The Palace Letterbox Hybrid
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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A themed hide for tourists (and residents) visiting this famous city landmark. The "archeological" puzzle leads to the discovery of an "artifact" concealing a logbook and letterbox stamper appropriate for those who enjoy collecting ink-based souvenirs when they geocache.
A mysterious script inscribed on both a disc and vellum calfskin have baffled scholars in the Bay Area for over fifty years. Some believe the lost language reveals the location of an omphalos hidden on the grounds of The Palace of Fine Arts. The keepers of the secret are rumored to have placed a translation device or "Rosetta Stone" resembling the disc somewhere near the temple. It is up to you to find this device and use it to interpret the scripted message on the vellum calfskin. Doing so will reveal where to go to find the omphalos artifact (i.e. cache)!
Orpheus stilling the beasts; from the Pegasus Panel by Bruno Zimm (Palace of Fine Arts)
At the initial coordinates, spy a four (4) digit number between the Bay and the "Lion". Take the (1st) digit of this four digit number and replace it as A in the coordinate below; take the third (3rd) digit and replace it as B, and take the fourth (4th) digit and replace it as C.
37° 48.17A
122° 26.9BC
NOTE: Feel free to double-check waypoint accuracy here.
You now have the waypoint needed for the next part of your adventure. Images of the mysterious disc and vellum calfskin are shown below (the originals are under lock and key deep in the archives at the University of San Francisco;-). Search for the disc's matching Rosetta Stone at the revealed waypoint. When found, use it to unlock the ancient language on the vellum calfskin and translate it into Modern English. The message on the calfskin will clue you where to go to find the omphalos.
εὕρηκα! ἦλθομεν, εἶδομεν, ἐνικήσαμεν! - Olivia Noelle (c. 23.06.2012 A.D.)
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
[Initial Location] ♫ Gnxva' Vg gb gur Fgerrgf-vtaf ♫
[Puzzle Location] Fbyhz Ebghaqhf BE snzvyvnevgl jvgu Wbua Qrr
[Final Location] Na nccebkvzngr ornevat pna or rfgnoyvfurq hfvat gur Crtnfhf Cnary qrcvpgvat Becurhf Fgvyyvat gur (Yvba) Ornfg. Gur fphycgher'f snpnqr snprf TM. Arne zvqqyr.