The bad side of being addicted to the grid

Some people specialize in one category, and others have a goal of filling in their category grid. We are a little of both, specializing in several architecture, history and of course, neon categories, but still working to fill in that grid.

I have found that as a gridder I end up doing what I call the "grid run." A grid run is when you are out on a specific trip that's only purpose is to pick up new categories to check them off of your list. This is not usually the fun and interesting type of waymarking you do on vacation, or when you are waymarking in your favorite categories. Sadly, it is the compulsive type of waymarking that is done not for interest in the category, or wanting other people to find a cool spot that you have happened upon, but for the sole purpose of seeing a tiny 1/4" icon fill in a hole on your grid. I consider it a lower form of waymarking, however I am more guilty of it than most so don't think I'm judging you for your compulsive need to fill up the grid. :)

My husband is home from work the week between Christmas and New Year's Day so we ended up doing a grid run one morning when we had nothing else to do. These were the stops - Jack-in-the-Box, the local hospital, a wastewater treatment plant, a closed drive-in that was replaced with a Lowes Home Improvement Center, and an independent movie rental shop (ended up that it had gone out of business.) Now I'm not passing judgement on these categories (other than maybe the Jack in the Box one) but a trip like this is the waymarking equivalent of washing dishes - it's boring as hell, but it has to be done. Well, it has to be done if you are compulsive about filling up your grid.

So is there anyone else out there who does the occasional "grid run"? Have you found a way to make it a bit more interesting? If you have let me know how!!!!

A White Christmas!!!!

It snowed on Christmas! While some of you are rolling your eyes as you think of the snow shoveling that you still have to do this afternoon, we are ecstatic. See, in Seattle there are only 5 Christmases since 1909 where there has been snowfall on December 25th. Mind you, this is lowland Puget Sound snow - heavy, wet sloppy snow that melts on contact with the ground - but it is snow nonetheless and we aren't going to complain. If you squint your eyes and look up at the sky you can almost pretend that you aren't standing in the soggy patch of green moss you call a lawn, but are instead in a beautiful winter wonderland.

In fact we may walk down to the Puget Sound when I finish here to enjoy snow on the beach of Dash Point State Park. On the way we can waymark the local waste treatment plant that sits in an idyllic little forested spot on the way to the park. What could be more "Christmasy" than waymarking a waste treatment plant I ask you? I'm always looking for a chance to grab a new icon. ;)

Merry Christmas and happy waymarking!

Holiday Interference

The holidays and my new stint as a rescue dog foster parent is definitely cutting into my waymarking time lately. It seems like I just get ready to sit down and post a waymark when the puppy needs to go out, or the dogs start to fight over a toy, or I remember that I still have shopping to do. It took me two full weeks to post the waymarks from my day and a half in Vancouver and typically I would have had those done pronto. Oh well. I'm having fun with our foster puppy, even if that means I won't be posting into some of those new categories anytime soon.

Have a happy holiday season everyone. It's been a wonderful year getting to know all of you waymarkers out there.

Are people ever happy?

Sometimes I wonder if people are ever happy. This last week I've had a couple of waymarks approved that have complaints about the waymark that have nothing to do with what the category requires. Now I pride myself in trying to give each waymark my best effort. When my photos don't seem to fully describe the place like I want them to I try to add links to Flickr photos or a youtube video of the place to the description to add another perspective. So when someone complains about an evening photo for a place that I can only get to in the evening, it irks me.

I think that people need to remember to hold waymarks to the category standards, and not their own. Someone may have posted a waymark that you would have spent more time and energy on. It's too bad, however you need to get over it and move on.

The Sweet and the Bitter side of the Vancouver weekend

I am finally getting around to posting about the wonderful weekend that we experienced up in Vancouver on the 1st and 2nd. It snowed the whole time we were there and the city was blanketed in a layer of soft snow. We rode the miniature train in Stanley Park through the lit displays, wandered the parks beaches, marveled at their incredible collection of totem poles, spent an evening on Granville Street taking in the old theatre and hotel neon, wandered Chinatown and the famous Classical Chinese Garden there, and saw some great landmark neon signs on Hastings Street. (Photos below: Third Beach, Brockton Point Lighthouse, Inukshuk on English Bay Beach)


I was struck at how international the city was. Like Seattle there is a large Asian population, but in Vancouver there are small pockets of town with Greek or Indian markets and restaurants serving food from seemingly every region of the world. (Photos below: Entrance gate in Chinatown, Totem Poles in Stanley Park)


On the down side, the poverty in parts of the city was astounding. Drug use and prostitution happened right out in the open, rather than down dark alleys as is usually the case in Seattle. Garbage littered the streets, and matresses were lined up against the walls with people huddled there to keep warm. Panhandling was aggressive and unnerving and my heart went out to the people stuck out there in the cold. (Photos below: Ovaltine Cafe, Save on Meats butcher shop, Hotel Balmoral - all on Hastings Street)


My biggest disappointment was that the huge, ornate dragon sign that I was so excited to waymark was gone. Several other signs were missing also. Vancouver at one time had one neon sign for every 19 people in the city, and many of those were spectacular. Only a handful of the extraordinary signs remain. (Photos below: Cambie Plumbing and Heating on Fraser, Only Seafoods Cafe on Hastings, Yale Hotel Jazz Club on Granville)


I was able to find waymarks for most of the Canadian specific categories, several National historic sites and British Columbia historic plaques, Canada Post, Tim Horton's, Curling Clubs (okay, not Canada specific but just about). I also found waymarks or visited waymarks in some difficult to find categories like gender separated entrances, Guinness World Records, and inukshuks. We didn't find any Canadian benchmarks, thanks to that beautiful blanket of snow, but we can always visit again. I've been wanting to take a trip to Victoria anyhow.

Waymarking, eh?

We're heading up to Vancouver, British Columbia this weekend for some long overdue Canadian waymarking. It will be our first waymarking trip out of country and although I'd prefer to be heading to Jamaica rather than the icy land to our north, it should be fun. We'll only be there two days, so who knows how much time we'll actually get to do the tourist thing after the hours sitting at the border crossing. I'm hoping for waymarks in at least 10 new categories and I plan on waymarking some spectacular neon signs. One I've had my eye on ever since I saw it featured in a coffee table book on vintage neon. Next week I'll post about some of the new waymarks we've found so watch for it, eh?!

A Reason to Waymark McDonald's

I have long been opposed to the waymarking of fast food locales. I mean, the food is terrible, the atmosphere is non-existent... Why?! But on Saturday while on a long waymarking trek up old highway 99 with a full bladder I finally found a reason to waymark them - so you can find a place to pee! They are much easier to find in urban and suburban areas than say, a rest stop, and for the most part they are clean enough that you don't have to worry (much) about touching anything. So, although I still don't plan on waymarking any myself, I am no longer bitter about the category's existence. (PS: If you are offended by my sarcasm, feel free to rip on my obsession with old buildings or neon. I can take it.)

This neon plunger that I waymarked on Saturday has nothing to do with waymarking McDonald's, but it just seemed to be a good match for the post.

Kickin' back at the Waymarking Cafe

I spent the evening kicking back in my favorite coffee house while my son had his monthly group bassoon lesson. My typical M.O. is to wander around Tacoma a bit after I drop him off at his lesson and grab a few waymarks, and then I make my way over to the One Heart Cafe where they have free wifi (and terrific coffee and atmosphere.) There I kick back, edit the photos that I took on the way over and then post a couple waymarks before I head back to pick him up. Two hours of heaven.

Unfortunately it's getting so dark that by the time I drop my son off at 4:30 I don't have enough light to get any photos, other than of neon signs. That would be fine but I've already waymarked all of the good neon signs in the city of Tacoma, so I guess I'll just have to work on my cross-posting backlog when I'm back for the December bassoon lesson. Sometime in the Spring I can start working on waymarking some of the Victorian Houses in the historic district near the coffee house. That will keep me busy for awhile. There are 950 contributing buildings in the district. :)

The photo above is of half of the back lounge area of the One Heart Cafe, my favorite coffee house. Tonight a jazz pianist came in to practice on their piano so I had live music to waymark to.

Happy waymarking!

