachusetts.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Check it out! - 9/12/11

Here's a fun puzzle from California.  You should definitely:

Check 'It' Out!

Tomorrow we'll be back in the the 2nd state.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Antipodes - 9/11/11

Today's puzzle from Quebec will require familiarity with:

Antipodes

Tomorrow we'll check out a puzzle from California.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

A Nickel - 9/10/11

Today's puzzle was submitted by a reader. If you have one you've solved (or created) that others might enjoy, please send it to me via e-mail to teamajk at geocaching.com.  In this Massachusetts puzzle we're looking for:

A Nickel for Charlie

Tomorrow we'll head up to Canada's province of Quebec.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Cache Me - 9/9/11

If you're looking for a challenge, today's featured puzzle from Minnesota should do nicely.  Try and:

Cache Me If You Can

Tomorrow we'll be in Massachusetts.

Bonus Blog # 36 - 9/9/11

Here's a site that could come in handy:

Alt codes list

Next week:  a similar site.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Caesar? - 9/8/11

Today's featured puzzle is our first from Israel.  Have you ever heard of:

A Hebrew Caesar?

Tomorrow we'll travel back to Minnesota for our puzzle and have another "bonus" blog.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Another Quilter - 9/7/11

I'm betting with a caching name like "tigquilt" that today's featured CO is another quilter/cacher, like me.  I wonder if anyone else is ever guilty of:

Procrastination

Tomorrow we'll travel to a country we'll be visiting for the first time:  Israel.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Light and Power - 9/6/11

I love the caching name of one of the owners of this Minnesota puzzle, because I wholeheartedly agree that "quilting is fun too".  Have a go at:

Camden Light and Power

Tomorrow we'll pop over to New Hampshire.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Labor Day - 9/5/11

Today I bring you from Colorado, a perfect puzzle for a :

Labor Day Cache

Tomorrow we'll be back in Minnesota.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Wild Cards - 9/4/11

Today's puzzle was also from the CCARS11 event.  Have fun with:

decues, aces, one-eyed faces

Tomorrow we'll celebrate Labor Day with a puzzle in Colorado.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

How to Irritate People - 9/3/11

Today's puzzle, submitted by a reader, was part of the Calgary Cache and Release 2011 event held in the spring.  What a fun idea ... and it looks like they're already planning another one for fall.  This particular puzzle confirms that some CO's really know:

How to irritate people - CCARS11

Tomorrow, another CCARS11 puzzle.

Friday, September 2, 2011

ACA Series - 9/2/11

Today's featured California puzzle is the first in a series of 5 puzzles featuring ciphers highlighted by the ACA (see today's Bonus Blog).   Start here:

ACA#1: Rail Fence

Tomorrow we'll head back north of the border.

Bonus Blog #35 - 9/2/11

Today's site will teach you more than you ever wanted to know about ciphers.

American Cryptogram Association: Cipher Types

Next week ... a different type of code.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Off Base - 9/1/11

Today's featured cache is from Washington state.  Hope you don't find yourself:

Off Base

Tomorrow we'll check out a puzzle series in California and have another "bonus" blog.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Yes, Yellow - 8/31/11

Today's Minnesota puzzle, submitted by a reader, features:

A Yellow Hydrant?

Tomorrow we'll head out to the Evergreen State.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Ra's Treasure - 8/30/11

Today I'm featuring another local Ithaca puzzle that I enjoyed solving.  I haven't braved the 4-star terrain yet, but maybe some day I'll be able to find:

RA'S TREASURE - The Egyptian God of the Sun

Tomorrow we'll be back in the 32nd state.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Home Improvement - 8/29/11

Today's featured puzzle from Canada's Alberta province is the first of a pair, and you might like to try them both. Start with:

Home Renovations #1

Tomorrow we'll be back on my "home" turf of Ithaca.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Building Blocks - 8/28/11

Today's puzzle cache from California will take you back to your childhood and playing with:

