Pommerntag Series
Terrain:
Flat bike path with side-tracks to boxes
Difficulty: Easy
(Intended for grade school kids)
Placed: June 15, 2007
By: The Dragon
Location: Ozaukee County, WI
Nearest town: Thiensville, WI

Dragon's Home Page
 

 
During the last Sunday each June, Mequon City Park (11333 North Cedarburg Street, Mequon, Wisconsin - map) is transformed a few hundred years back to the past as people of Pomeranian descent come together to celebrate the festival of Pommerntag.  For information about Pommerntag, and to find answers to decipher the clues to the boxes below, go to the official Pommerntag website.
 
Although these boxes will be available year-round, they have been placed for the enjoyment of those attending Pommerntag - especially children.  Even if you are not of Pomeranian descent, come and enjoy another of the great ethnic festivals that makes Milwaukee famous and enjoy some letterboxing as well!
 
If you are new to letterboxing, please check out the FAQ and other information about the great hobby of letterboxing at www.letterboxing.org before searching for these boxes.
 
Once you are at Mequon City Park, look to the west and spot the railroad tracks.  As you head west towards them, you will come across a paved bike path called The Interurban Trail (watch for a number of boxes to show up along this historic trail in the future!).  Your journey will take you north along this trail which parallels the railroad tracks.  (Note: These tracks are active, but infrequently used.  Trains going through here must go through slowly, and there are a number of crossings at which they must blow their horn, so any trains coming through should not be a surprise.  As always though, be very careful around RR tracks - especially with kids!  The first box gets you close to the tracks, but you don't need to go on them. To get the second box, you will need to cross the tracks.) 

When walking on a bike trail, you should be on the left facing oncoming bikes.  (Even better, walk on the grass to the left of the trail!)  Also, the boxes I used for this series are a bit different.  When you put the lid back on, press down in the center of the lid to "vacuum seal" the box.  Also, each stamp has its own baggie and each logbook has its own baggie, and both of these baggies should go in yet another outer baggie so everything is double-bagged.  Make sure the boxes are re-hidden well (like you found them) so they are not easily spotted by passers-by.  Thanks!

In order to find these boxes, you will first need to do some research on Pomerania and Pommerntag to answer some questions.  Then, using those answers, decode the clues to find the boxes.

Enjoy!
 
1) Who can you dance with at Pommerntag?   QXDDYWLZKY

UERFMYYO

SWYVLUEMU
     
2) Pomeranians were mostly ___________ .....   ONUKYWER
     
3) ...emigrants from ______________   IYWDERA
     
4) Pomeranian cherry soup   JVWLZKLNQQY
     
5) Pomeranian Thanksgiving   YWRUYMERJ
     
6) An old man made of straw   EOUY
     
7) The crown worn on Thanksgiving   YWRUYJWXRY
     
8) The native dress of Pomerania   UWEZKU
     
9) It bloomed in the middle of winter   MVY TVYREZKUYR

WXLY
     
10) The German bishop who worked in Stettin   XUUX GXR

HEDHYWI
     
11) It carried the seed of the rose from the south   ZWXLLHYEJ
     
12) Pomeranian Easter   MVY

XLUYWSYVYWUEI
     
13) "When a pig is butchered, every part of that pig is eaten or used, that is, ...."   YPZYQU UKY

LCNYEO
     
14) Used to color the Oestereier (Easter Eggs)   XRVXR LJVRL
     
15) Pomerania stretched from the ______ Sea to   HEOUVZ
     
16) the _______ River   GVLUNOE
     
17) The Pomeranian Easter Bunny   XLUYWKEL
     
18) The creature on the Pomeranian flag   IWVSSXR
 
Clues:

Box 1 - Pomerania (Color - Pomeranian Light Blue)


TEOJ RXWUK EOXRI UKY UWEVO SWXD VUL

VRUYWLYZUVXR TVUK MVGVLVXR WM.  LXXR AXN

TVOO ZXDY UX E OEWIY WXZJ XR UKY WVIKU

LVMY XS UKY UWEVO TKYWY E LDEOO ZWYYJ WNRL

NRMYW UKY HVJY QEUK ERM WEVOWXEM UWEZJL. 

IX UX UKY LY ZXWRYW XS UKY WEVOWXEM

HWVMIY.  SWXD UKY IWELL, LUYQ MXTR XRUX

UKY OEWIY TXXMYR HYED IXVRI Y-T UX KXOM NQ

UKEU YRM XS UKY HWVMIY, UKYR LUYQ MXTR UX

UKY OXXLY LUXRYL.  UKY SVWLU HXP VL NRMYW

UKVL OEWIY HYED UNZJYM HEZJ VR UKY ZXWRYW

NRMYW LXDY XS UKY OXXLY LDEOO LUXRYL.

Box 2 - Pomeranians (Color - Black)


ZXRUVRNY RXWUK XR UKY HVJY UWEVO E OVUUOY

SNWUKYW ERM LUXQ TKYR AXN ZXDY UX E MXI

TELUY LUEUVXR XR UKY OYSU HYSXWY UKY RYPU

WXEM ZWXLLVRI.  ZEWYSNOOA ZWXLL UKY UWEZJL

ERM KYEM UX UKY QVOY XS XOM WW UVYL.  UKY

HVI DVMMOY QVOY KEL E UVY TVUK UTX LQVJYL

LUVZJVRI NQ XR UXQ.  IX UX UKY RXWUK LVMY

XS UKVL QVOY ERM LQXU UKY UVY XR UKY

IWXNRM TVUK E LQVJY QXVRUVRI EU UKY QVOY. 

UKEU LQVJY VL QXVRUVRI EU E HWXJYR OXXLY

QVYZY XS TXXM TKVZK AXN LKXNOM WYDXGY. 

UKYWY, VR UKY ZEGVUA HYKVRM E WXZJ AXN

TVOO SVRM UKY HXP.

Box 3 - The Griffon of Pomerania (Color - Dark Red)


ZXRUVRNY RXWUK XR UKY HVJY QEUK ZEWYSNOOA

ZWXLLVRI HNRUWXZJ WM.  ESUYW E HVU XS E

TEOJ, AXN TVOO ZXDY UX E OEWIY TXXMYR

HWVMIY XGYW AYU ERXUKYW ZWYYJ.*  SWXD UKY

LY YRM XS UKY HWVMIY WEVOVRI, UEJY "E"

LUYQL YELU MXTR UKY KVOO, UKYR "H" LUYQL

RXWUK QEWEOOYO UX UKY HWVMIY.  VS AXN TYWY

UX UEJY XRY DXWY LUYQ, AXN TXNOM LUYQ XRUX

UKY QXVRUA WXZJ (LYZXRM VR SWXD UKY IWELLA

YMIY) TKVZK KXOML UKY OELU HXP VR QOEZY

NRMYWRYEUK VU.  E LDEOOYW WXZJ EOLX KYOQL

KVMY UKY HXP SWXD GVYT.

*Ha!  I can't let a letterbox go without some math!  :-) Look around this area for a bench made by a troop.  Subtract the first two digits of the troop number to get a positive number and let this be "A".  Add the last two digits of the troop number to get the value of "B".

I hope you enjoyed the series!  Now return to Pommerntag and enjoy some food and music!
 

Before you set out read the waiver of responsibility and disclaimer.

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