Old Shoe’s Brews

OldShoe and I have started a new series of letterboxes celebrating some of his favorites microbreweries. As many of you know he considers himself a beer connnoisseur and brews his own hopped up barley concoctions in our basement (strictly for his own personal use of course). Just as we generally couple our travels with letterboxing (my passion), so we also make a point to stop at all microbreweries along our route (his passion). Over the years he has come to have several favorites and we thought it was time to marry the two things with a letterbox series.

The first two installments in the series were planted last fall on our trip to Michigan’s U.P., after which I promptly misplaced the clues. While transferring clues from the old site to the new site this weekend, I realized there were several boxes from last fall’s U.P. trip that had not been posted, so I set out looking for my notes, and found the scribbled brew clues. Both boxes are in pretty secluded places, so while I cannot be 100% certain they are safe, I am quite confident they are tucked away in their hiding places, anxiously awaiting visitors. The boxes are planted in the general area of the breweries they represent, but not inside the place and not necessarily right outside the front door. We do however encourage you to support craft brewing and make a stop at the fine establishments represented.

Since OldShoe is also an avid Sudoku buff, the clues for each box are based on a Sudoku puzzle. After solving the puzzles, the solutions are used in various ways to arrive at the clues — yeh, they take a bit of figuring and thinking. Old Shoe’s Brews #2 is a mystery box, the location of which is revealed as you work through the clues. This one requires a bit of a hike, but the area is very scenic and so worth the time it takes to get from one end of the trail to the other (you may even find other letterboxes along the way). Old Shoe’s Brews #1, representing his favorite U.P. microbrewery, provides the general location up front but you have to do a little digging to find out exactly where the place is (hint: talk to the locals).

Traverse City Boxes Added

Clues for my active Grand Traverse and Leelanau County boxes are the latest additions to the new site. Unfortunately neither of the lighthouse boxes are active — the box at Grand Traverse Light is missing again and the Old Mission Light box was vandalized and needs to be replaced. I doubt I will be able to replace them before fall, but there are still several other fun northern Michigan letterboxes waiting for you in the Leelanau/Traverse City/Old Mission area.

If you like word puzzle clues, try the 2-box Wine Country Series for a little brain teasing and some breathtaking views in the Traverse City area — there are even several wineries along the way that offer tasting rooms. If you’re a history buff or intrigued by lore of the world beyond, you’ll no doubt enjoy the spine-tingling legend of the Ghost at Bower’s Harbor. If you are turned on by a great hike and awesome scenery, Whaleback, Cathead Bay and The Wegaus offer a workout and some of the best scenery the region has to offer. Enjoy!