Building Blocks

Tomorrow we'll head over to the Granite State.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Phrases - 8/27/11

Today's puzzle cache from New Hampshire asks you to figure out a series of:

Numerical Phrases

Tomorrow we'll be back out in the 31st state.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Boggled - 8/26/11

A couple of times I have featured puzzles based on well-known games.  Today I'm pointing you to a whole series of them in Washington state.  Will you be able to graduate from:

Boggle Academy

Tomorrow we'll head over to the 9th state.  You might be interested to know that we've traveled to 49 of the 50 states on this blog so far ... we'll definitely hit number 50 before the year is up.  We've visited at least 20 different countries as well.  That's a lot of frequent puzzler miles!

Bonus Blog #34 - 8/26/11

This one has come in handy for me a couple of times:

Anagram Solver

Next week:  Ciphers and more ciphers.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

It is? - 8/25/11

Today's puzzle from Canada's Alberta province would have us believe that:

Caching is for Luhn's

Tomorrow we'll check out a series from Washington state based on familiar games.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Earthquake! - 8/24/11

The blog previously scheduled for today has been postponed so that I could bring you an Oregon puzzle on a topic that has had Ithaca (and much of the East Coast) buzzing over the last day.  Even though lots of folks around here felt it pretty distinctly, I wasn't one of the ones who felt the Virginia:

Earthquake!

Tomorrow we'll go back to our regularly scheduled programming, with a puzzle in Canada's Alberta province.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Another - 8/23/11

Thought we could stick around in Texas long enough for:

Another #%&%&)^$#$ AggieMD Puzzle

Tomorrow we'll head back over to California.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Flightplan - 8/22/11

A Texas puzzle cache in honor of another cacher:

Flightplan: Hey! Over Here! Land Over Here!!

Tomorrow we'll hang around in Texas for one more day.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Hidden Message - 8/21/11

Another puzzle from Oregon today ... I wonder if you will find the:

Hidden Message

Tomorrow we'll head back to Texas.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

World Records - 8/20/11

Today's puzzle from Oregon is the first in a series of 26 featuring a variety of world records.  Have some fun with:

World Record Series #1

Tomorrow we'll hit another one from Oregon.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Ite missa est - 8/19/11

Today we travel back to France for another puzzle.  Put on your "chapeau de pensée" for:

Ite missa est

Tomorrow we'll check out a series of puzzles in California.

Bonus Blog # 33 - 8/19/11

Another useful translator for you:

ASCII, Hex, Unicode, Base64 Converter/Translator

Next week: a helpful tool.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

A Hardy Mystery - 8/18/11

Today's Michigan puzzle should bring back memories for some of you.  Take a trip down memory lane with:

A Hardy Mystery

Tomorrow we'll travel back to France and have another "bonus" blog.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Conspiracy Theory - 8/17/11

Today's California puzzle features a letter from a friend suggesting a surprising:

Conspiracy Theory

Tomorrow we'll check out a mystery in Michigan.

Sorry for the delay and goofup with the link.  Should be good to go now.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Navigation - 8/16/11

Today's cache from Oregon highlights something I think is pretty neat.  We are 3,475,348.  Wonder what you are?  Try a little bit of:

Groundspeak Navigation 101

Tomorrow we'll be back in California.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Where - 8/15/11

Today's puzzle is another one from New York.  I haven't gotten the smiley yet, but after I do, I can call it the:

Where I Went Cache

Tomorrow we'll be head back out to Oregon.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Farmboy - 8/14/11

Back to California today for a puzzle called:

Farmboy

Tomorrow we'll be back in the Empire State.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Whack! - 8/13/11

Sometimes when I've spent hours and hours solving a puzzle I either want to whack myself upside the head for not getting it sooner, or give the puzzle maker a whack for putting me through such a difficult time.  Today's Rochester, NY area puzzle allows us to do the latter:

AYTE #8: Whack-A-Taz

Tomorrow we'll travel back out to the Golden State.

