TX Boxcar Letterbox Event
Organized By: Silver Eagle
TX Boxcar Letterbox Event
Organized By: Silver Eagle
Come to our third TX LB Event as we make like Boxcar Children at the home of the Texas State Railroad in the piney woods of Northeast Texas.
| Date: | Saturday, 03/18/06 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 11:00 AM - 08:00 PM |
| Location: | Group Picnic Pavilion 3 in the Rusk Unit of Rusk/Palestine SP - Rusk, TX |
| Directions: | The park is approximately 120 miles southeast of Dallas and 170 miles northeast of Houston. The Rusk Unit is located 3 miles west of Rusk, adjacent to the Texas State Railroad Rusk Depot off US Highway 84. Stop at the entrance station to pay the fee ($2/adult), get a map and ask for directions to Group Pavilion 3. I believe it is the stone pavilion by the lake near the train depot. |
| Details: | I have reserved the Pavilion for all day and it will hold 75 people. It is covered and has electric and water outlets, barbecue pit, picnic tables, and access to restrooms. Baby Bear and I will bring chili, bowls and spoons, but everyone should bring their own drinks and potluck food if desired. Baby Bear is making the Event Stamp and I will bring name tags so we can remember each other better. Other things to consider bringing include: letterbox materials, clues to boxes in area, boxes to place & paper and pen to record clues for others to follow, trash bags, bug spray, kid games and anything else to make the day more fun. If you are planning to camp, be sure to make reservations early. You may R.S.V.P. on Atlas Quest. |
| Accommodations: | There is camping available in the Rusk unit and also the Palestine unit about 25 miles to the west. You can check Campgrounds Of America for more possibilities. Hotels and other accommodations can be found in the nearby towns of Rusk or Jacksonville in Cherokee County or Palestine in Anderson County. |
| Event Activities: | Meet, exchange, eat, group photo & letterboxing - repeat as desired. |
| Other Recommended Activities: | Fishing is available in the 15-acre lake, along with paddle boat and canoe rental. If you have extra time, I highly recommend riding on the Texas State Railroad, which runs between the Rusk and Palestine Units on weekends. The Dogwood Steam Train Excursion will be available March 16-19, so you can ride before or after the Event. A few miles east of Rusk is Jim Hogg Historic Site, a day-use memorial to the state's first native born governor with a scale replica of the birthplace and family cemetery. Just 13 miles west of Rusk on Hwy 84 is the I.D. Fairchild State Forest which provides fishing, hiking, and picnicking for day-use. In that same area near Maydelle is a small, friendly winery you might find interesting called Maydelle Country Wines. A little over 20 miles south of Rusk is Caddoan Mounds SHS and Mission Tejas SP, both great places to learn about early Texas history. |
Despite poor weather and lack of campsites, our third TX LB Event was a success, mainly because TX Letterboxers are a lot of fun! About 40 people attended this year, including a mystery guest (Gryzzled Gryphon) and out-of-state letterboxers (Compass Points & Happy Days from Oklahoma). The festivities actually started Friday night, when several boxers sampled some local wine at the Maydelle Winery, then moved on to Bertha's for all-you-can-eat catfish. The winery was fun and the food was superb. The next morning was cold and rainy, but a roaring fire and furious stamping in each other's logbooks kept everyone warm and happy. After eating some chili and other treats it was time to play Letterbox Bingo. This fun game was organized by Dewberry and she did a great job. I am still amazed she was able to hide 25 boxes in the park for us to find. The first several people to Bingo received nice prizes, also provided by Dewberry. Later that afternoon it was time to eat again and finally relax with the remaining letterboxers. A few of us stayed until after 8:00, drinking Barefoot Lucy's homemade Irish Cream and swapping letterbox tales. This is always my favorite part of Events, and I hope next year the camping situation will allow more people to camp the night of the Event so they don't have to leave so early.
I want to give special thanks to Barefoot Lucy for being our travel agent, tour guide and troubleshooter. She is a big reason the Event was a success. I also want to thank Lucy Locket for making the Event Poster, and Dewberry for organizing the Bingo game. And I especially want to thank my brother Baby Bear for helping put on another successful Event. Last but not least, thanks to all of you that attended for coming and making it fun. I can't wait to do it again next year!
Silver Eagle, Baby Bear, Running Rain, Clueless Collector, Ant Man, TeamKing, Corazon, Navigator, Lightning, Barefoot Lucy, Gramatrick (Dewberry, Asterix & Batrick), Lucy Locket, Stinkey Monkey, Roarin' Lion, Strawberry, Blue Butterfly, Happy Days (Sandy & Wes), Compass Points (Kim & Abby), Mother Of Five, Armadillo Girl, Viewfinder, Puddle Splasher, Sea Dove, Mizbobbi, Heaven Sent Travelers (Little Wolf, She Wolf & Flying Eagle), Four Fitz (Scott, Allison, Reagan & Amanda), Catpawz (1 & 2), Runs For Chocolate, M-Dot, Texas Rock Queen, and Gryzzled Gryphon.
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Last updated on 12/20/2007