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."

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.

And the Winner is ... 5/29/11

Today's puzzle from the Rochester, NY area was meant to be part of a contest between cachers in two cities ... one puzzle each in Rochester and Syracuse.  Unfortunately at that time there weren't too many puzzlers in the Syracuse area to take part.  So, in this case:

Rochester Wins!

Tomorrow we'll check out another Rochester area puzzle.

I have no idea! - 5/28/11

Today's featured puzzle is from the Albany, NY, area.   I hope you won't be saying:

I have no idea!

Tomorrow, we'll continue our look at puzzles from the Empire state.

The Alpha Hotel - 5/27/11

Today's Minnesota puzzle is truly a gem.  Enjoy your stay at the:

The Alpha Hotel

Tomorrow start a new round of New York puzzles.

Bonus Blog #21 - 5/27/11

If you've ever tried to convince another cacher to become a puzzle solver, one of the complaints is that they often don't even know where to begin solving a puzzle.  Today's featured website, submitted by a reader, has a nice introduction to puzzle solving, with some examples of lots of different types of puzzles.  Take a look at:

Parmtro's Geocaching Pages: Solving Puzzles

Next week, a similar site.

Cyclic - 5/26/11

If you ever plan on hunting puzzle caches in New Brunswick, Canada, the odds are good that you'll be seeking one of by the cache owners featured today, as a significant portion of the puzzles in that province are theirs (my unscientific estimate puts it at over 20%).  While they have a series of "Micro Logic" puzzles with over 90 entries that you would probably also enjoy, I decided to feature this one (be sure to check out the license plate in the background image!):

CYCLIC

Tomorrow we'll head to a puzzle in the Gopher state.

Hat Trick - 5/25/11

I never understood why 3 goals in hockey is called a "hat trick," but today's Canadian puzzle maker offers us the "Puzzle Master's Hat Trick" of three geocaching puzzles in Prince Edward Island.  I started with:

Arrrrrrrgh!

Tomorrow we'll wrap up this little Canadian tour with a puzzle from New Brunswick.

Like Me - 5/24/11

Today's puzzle is from an Alberta, Canada, puzzle maker we have visited before.  To solve this one you'll have to think:

Like Me

This puzzle was suggested by a reader.  If you have one you've solved (or created) that you'd like to recommend, remember you can e-mail it to me through geocaching.com.  I cache as part of teamajk.

Tomorrow we'll head over to another province of Canada, Prince Edward Island.

Summyramids - 5/23/11

"Successo!"  -- That's what you'll see on the geochecker when you solve this puzzle from Italy:

Summyramids

Tomorrow we'll head back to Canada's Alberta province.

Act Fast - 5/22/11

Today's puzzle brings us back to Texas.  You'll have to:

Act Fast

Tomorrow we'll try our first puzzle from Italy.

P.O.W. - 5/21/11

Today is Armed Forces Day in the United States, and I thought this Louisiana cache might be an appropriate way to commemorate that. 

P.O.W.

Tomorrow we'll head for another puzzle in the Lone Star state.

Puzzle Solving 101 - 5/20/11

This puzzle series from Florida has been used to fulfill (as of now) 18 different puzzle caches around the world.  Maybe one of them is near you, and you can log an actual smiley.  Even if you can only do the solving, and not the finding, the CO has a way to "log" your accomplishment via a virtual travel bug.  How cool is that?  Work up to the final exam by starting here:

Puzzle Solving 101 - Lesson 1: Strategy

Tomorrow a puzzle cache in honor of Armed Forces Day.

Bonus Blog #20 - 5/20/11

Information including statistics, maps, and flags of all the countries of the world can be found on this website:

CIA World Fact Book

Next week: General geocaching puzzle solving tips.

Cipher City - 5/19/11

We're back in Ohio today for another puzzle from a cache owner whose diverse puzzles I have enjoyed.  Today's is called:

Cipher City (Revised)

Tomorrow we'll head to the Sunshine state for the starting puzzle in a fun and educational series.

We've Come A Long Way - 5/18/11

It's amazing to realize how far we have come from the early days of computers.  One Minnesota cache owner has a series of puzzles focusing on "old computers" and how we told them what to do.  Start with:

Old Computer Code 1

Tomorrow we'll be back in the Buckeye state.