Friday, August 12, 2011

High School Reunion - 8/12/11

I decided to post today's Ohio puzzle because this weekend is my 25th:

High School Reunion

Tomorrow we'll be back in the Rochester, NY area.

Bonus Blog #32 - 8/12/11

They call them "frivolities" but they're just the kind of information a puzzle maker might use in a basketball-related puzzle.  Check them out here:

Frivolities | Basketball-Reference.com

Next week another useful translator.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Happy Birthday! - 8/11/11

For some reason I was thinking about birthdays, and spotted this puzzle from Oregon.  Whenever yours is, I wish you:

Happy Birthday!

Tomorrow we'll celebrate a different type of occasion with a puzzle from Ohio, and have another "bonus" blog.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

This Happens To Us All the Time - 8/10/11

Today's puzzle from Hawaii starts out: "Have you ever driven out heading to go find a cache and you realized that you took a wrong turn due to that Median Divider in the road that appeared out of nowhere?"  Unfortunately, this happens to us all the time.  In honor of that all-too common caching experience take a spin with:

It's Just A Median Divider

Tomorrow we'll find ourselves in the Beaver State.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Tropical Dreams - 8/9/11

We've had a hot summer here in central NY and I've gotten in my share of time by the pool ... nice, but if I had my choice, I'd be at the beach sitting under a palm tree.  I guess the folks in Minnesota also have their share of:

Tropical Dreams

Tomorrow we'll head for a real tropical destination:  Hawaii.

Monday, August 8, 2011

The Outer Limits - 8/8/11

From California, a puzzle that was one of 50+ caches placed in honor of a cacher's 50th birthday ... what a fun idea!

BT50: The Outer Limits

Tomorrow we'll head back to Minnesota.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Fotune Cookie - 8/7/11

Today's puzzle is out of Virginia.  The best one I ever got said "Your car will be trouble-free for the next 20,000 miles."  Our family likes reading the fortunes, but we don't usually eat the:

Fortune Cookie

Tomorrow we'll be back out in California.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Where Will You Be? - 8/6/11

In order to figure out where today's Minnesota puzzle is located, you must figure out:

Where Will You Be?

Friday, August 5, 2011

Oh... Hum? - 8/5/11

Another cache from what looks like a fun event, "OMAX" in Ontario, Canada:

OMAX - Oh... Hum?

Tomorrow we'll be back in Minnesota for a puzzle.

Bonus Blog #31 - 8/5/11

If you haven't come across this site before, you're in for a treat:

Omniglot: the guide to languages, alphabets, and other writing systems

Next week: another sports-related site.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Lost Luggage - 8/4/11

Today we head back to Vermont.  Our travels here are virtual, but lots of folks really are traveling over the summer vacation.  If you're among them, I hope you won't have to deal with:

Lost Luggage

Tomorrow we'll head back up to Ontario for another puzzle, and have another "bonus" blog.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

I Fought It - 8/3/11

I should have noticed that the GC2's were running out, but the GC3's caught me by surprise.  Here's one of the early ones, out of Minnesota:

I Fought It and It Won

Tomorrow we'll head back over to Vermont.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Alternate Reality - 8/2/11

A while back I took you to a parallel universe ... today from Pennsylvania, I bring you an:

Alternate Reality

Tomorrow we'll head for a puzzle in Minnesota.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Complaint Department - 8/1/11

We'll start off August with a trip back to Ohio ... if you're unhappy with that, you can take it up with the:

Complaint Department

Tomorrow we'll head over to the Keystone State.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

In Training - 7/31/11

Here's a nice puzzle out of California.  Here at my house I also have a couple of:

Puzzlers-in-Training

Tomorrow we'll head back to the Buckeye State.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Puzzles for Everybody! -7/30/11

I liked today's California cache for two reasons: 1) there are multiple ways to get the answer, which is a fun idea, and 2) it features the gorgeous Faberge eggs that I've admired forever.  If I ever hit the mega-millions jackpot, one of those would be at the top of my shopping list.  Have fun with:

Puzzix: Puzzles For Everybody! #1: Multiple Images

Tomorrow we'll check out another California puzzle.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Programming Challenge - 7/29/11

Today's featured puzzle from California is the first in a five puzzle series related to Python programming.  Are you up to the challenge?  Even if you've never heard of Python, you may be able to figure out:

Progamming Challenge Puzzle Series: Level 1

Tomorrow we'll hang around California for another day.

