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Tulip Woods LbNA #46582 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:JerseyTrailblazers
Plant date:Apr 10, 2009
Location:
City:???
County:Mystery
State:New Jersey
Boxes:1
Found by: ???
Last found:Jun 5, 2013
Status:FFFFFFFar
Last edited:Apr 10, 2009
Tulip Woods

The Tulip was originally a wild flower growing in Central Asia and was first cultivated by the Turks as early as 1,000 AD. The flower was introduced in Westen Europe and the Netherlands in the 17th century by Carolus Clusius, a famous biologist from Vienna. In the beginning of the 17th century the tulip was starting to be used as a garden decoration besides former medicinal purposes. It soon gained major popularity as a trading product, especially in Holland. The interest for the flower was huge and bulbs were sold for unbelievable high prices.

In the months of late 1636 to early 1637 there was a complete “Tulipmania” in the Netherlands. Some examples could cost more than an Amsterdam house at the time. Traders made huge amounts of money every month and people started to sell their businesses, homes, farm animals, furnishings and use their savings to participate. The government could not do anything to stop it, the trade was all about supply and demand. But finally the tulip did not appear to be quite so rare to justify such high prices anymore. Over-supply led to lower prices and dealers went bankrupt, while many people lost their savings because of the trade. This “Tulip Crash” caused the government to introduce special trading restrictions for the flower.

Unbeknownst to most people at the time, some of the prized tulips were smuggled out of the Netherlands and eventually made their way to North America. Transported in secret and often in the dead of night, these tulips were soon in the hands of trusted individuals in New Jersey, who pledged to care for and cultivate them. One such person, J. Trailblazer, an enterprising businessman who faniced himself a weekend botanist, decided to plant some of these specimens in a lush and partially forested area that he frequently liked to spend afternoons walking through. He had grandiose plans which included the propogation of the tulips throughout the woodlands, with thousands of them as far as the eye could see. A grand plan indeed. It was to be known as "Tulip Woods". It was a good plan, except for the fact that there was too much tree cover overhead and the tulips did not get the proper amount of sulight needed and soon were almost gone - all except one. This last tulip was taken and preserved for all time in a special container and left behind as a memory of a grand scheme whose time had never come. It still waits to this day, to be visited and looked upon again as it had been so many years ago. But in order to protect this last vestige of the great tulip history, it has been hidden so that unkindly persons do not happen upon it by chance. If you are of good spirit and kind heart, perhaps you will be able to unlock the secret to where the last tulip from the 1700's now resides.

To find this Tulip, unlock the secret of its home:

It is said that a combination of two American Indian words for "the place of cold water", is how this park got its name. It is made up of more than 570 acres and has nearly five miles of hiking trails. There are four distinct areas in the park, some of which were donated to the county in the mid 1900's by the Moore's and the Hartley's and these parcels helped to form the park as it is today. There are 4 streets from which to access the different areas of this park. Only 3 of the streets have designated parking areas as shown on the park map. Start at the one in the middle. Park in the lot and cross back over the road to the trail opening across from the park sign. It is a paved path. After approx. 1/2 mile you will see the number 1.3 painted on the ground on the right side of the path. Soon after this, look to your left for an old green barbed wire fence that comes up to the edge of the path. (If you get to a new blue post sticking up out of the ground on the right side of the path with 0.6 on it - you have gone a little bit too far on the trail) Pass by the fence pole and start to walk up along the side of it. (Use care, just after the corner pole, as there are a couple of loose pieces of barbed wire hanging to the ground next to the fence. Just walk a few feet around and then back to the fence) From the fence post, walk 54 average steps to a tree that is leaning to the right. (There is another leaning tree just past it by 3 more steps). From this first leaning tree, (with your back to the fence), stand on its right side and walk 30 steps at 150 degrees to a single trunk tree. (It is near another tree - but there are no obstacles in your way). From the left side of this tree, (still with your back towards the fence you came from), walk 40 steps at 140 degrees to an ugly looking "V" tree. Take a look at the SPOS at the rear of the tree.

**Update - decided to retire the original stamp as it was an 'early' carving of mine. Replaced with a new stamp carved by The Pakrat.

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Please rehide well. Please do not let children rehide box unsupervised.