Only a Matter of Prime - 1/31/11

Today's featured puzzle is notable not only for the fun puzzle, but for the fun way the cache page is written.   Enjoy the excursion to Auckland, and the puzzle.

Only a Matter of Prime

Tomorrow we'll head to the Isle of Man for another puzzle in a prime location.

Let's go Shopping - 1/30/11

Today's featured puzzle is another one in Utah from the same cache owners as yesterday's puzzle.  Enjoy.

Mom the Cook's shopping list

Tomorrow we'll travel to Auckland for a prime puzzle.

That's a Wrap! - 1/29/11

We've had a few tricky ones lately, so it's time for something different.  This clever little puzzle from Utah should do nicely.

WRAP IT UP!

Tomorrow we'll try out another puzzle by this same cache owner ... also clever, but a bit more difficult.

P.S.  Check out this event cache being held today in Minnesota.  Sounds like fun!

National Puzzle Day -- A Puzzle Event!

This Puzzle Hertz - 1/28/11

Our final (for now) hobby-related puzzle brings us back to New York.   Will it be music to your ears?

Hertz

Tomorrow we'll wrap up a puzzle in Utah.

Bonus Blog #4 - 1/28/11

Today's Bonus Blog features a mathematical tool.  You are probably aware that numbers can be written in different formats, or "bases" (the word "radix" can also mean "base").  Our number system uses base 10, meaning there are ten possible choices for each digit, 0-9.  Binary numbers (base 2) only have two choices:  0 and 1.  Numbers systems in bases greater than 10 use letters in addition to numbers, for example  hexadecimal (base 16) is a commonly used one that contains the numbers 0-9 and letters A-F.

Numbers can be written in combinations of letters and numbers in any base up to base 36, which contains the numbers 0-9 and letters A-Z.   A number of different puzzle makers make use of these alternate number formats.  The site below can transform a number in any base to any other base.  This has been a very valuable tool for me in solving puzzles constructed in this way.  Give it a try and see if it doesn't become one of your favorites as well.

Digit Convert

Next week:  A useful translator.

Baseball Fever - 1/27/11

Today's tricky puzzle from Minnesota caught my eye because "The Penguin" was one of my favorite ball players growing up.   Solve it and you'll feel like you've hit a home run.

Baseball Fever

Tomorrow we'll look at  our final (for now) hobby-related puzzle:  one that really hits the right note.

Let's Go Bowling - 1/26/11

 Today's featured puzzle from North Carolina spotlights another puzzle incorporating a hobby outside of geocaching.  Hope you'll get some strikes! 

Insane Southerners Bowl Nightly

Tomorrow we'll look at another hobby-related puzzle.  Hope we won't strike out there.

The State of Quilting - 1/25/11

Most of us have other hobbies we enjoy in addition to geocaching, so I thought it would be fun to see how some puzzle makers incorporate their other hobbies into their puzzles.  I am also a quilter, so let's start there with this Minnesota puzzle.

The State of Quilting

Tomorrow we'll take a look at another hobby-related puzzle.

Elementary Complexity - 1/24/11

Today's featured puzzle from Florida was submitted by a reader as a fun challenge, and I agree. 
Elementary Complexity

Tomorrow we'll start looking at some caches that feature our other hobbies besides caching.

A Mystery Message - 1/23/11

 Today's featured puzzle from Iowa was submitted by its creator, who thinks it may be a one-of-a-kind.  One of the interesting things about it is that there is something at the posted coordinates that can help you solve the puzzle, if you are having trouble.  Isn't that a great idea?  You don't even have to actually go there, but can use google maps street view.  If you design a puzzle with this unique cipher, please mention medoug as your inspiration.  Have fun!

medoug's mystery message

Tomorrow we'll visit one more reader-submitted puzzle, from Florida.

Shattered! - 1/22/11

Today's Georgia puzzle was sent in by its creator, and I think it's a nice addition to our collection.  Enjoy.

Horton Soul

Tomorrow we'll hop out to Iowa and visit another reader-submitted puzzle.

Bonus Blog #3 - 1/21/11

Today's Bonus Blog features an advanced cipher solving site that contains a large number of different cipher solvers.  If you can figure out the cipher involved either via some clue on the cache page or some good luck, you'll be on your way.  If you don't have any idea of the cipher involved, it can be a bit overwhelming to try them all, but persistence can pay off.

This site may be even more useful to the puzzle maker looking for an obscure cipher.  I can't wait to try out the Mexican Army Cipher disk, myself.  Perhaps a Cinco de Mayo puzzle cache?