Insane Toad? - 5/17/11

Today's Georgia puzzle cache had me asking, how can you tell if a toad is insane?

Insane Toad Grammar Code

Tomorrow we'll check out a different kind of code in Minnesota.

Astahcikow - 5/16/11

Today's puzzle is from Canada's Manitoba province.   You might learn something new with:

Astahcikow

Tomorrow we'll check out an "insane" puzzle from Georgia.

Watch your language! - 5/15/11

Do you think the title of this puzzle cache from Finland reads the same in Finnish as it does in English?   Watch your language while you work on:

brainf*ck

Tomorrow we'll head for Canada's Manitoba province.

Name that Tune (part 2) - 5/14/11

Today you get another shot at "name that tune" with this puzzle from New York:

Sight Reading

Tomorrow we'll check out a non-musical puzzle in Finland.

Name that Tune - 5/13/11

Today's featured puzzle from Arkansas makes all the hours I spent watching TV growing up time well spent.  Some of these were actually before my time, but I had a lot of fun working on the puzzle.  Try your luck with these:

Theme Songs

Tomorrow we'll try another round of  "name that tune" in a different style.

Bonus Blog #19 - 5/13/11

Need help with sports teams, players' names, numbers, etc?  This site could be of help:

Sports Database

Next week, one more useful database.

Excuse me? (part 2) - 5/12/11

Here's another one that you'll have to do some work to even read the title.  From western New York state:

']['|-|3 1337 +|3 4|\|[) 630(0][|\| |-|0-|-3|_

Tomorrow we'll check out a tuneful puzzle from Arkansas and have another "bonus" blog.

Excuse me? -- 5/11/11

Today's puzzle from Canada's Ontario province may have you scratching your head from the get go ... take a look at:

4.2""4 "-'2 !"*9'!233-24

Tomorrow we'll check out a puzzle from western New York state.

Not Another .... - 5/10/11

Today's puzzle is our first one from Idaho ... and it's:

Not Another Phoney Puzzle Cache

Tomorrow we'll head back north of the border.

"A-von" - 5/9/11

Today we extend our visit to Ohio with a puzzle that brought back memories of "A-von" (sung to the doorbell tune):

Avon Calling

Tomorrow we'll head to another state ending with "O".

T9? - 5/8/11

Today's puzzle brings us back to Ohio.  I've heard of K9, but until this puzzle I was unfamiliar with:

T9

Tomorrow we'll check out another clever Ohio puzzle.

Beetle Bailey - 5/7/11

We'll finish up our round of comic-strip themed puzzles with today's entry from California:

Beetle Bailey

Tomorrow we'll check out a puzzle in Ohio that taught me something new.

Garfield - 5/6/11

Today's puzzle from the Czech Republic is a little different than most of the puzzles I've featured from other countries, in that an English translation has not been provided.  I'm betting you'll be up to the challenge and you can even "czech" your answer. (Sorry, I couldn't resist!)  Following up on the theme we started yesterday, see what you know about today's comic strip character:

Garfield

Tomorrow we'll head back to California for one final comic-strip themed puzzle.

Bonus Blog #18 - 5/6/11

Sometimes you need to know something about movies or television shows in order to solve a puzzle.  This source could be a great help:

The Internet Movie Database

Next week another helpful database.

Peep! - 5/5/11

Today's puzzle from Central New York features a pair of beloved comic strip characters.  Another theme in the making?  Tune in tomorrow and find out.  For today, take a look at:

Peep Peep

Tomorrow we'll work on a puzzle in the Czech Republic and have another "bonus" blog.

Guess! - 5/4/11

Today's featured puzzle is from Illinois.  If you can't figure it out, you could always just:

Guess!

A little bird tells me that tomorrow's puzzle is another one from central New York.

Zoned Out - 5/3/11

Zoned Out

Tomorrow we'll be kept guessing over a puzzle in Illinois. 

I see no ships -- 5/2/11

Today's featured puzzle is from Colorado, and since there's no ocean there, I'm not surprised that:

I see no ships

Tomorrow we'll see if we're in the zone enough to solve an Ohio puzzle.

May Day - 5/1/11

A puzzle from France in honor of May Day.

Mayday !!!...Mayday !!!

Tomorrow we'll check out a puzzle from Colorado.