Flickr Waymarking Group Photo Contest Winner

There's a group of waymarkers who love taking photos while out waymarking and so the waymarker Ambrosia created a group over on Flickr.com where they can show off their favorite waymark photos. We are always welcoming new members so if you are interested be sure to check out the group's page on Flickr.

The group hosts a monthly photo contest and the photo shown above is the winner for the October contest whose theme was "lines." Mr. 0 took this great picture at the Claibourne Cemetery Mauseleum. Use this link to see all of the photos that were entered in the October contest (and there were a bunch of great ones.) We tried out a new way of voting for this contest and it worked so well that next month we are going to open up the voting to any waymarkers, whether they are a Flickr group member or not. This way more people will have a chance to see the creative, beautiful photos that the group is uploading and maybe join in on the fun themselves.

Currently the November contest is underway and this one has an interesting twist. The theme is the letter "W" (for Waymarking) and the winner's photo will be used as the logo for the Flickr photography group on Waymarking.com. The "W" can either be an actual letter, say from a waymarked sign, or it can be a "found" letter that exists in the visual linework of the photo. The contest will run through the end of the month and then voting will take place between December 1st and 15th. If you're interested in joining in on the fun head over to the Flickr group and read the group thread about the November contest. If not, then we hope you'll join us for the voting process when that begins. You can find the current photos that have been entered in the November contest here. We also have a page for past contests that you might be interested in. Currently there are just the September and October contests shown there, as we just started up the contest this Fall (or Spring, depending on which hemisphere you're reading this in,) but it will continue to grow.

I'll try to keep everyone posted on the current contest and when voting cycles start and end. Happy waymarking!

Un-waymarkable Waymarks

I've always been somewhat vocal about my opinion that not everything needs to be waymarked. The point of Waymarking is to mark unique, interesting places - places that aren't on every street corner. I hadn't ever come upon a place that I thought was really incredible and not had a category to waymark it in. It just doesn't happen that often. I mean, there are over 600 categories. A place is bound to fit somewhere. Typically categories like "Official Local Tourist Attractions" or "Roadside Attractions" can accommodate some of the truly unique spots that don't fall within any of the other categories.

Well this week I came upon not one, but two places in Seattle that are incredibly cool that I can't find a category to waymark them in. One is an old Seattle standby that we've been visiting for years, the other a cool new specialty shop. I figure that I'll tell you about them here and maybe someone else will think of a category for them (but no "Best Kept Secrets" category - I want to waymark them in a way that I can truly describe the spot.)

First is a new one that I had never heard of until researching their neon sign. The place is called "Real Soda." It's based in California, but has an office in the Fremont District of Seattle. This is a place specializing in soda pop. Not the Coca-Cola and 7-up type soda that you find on your grocer's shelves in aluminum cans, but sodas like pure cane sugar Coca-Cola in bottles, imported from Mexico, Bavarian Nutmeg Imported Virgil's Special Edition Root Beer with ceramic top, Mystic Seaport Creamy Birch Beer, Tianfu China Cola.... The list could go on forever. These guys stock over 700 varieties of soda imported from around the world, all in glass bottles. They call their Website the "bubbly backdoor that transcends the aluminum curtain beyond which you will find a paradise of effervescence excellence." They even have a great neon sign guys!! Where, oh where can this wonderland of soda and nostalgia be waymarked, I ask you?!

The second spot I couldn't find a category for is Archie McPhee's, "Outfitters of Popular Culture", a retail location that truly can't be classified. Located in the Ballard district of Seattle, Archie's has long been a must stop location each year in the search for Team Hikenutty Christmas stocking stuffers. Here's a short list of a few items that you will find for sale at Archie's that you just can't do without: an electronic yodelling pickle, a boxing nun puppet, a librarian action figure complete with shushing action, bacon shaped bandages, corn dog air fresheners, a bobblehead Jesus, gummy haggis, world's largest underpants, glow-in-the-dark Flesh Eating Zombie play sets... These are just a few things I found in their catalog, which is nothing compared to the actual store. This weekend we'll be heading for Archie's to pick up composer action figures for Hikenutty Jr.'s music teachers and some Shakespearean insult gum for a friend of mine. I'll take some photos but if you can't wait for those to be posted take a look at the store photos that they've uploaded to Flickr.com. You can also take their helpful "Are You a Nerd" test to find out your nerd level (BTW, I scored 209. Does that mean I'm cool, or that I need to work harder at it?)

So if you have any ideas of where to waymark these spots, or have a spot that you would like to share but don't have a spot to do it on Waymarking.com, then be sure to comment on this post and enlighten us.

P.S. I shamelessly ripped the above photo from Real Soda's Website, but since I have drooled all over my blog about them, I don't think that they'll mind.

Beer me

I have sunk to what some folks would call a new low. I have just waymarked my first beer sign in the "Neon Sign" category. Never did I think that I would head down this sad and lonely road, out wandering strip malls, hanging out in front of taverns... It's addiction plain and simple. ;) Two months ago I would have chuckled at the thought of waymarking a beer sign but all that neon gas is going to my brain now. Just like a campfire, the warm glow of the glass tubes are mesmerizing.

I'm sure you waymarkers out there have that special category, that rules your life with an iron fist (you benchmarkers and Texas Historic Marker nuts know who you are.) If you don't, just wait, because you will if you stick around Waymarking for long. So don't start judging me.

You have to admit that beer signs have come a long way from the the typical logo-style signs of yore. In this lounge alone I saw a palm tree, this crab, and a ship. Next time you are driving through suburbia open your eyes a little and look for the glow. Take away a few preconceived notions and you might start to see the art in modern neon advertising. I mean, would it really make this little crustacean better if it read "seafood" instead of "Corona"? Ah, the deep questions that Waymarking makes you stop to ponder.

Controversial Categories

Last week Groundspeak held one of their town meetings and the topic was "Political and moral agendas and where (or whether) they fit in with waymarking." The topic was a hot issue thanks to a recent category called "Pro-Life Billboards" that went through peer review. My initial reaction was anger and disgust at the use of the Website to promote a specific agenda. This is a fun hobby promoting unique, interesting spots to visit. Who would look forward to visiting one of these nasty pieces of work. Obviously I lean to the left on this issue, however it went beyond that. I would be equally irritated to see a category like NARAL Headquarter's or something like that on the Website.

After thinking it through for awhile though, and listening to Opinionate's arguments (who by the way should consider a job working for a freedom of speech group) changed my thinking and helped me get past my bias towards the topic of the category. I mean, what is "controversial?" I'm not trying to get all existential on you, but what is controversial for one culture might be the norm for another and who am I to push my opinions on someone else. It is a dangerous thing when any group tries to push their ideals as the only ideals. But I won't go so far as to totally agree with Nate. Groups that deal in violence and intolerance do not have a place on Waymarking.com.

So what do we do with these controversial categories that come up? And how do we keep the site family friendly? Where do you put a category for say, good spots to find a prostitute, adult video stores, or (the example used in the town meeting) Neo-Nazi Headquarters? (I in no way want any of these things to be categories. I'm just throwing out some examples.) One idea that was thrown out was to create a 16th department on the site that would be for controversial categories or categories with agendas. There could be a radio button added during the voting process and after you vote yes, no, or abstain you would click on the button if you believe the category belonged in this section of the Website. It's one option for an issue that will likely come up more and more as the site grows.

So.....Any opinions on this topic out there?

70,000 Waymarks

Did anyone notice that Waymarking.com hit 70,000 waymarks today? That's 20,000 waymarks since July 1st when Bootron noted the 50,000 mark. The site seems to have hit its stride and I've been happy to see new active waymarkers, both posting waymarks and joining in on the forums. Just wanted to announce that good news. When I have more time in the next couple of days I'll post my thoughts about the recent town meeting that Groundspeak led. Happy Waymarking!

Unlucky 7

Today I had decided that I was going to do some armchair waymarking - you know, categories like Lucky 7 and Waytours where your waymark is actually a collection of other waymarks. Anyhow, I put together a couple of Lucky 7 waymarks and was in the middle of posting one when I accidently hit backspace. GONE! All that work was gone. I was going over the top too. I had added tons of html - links, photos, you name it - along with a description of each of the waymarks listed as part of the Lucky 7.

