Town Seal Series LbNA #50108
Map
Nearby Boxes
Add Note
Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Aug 20, 2009 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Aquinnah |
| County: | Dukes |
| State: | Massachusetts |
| Boxes: | 6 |
| Planted by: | rtrw  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | The Rowe-vers (5) |
| Last found: | Aug 30, 2011 |
| Status: | FFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Aug 20, 2009 |
Town Seal Letterbox Series -
You are going to want a car on the island for this series. You will end up in some rather remote places where the buses do not run. No ink in any box. It always seems to end up making a mess. Be stealthy. These boxes are all orphans, so any care you give them is much appreciated. I’ll be back to check on them in a couple years.
Town Seal #1 – Aquinnah – Gay Head Baptist Church
Info you need to know
- I found two other wonderful boxes in Aquinnah. Definitely worth seeking. Wonderful carvings.
Info you don’t need to know –
-(Taken from the Wampanoag website) GAY HEAD COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH is the oldest native Baptist church in continuous existence in the country. It began in 1693 as the first Christian gathering of Wampanoag. The pews, which are one piece of solid wood, have been used for the past 150 years.
-The day we arrived the back door was standing open so we were able to peek in. Sweet little sanctuary.
-The town is now known as Aquinnah, but the town seal still reflects Gay Head as the name. I’m just stealing art and carving here. Not sure if the seal will change or not. The vote to change the name was something like 36 against and 39 in favor. I really get a kick out of small town politics.
-The Antiboxer says the potato salad at the overlook isn’t worth the hype on the sign
-At one of the overlook shops I saw a rock with this carved into it. “Ah! I see the screw up fairy has visited us again.” Made me laugh. If it hadn’t been 12 bucks I might have gotten it. Actually, it sounds like a good idea for a stamp! Hmmm.
Clues
- Go to Gay Head Baptist Church. Take 6 smallish steps from the northeast corner of the church. Behind two rocks, but not in the wall.
Town Seal #2 – Tisbury - Wilfrid’s Pond Preserve
Info you need to know
- The road to get here is quite something. If you go slowly, you’ll be fine
- LOTS of Poison Ivy here, but I did the best I could to keep the box out of it.
- You can see Wilfrid’s Pond from this preserve, but you can’t actually get to it. Worth going to look. The trail to the beach is short and I wish we had spent a lot more time sitting and playing there. .
- Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission is in charge of some WONDERFUL properties on the island. Next time I come I hope to search out many more of these gems. HAR of No.NH and I met a Land Bank Worker at another spot and she told us that even though many of the roads to the land bank properties say ”Private Road”, they are not. If you are heading toward a Land Bank owned property, go for it. The property owners may THINK they own the roads, but….
Info you don’t need to know
- This is one of the most beautiful beaches we discovered on the Vineyard. Plan to come and stay for a while.
- The aforementioned Land Bank worker also told us that she is on the island only for the summer and has a cool job. She checks up on three different preserves (there are many. Probably more than 50) and spends much of her day on the beaches. She “pays” for her housing by working an extra shift per week. She also had on a cool t shirt.
- Some of the property owners are less than pleased about the Land Bank’s work on the island. I, on the other hand, am delighted!
- HAR of No.NH and I discovered the nearby Tashmoo Town Beach while hunting (in the freakishly wrong area, interestingly) for a box. We, and The Antiboxer, spent four different evenings watching the sun go down from this lovely place. Fishermen were at work each night and the sunsets were stunning.
- I think our favorite eatery in Vineyard Haven was Art Cliff. Great breakfast and they have a fun menu on the ptomaine truck they park outside at night.
Clues
– Find Wilfrid’s Pond Preserve. From the signboard near the parking lot, turn your back to it and walk about 40 steps down the road you just drove in upon. During the summer of 2009 the thoughtful folks at the Land Bank Commission had placed a Porto potty there. Hopefully, you’ll see a 3 armed tree (maybe a beech? Funny if you think about it. Beech? Beach? Ok, I’m tired) to your right. The trunks were about the size of an adult arm and they lean a bit in the direction of the beach. At the back of the three trunks you should find the box. Please cover well.
Town Seal #3 – West Tisbury – Priester’s Pond Preserve
Info you need to know
- Can’t think of a thing.
