4/6/09 - 3/31/11

Today's featured puzzle is from Seattle, Washington, birthplace of geocaching.  Take a trip back in time to


Monday, April 6, 2009

Tomorrow we'll visit another Seattle area puzzle, and have another "bonus" blog.

A Killer Puzzle - 3/30/11

Most of us have done sudoku puzzles, but have you ever tried "killer" sudoku?  Try this puzzle from Australia, and you'll see how they get their name.

Killer Sudoku Flinders

Tomorrow we'll head to Seattle, Washington.

One Thing ... 3/29/11

Today's featured puzzle out of Oregon reminds us that ....

One Thing Leads To Another

In that spirit, I'd also like to point out for the premium members among you this challenge by another Oregon cache owner: Month of Mysteries  Maybe your area is ready for a similar challenge cache?

Tomorrow we'll take on a killer puzzle from Australia.

Woof - 3/28/11

Many geocaching teams, including ours, have canine members, which could come in handy when solving today's featured puzzle, from Cyprus.

Between Arodes and the deep blue sea

Tomorrow we'll take on a puzzle in Oregon.

Monopoly - 3/27/11

Here's the last (for now) of our puzzles featuring board games.  From Washington, we have:

Monopoly

Tomorrow we'll check out a puzzle from Cyprus.

Child's Play - 3/26/11

Following up on yesterday's chess board puzzle, today's feature from Ohio is the first of a new series of fun and clever puzzles related to children's games and toys. They vary in style and difficulty.  Start here:

Child's Play #1

Tomorrow: one final board game puzzle.

The Knight's Tour - 3/25/11

I thought it might be fun to return to a look at how board games make their way into puzzles.  Here's a sample from Washington state.

The Knight's Tour

Tomorrow:  another example of a board game puzzle.

Bonus Blog #12 - 3/25/11

Today's featured bonus site is from "Geocacher University" and includes some interesting thoughts about puzzle caches along with seven suggestions for making puzzle hides.   Puzzle solvers can gain some insight here as well. 

7 Mystery and Puzzle Ideas

Next week:  more puzzle tools and resources.

Color Wheels - 3/24/11

Today we have a pair puzzles out of Pennsylvania that feature a completely different kind of wheel than we looked at yesterday.  Hope you don't just spin your wheels on these:

A Micro for Whistler III: Color Wheel   and    The Color Wheel's Evil Twin

Tomorrow we'll turn in a different direction.

A New Code? - 3/23/11

Today's featured puzzle from Oregon uses a code I was unfamiliar with.  Is it a new code for you?

Toadz code

Tomorrow we'll check a different type of puzzle wheel.

CCARS - 3/22/11

I came across today's puzzle as a result of a reader's suggestion that I check out the puzzles associated with Calgary's "CAR" (Cache and Release) event held in 2008.  You can do the same by running a search for puzzles with keyword CCARS08.  There are thirty-some fun, clever puzzles in a wide variety of styles.  You can have a lot of fun there.  Why not start with this one:

BMW Z24 Roadster - CCARS08

Tomorrow we'll check out what might be a new code for you.

Square Enough? - 3/21/11

The owner of today's featured puzzle from Texas says that if you are "square enough" to solve this puzzle, you are pretty hep.  Are you square enough?

It's Hep to be Square

Tomorrow we'll check out a great puzzle series from Calgary.

Spring! - 3/20/11

Today's featured Ithaca puzzle was placed in honor of the vernal equinox ... the first day of spring!   The official equinox here this year will be 03.20.11 19:21.  The days are getting longer, and the cachers can hope to be spending more time outside after a LONG winter.  Hurrah!

03.20.09, 7:44. Nascence

Tomorrow we'll find out if we're "square enough."

An Odd Puzzle - 3/19/11

A puzzle written in English, placed in Denmark, by a Russian mathematics professor adds up to:

An odd puzzle

If I ever get to Denmark I would love to log Challenge: International Man of Mystery which asks us to solve (but not necessarily find) puzzle caches from 50 different countries.  Check it out.

Tomorrow we'll celebrate the arrival of spring!

Snip! - 3/18/11

Today's featured puzzle from Norway is a fun one.  I may try to create one of these myself.  Don't forget to check out today's bonus blog after you try your luck with

Snipp, snapp, snute

Tomorrow we'll try an odd puzzle in Denmark.

Bonus Blog #11 - 3/18/11

This week we highlight a site that gives us ascii code values for the alphabet, numbers, punctuation, and even symbols like degrees (248, under "extended").   Translating ascii code numbers is a snap when you have charts like these to get you going. 

ASCII Alphabet Characters  

You might also like an online translator like the one here: ASCII Translator.  Type your ascii code in the box labeled "numeric" and then click "to character."  It will also work in reverse.

Next week: lessons from geocacher university.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! - 3/17/11

Today's featured puzzle from Maine is perfect for St. Patrick's day, as it has us thinking about some leprechauns and their pot of gold.  Will you have the luck of the Irish on this one? 

Pot of gold.

Tomorrow we'll try out a completely different kind of puzzle in Norway.