Bonus Blog #30 - 7/29/11

Today's site is created for geocachers by geocachers in the South West Arlington  (Texas) area:

RiddleMeThisSWAG

Next week: all kinds of alphabets.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Please! - 7/28/11

I've seen several puzzles like this, and figured I would share the oldest one I've seen, from Missouri.  Remember, please:

Do not fold, spindle, or mutilate

Tomorow we'll be out in California again, and have another "bonus" blog.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

One Year from Today - 7/27/11

One year from today the 2012 Summer Olympics will be opening in London.  I always enjoy watching the Olympics and thought an Olympic-themed puzzle might be fun to try.  In honor of that, I bring you from Ontario, Canada:

OMAX - Olympic Mascot Mania!

Tomorrow, a puzzle from Missouri.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Puzzles Rule! - 7/26/11

Today we return to Vermont and the newest puzzle from a CO we've visited before.  I agree that "Puzzles Rule" and waiting for some new puzzles to come out after the winter had me thinking:

It's Been too long

Tomorow we'll pop up to Canada's Ontario province for a puzzle.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Some Are - 7/25/11

Today we have another Ithaca puzzle that I had fun solving.  Lightpole caches sometimes get a bad rap, but:

Oh, Hated Micro. Some Lightpoles Are Worthy.

Tomorrow we'll make a return trip to the Green Mountain State.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Back in the Day - 7/24/11

Today's Tennessee puzzle reminds us that it seems like folks are always talking about how things were better:

Back in the Day

Tomorrow we'll head back to my current hometown of Ithaca, NY.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Thomas - 7/23/11

Today's puzzle from New Zealand may be easier if you have some junior cachers at home.  Don't forget the S and E in the geochecker when you solve:

Thomas and Friends (Auckland) 

Tomorow we'll head to my old home state, the Volunteer State.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Bonus Blog #29 - 7/22/11

Here's a handy site with all kinds of numerical tools:

The Number Empire

Next week a site for geocachers, by geocachers.

Satellite View - 7/22/11

Today's puzzle from California is a fun one.  It asks us to consider the:

Satellite View

Tomorrow we'll travel back to New Zealand for a puzzle that the kids might enjoy.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Le Tour du ... - 7/21/11

The Tour de France is nearing its completion, so let's honor that with a trip back to France for a puzzle called:

Le tour du monde en 80 minutes

Tomorrow we'll head for a puzzle in California and have another "bonus" blog.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Old Town - 7/20/11

Today we have a puzzle out of Virginia.  Try your luck with:

Da Old Town Mystery

Tomorrow we'll head for a puzzle in Michigan.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

School Days - 7/19/11

Today's puzzle, recommended by a reader, is part of a series of "School Days" puzzles in Eastern New York.  I hope you'll be able to solve the:

Fisrt Grdae Cahce

Tomorrow we'll be back in the Old Dominion.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Dr. Ivan's Dates - 7/18/11

Today we head back to the United Kingdom for a puzzle involving:

Dr. Ivan's dates

Tomorrow's puzzle will be back in New York.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Walk Through History - 7/17/11

Today we're back in Alaska for:

A Walk Through History On This Date

Tomorrow we'll visit the U.K. for another date-related puzzle.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Cartoon Connection - 7/16/11

Our first visit to Mississippi brings us to:

Cartoon Connection

Tomorrow we'll return to The Last Frontier.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Eazy Peazy? - 7/15/11

I hadn't done the type of game in today's featured Virginia puzzle in a long time, but I used to really enjoy them.  I wonder if you will think it's

Eazy Peazy Lemon Squeezy

Tomorrow we'll check out our first puzzle from the Magnolia state.

