Sign Up  /  Login

The Water Wheel LbNA #41811

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Jul 13, 2008
Location:
City:Mountain Rest
County:Oconee
State:South Carolina
Boxes:1
Planted by:The Wood Family
Found by: BKshadow
Last found:Oct 11, 2009
Status:FFFF
Last edited:Jul 13, 2008
Our family has recently begun to letterbox. The children were so excited about the idea, that they wanted to plant one as well. Hopefully, we did it correctly! If there are any problems with the box, please email me at: Hapeekampr@aol.com. Please note: The letterbox is at a State Park and there is an admission fee of $2.00 adults, $1.25 seniors and military personnel, under 15 free. Inside the box is an original stamp, made by Grammy herself! You might also want to bring a flashlight so you can see better before reaching in to get the box.

Since we have young children letterboxing with us, I like to take the clues and weave them into a story or mystery. My husband on the other hand, likes things short and sweet. So I'm giving you a choice with your clues. You can either use the story type version (with helps in parenthesis), or skip ahead to the Reader's Digest version. Have fun!


Water Wheel Wanderers

Once upon a time, there was a family of Wanderers who liked to travel about looking for hidden letterboxes. One day, they decided to plant one for themselves and leave clues for someone else to find it. So when they went wandering, they searched high and low for a place to hide their box.
They first followed a trail (road) marked 107 and turned into the Oconee State Park. After paying a small pittance (fee) to gain entrance, they kept RIGHT and went past the check in area for those who wished to stay for the night. (check in for campers).
They passed a building on their right, one very similar to what perhaps a farm animal might live in, or maybe a tractor or something of the like (a barn). On their very left were some other people, who were hitting small white balls with sticks (golf course). They went past the people with the sticks and kept to their LEFT.
Then they saw a sign with letters written upon it. The letters worked together to say, "Water Wheel". What a marvelous place to put their box they thought! So they parked their car a wee bit past the sign in a small off the road spot on the right (it was a leaf covered area when we went there and large enough to fit two cars in just fine).
They walked back to the Water Wheel sign and began a short hike, descending down a bit, marveling at the beauty of the world around them. It didn't take them long to find the water wheel. There they read a bit about it and peeked into the window. They talked for a bit about what Water Wheels used to do and began to scout around for a place to hide their letterbox. They looked and they looked! But alas, most of the spots they looked at, seemed to be too obvious, places where others might find it and carry it off.
Then Grammy Wanderer noticed the trail continued on, up the steps it went, as did the rest of the Wanderers. Up they climbed, following a fence on their right. After the very top of the stairs (not too many mind you), they found a break in the fence. A trail on their RIGHT called for them to walk upon it, so they did.
This was a very flat trail, easy to walk upon and held nature's beauty on the left and right. They marveled at the wild small purple flowers which Grammy said looked like a sweet pea, but she wasn't too sure what name it held.
They crossed over a log that had fallen across their path (this may or may not be there when you search, depends on if the rangers remove it). Then they saw a tall, very tall log that reached up to the sky with wires attached to it on their right. Almost immediately they looked to their left and saw a HUGE boulder. It invited them to use their strength to climb and sit upon it and the Wanderers did so, marveling at how large it was! They saw that two other large rocks sat upon it, and they climbed all over the rock looking for a home for their letterbox! But again, it was just not hidden enough for the Wanderers. They worried it might be too easily seen.
Just then, Grammy Wanderer spotted yet another rock, further up the hill! It had a fallen log, pointing straight towards it! Under the rock, on the side that faces the trail they just walked upon, was a crevice! It was small enough, hidden enough, and just right for their box! Shining their flashlight inside and using a stick, they made sure no other critters called it home. They looked around to make sure no one saw them, and they gently placed their letterbox INSIDE and to the RIGHT side of the crevice. They looked around and made sure there were enough sticks for others to poke into the crevice before retrieving the box and were satisfied. Their first letterbox had found a home! The happy Wanderers continued to climb up the hill and were met with a nice surprise (and a much easier walk back rather than climbing back down the hill!) They looked forward to checking on their box and wondered if people would be able to find it!

Short and Sweet Version
Go to the Oconee State Park in Mountain Rest, SC.
After paying the admission fee, keep RIGHT going past the Check In area for campers.
You will pass a barn on your right, look for Carpet Golf on your left.
Follow the road past the golf and stay to the left. (Right is for Campers)
Look for small sign marking the Waterwheel Wheel Trail. Park past it off the road on the shoulder on the right.
Follow the trail until you get to the water wheel. Go to the RIGHT, up some steps and look for a break in the fence also on the right. Follow that trail.
There may be a tree across the trail. Then you will look for a telephone pole on the RIGHT.
Continue until you see huge boulders on your LEFT. There will be two small on top of a really big one.
If you come to a wooden bridge you have gone to far and need to walk back about 30 feet.
There is a small trail that goes up on the right of the huge rocks. Look for a log pointing to a smaller boulder with a "cave" under it. The box is in the right side of this cave. Use your flashlight and stick to make sure no one is inside keeping the box company!