TEENS! Do you like secrets? Adventure? Puzzle solving? Are you artistic or a lover of art? If you said yes to any or all of those, letterboxing might be the hobby for you! All you need to get started is a blank notebook, any stamp, and any stamp pad. Join this two week program to make your own journal and carve your own signature stamp!

What is letterboxing? - A hobby that combines artistic abilities with puzzle solving AND getting out of the house. Letterboxing has elements of scavenger hunts and geocaching. The main difference between letterboxing and geocaching is that you follow clues rather than coordinates on a GPS. When you find a letterbox, stamp its book with your personal stamp and add the stamp in the letterbox to your book. Letterboxes often contain a hand-carved stamp, which means collecting them gives you pieces of art you won't find anywhere else. If you want to get more serious, you can design and carve your own personal stamp, and/or hide letterboxes of your own!

This library program is for teens. However, letterboxing is an activity that is accessible to everybody, and many families participate in this hobby together. If you would like more information, please check out the links provided below.

What to expect in Week 1 (the basic approach):
- Learn some letterboxing etiquette (there is some secrecy involved in this hobby!)
- Create a basic journal to keep track of your stamps
- Find a stamp at the library to stamp in your new book

What to expect in Week 2 (level up to serious approach):
- Learn how to find clues on Atlas Quest
- Design & carve your own trail stamp; think of your own trail name
- Use Atlas Quest to find letterboxes at the library and beyond

Questions? Contact Andrea at AndreaL [at] ci.salinas.ca.us

More information:
Letterboxing: The Secret Scavenger Hunt Game - Instructibles article
Start Finding Letterboxes - From Letterboxing.org
Getting Started with Letterboxes - From AtlasQuest.org
Need a New Hobby? Go Looking for Hidden Letterboxes - From Atlas Obscura