CipherClerk

Next week:  A Mathematical Wonder

A History Lesson - 1/21/11

Today's featured puzzle from Maryland gives us a very interesting history lesson, and a tricky little puzzle.  It's very satisfying to get this one to work properly.  Enjoy the lesson, and the puzzle.  Don't forget to read today's bonus blog, with more about ciphers (but not Robert Patterson's.)

Robert Patterson's Cipher

Tomorrow we'll try out the first of the puzzles sent in by readers.  If you have a puzzle you think others might enjoy, please send in your suggestion.  Remember that some type of geochecker is preferred (unless the solution is obvious when solved).

Australian Archangel - 1/20/11

Today's featured puzzle is another one from Australia.  You might find it a bit tricky, but maybe not.  See what you think.

Archangel

Tomorrow: A history lesson.

A Problematic Puzzle -- 1/19/11

I noticed some readers were tuning in from Australia, so decided it's time for a trip to the land "down under."  Enjoy this "problematic" puzzle, and don't forget your coordinates will be South and East on the geochecker.

Periodically Problematical

Tomorrow we'll visit another Australian cache.

Mixed Signals? - 1/18/11

Today's featured puzzle is from a clever Ohio puzzle maker.   She has a great variety of caches out there, both puzzles and traditional.  Maybe someday I'll actually be able to log one as found.  Watch for more of her puzzles over the coming weeks.

Mixed Signals

Tomorrow:  a trip to the land "down under."

A Monday Smile - 1/17/11

Here's hoping this simple puzzle from Washington state will bring you a smile for your Monday.   Enjoy.

Smilies

Tomorrow: we'll be getting some "mixed signals."

Good for a Sunday afternoon - 1/16/11

Today's featured puzzle took me the better part of a Sunday afternoon.  A football game was on the television, but I was much more focused on figuring this one out.   Most of us check the attributes before heading out on a cache, puzzle or not.  In the case of this example from Nebraska, the attributes are the puzzle.  Give it a look.

Editing Attributes

On Monday we'll check out a puzzle relating to another well-known caching icon:  smilies.

Puzzle Anyone? -- 1/15/11

Today's featured puzzle is a clever little gem out of Virginia.  See how you do.

Pebble Anyone?

Tomorrow we'll explore more of the "attributes" of puzzles.

Bonus Blog #2 - 1/14/11

Today's bonus blog features a cipher solving site.   More than one puzzle cache owner has hinted to me that this site contains the cipher that they have used in their puzzle ... it's just up to you to figure out which one, and if there is a key involved.   Maybe one of these solvers will take care of the next cipher you're working on.

Cipher Tools

Next week:  Even more advanced Cipher Tools.

Huh?? - 1/14/11

As promised, today's featured puzzle from Virginia is completely different from what we've looked at so far.  Take it for a spin.  Don't forget to check out today's "bonus blog."

fcpB frsnN

Tomorrow we'll visit another Virginia cache, and another completely different theme.

Sky Watch - 1/13/11

Today's featured puzzle is the very first unknown cache we logged when we started geocaching.  It's a fun one. 

Sky Watch

Tune in tomorrow for something completely different and another "bonus" blog with puzzle solving tools.

P.S. Sorry if I confused anyone with yesterday's technical difficulties ... I gave an unintended preview of a coming attraction.  Still learning this blogging stuff. :)

Cipher Time! - 1/12/11

Since we came all the way to the U.K. yesterday, I figured we could stick around another day.  Today's featured puzzle focuses on a nice little cipher. 

CD #2: Polybius Point

Tomorrow we'll return to the central NY area and the first cache we ever logged as found.

Are you a Mastermind? - 1/11/11

 Are you a puzzle mastermind?  Find out with today's featured cache from the United Kingdom.  This puzzle is part of several "Master of Mystery" challenges that you might also like to check out.  Have fun.

Mastermind #1

Tomorrow:  Cipher time!

Where in the World?? - 1/10/11

Today's featured puzzle from Arizona features one of the most unusual flags I've ever seen.  Enjoy the puzzle and your Monday.

Flags of the World

Tomorrow we'll continue the international theme and visit a cache "across the pond."

Sunday Stateside - 1/9/11

Today's puzzle returns us to the United States,  California, to be precise, and an interesting little puzzle featuring flags. 

Stateside

Tune in tomorrow for a different take on a flag puzzle, this time from Arizona.

A Saturday card game - 1/8/11

Today we'll head back north of the border to a fun Canadian puzzle cache.  I know there have been some folks from Canada checking out the blog, so this cache is for you.  Feel free to post a comment letting us know where you're tuning in from.   Tomorrow: We'll return "Stateside."

