Welcome to the Ferndale Post Office! By finding it you've already accomplished something, since this office can be difficult to locate the first time out.
Stamp Panorama is a friendly two-part cache that kids will enjoy solving with parents. The initial coordinates take you to the south side of the post office. There you'll find the entire wall covered with dozens of large 'stamps' painted by over 45 local artists, ranging in age from 11 to 80 years old. Before proceeding to solve the cache, take time to enjoy the mural. This community project, completed in July 2011, features postage stamp art from throughout American history.
To solve the code and find the cache, you'll need to locate seven specific stamps on the wall. Make a "letter = number" chart as you go. If caching as a team or family, the youngest member gets to find the first stamp.
1. Find the stamp with a log house. It costs HA cents.
2. Find the stamp with two acorns in it. It costs GE cents.
3. This stamp features a profile of George Washington inside a heart. It costs DP cents.
4. Find the blue girl, initials P.D.A. Her stamp costs ML cents.
5. Find the stamp with a seagull in it. It costs RS cents.
6. This stamp says "Love Potion #9" in it. It costs TN cents.
7. Finally, this stamp has the word ENERGY on it. It costs OC cents.
The actual cache is located at:
N48* ST.AMP
W122* DE.POT
Muggle red alert: Use your best stealth mode when approaching the summit. Likewise, depart Ground Zero as soon as you make the grab and examine the contents elsewhere. A dry place would be good, since the contents may be moisture sensitive. The nearest covered area a safe distance away is inside the Post Office, where you can use the foyer tables. Reconstruct cache exactly as found. By the way, if you find that stamp with the upside-down airplane, don't lose it. It's worth $900,000. Happy stamp collecting!
Update 7-26-2012:
Due to repeated mugglings, the cache has been relocated slightly, about ten feet from the final coordinates. To locate it, go to the final coordinates and then use the following clue:
Part the leaves
Engage your eyes
See the metal?
Scrutinize