Simply Stated - 8/31/19

Today's memorable puzzle is by a CO who has been featured here quite a few times.  It's especially memorable to me because the solution method is the same as for one of my own puzzles.  I'd come up with the idea of creating mine after trying it unsuccessfully on another cache I'd been try ingto solve.  I was so disappointed to see that someone else had used "my" method about 5 years earlier than I had:

Simply Stated

Tomorrow we'll ...

The Gauntlet - 8/30/19

Today's memorable puzzle is from a series I featured several times back in 2012.  The puzzles vary in difficulty, while I remember several of them this particular one stands out because  I think this is the first puzzle I ever did where I stayed up way later than I should because I knew I was making good progress.  Try your luck with:

Wellsand's Gauntlet #8

Tomorrow we'll ...

Enterprise Employees - 8/29/19

I recently spotted a sign down near the Enterprise car rental that indicated spaces for their employees to park.  I'd love to use that spot for a Trek-themed cache (or at least have the posted coordinates there).   Today's memorable puzzle, first featured back in 2015 is one that lit up my geek-o-meter quite nicely:

tBLT - The Klingoni Sudoku

Tomorrow we'll ...

Gametime - 8/28/19

Over the years I've shared a number of game based puzzles.  This one, which I shared back in 2014 is particularly memorable:

Flappy Cache

Tomorrow we'll ...

(If you saw a different early posting, consider it a little bonus ... I reconsidered since I realized it required "flash" which a lot of people don't have on their computers any more).

Sheepdog - 8/27/19

This memorable puzzle is one that I first featured back in 2015.  I love it when CO's put their creative talents on display in the making of their puzzles ... whether it's musical, crafting, or artistic talent like with this:

Sheepdog

Tomorrow we'll ...

Need a drink?- 8/26/19

Today's California puzzle, which I'm surprised actually hasn't been featured here before, is memorable because it was inspired by a NY puzzle that intrigued me (I'd share that one but it doesn't seem to be available right now).  I loved this new spin on the idea, and was tickled to be able to make the find on my first visit out there, even before I made the find on the one only two hours from me.  Now, how about a:

Martini, please!

Tomorrow we'll ...

That's Not Ascii - 8/25/19

Today's puzzle is one that I featured way back in 2011.  It's very memorable to me not only because it gave me fits before I finally sorted out how it worked, but I'm pretty sure it's what drew me to Rochester on what proved to be the first of many super "puzzle runs":

That's Not ASCII!

Tomorrow we'll ...

Line it up - 8/24/19

Today's puzzle that I featured back in 2014 is particularly memorable because after I shared it, a cacher from the other side of the world was inspired to create his own puzzle on a related theme.  Have some fun with:

Nina and The Line King

Tomorrow we'll ...

Skunky - 8/23/19

Firstly, if you missed yesterday's post due to me setting the time wrong, I hope you'll go back and check it out.

Moving on ... this puzzle that I featured back in 2015 is part of a network of puzzle caches quite unlike anything I had come across before, and which I've only seen anything similar to a couple of times since then.  If you're looking for an experience you can really sink into, give this a shot:

Skunk Tales - The Gallery

Tomorrow we'll ...

Three-in-one - 8/22/19

In early 2013 I featured a memorable puzzle which actually turned out to be three puzzles in one.  With this very unique puzzle, if you have trouble confirming the answer to:

Zeppelin Post 1

you may have actually solved:

Zeppelin Post 2

or:

Zeppelin Post 3

Sorry this one posted late!!

Tomorrow we'll ...

Bingo! - 8/21/19

I've had fun thinking back over all of these great puzzles from past years.  Here's one I remembered from way back in 2012:

Bingo!

Tomorrow we'll ...

Pile of ... - 8/20/19

I have often bemoaned my lack of a systematic process to my record-keeping in solving puzzles.  Every so often I try to start a notebook where I vow to write everything down and keep printouts of puzzles in a folder, but over the years I've accumulated stack after stack of scribbled on legal pads, composition books, notebooks, and spiral-bound graph paper notebooks (I love those).  Bunches and bunches of puzzles also end up in the recycling, as discarded printouts, scratch paper, and backs of envelopes.  Today's Oregon puzzle, which I featured back in 2014, is one that I held on to, though, and recently came across in my sewing room, which most of the time is kind of a metaphor for:

The Pyramid of Manure

Tomorrow we'll ...

Covering the bases - 8/19/19

Today we have another memorable puzzle I shared with you back in 2014:

All Your Base Are Belong To Us


Tomorrow we'll ...

Dicey Situation - 8/18/19

Today we revisit a Canadian puzzle I first shared back in 2013.  I remember it well since it was such a:

Dicey Situation

Tomorrow we'll ...

Fall is coming - 8/17/19

Today we return to a memorable puzzle I first featured way back in 2011. It won't be long before I'm back to school and hearing excuses like:

My dog ate my homework

Tomorrow we'll ...

Three Blind Mice - 8/16/19

Here's another favorite of mine, that I shared back in 2013.  This CO is better known for his Central Park multi-cache, but I have also really enjoyed his puzzle caches like this one:

See No Evil

Tomorrow we'll ...

A Memorable Encounter - 8/15/19

Here's another memorable one I first shared back in 2012:

The Encounter

Tomorrow we'll ...

