LETTERBOXING

Letterboxing is a creative outdoor hobby that will lead you on a journey through nature and city to find hidden handcarved stamps and journals by fellow letterboxers. If you would like to letterbox you can check out “The Basics” located below. If you like to play fast and loose head over to AtlasQuest.com to find letterboxes near you globally.

Please read Waiver of Responsibility and Disclaimer before heading out.

🎶 I made you a play list to listen to while you carve your next stamp you can listen to by clicking here.

  • Carve your own signature stamp, you can aquire pink rubber and a carving tool at most art stores. Alternatively you can use a pink eraser and x-acto. Please be careful when cutting. You can also use a pre-bought stamp but to be honest it’s not as fun IMO.

    Purchase an ink pad and a non-lined Journal Read the Waiver of Responsibility and Disclaimer on Atlas Quest

    Look up your nearest letterboxes. For best odds check the last found date and planted date. The most recent ones have better odds of being found.

    Follow the clues to the letterbox you’ve set out to find, once found you should find a journal and a stamp. Stamp your journal with their stamp, and stamp their journal with yours, don’t forget to sign and date. Place everything as it was found

  • Gloves- I don’t like bugs and sometimes you’re in the city where questionable happenings are going on. If i have to move something questionable to get to the box I might slip on the glove. Be discrete this might look suspicious. I don’t want the cops being called on you for putting on a glove and creeping around the middle of central park LOL.

    A retractable stick- Think walking stick or a selfie stick or find a branch to safely poke around. Last week i found myself out in a Nature park and was having to look under ferns and brush. Black widows and wolf spiders are commonly found in said areas so I always use my stick to lift up brush before shoving my hand in.

    Extra Baggies and Journals- As a good fellow letterboxer it is our solemn duty to repair any letterboxes we find that might have become damaged with the weather *if we can. This only includes putting journals in plastic bags if the original bags are damaged or adding in a new journal if the last one is full. Do not remove anything without permission of the Planter, if more extensive damage has been done to the letterbox please log it on Atlas Quest under the letterbox post or message the Planter so they can resolve the issue.

    My stamp, an ink pad, a pen, my journal, water and a snack along with the directions to the letterboxes.

  • The OG: traditional sits in one location. Placed in a ziplock, tupperwear, or box.

    The Hitchhiker: Moves from one location to another. When found the letterbox should be removed and placed in the next letterbox location they go to.

    The Cootie: Is planted on a person. A tiny letterbox planted on people typically in an Altoid tin or film cannister, signatures are using fingerprints.

    The Flea: Bounces around locations and people. Essentially a cootie but that can be found at a location or on a person.

  • All letterboxes can be found on AtlasQuest, this includes mine. However if you would like a consolidated list of just mine click here to download.Have more questions? Reach out or check out Atlas Quest extensive Q and A section here.

POSTCARDS AND PENPALS

I love snail mail and Postcards. Which is why I’m on postcrossing and have a few penpals. If you’re looking for a random hobby involving strangers and paper then this is the hobby for you. I personally love making postcards and stationary.. you can find some in my shop.

🎶 I made you a playlist to listen to while you while you write your next letter, inspired by all the international mail you’ll be getting. You can listen to by clicking here.

  • Postcards: Postcrossing

    How Postcrossing works click here.

    Snailmail: r/penpals on reddit

  • 1.If possible please use a P.O Box.

    2.You can use your username or your First Initial and Surname when writing to a stranger. Please use what you’re comfortable with.

    3. Never give money EVER.

    4. Keep it fun and clean.

  • Snailmail is not just a letter in the mail it’s an artform. Snailmail should include fun postcards or stationary. You can decorate your envelopes and letters withs stickers. And small flat gifts are always welcome like artwork.

PDX TINY HORSE PROJECT

The Tiny Horse Project was created by Scott Wayne Indiana in 2005. The Tiny Horse Project utilizes rings used back in the old timey days to tie up horses. Now a days we don’t have horses well real horses but Portland has been keeping the tradition alive by tieing up toy horses to these rings for decades. You can tie up your own if you see an empty ring or go on a scavenger hunt to find them. If you are visiting Portland or live here I implore you to go on a trek across the city seeing all the tiny horses. It’s free, it’s fun.

Tiny Horse Map is located here.

🎶 I made you a play list of horse songs to listen to while you gallop across the city which you can listen to by clicking here.

To make a full day of it, go to a few local toy shops or vintage shops and buy a horse. Stop at your local hardware shop to get a cable for the horse and head out on your search to see all the glorious horses across the city. If you find an empty one tie your horse to the hitch. Here are the steps and items needed to tie up your horse.

PDX SIDEWALK JOY

Since 2011 Portland has been spreading joy along sidewalks of various different mediums in the form of swapping. A great way to spend the weekend swapping, inspecting and being creatively inspired. @PDXDinorama and @PDXFlag have created a sidewalk map guide and map located below. Remember this is a swap exchange take a book, an art piece, some quarters, tiny trinkets, sketches, puzzles, apothecary items and seeds with you.

The Sidewalk Joy Map is located here.

And a detailed explanation of each stop located here.

🎶 I made you a play list Tiny Exploration of Portland to listen to while you wander across the city looking for Sidewalk Joy; which you can listen to by clicking here.

7 WONDERS OF OREGON

I fell in love with Oregon after visiting the 7 wonders in 2015. Early and Late summer are the best time to go, since the weather is optimal, however they are accessible year round. Please do your due diligence to make sure roads and trails are open and there aren’t any forest fires in the area before going. Always take the appropriate gear and food when trekking out as some of these locations are a bit remote.

1. Crater Lake 2. The Painted Hills 3. The Wallowas 4. Columbia River Gorge 5. Mount Hood 6. Oregon Coast- I recommend Cape Blanco and Cape Kiwanda 7. Smith Rock

For more things to explore in Oregon check out traveloregon.com they are always adding more trip ideas and hot spots to the site.