As of September 8, 2009, here are the stamps I have:

1. California Nat’l Historic Trail (Apr. 2, Apr. 6. Apr. 7). Got this stamp in 2008.
2. Oregon Nat’l Historic Trail (Apr. 2, Apr. 6, Apr. 7). Same.
3. Pony Express Nat’l Historic Trail (Apr. 6, Apr. 7). Again.
4. Mormon Pioneer Nat’l Historic Trail (Apr. 6, Apr. 7). More.
5. Fossil Butte National Monument (Apr. 2). Ditto.
6. Western Historic Trails Center, Council Bluffs, IA (Apr. 7)
7. California Nat’l Historic Trail (Apr. 7).
8. Oregon Nat’l Historic Trail, Council Bluffs, IA (Apr. 7)
9. Mormon Pioneer Nat’l Historic Trail (Apr. 7)
10. Lewis & Clark Nat’l Historic Trail, Iowa (Apr. 7)
11. Cedar Creek & Belle Grove NHP, Shenandoah Valley, VA (May 10)
12. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Washington, D.C. (May 23)
13. National Capital Parks – East, Presidential Inauguration (Jan 2009).
14. Oxon Cove Park, Underground RR Freedom Network (May 23)
15. Potomac Heritage NST, Oxon Hill, MD (May 23)
16. Oxon Cove Park, Oxon Hill, MD (May 23)
17. Gettysburg NMP, Gettysburg, PA (Jul 15)
18. Chickasaw NRA, Sulphur, OK (Aug 14)
19. Wolf Trap NP for the Performing Arts, Vienna, VA (Aug 21)

Sheryl got some of the trail stamps last year when she helped me move out to Utah, but she stuck to her self-imposed rule of not counting stamps that her and Eric don’t get together. This year, when they helped me move back, they got the stamps, again. They’ll count for them, but not for me or Mom.

I went to Fossil Butte last year, but Mom’s visit will count.

I got the Presidential Inauguration stamp because it was limited edition, but I obviously didn’t attend.

The April 7 trail stamps in Council Bluffs Iowa are some of the same ones that we got at trail HQ in Salt Lake City, but the latter are gold-colored and in the Mountain Region, while the Iowa ones are red-colored.

I’m only at 13, with two-thirds of the year done.

As Mike noted, he just barely eked out a victory in a close-fought race.  Here’s what Sheryl and I got together in ‘08:

1. Richmond NBP (Tredegar Iron Works), Richmond, VA, May 26 2008
2. Richmond NBP, Cold Harbor, VA, May 26 2008
3. Richmond NBP, Malvern Hill, VA, May 26 2008
4. Prince William Forest Park, Triangle, VA, Jun 01 2008
5. Potomac Heritage NST (Prince William Forest Park), Prince William, VA, Jun 01 2008
6. National Mall and Memorial Parks, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
7. Old Post Office Tower, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
8. Pennsylvania Avenue NHS, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
9. U.S. Navy Memorial, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
10. Ford’s Theatre NHS – Petersen House, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
11. Ford’s Theatre NHS, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
12. Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
13. National Mall, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
14. Washington Monument, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
15. John Paul Jones Memorial, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
16. World War II Memorial, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
17. Consitution Gardens, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
18. MEM to the 56 Signers of the Dec. of Independence, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
19. Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
20. Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
21. John Ericsson Memorial, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
22. Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
23. District of Columbia World War Memorial, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
24. West Potomac Park, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
25. Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
26. George Mason Memorial, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
27. Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
28. National Capital Region, Washington, DC, Aug 29 2008
29. Potomac Heritage NST (Harpers Ferry NHP), Harpers Ferry, WV, Sep 01 2008
30. Harpers Ferry NHP, Harpers Ferry, WV, Sep 01 2008
31. C&O Canal Historical Park, Sandy Hook, MD, Sep 01 2008
32. Underground RR Freedom Network (Harpers Ferry NHP), Harpers Ferry, WV, Sep 01 2008
33. Virgin Islands NP, St. John, VI, Nov 29 2008
34. Virgin Islands Coral Reef NM, St. John, VA Nov 29 2008

And here are the ones Sheryl got when she was out west with Mike:

1. Pony Express NHT (MO-KS-NE-CO-WY-UT-NV-CA), Mar 27 2008
2. Mormon Pioneer NHT (IL-IA-NE-WY-UT), Mar 27 2008
3. Oregon NHT (MO-KS-NE-WY-ID-OR-WA), Mar 27 2008
4. California NHT (MO-OK-KS-NE-CO-WY-UT-ID-NV-CA-OR), Mar 27 2008

In addition, she had repeat stamps for 1, 2, and 4 on Mar 29 2008.  AND the signature of the State Coordinator-Utah of the National Park Service.

As Mike noted, the 2008 Muffin prompted an examination of the rules–should Sheryl be on her own or are we a team?  We decided that we’re doing this as a team, so only the stamps that we see together count.  On the other hand, if a tiebreaker is needed then the additional stamps by one of us would come into play.  So one team member’s additional stamps can break a tie, but they can’t make a tie.

And there you have it.  It’s 2009, baby.  Game is ON.

Me! With 38 stamps this year, I retain The Muffin for another year!

I won with the following stamps:

1. Constitution Gardens, Washington, D.C., Jan 21 2008
2. Vietnam Veterans MEM, Washington, D.C., Jan 21 2008
3. Korean War Veterans MEM, Washington, D.C., Jan 21 2008
4. Lincoln MEM, Washington, D.C., Jan 21 2008
5. John Paul Jones MEM, Washington, D.C., Jan 21 2008
6. National Mall & Memorial Parks, Washington, D.C., Jan 21 2008
7. Franklin Delano Roosevelt NMEM, Washington, D.C., Jan 21 2008
8. Thomas Jefferson National Memorial, Washington, D.C., Jan 21 2008
9. George Mason Memorial, Washington, D.C., Jan 21 2008
10. District of Columbia World War Memorial, Washington, D.C., Jan 21 2008
11. World War II MEM, Washington, D.C., Jan 21 2008
12. National Capital Region, Washington, D.C., Jan 21 2008
13. John Ericsson MEM, Washington, D.C., Jan 21 2008
14. MEM to the 56 Signers of the Dec. of Independence, Washington, D.C., Jan 21 2008
15. Ulysses S. Grant MEM, Washington, D.C., Jan 21 2008
16. Old Post Office Tower, Washington, D.C., Jan 21 2008
17. Pennsylvania Ave. NHS, Washington, D.C., Jan 21 2008
18. West Potomac Park, Washington, D.C., Jan 21 2008
19. Hampton NHS, Underground RR FreedomNetwork, Feb 16 2008
20. Hampton NHS, Towson, MD, Feb 16 2008
21. Pony Express NHT (MO-KS-NE-CO-WY-UT-NV-CA), Mar 27 2008
22. Mormon Pioneer NHT (IL-IA-NE-WY-UT), Mar 27 2008
23. Oregon NHT (MO-KS-NE-WY-ID-OR-WA), Mar 27 2008
24. California NHT (MO-OK-KS-NE-CO-WY-UT-ID-NV-CA-OR), Mar 27 2008
25. Arches NP, Moab, UT, May 09 2008
26. Old Spanish NHT, Moab, UT, May 09 2008
27. Hovenweep NM, Utah-Colorado, May 10 2008
28. Natural Bridges NM, 100 Years (1908-2008), May 10 2008
29. Canyonlands NP, Needles District, May 11 2008
30. Timpanogos Cave NM, American Fork, UT 84003, Sep 13 2008
31. Craters of the Moon, NM andPreserve, Sep 27 2008
32. California NHT (MO-KS-NE-WY-ID-UT-NV-CA), Oct 18 2008
33. City of Rocks N RES, CA Trail-Almo, ID, Oct 16 2008
34. Fossil Butte NM, Kemmerer, WY, Oct 25 2008
35. Virgin Islands Coral Reef NM, St. John, VI, Nov 29 2008
36. Virgin Island NP, St. John, VI, Nov 29 2008
37. San Juan NHS (Castillo San Felipe del Morro), Old San Juan, PR, Nov 30 2008
38. San Juan NHS (Castillo San Cristobal), Old San Juan, PR, Nov 30 2008

In addition, I got the following duplicate stamps:

1. Mormon Pioneer NHT (IL-IA-NE-WY-UT), Mar 29 2008
2. California NHT (MO-OK-KS-NE-CO-WY-UT-ID-NV-CA-OR), Mar 29 2008
3. Pony Express NHT, (MO-KS-NE-CO-WY-UT-NV-CA), May 09 2008
4. Mormon Pioneer NHT (IL-IA-NE-WY-UT), May 09 2008
5. California NHT (MO-OK-KS-NE-CO-WY-UT-ID-NV-CA-OR), May 09 2008
6. Pony Express NHT, (MO-KS-NE-CO-WY-UT-NV-CA), Jun 7 2008
7. Oregon NHT (MO-KS-NE-WY-ID-OR-WA), Oct 25 2008
8. California NHT (MO-OK-KS-NE-CO-WY-UT-ID-NV-CA-OR), Oct 25 2008

I could also have gotten a Pony Express stamp for Mar 29, but I either failed to give myself that stamp or else I was unsure that we managed to travel along that trail on that morning.

The “rules” state that the stamps must be unique. I got an Oregon NHT and California NHT stamp for visiting Fossil Butte in Wyoming (#7 & #8 among the extras), but the stamp in the NHT office that recorded my trip along these trails in Nebraska was the same stamp (compare to #27 & #28)–same text, same locations listed, same color. Keeping that in mind, I found two “loopholes” to my benefit:

1. Stamp #24 and #32 are both for the California NHT, but they are different stamps. The latter is missing OK, CO, and OR from its list of states on the trail, uses the NHT abbreviation and is a different region color (blue instead of tan).
2. The San Juan stamps, #37 and #38, say the exact same thing. I added the specific location in parentheses. However, the stamps are visually different: the text of the San Felipe del Morro stamp is on the left and right side, while the San Cristobal text is on the top and bottom.

Sheryl & Eric are certainly to be commended for getting 34 stamps as a team (38 if you count the 4 NHT trail stamps that Sheryl got with me). I admit that being single, I have the advantage of getting stamps on my own time, without having to coordinate with my spouse, but I hope to be ‘handicapped’ with a teammate in the future.

The 2009 campaign has begun!

Been a long time since I posted on here.

To be fair, though, it’s been even longer since any of the other Mitchell/Johnson clan posted on here.

We are all busy, so that is not an excuse.

Anyhow, I imagine that we will have to start the new year with who won the 2008 Muffin!

I think I have a fairly strong lead of maybe 5 or 6 stamps, though I suspect last-minute stamp grabbing treachery by the Johnsons. Mom bowed out early and is determined to win the trophy next year. My motivation in keeping it in Utah is to avoid paying the postage for shipping it to Virginia.

Stay tuned and have a happy New Year!

The contest rules are pretty simple:

1. Each unique National Parks Passport cancellation stamp that you acquire counts as 1 muffin stamp.
2. You must do something in that park, as far as it is possible, in order to qualify for the muffin stamp.
3. At least one contest year must elapse before you can reacquire a muffin stamp that counts towards your total.
4. In the event of a tie, the person(s) with the most unique muffin stamps for that year will be declared the winner.
5. Specially issued stamps can count as “half-stamps” and can serve as a first tie-breaker.

Examples of the above:

1. Getting the Lincoln Memorial stamp at the Lincoln Memorial and at the Washington Monument bookstore would not work, because it is the same stamp. Plus, that would be dumb. In contrast, if you visited the C&O Canal visitor centers at Great Falls, Brunswick, Hancock and Cumberland, which each have their own, unique stamp, that would easily count as 4 stamps.
2. For stamps like the George Washington Parkway and the Suitland Parkway, which are just roads, driving them is about all that you can do. In pursuit of The 19 I didn’t collect on the Washington Monument, even though I was standing outside of it, because I didn’t really do anything other than look at it. When I collected the Catoctin Mountain NP stamp, back in 2003, I at least walked one of the trails, even if it was the shortest.
3. Monocacy NB is about 3 miles away from where I live. I went there in 2007, shortly after the new visitor center opened up, and got a stamp. I could go there as many times as I want this year, but a stamp from Monocacy NB will not count again towards The Muffin until January 1, 2009.
4. Pretty self-explanatory. There have been 2 ties already. Although it’s a shame if you go to some far flung place for a muffin stamp, like Hawaii or the U.S. Virgin Islands, and somebody else wins because they walked the National Mall–like yours truly–that’s tough cheese. Go get some more stamps! Although so far, whether intentionally or incidentally, we don’t seem to aggressively pursue the trophy in years when someone else has gotten far away stamps.
5. Golden Spike NHS in Promontory, Utah, had a stamp with the date that the first transcontinental railroad line was completed, which we got on the 140th Anniversary. Of course, I don’t know whether or not they have that stamp there every day, like the little choo-choo stamp they had.

Update: Looks like I haven’t been admiring my trophy enough, since Eric correctly pointed out that there has only been one tie in the history of The Muffin. Mom has always threatened to force a tie whenever she has been trailing in the muffin count. I guess I just assumed that she followed through on her threat one of these last few contest years.

This was the scene at this year’s passing of the trophy from the winners of 2006–Sheryl & Eric–to me: Champion of 2007.

Judging by the broken hand, it was a brutal competition down the stretch; making the taste of victory even sweeter! Sheryl’s being a gracious loser, though Eric looks genuinely disappointed to be giving up the trophy.

The names currently on the trophy are as follows:

• 1999 – Mike, Mom
• 2000 – Mom
• 2001 – Sheryl & Eric
• 2002 – Sheryl & Eric
• 2003 – Mike
• 2004 – Sheryl & Eric
• 2005 – Mom
• 2006 – Sheryl & Eric
• 2007 – Mike

I’m sure Mom feels “due” to win it this year. If so, she had better get going. Those passport books don’t stamp themselves!

Well, my offspring don’t seem to think I can figure out how to do this without their help. I’ll show them.

My recollection of the beginnings of the contest go back to our trip out west. After stopping in a few visitor centers at National Park sites, we decided to get the stamp books to keep track of where we had been. I casually commented that we should have a contest to see who could get the most stamps in one year. Of course the “young’uns” wanted to know what the prize would be. Trying to figure out what would be the most ridiculous thing I flippantly suggested a special muffin for breakfast on New Years day. Thus the beginning of the “Muffin Contest.”

Mike will have to post the past winners because the trophy, with the winners names engraved on the plaque, is now in his possession.

(Sheryl, note paragraphs on my posting, it it “submits” in this format.)

The Muffin currently resides in the Frederick, Maryland home of Dr. Mike Mitchell: the winner of the 2007 contest.

The story behind the competition belongs to Sheryl or Mom. Both ought to post their recollections of the contests’ origins sometime soon. Mom’s recollections will depend upon one of her kids showing her how to post to this thing.

Sheryl should also give the story behind how she got a real muffin mounted on the trophy.

This isn’t the most professional looking picture, but the best I could do with my feeble Canon PowerShot A80. A good photographer doesn’t blame his camera; but I’m not a good photographer, so there’s my excuse. Notice the partially cat-chewed fake plant off to the side.

Update: I’m not understanding this photo upload feature at all!

Update: Got it! A lot of work for a crappy picture! The maximum size one dimension can be is 466 pixels

Considering I proposed the idea of this family blog, I suppose I ought to be the one who gets it set up in the first place.

Plus, the 2008 contest year has begun! and the MLK holiday weekend is fast approaching. I’m motivated to get this blog started in the (likely) event that I jump out to an early lead!

I hope that Sheryl, Eric, Mom, and I will all find it fun to contribute our adventures in quest of The Muffin to this blog. To anyone else reading this, bear with us as we fiddle around with its design and try to make it more aesthetically pleasing.

It is snowing here in Frederick, and when I see the snow-covered trees, it always makes me want to go for a drive in Catoctin Mountain National Park, which is about 15 miles north of me, in Thurmont, Maryland. Snow transforms the park into a winter wonderland, its beauty enhanced by the picturesque trout stream running alongside the road. It reminds me of our Christmas trip to Germany, back in 1995, when we were driving in the snowy forests of Bavaria. In Catoctin, however, I’m usually not afraid to drive after it has snowed, because the road access to Camp David is located in the park, and I suspect that the roads are kept pristinely clear for this reason, which means I can marvel at my snow-covered surroundings, instead of driving white-knuckled through the park with my eyes locked on the road.