Info you don’t need to know
- I enjoy the alliteration of this preserve’s name
- I actually went to the wrong intersection and walked for about 15 minutes down somebody’s trail. Saw the backs of a bunch of houses and a skunk in a cage. Also found a brick for the top of the reward box. See? I told you this was info you didn’t need to know.
- Not sure if it’s in West Tisbury or not, but the State Road restaurant was great for lunch and breakfast. I think you might need reservations in the evening. Lovely herb garden. Had one of my favorites, Lemon Verbena.
Clues
- Find the spill way and walk to the arborish boardwalk and past the two benches and the jumping off point. The box is under the boardwalk by the outer corner post.
Town Seal #4 –Edgartown – Sweetened Water Preserve
Info you need to know
- The adult who planted is 5’8”. You might need this info later
- Many thanks to Mom and Tyler and Emily for the letterbox pouch. I actually had to use some of my letterbox intended Tupperware for food (What’s that about? :-) so, I was very glad to have won them in the Rubaduc Raffle last winter and remembering to put them in my pack. That was quite a long sentence.
Info you don’t need to know
- I have no idea why this preserve is called what it is. A rather interesting name, I thought.
- We ate in Edgartown (quite late one night) at Among the Flowers. Nice place. Strangest bathroom I have ever seen. HAR of No.NH was NOT a fan. Of the bathroom. I think she liked the food.
Clues
- Pass the map board and head down the path through the grass. You will see the water, but turn left onto the dirt and grass road and take 15 steps. The letterbox pouch is tucked into the first cedar about adult chest high.
Town Seal #5 – Chilmark – Tea Lane Farm
Info you need to know
- This is another Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission property.
Info you don’t need to know
- We saw James Taylor walking out of the store in town. We decided not to be “those people” who gawk and ask for autographs and picture. We are a little bit sorry that we aren’t those people. Maybe we really are…on the inside
- This is my favorite preserve that I visited. Not sure if it was just the beauty of the day or if it’s really that wonderful.
- The Obama family was vacationing on the vineyard while we were there. We really appreciate them not getting in the way of our vacation. Their motorcade drove right by us while we were in Chilmark
It looks like I finally found a town where I have no comment on lunch options.
Clues
From the Trailhead across from Meetinghouse Lane, go up. The trail (mowed grass area) bends left before you “summit”. There is a sharp right turn where the trail makes a sharp right. After a minute or two you’ll see a sign in the field that says “ATTENTION” and then there is a bunch of print underneath that is way too small to read from where you are standing. This amuses me. Line yourself up with that sign, then take 7 more steps down the trail to a taller than average fence post with some rusty barbed wire tangled near it. Your letterbox pouch is behind that post, secured by a brick.
Town Seal #6 – Oak Bluffs – Pecoy Pond Preserve
Info you need to know – It’s off Pulpit Rock Road. Read the pulpit rock info near the parking lot. Rather interesting. And it’s on a rock!
Info you don’t need to know - Not much to share on this one. We spent quite a while down at the boat launch watching the cormorants sunning themselves. It was lovely.
- Slice of Life on Circuit had great 7 grain toast at breakfast. Everything else was good, but that toast was terrific. I know. I really need to get out more when toast is a highlight
Clues –
After reading the rock, wend your way down the path away from the parking area. At the first boardwalk, the box is tucked underneath on the right side as soon as a box could be tucked. Keep going for more pretty stuff.
Town Seal Reward – Clues to this one are in all the other boxes in the series
Info you need to know -
-This box is hidden in a place it will easily be found by regular people if boxers aren’t careful when hiding it. If one of the other boxes goes missing and you are unable to get the clue, I will happily email it to you. rtrw@comcast.net is how to reach me.
Info you don’t need to know
-This box would not exist if my fellow planter-travelers were not a little slow one morning. I was carving the stamp and wondering what to do with it when I realized it would be nice to put a little twist in the series. If you are going to bother finding the whole series, you get clues to another box. By the way, I did my fair share of dawdling on this vacation, so I’m not casting aspersions upon my fellow travelers, The Antiboxer and HAR from No. NH. They were incredibly supportive of my desire to plant this series, even to the point of making me get the last two planted on our last day on the island. A delightful and restful vacation.