Now one would think that this loss taught me a lesson and instead of starting over I opened up MS Word and first typed the waymark information up there. But no, I did indeed start retyping the waymark into the submission form. This time I had completed the whole waymark. It was beautiful other than one typo that I caught, so I hit backspace to jump into that section and correct the mistake and @#$%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You guessed it. Gone. All gone.

At first I had to grip the edge of the table to keep myself from tossing my laptop across the room. Then I decided to be more constructive and to write this post with a plea to Groundspeak. It would be so nice if the site autosaved the submission page as posters filled in the info. For simple waymarks this doesn't matter, but for the more entailed waymarks like the history categories or some of the games this would be so helpful. Even now as I type Blogger is saving this post in the off chance the power goes out or I do something stupid. If an autosave feature is asking for too much, what about a window that opens when you try to navigate away from the form and warns you that you will lose your work if you continue. It could say something like - "Hey, BOZO! Yeah, you! Do you realize that by leaving this page you will lose all of this information that you've typed in?!" - or something to that effect. I know that you guys get requests about new functions for the website all of the time, but the painful loss is fresh in my mind so I decide to beg while I can still visualize that fresh, totally empty screen in my mind. Please, help this poor fool and save me from further loss!

The above photo is of a glass installation by Dale Chihuly at Union Station in Tacoma, Washington. The piece, entitled Monarch Window, is waymarked in the "Abstract Public Sculpture" category and is one of the waymarks that I plan on using in my new "Union Station's Lucky 7" waymark when I calm down enough to post it.

Let's see the visit logs!

Much talk has gone back and forth in the forums about how to entice people to visit existing waymarks, but people haven't really been talking about how the visit logs are used. Isn't that what they are for? Leaving information for people who might want to visit in the future? And yet how often do you come across an interesting waymark and actually read the visit logs? I almost never do, and yet it's not because I'm not interested in them. I just never think about them because they're hidden there at the bottom of the page and I have to click the link to read each log. It's tedious and it doesn't need to be.

I've always wondered why it is that the waymark logs aren't handled similarly to geocaching logs. It would be so great if the last 3 or 4 logs showed at the bottom with a link you could click to see them all. If logging waymarks is to become an integral part of the hobby of waymarking, they need to have a little more emphasis on the page. If it's likely that no one other than the original waymark poster will see the log, then I'm not going to spend as much energy as if it's going to be sitting there at the bottom of the page for all to see. Also, if the databases for the categories are going to be used as a referral system for things like restaurants and hotels, as some have suggested, then what a visitor thought about a spot is as important as the waymark itself.

It would be a simple change, one that might change the community's perspective on how worthwhile a waymark visit is. If a visit log is just to give the original waymark poster a pat on the back, I can't see that logging visits will ever catch on, gps photo or not.

Neon's Illegitimate Sibling :)

I've been posting about the neon dilemma and in my last post I talked about the resolution and how a new category was going to be created for the less artistic of the neon signs that have no place to be waymarked. Well I'm happy to say that the new category passed peer review and is now open for business.

Although some signs don't have the gloss and style needed to make it into the Neon Lights category, the Neon Sign category will provide a place for these simpler and yet still interesting signs. Will the category collect a lot of boring signs? Probably, but the lesson that I have learned is that what is boring to some is wonderful to others. I'm glad to see that open/closed signs have been excluded, and I'd like to see typical beer neon excluded, but other than that I think that the officers did a great job putting together the category. I'd also like to see a variable added for the estimated age of the neon so that eventually if a search function is available to filter the drop-down variables folks who aren't interested in the modern stuff could filter that out - something like "20's -50's", "60's & 70's" and "80's to current". Who knows if that will ever be available, but I keep hoping.

This post is not dissing the "Neon Lights" category. I'm a member of both groups and I understand the desire to keep the category focused on only the artistic, pictorial style of neon. It was wonderful that the group was able to support this new category and pave the way for a smooth time in the peer review process.

I've transferred over the 12 signs that I had posted in the Neon Lights category that work better over in the Neon Sign category. Soon the Neon Lights group will be reevaluating the signs that now fit better in the new category. If you get a few declined, bear with the group and know that there's another home for those waymarks.

Neon Resolution

Well, the long and confusing days of the neon category are almost over. BQ kindly hosted a chat group so that all the officers and interested parties could work things out. Unfortunately I was down for the count during the meeting thanks to my lingering cold so I missed the conversation, but other officers have filled me in and it sounds like things are going to work out well. The final choice was to go with 2 categories. The existing "Neon Lights" category will be a repository for those over-the-top neon creations that people happen upon. Typically these are pictorial in nature and were created during the 1930's to 1950's. The rest of the more basic neon, such as the old parking garage sign shown in this post, would fit in a new second category that Team Farkle 7 is creating. This category is very open and unrestricted and will create a place for the neon signs that aren't quite dazzling enough to make it in the first category. This category is currently in peer review and hopefully it will pass.

It will mean a bit of work for the officers over at Neon Lights. The category description will need to be rewritten slightly and the category will need to have many of the current signs either reevaluated (declined) or switched over to the new category when it comes available. It will be worth it though. In the end everyone will get what they want. There will be one category focused on stellar neon, just like the category founders envisioned, and a second category for all the rest of the neon that, while it may not be stellar, is still deserving of a category.

It is a great example of how when a group works together challenges can be worked through and the category can become even better than when it was first started. I really urge all of you leaders out there to discuss changes with your groups and communicate any concerns as soon as they come up. Your category will be better, thanks to the joint effort.

You know your obsessed with waymarking when...

...You drive out to waymark a Nike missile site even though you have a raging sinus/ear infection. I couldn't stand it. Everyweek I try to find a waymark in at least 2-3 new categories that I haven't waymarked in before, but this week was coming to an end and my regular Saturday waymarking outing was cut because I was too sick. By the afternoon though, it was killing me. Sinus infection or not, I was going to waymark that damn missile site. So I talked my husband into driving (I was too "medicated") and in addition to my typical waymarking accoutrements, I armed myself with a box of kleenex, cough drops and a puke bowl.

It was nice to get out, but it wasn't the most interesting spot to be waymarking in. The missile site was turned into an off-leash dog park and was a big treeless area with not much to see other than a few remaining foundations and lots of cute dogs. After walking around the 37 acre site I had used up all of my waymarking gusto so we cut the trip short and headed home. I fell asleep on the drive back, clutching my kleenex box and camera and woke only once to talk my husband into stopping to get the car washed. I still needed to waymark a coin-operated car wash. :)

Category Evolution: My Conflicted Thoughts

Recently there was a debate on the forums about whether a state historic marker category should change to allow "official" and "unofficial" markers so that only one category is needed, or whether a second category should be created to manage waymarks that are unofficial. At first I thought the state historic marker categories (SHM's) were being rigid and uptight. It seemed so silly to have yet another SHM category. Now, I still think that there is an overabundance of non-global categories and that waymarking should shy away from the creation of another 20 or so "unofficial" SHM categories. There are too many of them already. But I now see that it was easy for me to ask the "official" SHM categories to change because I had no investment in the categories. I didn't value the markers. They all seemed the same to me so why not put them in one big category and be done with them?

Now all of you historic marker lovers out there need to just calm down and read the rest of this before you get your panties all in a bunch. Although I haven't changed how I feel about SHM categories, I do have a lot more sympathy for the leaders who wanted to limit their categories to something very specific.

Some of you know that I love vintage neon signs. They are my favorite thing to waymark and when I helped as an officer during the creation process of the neon category I wanted to limit the category to only the great old neon of the past. I didn't want a bunch of boring everyday neon that is easy to find. I wanted great old signs like the cowboy sign above - signs that did more than say "open" or "Bob's Market". You know the ones. The category was approved in peer review with the requirements that the waymarks posted be "unique" and "creative". The officers embarked in a rough ride of what the group definition of "unique" is. I grimaced everytime a simple, modern, neon text sign was approved, thinking "why would people even bother to take the time to waymark that? Why would they want their name on a waymark like that?" Several times the wording of the posting requirements was altered to try to better explain what type of signs the category was looking for. It didn't work. Eventually a rift grew in the officers and now no one knows what to accept or deny.