Saturday Night Cards

If you're still looking for one last hint on our newest puzzle cache GC2KRYB, here we go:   Today's featured puzzle is about a Saturday game night.   The Nevada puzzle Where are the Numbers? also references a game night, in the hint.  Our hint is the name of the game in that puzzle.

Bonus Blog #1 - 1/7/11

Fridays will feature an additional "bonus" blog with a useful tool for your puzzle-solving (or puzzle-writing) toolbox.  The link at the bottom of this post has three valuable tools that can take away a lot of the heavy lifting in puzzle solving.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page in the link and you will find 3 encryption/decryption resources.

1) A Caesar Cipher Codebreaker, which will take text and perform all possible alphabet shifts, from ROT-1 to ROT-25.   You can practice this one with our  Good In-10-tions Cache

2) A Vigenere Cipher Codebreaker, which will take encrypted text and a keyword you provide and do the decryption/encryption.  If you don't know the keyword, a special feature of this codebreaker is its ability to predict the length of the keyword and offer suggestions.  It doesn't work in all cases, but I have had some very good luck guessing keywords based on its suggestions.  Give it a try.  Another tip on figuring out keywords is to always consider any hints, the name of the cache (always a smart thing to think about on a puzzle cache) and even the cache owner's name.

3) Reverse Image Lookup, which will search the internet for matching images.  Can't figure out who is in the picture in a puzzle?  Try searching for other similar images.  I've used this one successfully on pictures of movie stars and historical figures I couldn't identify.

Encryption Resources

Next week's bonus blog:  More about ciphers.

An Altered State? - 1/7/11

 "Perhaps we were in an altered state."  So reads the first hint for today's featured puzzle.  Take it for a spin and see if you'd agree.  Don't forget to read today's "bonus blog."

P'log


Tomorrow, we'll visit our neighbors to the north again for some Saturday night cards.

License to Cache - 1/6/11

Today's featured puzzle is from Syracuse, NY, and is another one I hope to be able to log as found some day, as it is just up the road.  

From the cache page you can access a fun bookmark of the same name, which features a variety of license plate caches, both foreign and domestic.  I've solved almost all of the domestic ones, but there are a couple that still have me puzzled.



License to Cache

Tomorrow:  A different twist on a puzzle involving states, and hint #3 for our newest puzzle cache, GC2KRYB.

An Enlightening Cache - 1/5/11

Today's puzzle features a Central NY gem that we are happy to have been able to log as found.  If you're not in the habit of reading through the entire log sheet for a puzzle cache, this might be a good time to start.  It can be very enlightening.

The Road to Enlightenment

Tomorrow we'll step down the difficulty level a little bit for a license plate puzzle cache, with a bookmark to some more difficult ones on the same theme.  Don't forget to tune in Friday for the first Bonus Blog, with a handy item for your puzzle toolbox.

For those of you seeking a hint on our newest puzzle cache, GC2KRYB, here is hint #2: Sometimes what seems obvious isn't.

Tennessee Tranquility - 1/4/11

Today's featured puzzle is from the town where I grew up, Bristol, TN.  I used to go to day camp back at this park and try to build little dams along the creek.  I really liked the solution method for this one, and I hope to be able to log it as found the next time I am back home.

Tranquility

Tomorrow, we'll return to Central NY and be "enlightened" with a great puzzle and another hint to our latest puzzle cache.

A Clever Cache. 1/3/11

Today's featured puzzle cache is not a difficult one, but is very clever.  This Vermont cache owner has a number of clever puzzles, so don't be surprised if some other ones pop up here in the future. 

Puzzled in Essex #5: "Abe, We Got Your Back!"

 Tomorrow's puzzle:  some Tennessee Tranquility.

For those of you seeking a hint on our newest puzzle cache, GC2KRYB, here is hint #1:  Don't waste time on any red (or green, orange, or any other color) herrings.

One of my favorites. 1/2/11

Today's featured puzzle is one of my favorites.  I'm also happy to report that it is one I have been able to log as found.   Ithaca has a number of really inventive puzzle caches, so expect to see them featured here regularly.  Tomorrow's puzzle: a not very difficult, but very cool Vermont cache.

Chain Reaction? Absolutely!

P.S.  Be sure to read the hint!

Welcome! 1/1/11

What better way to start a new year than with a new blog about geocaching puzzles?   There are so many great puzzles out there, and many of them don't get the visits they deserve.  If you're looking to work on your puzzle solving skills, or looking for a new twist on a way to create a puzzle, you're in the right place.

The puzzle featured today is not one that I have actually logged as found, but is one of my all-time favorites in terms of what I learned while solving it.  Have fun with this one, and come back tomorrow for another all-time favorite puzzle, one I actually have logged as found.

NPT07 Bat Cave