I will be the first to admit that I’ve been
less
than enthusiastic about Earth Caches.
In fact, after a few bad experiences, I’ve pretty much avoided them
unless a souvenir is involved. My friend
Ben of theGrundalows is shocked by this – he and his wife adore them – but how
many vernal ponds can I suffer through? He
says I just haven’t visited the right EarthCaches. And the verification questions…..
so vague they go against my nature.
However, things have changed a bit and the glacier ice has
cracked.
The first crack was the
Geocaching
Podcast episode 350: Earthcaching with Firennice. Firennice did an excellent explanation around
the nature of those verification questions.
The part that stuck with me most was the “mountain” example. You can’t create an EarthCache about a
mountain in general because what would the verification of completion question
be?
Describe
the mountain? It’s big. EC Reviewers work with the cache creators to
select questions that prove you (and not Google Earth) were actually there. I can see that.
And what else helped “break the Earth Cache ice”? These awesome EarthCaches in Cleveland! On
our adventure, we visited 3 of them and they were my topper caches for the
trip!
President James A.
Garfield Monument GC234RG
This was a Ratspazum recommendation. They visited last year but too late to tour
inside. Located in Cleveland’s historic
Lakeview Cemetery, this is the final resting place for President Garfield, his
wife, daughter and son-in-law.
The 180-feet tall mausoleum is made from the famous Berea
Sandstone, quarried nearby. The
structure combines Romanesque, Gothic and Byzantine styles of architecture.
Upon climbing the grand steps and stepping into the foyer,
you have the option of crossing the tiled floor into the domed room circled by
stained glass windows representing the 13 colonies plus Ohio…..
….. or taking the really cool (and wonky) steps down to the
crypt.
The Garfield casket, draped with an American flag, is the
only Presidential casket on full display.
For the brave, wind your way up 5 flights of stairs to the
outdoor landing where, on good days while wobbling on loose tiles, you can view
beautiful Lake Erie or grand downtown Cleveland.
Squires Castle
GC1F6R3
A castle, you say?
Yes, a castle. But, to coin a
phrase from Ratspazum, “It was more ‘aw’
than ‘awe-inspiring’”. Built by oil
pioneer, Feargus B. Squire, in the 1890’s, the site was originally planned for
an entire castle. Instead, only the gatekeeper’s
lodge was constructed and Squire used it as a lodge and weekend retreat. Eventually the property was sold and acquired
by the Cleveland Metroparks in 1925.
Again, this structure was built with the local Berea
Sandstone. It’s a neat site and the cache write-up included a ghost story. How could we resist?
The Great Falls of
Tinkers Creek GC1956H
Fate played a hand here.
This stop was added at the last minute.
As time rushed by on Saturday, we rescheduled this for Sunday
morning. Instead of “just another
EarthCache stop”, we arrived after sunrise Sunday morning to have this entire glorious
park to ourselves! And we explored every inch of it!
 |
| TaGeez and Ratspazum |
 |
| The Viaduct (as seen from above) |
 |
| The Millrace |
 |
| The Arch and the Viaduct |
 |
| TaGeez and Scrapcat |
Near historic Bedford and accessed via Viaduct Park, Tinker Creek, the Gorge and the Great Falls are the results of the Wisconsinian Glacier as it retreated thousands of years ago. With its combination of soft shale and harder sandstone, the water flow over time has created a mini-Niagara Falls.
 |
| Great Falls at Tinkers Creek |
Again, it’s the history and architecture that thrill me: The
Viaduct and the Arch, the Millrace, the foundations of the former mills, and
all the glorious historical markers.
 |
Ratspazum, TaGeez and scrapcat
SOURCE: Ratspazum |
____________________________________________________
I do notice a common theme here (besides the Berea
Sandstone)….. I love these EarthCaches because they are a combination of
history, architecture and geology (in that order). Maybe that’s the key for my EarthCache
happiness.