- Regarding the clues in all the other boxes, I’m sort of not terribly uptight about stuff like this. If you want the clues before you visit the Vineyard, I’ll send them to you. If you’re a purist, have a great hunt. You will have earned that last box!
You are going to want a car on the island for this series. You will end up in some rather remote places where the buses do not run. No ink in any box. It always seems to end up making a mess. Be stealthy. These boxes are all orphans, so any care you give them is much appreciated. I’ll be back to check on them in a couple years.
Town Seal #1 – Aquinnah – Gay Head Baptist Church
Info you need to know
- I found two other wonderful boxes in Aquinnah. Definitely worth seeking. Wonderful carvings.
Info you don’t need to know –
-(Taken from the Wampanoag website) GAY HEAD COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH is the oldest native Baptist church in continuous existence in the country. It began in 1693 as the first Christian gathering of Wampanoag. The pews, which are one piece of solid wood, have been used for the past 150 years.
-The day we arrived the back door was standing open so we were able to peek in. Sweet little sanctuary.
-The town is now known as Aquinnah, but the town seal still reflects Gay Head as the name. I’m just stealing art and carving here. Not sure if the seal will change or not. The vote to change the name was something like 36 against and 39 in favor. I really get a kick out of small town politics.
-The Antiboxer says the potato salad at the overlook isn’t worth the hype on the sign
-At one of the overlook shops I saw a rock with this carved into it. “Ah! I see the screw up fairy has visited us again.” Made me laugh. If it hadn’t been 12 bucks I might have gotten it. Actually, it sounds like a good idea for a stamp! Hmmm.
Clues
- Go to Gay Head Baptist Church. Take 6 smallish steps from the northeast corner of the church. Behind two rocks, but not in the wall.
Town Seal #2 – Tisbury - Wilfrid’s Pond Preserve
Info you need to know
- The road to get here is quite something. If you go slowly, you’ll be fine
- LOTS of Poison Ivy here, but I did the best I could to keep the box out of it.
- You can see Wilfrid’s Pond from this preserve, but you can’t actually get to it. Worth going to look. The trail to the beach is short and I wish we had spent a lot more time sitting and playing there. .
- Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission is in charge of some WONDERFUL properties on the island. Next time I come I hope to search out many more of these gems. HAR of No.NH and I met a Land Bank Worker at another spot and she told us that even though many of the roads to the land bank properties say ”Private Road”, they are not. If you are heading toward a Land Bank owned property, go for it. The property owners may THINK they own the roads, but….
Info you don’t need to know
- This is one of the most beautiful beaches we discovered on the Vineyard. Plan to come and stay for a while.
- The aforementioned Land Bank worker also told us that she is on the island only for the summer and has a cool job. She checks up on three different preserves (there are many. Probably more than 50) and spends much of her day on the beaches. She “pays” for her housing by working an extra shift per week. She also had on a cool t shirt.
- Some of the property owners are less than pleased about the Land Bank’s work on the island. I, on the other hand, am delighted!
- HAR of No.NH and I discovered the nearby Tashmoo Town Beach while hunting (in the freakishly wrong area, interestingly) for a box. We, and The Antiboxer, spent four different evenings watching the sun go down from this lovely place. Fishermen were at work each night and the sunsets were stunning.
- I think our favorite eatery in Vineyard Haven was Art Cliff. Great breakfast and they have a fun menu on the ptomaine truck they park outside at night.
Clues
– Find Wilfrid’s Pond Preserve. From the signboard near the parking lot, turn your back to it and walk about 40 steps down the road you just drove in upon. During the summer of 2009 the thoughtful folks at the Land Bank Commission had placed a Porto potty there. Hopefully, you’ll see a 3 armed tree (maybe a beech? Funny if you think about it. Beech? Beach? Ok, I’m tired) to your right. The trunks were about the size of an adult arm and they lean a bit in the direction of the beach. At the back of the three trunks you should find the box. Please cover well.
Town Seal #3 – West Tisbury – Priester’s Pond Preserve
Info you need to know
- Can’t think of a thing.
Info you don’t need to know
- I enjoy the alliteration of this preserve’s name
- I actually went to the wrong intersection and walked for about 15 minutes down somebody’s trail. Saw the backs of a bunch of houses and a skunk in a cage. Also found a brick for the top of the reward box. See? I told you this was info you didn’t need to know.