Huh? - 3/16/11

Today we return to Alberta, Canada, for another clever puzzle from 3jaze.  This one was suggested by a reader, and I agree that it's a fun one.  If you have a puzzle you're made or solved that you think others would enjoy trying out, please send it along.  For today, good luck with ....

h^jn+ hs&o+ - &n swo++0q

Tomorrow we'll celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

It Does? - 3/15/11

 Today's featured puzzle out of West Virginia would have us believe that ...

It Sucks Being a Number

Tomorrow we'll  head back north of the border for a fun puzzle.

Happy Pi Day! - 3/14/11

3.141592653589793238..... is better known as pi, so "Pi Day" is celebrated annually on 3/14.  Enjoy this puzzle from Wisconsin in honor of the day.  To celebrate properly, we should all have a ... 

Slice of pi(e) and after that, perhaps a  Piece of Cake (from Spain).

Tomorrow we'll check out another number puzzle.

Ken you solve this? - 3/13/11

 Today's featured puzzle from Rhode Island will remind you of sudoku, but with a tricky twist.  Ken you solve it?

Kenken you solve this?

Tomorrow we'll celebrate Pi Day.

Space Cadet - 3/12/11

I hope noone has ever accused you of being a "space cadet," but if so, then you should have no trouble at all with today's featured puzzle, from Alabama. 

Space Cadet

Tomorrow's link will be a tricky one to see if you ken solve.

The Ultra Zone - 3/11/11

I don't remember where I first saw this type of puzzle, but I liked it so much it was one of the first types of puzzles I created myself.  Have fun with this version, from Singapore.

The Ultra Zone

Tomorrow we'll check out a puzzle from Alabama.

Bonus Blog #10 - 3/11/11

Binary (base 2) numbers are represented only with ones and zeros, but there is also a way to represent the letters of the alphabet using only ones and zeros (actually representing the letters' ascii code numbers as  binary numbers). This handy tool will do the translation for you instantly.


Binary translator from ascii text to binary and from binary to text

Next week:  More about ascii codes.

Allendorf? - 3/10/11

Today's featured New York puzzle asks us to decode an Allendorf cipher, and the cache owner is kind enough to provide out-of-towners with a photo of the required information.  Give this one a try.

THE PAUPER STONE

Tomorrow we'll take a look at a puzzle in Singapore.

Not Wingdings! - 3/9/11

Today's feature from Canada is actually a two-for-one special.  If you enjoy the first one, take a shot at the sequel. 

Not Wingdings (The Tutorial)!

 Not Another "Not Wingdings"!

Tomorrow we'll return to New York and a cipher that we haven't looked at so far.

Alf's Men - 3/8/11

Since we came all the way to Thailand yesterday, it made sense to stick around another day.  Have fun with

Alf's Men

Tomorrow we'll travel to Canada for a two-for-one puzzle special.

big black log - 3/7/11

For today's featured puzzle we travel all the way to Thailand.  Don't forget to set "East" for the longitude on the checker.  Have fun with a ...

big black log

Tomorrow we'll check out another puzzle in Thailand.

Another Enigma - 3/6/11

Today's puzzle from Australia features a completely different kind of enigma than we looked at yesterday.  In your research for this one you will learn some very interesting history.  Good luck.

An Enigma

Tomorrow we'll head for a puzzle in Thailand.

A New Mexico Enigma - 3/5/11

 Today's featured puzzle from New Mexico is the first in a series of puzzles.   You might enjoy working on all of them.  The cache page says that "enigma" is a Greek word for a dark saying or riddle.  Sounds like fun.

ENIGMA Series # 1 - Observatory

Tomorrow we'll try a completely different kind of enigma puzzle.

California Two-Step - 3/4/11

 Today we look at a two-step California puzzle which requires the use of one of the cipher solving sites mentioned in a bonus blog a few weeks back.   Some cache owners are very stingy with hints, but not this one:  several opportunities for hints are available, including a special you-tube video if you're really, really stuck.   Enjoy the puzzle, and don't forget to check out today's bonus blog.

Grid

Tomorrow we'll visit an enigma in New Mexico.

Bonus Blog #9 - 3/4/11

If you haven't yet found this site, you won't believe what you've been missing.  It will even suggest a language for you (choose "detect language") if you're not certain.   A useful tool for puzzle solving, and just a lot of fun to play with (especially if you click on "listen").

Google Translate

Next week we'll check out another useful translator.

Goostrey - 3/3/11

 Today's featured puzzle from the U.K. is the culmination of a series of cipher puzzles.  You might enjoy doing all four of them.  Have fun.

The Goostrey Cipher Cache

Tomorrow we'll visit a California puzzle involving a cipher.

A Red Herring - 3/2/11

Today's puzzle from Delaware features one of the banes of the puzzle solver:  the red herring.   Good luck! 

Red Herring: Psychology Master

Tomorrow we'll travel back to the U.K. to take a look at a series of puzzles.

Puzzles Rock! - 3/1/11

 This fun little Wyoming puzzle is a nice tribute to a fellow cacher.  Give it a try.

TH & G Caches Rock!

Tomorrow we'll be dealing with the infamous red herring.