Alert! - 8/14/19

Today we have another extremely memorable puzzle which requires a group effort to solve. I featured it first back in 2014 and have participated many times in helping people work on it, and it's always fun:

Mystery Game #2 : Alerte à la bombe 💣

Tomorrow we'll ...

The Start of My Travels - 8/13/19

Today we return to South Florida, where I have two extremely memorable caches from the same CO that I want to remind you about.  If you've never done this series, they are the gold standard for teaching new puzzlers the tricks of the trade.  This was the series that first got me really interested in traveling for puzzle caching.  Work your way up to:

Puzzle Solving 101 - The Final Exam

and after whetting your appetite there, you can then go on a:

Geodyssey

I appreciate someone letting me know that the Geodyssey website link isn't working ... I'm trying to follow up with the CO and will post an update when I have one.  Sorry about that.  If it comes back it will have been worth the wait!

And, we're back in business!  It was a quick fix for the CO.

Tomorrow we'll ...

I've always been crafty - 8/12/19

This puzzle had been archived even before I solved it and shared it back in 2014, but I remember it so well because I still have my solution which I take with me every time I do a puzzle talk. I love sharing:

Joani's Crafty Cache - Crochet

Tomorrow we'll ...

Hope you're not hungry - 8/11/19

Thinking about this puzzle I featured way back in 2012 always makes me grin:

Doughnuts and bratwurst, bratwurst and doughnuts

Tomorrow we'll ...

Mastermind? - 8/10/19

Here's another one I remember from way back when I featured it in 2012.  Let's see if you're a:

Mastermind

Tomorrow we'll ...

Word games - 8/9/19

I'm enjoying thinking back about these old puzzles.  If it's one I can remember crystal clearly after all these years, you know it made an impression.  Here's one such, that I shared way back in 2012:

Verbal Alchemy

Tomorrow we'll ...

Another Classic - 8/8/19

Today we'll revisit a classic Florida cache I featured back in 2012:

Magnum, P.I.

Tomorrow we'll ...

Simply Amazing - 8/7/19

Today's look back has us visiting a Minnesota puzzle that's one of the most creative I have ever come across.  I featured it back in 2015 and was thrilled to log the find  a couple of years later:

My Tme on the Amazing Race

Tomorrow we'll ...

A little bit more reminiscing - 8/6/19

It didn't take long to remember another favorite, from a CO who just had a birthday this week. :)  If you haven't tried any of his puzzles, you should investigate them further.  There are many fun challenges in his work.  This is one I featured back in 2012:

NPC #3 A bit of binary

Tomorrow we'll ...

A Classic - 8/5/19

Today's walk down memory lane takes us to a cache that's almost old enough to have a driver's license in many states.  I first featured it back in August of 2012, and it's an absolute classic by a CO whose other works have been featured here many times:

The Sentence

Tomorrow we'll ...

Gone to the Dogs - 8/4/19

Today's puzzle is one that immediately comes to mind when I think of puzzles that have really stayed with me over the years.  I first featured it back in 2014:

Dalmatians and Dachshunds


Tomorrow we'll ...

Looking Back - 8/3/19

Here's another puzzle from my first weke of postings back in 2011.  This Vermont series were some of the first distant puzzles I worked on in my efforts to get better at puzzling, and were a big part of me deciding to start this blog.  I also liked the "PIE" acronym so much I did two of my own series of caches here in New York called "Puzzled, Ithaca Edition":

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

Tomorrow we'll ...

Back in the beginning - 8/2/19

Today we take another little trip down memory lane, to revisit a cache I featured back in 2014.  It's from a much favorited series that I started featuring back in 2011, well before the CO became known for his "How To Puzzlecache" book. If you haven't tried the series yet, they are all highly recommended.

I know this puzzle was inspired by a puzzle I featured here in March of 2011, not only because childofatom told me, but because the CO of that puzzle (which is actually in Norway) made the find on today's New York City puzzle and discusses the connection in the log, which you can read here.  I'll probably never get to make the find on the original, but making the find on this one was a special treat, knowing I had helped facilitate the connection:

It Begins At the Girls Gate

Tomorrow we'll ...

(P.S.  It helps if you hit "publish"!  Sorry for the delay.)

In the Beginning - 8/1/19

Nine years ago today I posted this note on a puzzle:

"As the puzzle solving member of a new geocaching team I've been working on lots of puzzles for caches around the area in hopes of getting to them some day ... don't know if we're up to the 3 star terrain here, but this puzzle was fantastic! The "Aha!" moment of how to get it to work was quite unique. I feel like I've learned something new and very cool. Thanks! Maybe some day we'll be able to find the cache."

A couple of months after that I did make my way to the cache, and a couple of months after that I featured the puzzle as my second post for this blog:

Chain Reaction? Absolutely!

As I've been writing my logs for my recent California trip I'm reminded how much I enjoy looking back over the excellent puzzles I've solved in the past.  They feel like old friends, especially now that I've gotten to visit so many of their locations and meet a lot of their owners.  Even if you've solved this puzzle already, I hope you'll enjoy this little trip down memory lane.  I'll probably be posting some others in the coming days.

If you have your own favorites from your early puzzling days, please consider sending them along to me.  Your contributions are always greatly appreciated.