Bonus Blog #28 - 7/15/11

I found today's site as a result of checking out a puzzle suggested by a reader.  Lots of interesting information to be found about:

Basic Cryptanalysis

Next week:  Some handy numerical tools.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Bastille Day - 7/14/11

Today is the French national holiday of Bastille Day, so what better day to visit a puzzle in Paris, France.  Bonne chance avec:

The mysterious lettre - la lettre mistérieuse

Tomorrow we'll check out a puzzle in Virginia, and have another "bonus" blog.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Camp - 7/13/11

Summer brings back fond memories of going to camp.  In honor of those memories, I bring you, from Ohio:

Robert Went to Camp

Tomorrow we'll celebrate Bastille Day in Paris.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

No Swimmin - 7/12/11

It's finally summer and one of my favorite things to do is go swimming.   I wouldn't recommend today's Florida cache location for a swimming hole:  Check out the photo at the bottom of the cache listing and you'll see why there is:

No Swimmin

Tomorrow we'll head back to Ohio and recognize another memorable summer activity:  camp.

Monday, July 11, 2011

In Plovdiv? - 7/11/11

I recently noticed this blog's first pageview from Bulgaria, which got me wondering what kinds of geocaching puzzles I might find there.  Imagine my surprise to find:

Predators in Plovdiv

Tomorrow features a different kind of predator as we check out a Florida cache which warns us against alligators - I haven't seen an attribute for that!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Fotune Teller - 7/10/11

Today's puzzle takes us back to Missouri.  I wonder what you'll learn from the:

Fortune Teller

Tomorrow we'll check out our first puzzle from Bulgaria.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Dan Cooper - 7/9/11

Today's puzzle from the Buffalo, New York, area is one I had fun solving and finding recently.  I wonder if any of you have you met:

Dan Cooper

Tomorrow we'll try our luck with a puzzle from Missouri.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Just the Fax, Ma'am -7/8/11

I remember enjoying reruns of "Dragnet" as a kid, so this puzzle out of Rochester, New York,  gave me a chuckle:

Just the Fax, Ma'am

Tomorrow we'll check out a puzzle a bit further west, towards Buffalo.

Bonus Blog #27 - 7/8/11

Here's a site that could be helpful in working word-related puzzles.  See what you might do with:

More Words

Next week we'll get some useful cryptographic training.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Old Fashioned - 7/7/11

I came across today's puzzle from Maine as a result of a reader suggestion.  I'm glad to pass it along because you can definitely:

Call Me Old Fashioned

Tomorrow we'll visit a puzzle from New York, and have another "bonus" blog.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

A man of many words - 7/6/11

We remain in California for another day to make the acquaintance of:

A man of many words...

Tomorrow we'll take a trip to the Pine Tree State.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

A Parallel Universe - 7/5/11

Some of my favorite sci-fi episodes have been the ones where the characters get a glimpse of their lives in a parallel universe.  With today's puzzle from California, we find ourselves:

Caching in a Parallel Universe

Tomorrow we'll visit another cache by the same puzzle maker.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Happy Independence Day! - 7/4/11

Today I'll use this Delaware puzzle to wish you a Happy:

Fourth of July

Tomorrow we'll head to a puzzle in California.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Can You Sujiken? - 7/3/11

Today's Massachusetts puzzle features a twist on sudoku that I hadn't seen before.  Work your way up to (4: Difficult) from this one:

Can You Sujiken? (1: Easy)

Tomorrow we'll celebrate Independence Day with a puzzle from Delaware.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Enjoying Montana - 7/2/11

Our first visit to Montana and a puzzle designed to help you be:

Enjoying Montana On A Rainy Day

Tomorrow we'll work on a puzzle from the Bay state.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Tree - 7/1/11

This central NY puzzle was one I had fun solving last fall.  Had to wait out deer season, snow, and a crazy wet spring before finally making the find.  Try your hand at:

Tree

Tomorrow we'll take our first trip to the Treasure State.

Remember, I'm always looking for puzzles for this blog ... not necessarily the hardest ones out there, but ones that are different, fun, or memorable in some way.  If you have one to suggest, I'd love to hear from you!  Contact me through geocaching.com - I'm part of teamajk.

Bonus Blog #26 - 7/1/11

Today's tool can perform a number of useful calculations for you ... it might be just what you need to solve a puzzle:

GPS Visualizer's Coordinate Calculators and Distance Tools

Next week we'll have a tool for word puzzles.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Happy Anniversary - 6/30/11

Today we're celebrating our first anniversary as geocachers.  We had no idea how much fun was waiting for us in the year ahead.  Today's puzzle commemorates geocaching's 10th anniversary, and was one of the first ones I attempted to solve when we got started: 

GEOCACHING'S 10 Years! ANNIVERSARY

Tomorrow we'll look at another fun local puzzle that I managed to log a smilie on, and have another "bonus" blog.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Bowling - 6/29/11

I didn't know that Bowling grew out of a game played by German and Dutch immigrants in the U.S.  This puzzle from Germany doesn't have an English translation, but I think you'll figure out how it has to do with:


Bowling

Tomorrow we'll visit a New York puzzle cache I chose in honor of finishing our first year of geocaching.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Scrabble - 6/28/11

Another entry in our series of game-related puzzles.  I've seen a number of Scrabble-related puzzles that I like lately (including one in the series featured two days ago) but I had to feature this one from Washington state because of the title.  My husband can make this claim: 

No One Will Play Scrabble With Me Anymore ...

Tomorrow we'll have one more game related puzzle, from Germany.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Roulette - 6/27/11

Today's featured puzzle from Canada's province of Quebec brought back some fun memories of learning to play the game while on vacation in the Bahamas.   I was always amazed at how the croupiers could add up the winnings so quickly in their heads.  Even though I never won (or lost) very big, you can bet I had a good time with:

Roulette

Tomorrow we'll check out another game-related puzzle from the Evergreen state.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Backgammon - 6/26/11

Here's a puzzle from California that's in a series called "Games People Play."   After you try this one, you might like to look at the others.  This is a game we play around our house, so I enjoyed:

Backgammon

Tomorrow we'll head to Quebec for a puzzle based on a little different type of game.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Puzzled? - 6/25/11

Here's a little series of puzzles out of Colorado ... start with this one:

-TwoCs- Is Puzzled! #01

Tomorrow we'll start a round of game-related puzzles with one from California.

Friday, June 24, 2011

I do too! - 6/24/11

I agree with today's puzzle maker from Ohio who maintains:

I Think Pluto is a Planet!

Tomorrow we'll check out a puzzle series from Colorado.

Bonus Blog #25 - 6/24/11

Sometimes it's helpful to know numbers in languages other than English ... this list might be a good place to start:

List of Numbers in Various Languages

Next week: a useful calculator.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Vacations - 6/23/11

School finally ended for the kids here in central New York today, so now we can all start thinking about:

Vacations

Tomorrow we'll check out a puzzle from Ohio, and have another bonus blog.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Cross Words - 6/22/11

Today's featured puzzle maker from California has several different puzzles that feature crosswords.  I liked the design of this one, because there's no mistaking when you've gotten it right.

Euphemisms

Tomorrow we'll celebrate the last day of school here in central New York.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

First Day of Summer - 6/21/11

A puzzle from Colorado to celebrate the first day of summer (if you're north of the equator, that is!).  I hope today you will enjoy:

A Summer's Day

Tomorrow we'll head for a puzzle in the Golden State.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Pool Boy - 6/20/11

Today brings us back to Ohio for a fun puzzle series.  Start with this one, the first in the series, and you might decide to give the others a try.   

