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Livermore: The Movie LbNA #12353

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Nov 25, 2004
Location:
City:Livermore
County:Alameda
State:California
Boxes:1
Planted by:moderndulcinea
Found by: fleetwood7
Last found:Jan 24, 2009
Status:FFFa
Last edited:Nov 25, 2004
5/28/08 - Major D'oh! Thanks to several boxers, I realized that these directions start from a box that has been retired! AND the path you need to take for this box...is currently roped off for plant restoration. So I need to head over to the park and write new directions. Sorry guys! I promise to get on it next week. In the mean time, I'll add the Board Games directions to this listing - but just be warned, I heard that someone(?) had peed in the Board Games box, which is why I deleted the box.

---------INITIAL DIRECTIONS TO DEFUNCT BOARD GAMES BOX----

Sycamore Grove is a gorgeous park of 742 acres located off Highway 84 and Wetmore Road in Livermore. The park is mainly flat, surrounded by beautiful hills, and offers a variety of paved and dirt trails for walkers, bikers, rollerbladers, stroller-pushers, and horseback riders. Dogs on leash are also allowed. The park is full of wildlife, including jackrabbits, wild turkey, deer, skunks, redtail hawks, groundsquirrels, and snakes. There is a $3 all day fee for parking (bring one dollar bills or quarters for the machine)

For more information about Sycamore Grove, see www.elivermore.com/photos/Sycamore.htm and www.larpd.dst.ca/us/maps/37.html

There are different ways to reach the letterbox I've placed in the park, so I'll list a couple different ones depending on which entrance you'd like to park at.

Go to the the Sycamore Grove entrance on Wetmore Road, right off Holmes. Park in the lot, then start on the blacktop path. Follow the path for a minute or two. The path will split off to the left towards bathrooms, but stay on the right and you'll see the bridge ahead.

The creek is a great place to look for small fish, frogs, polliwogs, skates, and dragonflies.

Continue walking along the paved path past the bridge. When the blacktop path suddenly hooks to the left, continue straight ahead on the dirt path. Walk straight towards the vineyards.

Continue walking, and as the path turns to the left, the vineyards will be on your right. You're going to be walking the perimeter of the park, following beneath the power lines. You'll pass a Park Residence on your right, as well as corrals. Keep following the dirt path along the fenceline, just to the right of the power lines.

Now, you'll come up on an area with several paths converging. On your left, there will be a path with a long lane of trees. There will also be a telephone pole, with the numbers 16 and 3 on it in orange numbering. You want to continue in the direction you've been going. Don't take the steep path on your right that goes up the hill (with a sign that reads "Wagon Road Trail") - continue ahead. Then you'll see a path that heads up the hill on your right that is shaded by lots of trees (This also has a "Wagon Road Trail" sign.).

Go up the shady path. When you reach the top, keep going. In a couple of minutes, you'll be there! Keep walking until you see a large water trough for horses off to your left. (Take a peek inside - depending on the time of year, you may see tiny frogs or polliwogs in the water).

Behind the trough you'll find the remnants of an artificial fish pond built for Sarah Smith, wife of Julius Paul Smith. JP Smith was the original owner of the Olivina Winery.

The pond is very close to what was planned to be JP and Sarah's estate home. You might notice the palm trees there. If you look carefully, you will find that the palm trees line up fairly closely with the stone arch at Arroyo and Wetmore Roads.

Unfortunately, the estate was never built. The foundation of the family residence is just to the south of the park residence, recessed into the hillside. That home is believed to have burnt down in the 30s or 40s.

So! Back to the remains of the fish pond! (this is a great place to stop and have lunch, by the way.)

What you seek is in the eastern corner of the foundation, under a pile of rocks. Be careful when you put the rocks back, so no one sees what's underneath!

*****HIKE TO THE LETTERBOX FROM THE OTHER END OF THE PARK*****
There are two entrances to Sycamore Grove. For this outing, start at the entrance that is on Arroyo Road, across from Wente Winery.