The result of this rift is that a second neon category is being formed to create a place for the "Neon Lights" rejects. It stopped me cold because I realized that exactly what I had railed about in the SHM categories was happening here. Some people wanted to limit the category, others wanted to expand it, and the result of the officer's not bending resulted in the current push for a second neon sign category. So here I sit, trying to decide which is more important to me: restricting the category and have a second category for the more basic neon signs, or to ask for the category to evolve into something more inclusive. I'm a hypocrite if I push to keep the neon category restricted to unique, creative signs. That's exactly what I was frustrated with during the SHM debate. At the same time, if the requirements are loosened the incredible vintage signs like the one above will get lost in a watered down category.

In the end, I have to side with letting the category evolve. I won't enjoy wading through the waymarks to find vintage neon, but I still believe that it is better that the category evolve than having two categories for a subject that really only needs one. Maybe a drop-down list variable could be added to differentiate between vintage and modern, textual, and the more elaborate neon "pictures". If the site had the functionality to filter waymarks by a drop-down variable it would make the decision easy. I would value this functionality far beyond being able to download GPX files because it would slow down the creation of redundant categories.

Sorry that this is so long, but it's a topic that I'm struggling with right now and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter. Thanks.

Happy Waymarking!
- Hikenutty

Rain, rain and more rain: Waymarking in Washington State

So, the rain is upon us in ernest here in Washington state. We're not talking a downpour: a storm with a beginning and end. No, we're talking gray skies and a steady drizzle that will continue through April. Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit, but not much. We will have some dry days, but the gray is here to stay. Blue skies won't be back until spring. It will slow my waymarking, but it won't stop me.

So Saturday while my son was rehearsing with his orchestral group in Tacoma we wandered over to the New Tacoma Cemetery to do some waymarking. The grass was deep and spongey with moss, each step squishy with water, as we wandered the rows looking for the grave of a Medal of Honor awardee. The water slowly seeped into my shoes, soaking my socks and numbing my toes. After five minutes the grave was found and a transformation had taken place in me. I had let go of my longing for more sunshine and resigned myself to the long damp fall/winter ahead of me. I started to appreciate the beauty of the drizzle and what it means for the landscape: mosses of every shade of green, from deep evergreen to a startling chartreuse; evergreen trees everywhere that in the winter try to make up for the lack of color elsewhere; the sound of the water dripping from leaf to leaf like some massive yet gentle percussion instrument.

It is what you focus on that gets you through the gray season here. You can either mope around inside about the summer you're missing, or embrace the simple beauty of the rain and get out and experience it. Whatever the case, get your raincoat and umbrella out. You'll need them.

The picture above is of a moss-covered gravestone I came across while waymarking the waymark "Pfc. Richard Beatty Anderson, Marine Corps" in the "Medal of Honor Graves" category. After waymarking at the cemetery we warmed up and an incredible bakery, Corina Bakery, in downtown Tacoma with french-pressed coffee and cake.

Posting a Waymark from a Waymark

Have you ever posted an Internet cafe or wifi waymark from the waymark? I suppose those of you who pay for wifi on their cellphones or PDA's find nothing interesting about this, but it was kind of cool to be sitting inside an internet cafe and doing the write-up describing my surroundings. I felt a bit like a restaurant reviewer and was trying my best to not seem sneaky, but I didn't want a waitress looking over my shoulder and seeing a bunch of pictures of the place on my computer. I didn't feel like explaining waymarking - I just want to kick back on their comfy couch, drink my coffee and post away.

I sat there and posted waymarks for the building (an old Odd Fellows Lodge,) and for Dog-Friendly Restaurants, Internet Cafe and Wifi hotspots (the One Heart Cafe that I was sitting in.) What a cool location. The Merlino Art Center is this great old building that was built in 1925 as a fraternal lodge but is now an art hotspot in the very artsy town of Tacoma. The building holds a non-profit indie film theater, a cafe, 2 art galleries and a bakery on the retail level and above it is filled with artists studios, most of which are open to the public on the third Thursday of each month. I hear the bakery, Corina Bakery, is excellent and I'll have to go back and waymark it, along with Two Vaults Gallery - one my favorite art galleries in the city.

So it goes without saying that a pretty artsy crowd hangs out here. Typically I wouldn't be too out of place here, however last night I was covered in Nike swag given to me by my sister who works for Nike at their HQ. What can I say? It was free and comfortable. I had my t-shirt, pullover, and hat on and "swooshed" my way through the restaurant while onlookers stared. The uniform of choice at the Merlino is funky mismatched clothes, Converse hightops, and multiple piercings so I stuck out like a sore thumb. That's the funny thing about the arts community. They get very pretentious about not being pretentious. :)

Some of the above waymarks are still waiting to be reviewed, so you might not be able to view them immediately.

Say Goodbye to Visit Requirements

Last night was the 2nd official Waymarking Town Hall and I am officially no longer an IRC virgin. I have been initiated into the world of IRC and I quickly learned that I need to brush up on my typing skills. What a great tool, though! A conversation that would have taken a week on the forums took an hour in the town hall (give or take a few minutes for Canadian jokes. :)

Anyhow, the main topic of the night was whether or not there should be requirements to log a visit to a waymark. I was surprised because it was pretty unanimous that the visit requirements be done away with. How many shots of a McWaymark are really necessary and who's going to visit said McWaymark if they have to photograph themselves in front of a fast food establishment? It's not just about the business/commerce waymarks though. Do we really need to be waymark police? Will it kill us to have to put up with a few "TFTW" logs? I don't think so. If someone feels the need to be an armchair visitor, who has lost out? - you, who had the experience of being there, or the person who missed that chance and is lame enough to lie that they were there. When all is said and done, people will get out of the game what they put into it and no requirement is going to force them to have more or less fun. Sure, it's nice to hear what other people think about a place that you took the time to create a waymark for, but I'm guessing that for a cool, unique waymark you will still hear all about what people think. I realize that waymarking games might still need some requirements, but that's different, so if you disagree with me, don't start bringing up games to support your argument.

I'm offering up an alternative to the requirements that are currently out there: Visit "suggestions". There's no reason that you can't ask people to let you know how their visit went or to upload a picture they might have taken, just don't MAKE them do it. Let them know that the information from their logs gives a waymark a wider perspective and makes it a better waymark. Thank them in advance for helping out and bettering your waymark with their information. Kill them with kindness and I bet most of your visitors' logs will be even better than when you required them to spit out specific information.

If everyone out there who agrees with me takes steps to promote this change to visit logs then we have the power to make a difference. State your opinion (WITHOUT YELLING) in the forums. Post about it on your own blog. Most importantly, go back and edit all of the categories that you lead so they now have "visit suggestions". For groups that you're an officer in, not a leader, email your group leader and ask them if they would consider changing the category's visit requirements. Make it your waymarking mantra and before you know it, visit requirements as we know them will be a thing of the past. At the end of this post is some standard text that most categories could use as visit suggestions. Feel free to copy it and use it to edit the categories that you currently lead or to offer it to leaders of groups that you're an officer in.

I think that for waymarking to grow outside of the geocaching, gps-toting world this change is important. If you agree PLEASE take the initiative to start today and go change the visit requirements in your categories. And for those at Groundspeak who read this, PLEASE change the "Visit Requirements" text on the category creation page to something different. It doesn't have to be "suggestions", maybe just "Logging a Visit", but taking away the word "requirement" will jump start this change.

Go forth and "suggest". :)

Here's that text that I offered:

To help give a different perspective and to better the waymark for future visitors please tell us about your visit and upload a favorite photograph you took of the waymark. Although visiting this waymark in person is the only thing required of you to receive credit for your visit, taking the time to add this information is greatly appreciated.

Surprise Disoveries

Have you ever been browsing the grid and all of a sudden you remember a location that you can cross-post into an especially tough category? Or out of the blue remember a location that you drive by daily that would fit into one of those tough categories? This happened to me three times this week.

For my bingo I needed to find a WWII Site and a Railroad Disaster site. I knew of several WWII sites that I could use, but the railroad site eluded me. Then out of nowhere I remembered some info I had come across when doing research for some of my Seattle monorail waymarks. The monorail had crashed at the Seattle Center station back in the 1970's and I have that station waymarked in 5 or more categories - a happy discovery.

Another discovery was a forgotten shipwreck. I was looking through past summer photos and remembered a cool park that I had visited two summers ago on the Pacific coast. While there I waymarked the ruins of an old ship, the S.S. Catala. I hadn't thought about the category at the time - just waymarked the place so I could find it later on my next visit to the coast. So I loaded the info and photos up and at this point am waiting for it to be reviewed.

The final find is a place that I drive by every Saturday on my way to downtown Tacoma. There's a gated community with a faux lighthouse that's used as the guardhouse at the front entrance. I've always thought that it was so cheesy, especially for a development with only about 10 houses that have a water view (of the distant industrial Tacoma harbor). The gatehouse isn't one of those. As I drove by it today it finally clicked, "hey, a landlocked lighthouse!". I'll be finishing the submission of that waymark later today.

There are so many categories now that it's easy for me to forget about a few until I browse the grid trying to fill in holes. As new categories are created I forget about some of those older waymarks I have that can be cross-posted. It's my own version of being a dreaded armchair waymarker. So you waymarkers out there, don't forget to look back at some of those old waymarks. You never know what you'll find.

The above photo is of the S.S. Catala. It was taken the day before it was discovered that the ship was full of oil. A couple friends and I just happened to discover it on a girls weekend to the coast. We returned home to see it on the front page of the paper. The EPA is now excavating the vessel and removing the oil from this protected habitat of two birds on the endangered species list. So far 13,000 gallons have been removed from 2 of the 5 tanks.

BINGO!

So after months of focusing on trying to fill up my grid I finally have a bingo. We took a two hour drive up to the beautiful Port Townsend area to waymark Fort Worden in the "World War II Sites" category. It was pretty exciting, because believe it or not, I don't really focus on trying to get bingos (20 category icons in a row on the category grid.) My favorite thing is more of a "blackout" style of playing, that is, trying to grab as many icons as possible and fill out my grid, no matter where the icon might be located on the grid. When I notice that I have 17 or 18 in a row though, I sit up and take notice. This was one of the few rows that is possible to completely fill without having to do a lot of travelling out of the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S.

It was a great day and we had a lot more fun that we expected to have at Fort Worden. The weather was beautiful and the clear blue skies allowed views of the islands and Mt. Baker. The best part was climbing around in and on the old batteries built in the early part of the 20th century. 150 photos and a sunburn later we hopped in the car and headed for home, crossing our fingers that the waymark would be accepted. The only disappointment of the day was that there was a Wooden Boat Festival taking place in Port Townsend and it was so crazy we couldn't find parking to stop at our favorite ice cream parlor, "Elevated Ice Cream". It was rated as one of the seven best ice cream shops in the nation on the Food Channel and I can vouch for it. The ginger ice cream is to die for! Oh well, maybe my next bingo will bring me back to town. :)

The photo above is of the Point Wilson Lighthouse backdropped by Mt. Baker. The lighthouse is located on the grounds of Fort Worden. Rose Red has waymarked it in the Coastal Lighthouse and NRHP categories, and I have included it as a stop in my Fort Worden Waytour waymark.

A "Fast" Visit

I go on and on about how much I can't stand chain business categories, but I have to admit that as much as I hate them, I always try to post one waymark (or log one visit) to a category before I chuck the category over into my ignore list. A bit hypocritical, but I'm a slave to the grid. The thing is, I always assumed my fast food waymarks would sink into database oblivion, never to be heard from again. I was wrong.

Today I came home from a day full of sun, beach, and waymarking to see that I had visits to about 10 of my waymarks. I read through, and this guy really seemed to have enjoyed the waymarks - the fair, a BBQ restaurant, and a few more I can't remember. Then I see the last one - Wendy's. I was mortified. Someone actually logged a visit to my one and only Wendy's waymark. And here was the log - "Why?" I felt the need to email back and say thanks for visiting my waymarks and thanks for rating my Wendy's restaurant a 2, because I think it sucks too.

So the moral to this tale is - if you don't want to be associated with a waymark, don't post it folks. Will I learn my lesson and not post to the new KFC category if it's approved? Probably not. That could mess up a grid bingo! Hopefully you aren't as addicted to the grid as I am, though, and you can learn from my embarrassment. ;)

Category Crush

At the danger of angering some of the folks who read this blog, I'm going to go on a little rant here. What is with all of the lame categories lately? I understand people getting excited about waymarking and wanting to jump right in and create a category, but give me a break! Some of the things coming through peer review I find odd - boy scout created footbridges rather than just plain footbridges. I have to admit I wasn't especially fond of the footbridges category, but it's grown on me. However - is this really a category that needs to have other variations? And the Jeep trails category - who cares what club/vehicle type creates the trail? Isn't the off-roading category sufficient?

The recent flood of new categories can be seen as a good thing, though. It likely means that a lot of new people are starting to waymark. But it is bringing up a flaw in the system. Categories are getting approved that are duplicates of other categories and peer review isn't weeding these out. Take the recent "Exceptional Restaurants". This sounds very similar to the "Independent Diners" category (which is for all recommended restaurants, not just diners.) Do both of these need to be on the category list? Or Domino's pizza (seen in peer review - I don't know if it passed) - doesn't that fit in the "take-out food" category? Peer review works on some of these duplicate categories, but not all of them. As more people start waymarking, more of these categories will make it through peer review and the grid will be clogged with narrowly focused categories. And as BruceS noted in the forums, once a category is approved, it's on the grid for good.

Silverquill recently proposed a mandated submission of category ideas to the forums before they are allowed to go to peer review. Yes, this won't always work because people will list it in the forums and then not really look at the comments being made. It also will leave the evolution of waymarking in the hands of the small group of people who frequent the forums. But something needs to be done! And it seems like some type of category discussion prior to peer review is the answer. At the very least there should be some place where people can submit the category idea and people more familiar with the grid can let them know which categories are similar and if their idea duplicates another. I'd love to hear some opinions on this. Anyone? Or is it just me who is bothered by this.

Waymarking Town Hall

So, I just finished reading the chat log from Waymarking.com's first "town hall" meeting that took place a couple days ago. The whole time I was reading it I kept wanting to jump in and add my opinion and then would remember it was over. :) Wow! What a great tool for brainstorming about ways to improve the game.

For those of you who don't frequent the waymarking forums and missed out on the chat announcement, there was a live chat meeting this week to discuss the Website and also some new ideas of future upgrades, etc. The plan right now is that these live chat sessions will take place every two weeks or so, and each session would have a specific topic that would be focused on. It's a great opportunity to share your opinion with the folks at Groundspeak who are shaping the future of the game.

My only worry has to do with the fact that I am a technological moron. I have never in my life participated in a live chat session and will first have to set up the software etc. on my computer. On the off chance that I am able to muddle through this (or that my computer savvy sister comes up from Portland, Oregon before the next chat session) I will definitely be joining in the next chat. (I can't believe that I missed an opportunity to complain about GPS photo requirements!)

Waymarking Flickr Fun

As many of you know there's a Waymarking group on Flickr.com that's devoted to featuring waymarkers' photographs of their waymarks. The waymarker, Ambrosia, started the group and I moderate it with her. We are a pretty laid back group and don't really have the typical Flickr group list of rules. There is no photo limit - all we ask is that the photos are from waymarks that the user has posted or visited on Waymarking.com, and that you add the tag "waymarking" to the photo. Currently there's a thread going in the group about ways to add some fun and I wanted to post a few of the ideas we've come up with.

What I'm most excited about is the scavenger hunt idea that we're working on (the group is still working on the idea, so what I'm describing here isn't set in stone.) On the first of each month a thread would be started that announced the theme of the contest and then a list of 5 (maybe 10) categories that the members would need to find and waymark (waymark must be posted within the month of the contest.) Members would then post their best photo from each of the waymarks they posted and the photos would need to also fit the month's theme. At the end of the month the group would then vote on a favorite photo from each of the categories, and the thread would be closed with a list of the winning photographs and also the first person who was able to post a waymark in each category.

Themes might be seasonal (holidays seasons, weather, etc.,) or visual (vertical lines, curves, etc.) or even something else wild and wacky that I come up with. The challenge would then be to find something in the listed waymarking categories that also has a tie-in to the theme. The theme might be something totally unrelated to waymarking, for example - the color red. If one of the categories in the "red" month's contest was Abstract Public Sculpture I could post the above photo of my waymark for the very red "Eagle" sculpture by Alexander Calder in Seattle, Washington (assuming that it was a new waymark for me.)

Another idea for the Flickr group that isn't as fun, but will market Waymarking is "comment promotion." As a way to promote waymarking, we want to come up with a small block of html that people could copy & paste to the end of their comments about waymarking photos that would have a one sentence description of waymarking and links to the Flickr group and to Waymarking.com. How this works is that often one photo might be in the gallery of several different groups. Right now if the photo's description tells what category the location is waymarked in the people in those other groups might not know what that means. This way people who came across the photo in other groups - say the Flickr scavenger hunting groups - they could learn a bit about waymarking.

If you have more ideas for the group or are interested in joining you can use the group link or thread link above. Currently we have 24 members and close to 200 waymarking photos. We'd love to have you join us.

Kiss Hunting

I've been wanting to post a waymark in the Kissmobile Sitings category so about 6 months ago I checked the Kissmobile Website and discovered that it was going to be in the Seattle-Tacoma area in August. The problem is that although they are great about keeping a schedule on their Website, they only tell you when they will be in a region, but not where in the region they will be stopping. The Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area is a pretty large place for a Kissmobile (K.M.) to hide. It just wasn't worth the hassle so I gave up.

Then last week I spotted the Kissmobile on I-5 driving home from Seattle. I was tempted to turn around and follow the thing, but I was with a non-waymarking friend and I didn't think she would get it if I yelled "tail those giant Hershey Kisses!" I restrained myself, but it reignited my compulsion to post a waymark in this category. I did one last web search to see if anyone in the area had listed that the K.M. was showing up at their store or event. SUCCESS! In just 2 days time, their last stop before heading to Eastern Washington, they would be in a town about 20 miles from our home.

So today we drove out and at noon, just as they were setting up we took our pictures - 2 fun pics and the required pic with a waymarker and gps in it as well as a required pic of the license plate. It was fun to grab the waymark, and the new "Kissables" candies they were handing out were pretty good - think m & m (Smarties for those of you up in Canada) meets Hershey's Kiss.

Our Kissmobile waymark hasn't been approved yet so it might not be visible yet. Hopefully soon though.

A Weekend in the Hills

I've been busy posting the 20 or so waymarks that I found while camping and hiking on Chinook Pass near Mt. Rainier National Park. Early Saturday we started a hike up to Sheep Lake and Sourdough Gap along the Pacific Crest Trail. For those of you who aren't familiar with the trail, it is a 2,600 mile trail that runs from the Canadian to the Mexican border through some of the most beautiful spots in the country. The wildflowers were gorgeous and the view from the gap was amazing. We continued past the gap into Mt. Rainier National Park, but didn't feel up to continuing to the next 2 gaps along the trail. It was freezing cold, but at least the area wasn't fogged in. There are some camp sites at Sheep Lake (seen in the picture above) and I think we might backpack in next year and use the lake as a base camp for further hikes. I waymarked the hike and surrounding area in many categories, including Named Mountain Gaps, Scenic Hikes and Hiking Footbridges.

After the hike we drove over to the Sunrise area of Mt. Rainier National Park. In my opinion this section of the park has the best views of any of the major visitor centers. Paradise is great for wildflowers, but if you want vistas of Rainier and limitless amazing hikes, head to Sunrise. Here we found many more waymarks, including one for the elusive Ansel Adams Photo Hunt category. Others were Scenic Overlooks, NRHP (still to be waymarked), National Parks of the World, and another Glacier waymark. The Ansel Adams waymark was one that I've been wanting to go and waymark since last winter. Unfortunately the weather wasn't cooperating so you can only see the lower half of the mountain, but there was enough of Emmons Glacier showing to see that it was the same area. I only know of 2 landscape photos that Adams took in Washington State, so I was glad to be able to grab this one.

Some of the above waymarks haven't been approved at the time that I am posting this so they may not be visible on the site yet. We were able to post waymarks in 6 new categories this weekend. A big disappointment was that the two Smokey the Bear signs had been removed and instead there was just a small painted smokey on one of the fire risk signs, so no Smokey waymark for us.

Unfortunately the weekend ended on a wet note. It rained steadily all night and we discovered that our REI backpacking tent leaks! Our Kelty family camping tent was put through a tough test of a full night of pounding rain in the Midwest and not a drop came into the tent. Now, our supposedly superior backpacking tent leaked not just from near the base, but overhead and I ended up suffering the equivalent to Chinese water torture as it dripped icy water on my forehead for half of the night. And this was Washington rain! A slow drizzle, not the pounding stuff we dealt with in Iowa. Time to break out the seam sealer, I guess. We broke camp at 6 a.m. and headed home, only stopping to waymark a VFW hall and a church steeple on the way home.

Heading to the Hills

The road trip threw our usual camping/hiking routine out of whack this summer - typically we try to head into the mountains every other weekend starting in early May, and sometimes even March or April if we have a dry weekend. It's some of my favorite waymarking territory and definitely the place that revives me after a grey winter in the 'burbs.

This weekend we'll finally be heading up into the Cascades for a trip and I'm very excited. The plan is to camp at a Federal campground near Mt. Rainier National Park and then to drive to the top of Chinook Pass to do some hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail. It's the only trail in the National Park that you can take dogs on, so we didn't have many choices of where to go, but it's wildflower season and the sub-alpine meadows should be sublime right now. The crest of Chinook Pass is one of my favorite spots in the Cascade Mountains, full of wildlife, wildflowers and wild landscapes. I waymarked the pass in the American Guide categories and it was one of my favorite waymarks to put together because I have so many memories up there.

I'm hoping to pick up a few categories this weekend - Smokey the Bear, Named Mountain Gaps (we're hiking up to Sourdough Gap), and a few more. I might even have a chance at an Ansel Adams Hunt waymark, but it depends on the weather. It will be refreshing to list a few waymarks in Washington again. I'm still slogging through all of the vacation waymarks from the Midwest.

The photo above is of Tipsoo Lake with Mt. Rainier in the background. The lake is near the top of the Chinook Pass and is a beautiful spot for a day trip. Bring a picnic and stroll around the lake. In early August the meadow will be thick with wildflowers. The lake is next to a CCC built comfort station with tables near the parking area. Stay on the trail - this area is very delicate.

Waymarking Photos

It's always a disappointment to me when I have to photograph something for a waymark on a gray day (which happens quite often here in Washington State.) The difference between a sculpture set against gray, versus one set against a brilliant blue sky is amazing - it brings out an energy in the object being photographed, and the colors just pop!

Yesterday I spent the day in Seattle visiting the new wing of the Seattle Art Museum and taking a friend to see the Olympic Sculpture Park for the first time. Last time I was at the park it was pretty gray but this day was a day for taking photos. I took pictures of EVERYTHING! The colored glass "shadows" on a gravel path, a vandalized pane of glass in the "Seattle Cloud Cover" piece, every possible shot of the Calder sculpture with the Puget Sound in the background... When I started taking pictures of the gravel path my friend wandered off to make sure people didn't realize she was with me. ;) The shots turned out great though and now I need to get around to adding them to the galleries of all the different sculptures that I have waymarked in the park.

Oh - little photography tip for those taking photos of landscapes. Divide the image you see in your lense into 3 rows both horizontally and vertically. Never have the horizon line, or main horizontal line of the shot running straight through the middle of the picture. Either have it at the imaginary line at the top or bottom third of your shot. Also, if there is a subject that is part of the landscape shot - say a lighthouse on a bluff near the coastline - don't center the subject! Frame it so the subject is on the left or right "1/3" line that you've drawn vertically through your shot. Seems picky, but it will make a world of difference in your landscapes. So often I see waymarking pics come through that would be magazine quality shots if only they had been framed using the "rule of thirds".

The above photo is of the piece "Seattle Cloud Cover" that runs the length of the pedestrian bridge in the park. The light was being cast in all of these wonderful colorful shadows and I must have taken about 30 or more photos of the gravel alone. This shot shows the end of the piece and the shadows that it casts. I liked the perspective of the shot.

Paperless Waymarking

When you're out waymarking it's nice to have something along to remind you what the requirements are for specific categories. Some of the requirements seems so obscure and it is more than irksome to have something denied because "you MUST have a photograph of the sign showing exactly in the center AND the building showing in the background AND you dancing a jig with your fingers held up making a W for 'Waymarking' AND the gps balanced on top of your head with the time and date stamp showing". Okay, I may be exaggerating a bit but sometimes the requirements are downright silly.

To solve this problem I had been printing out my spreadsheet that lists all of the categories with their requirements coded so they would only take up a single line. Even so I would end up with about 10 pieces of paper that were hopelessly out of date within a month.

The Waymarker, flipflopnick, came up with a great idea that he made available on the forums and on the community tool section of my Website, Wayward Waymarking. He created simple text files of all the category desriptions/requirements and then downloads them to a PDA. It doesn't take up too much space because they're .txt files and they are there at the touch of a button. When new categories are added to the directory, you can just upload the updates. We'll be getting updates from flipflopnick monthly and you can either just download those or make the new text files yourself. No more wasted printouts! If you don't have a PDA and want to go paperless, they can be purchased on Ebay fairly inexpensively - you don't need anything fancy. Of course, this may be a good excuse to buy one of the new ones that do everything but drive the car for you. :)

Grid Chat: The latest and greatest on the grid

Did anyone notice that if you click on one of the grid squares that instead of just opening the category's page it opens the category's page with a filter to only show the waymarks you've posted in the category? It's just a simple thing, but very handy, that's for sure.

And yesterday row 28 of the grid was finished off with the new National Trust, UK category. To me this category is a big step. Regionally specific categories are so interesting - they focus on waymarking things that are important to a specific culture and its history. For the hobby to continue to grow worldwide it's important to encourage waymarkers in countries outside of North America to create a few of their own regional categories that speak to the people of their country/region. So a hearty thanks to Brentorboxer and her team of officers.

Lastly, a few new icons I've chuckled over on the grid. The used video game store icon now has an NES controller perched above the storefront - go Nintendo! The Independent Diners icon is near and dear to my chain restaurant hating heart. It's a knife and fork with the word "chain" above it crossed out in red. Heh-heh-heh. :) And as a dog lover how can I not just love the Self-serve Pet Wash category's icon? A dog all sudsed up. Just plain cool icons? The new stained glass flower for the Art Deco/Art Nouveau category, and the Sydney Opera House for my 2 Master Architect categories. And one more thing - did any one notice that it looks like the soldiers on the icon for "Battlefields" are doing Tai Chi? It's a slow motion battle, I guess. :)

Milestones!

This week team Hikenutty hit 2 great milestones for a waymarker. Thanks to our 2 week road trip and the several hundred waymarks collected along the way we have hit 1,000 waymarks posted this week. The second milestone for us was to waymark 100 waymarks in a single category. We hit 100 this week in the U.S. National Historic Places category.

Now, I know that waymarking isn't just about the numbers, and as many of you know, I've always been a proponent for quality over quantity, but even so - it feels great! :) I'm not a numbers girl and I haven't really been thinking about where my count stood until I was checking out the changes on the profile pages this week. I saw that I was getting close to 1,000 which is not bad, considering my one year waymarking anniversary was in June. Okay, I'm done patting myself on the back now, guys. :)

Still, the biggest charge for me in waymarking is not in how many waymarks I have listed, but in the charge of walking around a corner and being surprised by an extremely cool place/thing just waiting to be waymarked. I look much closer at the world around me and instead of just breezing down the street, I check out the buildings, art and public spaces. That new perspective on the world around me is the most valuable part of the hobby.

The picture above is of the First National Bank in Davenport, Iowa. It was the first National Bank opened under the National Banking Act of 1863, so it truly is the "first" First National Bank. It was my 100th waymark in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places category. My 1000th accepted waymark was a beautiful wave shaped sculpture made of driftwood at the Figge Art Museum, also in Davenport, Iowa.

Profile Page Updates

The team at Groundspeak has yet again added some goodies to the profile sections of the Website that will make the game even more addictive for those of you who love watching your number of waymarks posted and visited slowly (or quickly in some folks case) rise.

On the forums awhile back folks were talking about wanting some kind of award icon added to users' profile pages to let folks know what level they've reached in their total waymarks. Yeah, I know. There's already the little red and white box showing the count, but isn't it fun to get ribbons? A little like the gold stars you earned on school work back in elementary school. The awards start at 25 waymarks and go all the way up to 5,000.

There are other treats, too. On the right sidebar of your profile page you'll see a new box. In it are some great new site functions that you'll be sure to enjoy. You can now click on the "view gallery" link in this box to see all the photos that you've posted to Waymarking.com - your own personal Waymarking photography gallery. If you have Google Earth on your computer you can click on the "Waymarking Footprint" link to see the areas you've waymarked around the world highlighted on the globe. Another Google Earth feature is that you can now click on "Download all My Waymarks" to download your waymarks in .kml format to Google Earth in one fail swoop, rather than page by page, like you used to have to do.

There are probably additional upgrades that I haven't noticed yet, so if you guys see anything that I missed be sure to add it in the comment section of this post.

OH! I almost forgot! The Geocaching.com and Waymarking.com profiles have now been separated so you can personalize each profile to its own Website. Don't panic when you click on your profile page and much of the previous info that you entered is missing. Just go over to geocaching.com and copy the old parts you want to use from your geocaching profile over to your waymarking profile. Here's our new Waymarking specific profile. I love that this has been separated.

Not to be ungrateful, because I LOVE the new profile page set up, but I had one more suggestion for the U.S. map section of the profiles. It might be cool to have a key to the map along the side that shows the different shades of blue and what they stand for (i.e. "1-10 waymarks" and a small box with the lightest blue in it). Just a little extra something, in case you're bored and looking for things to do over there at Groundspeak now that this update is up and running. :)

Seriously, thanks to everyone over at Groundspeak for constantly continuing to upgrade the Website making it more user friendly and just all around a fun place to hang out on the Internet.

New Category Ideas

Lately I've been itching to start a few new categories. I went through a phase when I first started waymarking when I had tons of ideas and really enjoyed creating categories, but then I burned out on it. I guess everyone probably does that - you start waymarking and have all these cool ideas that you want to turn into categories. Then, I realized it was a lot easier talking other people into creating the group and just joining as an officer. You still get the fun but only have to do half the work. :) Did anyone else go through that category creating phase, or is it just me?

Now I'm getting the itch again. I keep getting ideas and then forget to write them down. I remember two of them, though: "Unintentionally humorous signs" (read the last post) and then "Old theatre marquees/signs". I've wanted to see a theater sign category on the grid for a long time but didn't want to work through all the logistics as to what the requirements would need to be. I'd still be glad to pass the theatre sign idea off to someone else and join as an officer, though. Any takers?

The sign pictured here is from the Balaban and Katz Chicago Theater - a historic theater built in 1921 that can be found in the Chicago Loop. I'll be waymarking it soon in the U.S. National Registered Historic Places, the American Guide, and the Official Tourist Attraction categories.

Do Not Hump Under Any Circumtances

So as I was wandering around a very cool old railroad complex and roundhouse in Evanston, Wyoming I came upon an old dining car that had these words on the side of it. "DO NOT HUMP UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES." I had a good laugh since I have a 5th grader's sense of humor and then had my husband explain the railroad lingo behind this funny sign. It seems that to "hump" a railroad car is to use a small hump in the tracks to get it to roll to where you want it. The car goes over the hump and then the hill causes it to roll further without having to push it or tow it there. I'm sure that's a simplistic and possibly not-quite-correct explanation of the term, but it will do.

When we got home from our trip I posted the photo on flickr with the tag "sign" and it has become my most popular photo by far. None of my cool neon sign photos or funky art shots or architecture shots come close. I guess everyone appreciates a good chuckle.

The waymarker Team TGF saw it and said there should be a category for unintentionally funny signs. I know that someone brought up the idea a long time ago, but it never went anywhere. It would be a great category though, and if I don't remember to bring it up in the forums and get it going, someone else do it. It would be a great companion to the "odd business combos" group. I found one of those in Evanston too - a combo fireworks store and liquor store originally called "Porter's Fireworks and Firewater."