- Not sure if it’s in West Tisbury or not, but the State Road restaurant was great for lunch and breakfast. I think you might need reservations in the evening. Lovely herb garden. Had one of my favorites, Lemon Verbena.
Clues
- Find the spill way and walk to the arborish boardwalk and past the two benches and the jumping off point. The box is under the boardwalk by the outer corner post.
Town Seal #4 –Edgartown – Sweetened Water Preserve
Info you need to know
- The adult who planted is 5’8”. You might need this info later
- Many thanks to Mom and Tyler and Emily for the letterbox pouch. I actually had to use some of my letterbox intended Tupperware for food (What’s that about? :-) so, I was very glad to have won them in the Rubaduc Raffle last winter and remembering to put them in my pack. That was quite a long sentence.
Info you don’t need to know
- I have no idea why this preserve is called what it is. A rather interesting name, I thought.
- We ate in Edgartown (quite late one night) at Among the Flowers. Nice place. Strangest bathroom I have ever seen. HAR of No.NH was NOT a fan. Of the bathroom. I think she liked the food.
Clues
- Pass the map board and head down the path through the grass. You will see the water, but turn left onto the dirt and grass road and take 15 steps. The letterbox pouch is tucked into the first cedar about adult chest high.
Town Seal #5 – Chilmark – Tea Lane Farm
Info you need to know
- This is another Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission property.
Info you don’t need to know
- We saw James Taylor walking out of the store in town. We decided not to be “those people” who gawk and ask for autographs and picture. We are a little bit sorry that we aren’t those people. Maybe we really are…on the inside
- This is my favorite preserve that I visited. Not sure if it was just the beauty of the day or if it’s really that wonderful.
- The Obama family was vacationing on the vineyard while we were there. We really appreciate them not getting in the way of our vacation. Their motorcade drove right by us while we were in Chilmark
It looks like I finally found a town where I have no comment on lunch options.
Clues
From the Trailhead across from Meetinghouse Lane, go up. The trail (mowed grass area) bends left before you “summit”. There is a sharp right turn where the trail makes a sharp right. After a minute or two you’ll see a sign in the field that says “ATTENTION” and then there is a bunch of print underneath that is way too small to read from where you are standing. This amuses me. Line yourself up with that sign, then take 7 more steps down the trail to a taller than average fence post with some rusty barbed wire tangled near it. Your letterbox pouch is behind that post, secured by a brick.
Town Seal #6 – Oak Bluffs – Pecoy Pond Preserve
Info you need to know – It’s off Pulpit Rock Road. Read the pulpit rock info near the parking lot. Rather interesting. And it’s on a rock!
Info you don’t need to know - Not much to share on this one. We spent quite a while down at the boat launch watching the cormorants sunning themselves. It was lovely.
- Slice of Life on Circuit had great 7 grain toast at breakfast. Everything else was good, but that toast was terrific. I know. I really need to get out more when toast is a highlight
Clues –
After reading the rock, wend your way down the path away from the parking area. At the first boardwalk, the box is tucked underneath on the right side as soon as a box could be tucked. Keep going for more pretty stuff.
Town Seal Reward – Clues to this one are in all the other boxes in the series
Info you need to know -
-This box is hidden in a place it will easily be found by regular people if boxers aren’t careful when hiding it. If one of the other boxes goes missing and you are unable to get the clue, I will happily email it to you. rtrw@comcast.net is how to reach me.
Info you don’t need to know
-This box would not exist if my fellow planter-travelers were not a little slow one morning. I was carving the stamp and wondering what to do with it when I realized it would be nice to put a little twist in the series. If you are going to bother finding the whole series, you get clues to another box. By the way, I did my fair share of dawdling on this vacation, so I’m not casting aspersions upon my fellow travelers, The Antiboxer and HAR from No. NH. They were incredibly supportive of my desire to plant this series, even to the point of making me get the last two planted on our last day on the island. A delightful and restful vacation.
- Regarding the clues in all the other boxes, I’m sort of not terribly uptight about stuff like this. If you want the clues before you visit the Vineyard, I’ll send them to you. If you’re a purist, have a great hunt. You will have earned that last box!