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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Numbrix - 6/19/11

Our first puzzle from Missouri takes us to:

X_Numbrix_X

Tomorrow we'll head back to Ohio.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.