447. Carrpooling and Tailgating
Leftover stamp from SRIFAG #11 now transplanted to a location nearby

We couldn't plant any stamps at the 11th annual Southern RI gathering because it was held in a location that didn't technically permit them. It was also not technically in "South County" RI, since it was just over the border into Kent. That was fine with us, however, since we like to try to go to different locations every year, and not just look for different stamps in the same old locations year after year! In fact, we were glad to not have stamps there at all that year (other than this one which was sort of like an event stamp) because that is what made that particular gathering more like what letterbox gatherings were originally meant to be in this country - just a chance to meet up with a few people, chat and eat, whereas letterboxing itself always used to take place on one's own time - to keep the focus on quiet private letterboxing adventures and not the "en masse" stamp-pushing crowds that some more recent gatherings have become (yikes!)

Anyway, we used to love those early little gatherings because they also reminded us of the walks we used to take with the Rhode Island Hikers Club - a fun time to carpool with a dozen or so friendly folks (almost all gone now) to a different location every week for a nice hike and then tailgate afterwards. This place is one they would have loved, donated by a former pastor whose name may remind you of a famous silver hammer and a well known baseball player named Willie. From the parking lot there, take your time for a lovely loop around this clue's "namesake pond", perhaps do a little tailgating afterwards and then carefully cross the road to look on the west side of the next telephone pole to the south for a little memento of a gathering from the past!

Copyright (c) Wanda and Pete. All Rights Reserved.

BEFORE YOU SET OUT, PLEASE READ THE WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER.