Almost Time to Travel . . .

Clothes are out and ready to pack; minivans have been reserved; the plans are made; airfare tickets are in hand; airport limo has been reserved; excitement is starting to mount because The Moor Tor-ists are ready to travel!

Posts on our private talk list have gotten more anxious as our travelers begin the countdown before we leave this Friday. 11 of us depart on Virgin Air at 8pm Friday from Logan Airport in Boston - arriving Saturday morning in Heathrow, London at 7:30am on Saturday when we begin our very first day. The 5 others who have left at varying times this past week and last will meet us at the car rental locotion right outside of Heathrow. Then, The Moor Tor-ists will begin their almost 200 mile drive to Dartmoor and the Blackadon Barn Cottages - our home for the week.

While we will not be posting further before we leave, our hope is to hopefully pen a few lines on several days while we're on the moor. If not, you can expect a full diary with all of the details, stories and photos of our trip after we return.

Before we leave, I have to thank Malcolm Allderidge from Devon, UK. I can't tell you how helpful and invaluable this total stranger has been to us. It all started after he read our Baker's Dozen trip report and noticed that we were returning to Dartmoor in September. He wrote wondering, while we were at the Dartmoor Prison as mentioned in the diary, did we check out the prison store which held a bevy of boxes at the cash registers. I wrote back, thanking him for the email and told him that we had gotten the boxes there.

This initial email dating back to the beginning of August has turned into a wonderful resource of advice and help from a fellow letterboxer and a friendship has developed. Sue and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Malcolm for all of his help and wish he and his wife congratulations on the recent birth of their first granddaughter. Your help has made this coming trip more fantastic than I could have ever imagined, Malcolm!

As you can see, this email contact has blossomed all because of a common love of this game and those great souls who always seem willing to help - even if the person on the receiving end is a total stranger. Ah - the kindness of letterboxers . . . .

I guess there are no strangers in letterboxing - just friends yet to be made!