Pool Boy

Tomorrow we'll return to the Centennial State.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Numbrix - 6/19/11

Our first puzzle from Missouri takes us to:

X_Numbrix_X

Tomorrow we'll head back to Ohio.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Ears - 6/18/11

Today we have another California puzzle:

Lend Me Your Ears (Of Corn) Again

Tomorrow we'll take our first trip to the "Show Me" state.

Friday, June 17, 2011

What's Up? ... 6/17/11

Today's pair of puzzles from Colorado go hand in hand with the site featured in today's bonus blog.  If you're not familiar with it there's a lot you can find (and have a lot of fun doing it).  See what you think of:

What's Up?

Look Out Below!

Bonus Blog #24 - 6/17/11

Many of us rely on the Google Maps website in working on puzzles and scouting out locations.  Google Maps' super-duper big brother is Google Earth, a free program with some amazing mapping capabilities.  You might like to give it a spin.  The two puzzles featured today are tailor-made for it.

Google Earth

Next week:  a useful language site.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Harmony - 6/16/11

Let's hope you'll be in

Harmony

with today's featured puzzle from New York.  Tomorrow we'll check out a pair of puzzles from Colorado, and another "bonus" blog.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Missing - 6/15/11

Watching trackables move around is a fun part of geocaching, and it's always sad when one gets stolen or goes missing.  Today's puzzle out of western NY, suggested by a reader, is dedicated to "all the lost trackables out there":

MickEMT's missing coin cache

Tomorrow we'll head a bit east to a musical puzzle.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Our Country Tis of Thee - 6/14/11

An Ohio puzzle in honor of Flag Day:

Our Country Tis of Thee

(Link is fixed now ... sorry about that!)

Tomorrow we'll be back in western NY.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Dancing Men - 6/13/11

Today's puzzle from Nevada wraps up our Sherlock Holmes' themed caches.  The game's afootwith :

The Adventure of the Dancing Men

Tomorrow we'll celebrate Flag Day with a puzzle from Ohio.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Sherlock Holmes - 6/12/11

The preface to today's featured puzzle from South Africa reads:   The Guinness World Records has consistently listed Sherlock Holmes as the "most portrayed movie character" with over 70 actors playing the part in over 200 films. Quite a distinction!  Here is the second in a round of puzzle caches in Sherlock's honor:

my dear Watson

Tomorrow we'll head for one last Sherlock puzzle.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

On the Niles - 6/11/11

Today's featured puzzle from Buffalo, NY is designed as a two-parter with information gained at the original coordinates.  However, with a little detective work, you can solve it without ever leaving home:

SHERLOCK HOLMES CACHE #4- It Began On the Niles

Tomorrow we'll check out a South African puzzle featuring the famous detective.

Friday, June 10, 2011

GO! - 6/10/11

I've always had a soft spot for squirrels.  We enjoyed watching them run around outside when I was growing up, and we would sometimes put out crackers for them.  One of them was so smart he would come and knock on the door to ask for more.

So you can understand that today's featured  puzzle from Tennessee was one I just had to solve to find out what in the world Sally, Sam, and Samantha squirrels were talking about.  It may drive you crazy, but try to:

GO find that ring!

Tomorrow we'll start a series of Sherlock Holmes puzzles with one from New York.

Bonus Blog #23 - 6/10/11

Today's site is handy for searching on the geocaching.com site in multiple ways, some of which I didn't even know existed until recently. 

Geocaching Quick Search

Next week:  an amazing mapping tool.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Lager - 6/9/11

Today's New York puzzle would have us believe that:

Lager, sir, is regal

Tomorrow we'll check out a squirrelly puzzle from Tennessee.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Elegant - 6/8/11

Today's featured Alberta puzzle maker, recommended by a reader, has a terrible time getting his caches hidden.  Read the descriptions of his hides and you won't believe all of the things that happen to him.  The descriptions make for some humorous reading, and some fun puzzles.  Here's a sample:

Jbeck2's Elegant Cache

Tomorrow we'll check out one from Western NY.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

The Gauntlet - 6/7/11

Today's featured puzzle from Indiana is the first in a series.  I think the write-up nicely describes how many of us feel about puzzling.  Wellsand's thrown it down, will you take it up?