The Rainy Days of Summer

Most people know that Western Washington is known for its damp weather. I was born and raised here, and although I don't have the proverbial webbed feet I am well equipped for handling the rain - at least for 9 months of the year. However, I am not able to comprehend how to deal with a week of rain in July, especially after returning from a vacation in the blazing summer sun. It is absolutely ridiculous! Yesterday I had to dig out my rain suit to take my dog to the dog park. I couldn't even remember where it was. Usually I don't have to start looking for it until mid to late September.

Anyhow, Washington's rainy weather is prime waymark posting weather. It sucks to waymark in, but ahhhhh, a steaming hot cup of coffee, a nice warm laptop on your lap, and a backlog of waymarks to post is a great way to avoid the rainy day blues. Of course I feel a bit guilty because Troy is out working on the deck while I'm nice and dry and cozy inside. I'll just try to shut my ears to the hammering sounds and occasional exclamations of @#$% and work on my monster backlog of waymarks.

The above photo is of gorgeous Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park, South Dakota, where we camped while in the Black Hills. It happily reminded me of how summer SHOULD look. The park is waymarked in the American Guide category, and eventually I'll waymark the lake in the category by itself. It's on the aforementioned backlog.

Proud Waymarking Moments

Have you ever posted a waymark that you're especially proud of? Maybe one in a category that's really difficult to find, like shot towers? Or, best of all, a waymark that is an incredible find for a specific category? For me, these are the moments that get me addicted to waymarking.

It's never been about the numbers or the bingos for me, but instead about these WOW moments during the hunt. Of course, don't get me wrong, I love watching my waymark total grow and it would be great to have a bingo, however, what I love most is finding a great waymark. Sometimes I happen on them by surprise while I'm out looking for another waymark, or sometimes I stumble upon info on the internet, but either way it's pretty cool.

Over the last few weeks I've been having these moments fairly regularly. Vacation can do that for a waymarker because so many of the waymarks are happy surprises in areas that are unknown to us. I was over-the-top excited to be able to waymark not just a Miro and a Chagall, but also a Picasso in my pet category, Abstract Public Sculptures. I love posting any cool art that I stumble upon in this category, but to get to post several famous pieces was pretty exciting. They're just such great editions to the category.

Penny Smashers is a category that is fun, but I hate standing in a gift shop and photographing a machine. It makes me feel like the weird tourist who photographs everything. We smashed over 20 pennies on this trip but only waymarked a few smashers. My favorite was one at Fort Hays, the movie set to "Dances with Wolves" because of how unique it was. They had an old Black Hills Gold gold press and when you paid the guy your money, he would use tweezers and at just the right time guide the penny into the press. It was really cool and I loved posting such a unique waymark to the category.

We also posted a waymark in one of the more difficult categories, Literary Sites. Of course with Sandburg, Dreiser and Sinclair writing in Chicago, there are plenty of sites to be found. Our waymark is of the historic Stockyard Gates in south Chicago for the book "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair. I found an amazing passage about the workers waiting for jobs at the gates and used that as the inspiration for the post. For some reason I am always excited to post in categories like this one, the Immortalized in Lyrics category, or the Ansel Adams Photo Hunt. It's so cool to find the spots that inspired these artists. Hey that gives me an idea! We have a category for locations inspiring literature, music and photography. What about one for visual arts? Locations that can be seen in famous works of art. It could be linked to an art database. Okay, now I'm rambling.

So, I'd love to hear your comments on this and learn about some of the waymarks that you're most proud of and why. Happy waymarking!

Oh - the photo above is of the sculpture "Flamingo" by Alexander Calder and was another famous sculpture I was excited to waymark. I've also waymarked his "Eagle" which is located in Seattle.

Reviewers: Waymarking Ambassadors

I know that I've talked before about how it irks me when reviewers are rude or they don't explain why something is denied. This post is about the opposite: the positive reviewer and the difference they can make.

Now, as many of you know, I've been posting up a storm following our road trip across the midwest. I've noticed how much I look forward to reading the reviewer's comments. Some of them are pretty funny, others express what they think about the waymark, most are very positive. It still gives a warm-fuzzy to a diehard waymarker like myself to hear someone likes my waymark. I'm not fishing for compliments here, but I'm just trying to point out how much more those comments would mean to a brand new waymarker.

People put a lot into their waymarks, at least most people do, and its nice to know that at least the reviewer took the time to read through and learn about the spot. It feels good to hear, "Wow, what a cool spot. Thanks for posting the waymark." And as a beginner, it helps bring the person into the waymarking community. And not just when a waymark is accepted. I had one denied this week and the reviewer said something like, "This is a really cool waymark, but the category requires a photo of a sign or a picture on a map with the name of the place showing. If you can find something like that please resubmit the waymark." As a reviewer, if someone posts something in the wrong category, I try to point them in the right direction. For example, "This is a great piece, but it isn't really an abstract sculpture. We'd love it if you'd post it in the figurative sculpture category instead." Being postive and helpful is the key.

Think about it. Most likely the first contact a brand new waymarker will have with the waymarking community will be with a reviewer. That makes you reviewers out there ambassadors for the hobby of waymarking. Think of that when you have that list of some 20 new waymarks to review. It's easier to just breeze through and not type any comments, but what a difference your comments can make.

The above picture is of Devil's Slide, in Utah near echo canyon. It was the waymark that I spoke of above (denied, but I resubmitted it.)

Post-Vacation Backlog

Okay, many of you already know that I'm a slave to the icon. The cool grid and all of the Website's awesome icons really get my compulsive side going. I'm not really excited about the bingo - I just like seeing the grid fill up and this trip has definitely added a bunch of icons to my grid. My guess is that when all is said and done, I'll have icons for close to 50 new categories. Weird how a 1/4" picture can get a grown woman all excited. It's like back in elementary school and getting gold stars on your homework (only much more stylish :)

The quest for categories has caused me some hemming and hawing as to which waymarks to post first. I'm torn between the waymarks that will get me a new icon and the waymarks that are just really cool or are in my favorite categories. I opted to post the new category waymarks that are hard to find and that might be posted out from under me (take note Bruce, Farkle and NevaP.) So rare or regional waymarks like Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple, my Mies van der Rohe IBM Building for the "Master Architects: International Style" category, my state historic marker waymarks, and Historic Survey Stone have been waymarked. Next, I've been trying to post the waymarks that I think are really cool (or weird) - Frank Gehry's Pritzker Pavilion, the Jolly Green Giant, the Spam Museum (an oddball museum - you can't get much odder than Spam), famous sculptures by Picasso, Calder, Miro and Chagall, and oh so much more.

It's gotten to the point where I have to limit myself on computer time. I get so excited about posting the waymarks for some of these places that I'm not getting any work done. I swear I must have spent about 6 hours total on the computer the other day. I took most of today off from the computer to catch up, but watch out - tomorrow I'm back, baby!

The above photo is a detail shot of the coffered stained glass ceiling of Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple in Oak Park, Illinois. It is one of my favorite buildings and it was an awesome experience to get to wander around the building and soak it all up. He was truly a genius. I went overboard taking pictures of the church so be sure to check out the gallery.

The After-Vacation Mess

We returned from our trip on Monday and I've been busy unpacking, shopping for groceries, and all the other chores that need to get done after a vacation. In fact, I could you a vacation from the chores of vacation. This mess is worth it, though. We had an incredible time and saw a lot of the country that we'd never seen before. Already we're talking about where we'll go next year and it will likely be a road trip from Washington, D.C. down to Atlanta, Georgia. For now I need to concentrate on catching up and logging all of the waymarks from this trip.

Yesterday I posted about nearly 50 waymarks, half of them in the neon category. I'll post some more today but I really need to concentrate on updating the Wayward site features and tools. My biggest heartache was finding out that the Overland Stagecoach station that I waymarked won't fit in the Butterfield Overland Stage Markers location. It's a cool restored station and barn in Wyoming, and I can waymark it in a couple other categories, however, I really wanted that Butterfield Stage icon. Oh well, maybe on the next trip to the in-laws I'll find one.


The photo in this post is taken from my Rapid City Laundry waymark in South Dakota. It was one of the first neon signs that we came across and got all of us so hooked on the neon category that we stopped in a ton of little towns we never would have pulled off the interstate for, just to check their downtowns for neon. This is an action sign and the laundress moves up and down, scrubbing her laundry in the tub.