After parking your car, head for the paved path. Like a modern-day Dorothy, follow the mottled paved road. (Follow, follow, follow, follow, follow the mottled paved road!)

Keep an eye out (and down) for the white bicycle. Take the first left after you see the bicycle. The left will be just before the electrical tower.

Head towards the Park Boundary sign (it's on fence to a pasture where there are usually horses), then follow the path along the fenceline.

Keep walking. Ahead you'll see the "castle" with the red door - also known as the ruins of the Olivina Winery. Before you reach the ruins, turn left and follow the path up the steep hillside.

Keep an eye out for a math equation that equals 71. When you see it, take the next left.

Now, look ahead for a large water trough for horses. Behind it, you'll find the ruins or remains of a stone foundation for a fish pond. (for more information about the background to this pond, read the description above.)

What you seek is in the eastern corner of the foundation, under a pile of rocks. Be careful when you put the rocks back, so no one sees what's underneath!

----------------------------------

DIRECTIONS FOR LIVERMORE: THE MOVIE

This letterbox has been placed in honor of the DVD release of "Livermore: The Movie." The main plot of this quirky independent documentary is that "Livermore's 25-year old time capsule has inexplicably disappeared, and a handful of eccentric locals are the last hope in finding it."

For more information about "Livermore: The Movie" see:
www.livermorethemovie.com

Hopefully, finding this letterbox will take you less time than it took a team of crackpot metal detectors, nuclear physicists, mayors, and grounds crews to find the missing Livermore Time Capsule!

To solve the puzzle, answer the following questions from the film. Once you write in the answers, the directions underneath will help you translate the right letters to numbers to help you break the code:

Who did the eerie, creepy, carnival-like music for the film?
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
(First letter of last name is 20, last letter of last name is 10)

How many black hearts are on the wall behind photographer Bill Owens, author of "Suburbia"?
_ _ _
(Middle letter is 15)

What were the names of the filmmakers / shell collectors?
_ _ _ _ and _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _
(First name: second letter is 14, third letter is 9. Second name: second letter is 13)

What was the name of the rare seashell mentioned in the film?
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _
(Second word, second letter is 18)

A Native American was commissioned to carve a totem pole to commemorate a Livermore parking lot. What tribe was he from?
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
(third letter is 17, fourth letter is 16)

He also had a "day job" in San Leandro as a termite:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
(Second letter is 21)

After the city "stiffed" the artist for the pole, he placed a curse on the city's:
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
(First word: first letter is 1, second letter is 8, last letter is 7. Second word: second letter is 2, last letter is 5)

Livermore is also known for the Shelby Bulb, the longest continuously-lit lightbulb. In the film, what song did 600 people sing to the lightbulb?
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
(Second word, first letter is 12)

What is the name of the Livermore painter known for her paintings of the parade and old town?
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _
(First word: First letter is 11. Second word: first letter is 3, second letter is 4, fourth letter is 22, fifth letter is 6, sixth letter is 23)

What is the Native American totem-carver's full name, as listed in the credits?
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
(Second word: sixth letter is 19)



Now, you're ready!

Start in 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 / 9 7 6 10 8, at the 22 6 7 1 8 /

11 7 6 23 9 22 by the 12 6 4 7 13 / 9 4 5 8 1

14 8 11 11 8 7 12 6 21.

With your back facing the 11 7 6 23 9 22, look 15 8 1 11 for the

line of 16 4 14 5 / 11 7 8 8 1. Walk off the path towards the

11 7 8 8 1. Count them from right to left, heading 1 6 23 11 22.

Stop at the 11 22 17 7 13 / 16 4 14 5 / 11 7 8 8

to the 1 6 23 11 22.

Now, look to your 14 8 18 11 (8 4 1 11).

There is one more 16 4 14 5 / 11 7 8 8.

(The four 11 7 8 8 1 form an 14 shape)

At the 12 4 1 8 of the fourth 11 7 8 8,

on the 19 6 7 11 22 side, under a 16 17 14 8 / 6 18

/ 7 6 3 20 1 is the 14 8 11 11 8 7 12 6 21 !!!!