Wellsand's Gauntlet #1

Tomorrow we'll head back up to Alberta, Canada.

Monday, June 6, 2011

You Might Get Mad - 6/6/11

This cache by a fellow Ithacan was archived before I started caching, but in my process of learning how to puzzle, I was determined to solve it anyway.  Save your coordinates and you can use them for our 10 Archived Ithaca Area Puzzles Challenge.  (Maybe some archived puzzles in your area could see new life in a challenge puzzle?)  Anyway, I hope you like this puzzle, but:

You Might Get Mad

Tomorrow we'll take our first trip to the Hoosier state.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

State Challenge - 6/5/11

We've all seen them ... "unknown caches" that are challenges, rather than puzzles.  I've seen challenges where you have to find caches in a certain number of states, or a certain number of states on the same day, etc.  Today's featured "state challenge" unknown cache from Virginia is an actual puzzle.  Try this one, and you might like to do the others in the series (P.O.T.D. = puzzle of the day):

P.O.T.D. - State Challenge

Tomorrow we'll check out an archived Ithaca puzzle.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Change of State - 6/4/11

I had a recommendation to check out puzzles by today's cache owner from Florida.  It's always hard to choose, but here is a fun one:
Change of State

Tomorrow we'll check out another state-related puzzle in a state which prefers to be called a "commonwealth."

Friday, June 3, 2011

Puzzle Master's Challenge - 6/3/11

A reader wrote in and suggested that I feature the "Puzzle Master's Challenge," which is actually a group of four different challenges in the Mid-Atlantic states area: 2 regular, one "lite" and one with "extreme" terrain ratings.  Description and lists of puzzles for all four of the challenges can be found here:

PMC - The Site

I actually came across the original PMC series months and months ago.  I got part way on a couple of the puzzles, but no successes, so I figured I wasn't a puzzle master yet.  Coming back to it now, I made some better progress, so I'm suggesting you start with this one, and work your way up.  Hope you'll have fun with this New Jersey puzzle:

PMC - I Dislike Numbers

Tomorrow we'll check out another Florida puzzle.

Bonus Blog #22 - 6/3/11

Another reader-submitted website with tips on how to approach puzzle caches.  Perhaps you can convert a friend into a puzzle lover?

I'd Rather Be Caching: Solving Puzzle Caches

Next week: A handy searching tool.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Beer Me! - 6/2/11

Today's puzzle brings us on our first trip to New Hampshire.  Pour yourself a nice cold glass of something and give this one a try:

Beer Me! - Draft Style

Tomorrow we'll head down to the Garden State to check out a representative of a super puzzle series.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Metal Cipher Series - 6/1/11

This series of 9 cipher puzzles in South Australia was brought to my attention by a reader suggestion.  Can you get all the way to Ciphers Iridium and Plutonium?  Start with:

Cipher Tin

Tomorrow we'll check out our first puzzle from the Granite State.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

It begins at ... - 5/31/11

I've had two readers recommend that I check out a series of puzzles featuring 13 (so far) of the 20 gates to New York City's Central Park.  I don't get to the "Big Apple" often, but now I know what I'll be doing the next time I'm there.  Why not start with this one:

It Begins At The Scholars' Gate

Tomorrow we'll leave New York and head back to the land "down under."

Monday, May 30, 2011

General Order No. 11 - 5/30/11

Today's puzzle out of Rochester, New York is part of an extended series involving puzzle and non-puzzle caches.  It looks like a lot of fun.  Jump in here with:

AYTE #13: General Order No. 11

Tomorrow we'll wrap up our tour of the state with a New York beauty.

Sunday, May 29, 2011