Yes, it's that time of year - another Midwest GeoBash under the books. This time Team Free Range Lobsters were missing 3inaTree due to scout camp. That should've been our first idea that it would be an unusual year. Our second clue was seeing a dog in a tinfoil hat! #welovemaizie
We had unusual weather - except for a humid Thursday afternoon, the weather was lovely with blue skies. First year they didn't open up with rain and strong winds bursting forth!
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| SnakeyLicks, TaGeez and WikidKriket |
With a spare campsite, we brought lawn games like Lawn Pong, Lawn Skeeball, and ladder ball. Look at these fabulous geocaching bean bags WikidKriket made!
Ok, the first night was sticky so we decided to head out for an easy cache while enjoying the coolness of the car a.c. It didn't take too much convincing to get the family to this one. All I had to do was text my brother-in-law, "Hey, Corey! Want to get electrocuted?"
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| Zapped at Zimmerman's GC6NRT6 |
Too cool cache! TaGeez and I enjoyed one just like it a few weeks earlier in Windsor at eM-Burr's doorstep. We had some problems with the lock, but the owner Team Doxie (the SUV in the background) came to the rescue!
They also recommended their other "gadget cache", which we enjoyed the following day during the Poker Run.
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| LINEOLOGY - True North GC6FQPP |
Back to Thursday night, it was still sticky and buggy. Apparently, Junebugs booked our campsite, too. What to do? What to do? It took little convincing to sneak off to the cinema which had surprisingly low prices and good popcorn!
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| Spiderman - Homecoming |
As tradition dictates, Friday morning is the Poker Run. Grab a poker card, visit seven specific local businesses and grab a sticker for your card. A scanner at the final will display your cards with biggest winners and one loser winning GPS units. We never win anything, but it's an absolute hoot visiting all the stops and sampling the goods. This year included a cheese & sausage shop, a winery, goat cheese creamery, chocolate shop, restaurant, gift shop and the event store.
We shared our wealth around Wauseon and even brought back a treat for 3inaTree! Funny thing about Turkey Foot Creamery -- Poker Run or not, we stop every year for cheve and curds made of goats milk. Wouldn't it be simpler to just visit their booth in Eastern Market?
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| Turkey Foot Creamery Honey Cheve for 3inaTree |
As we were on the run, notice went out that LAB caches were released onsite. This year there were 20 of them based on the Back to the Future movies (Bash's theme was sci fi). No need to look up the trivia answers, we had WikidKriket. We did the first 10 in the scorching sun and the remaining after dark and accompanied by the Junebugs (they were no help at all!).
June17 showed up after work - we had offered our campsite since we were one family down. He joined us for conversation under the shade, an excursion to Area 51, and some light caching the next morning.
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| TaGeez, June17, and SnakeyLicks |
This was, IMHO, the best cache on the fairgrounds. We arrived early in the day so we could experience it without others spoiling it.
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| Back to the Future GC780WB |
The rest of the caching on the fairgrounds was easy and enjoyable.
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| Close Encounters of the Third Kind GC76WDT June17 and SnakeyLicks |
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| It's just a little too warm to snuggle! |
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| 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea GC78PTQ |
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| Alona Spiegel and Team Gates District 9 GC78NB9 |
Saturday morning is the Treasure Hunt. Each ticket a winner with a chance at the closing ceremony for bigger prizes. Use the metal detector to win a commemorative t-shirt-shaped trackable. It was nice and cool in the horse show ring.
Afterwards we cruised the fairgrounds for decorated campsites. This AT-AT took first in the competition.
And, never fear! Caching Fire was here again! I love his dinosaur t-shirt!
One Day I Will Make History
I dress him every year to annoy my sister. It still works four years later!
I took him to the closing ceremonies where people snapped their pictures with him and logged his trackable. Why they don't include their pictures in the log is beyond me! The most memorable new friend is little Miracle. She tentatively came up and was staring at Fire with these big fearful eyes - she was terrified. I would see her little body quivering in front of him. But so brave to approach something that so obviously scared her! Eventually she touched him and realized he wasn't a threat. Before long she was posing with him in front of a group of strangers. She kept trying to close his mouth, but he wasn't having none of that!
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| Miracle making friends with Fire |
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| Farewell to another Bash! |
We wrapped up faster than normal Sunday morning so we could reach Dearborn in time for the Captain Rodney Pirate event. We did make one stop along the way: The Wreck of the Wabash 1901. TaGeez, ShelleyJean and I had seen this fascinating marker in an Adrian cemetery while doing Necropolis Ruins and this cache took you right to the cache site and finally gave us a history. Standing by the side of the road looking at the little bridge to the North of us, TaGeez and I couldn't believe the Conductor and Firemen made the jump from the speeding train into this tiny tributary and died. This is why we geocache - to see rare and interesting things. Sad to think that only geocachers remember the worst railroad disaster in Michigan's history.
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| Captain Rodney's event - Photo by SCOOK |
All in all, the weather turned out beautifully, and the weekend was more relaxing than years past. Note to self that Outlaw BBQ's pulled pork potato is a can't miss and to buy extra cheve at Turkey Foot - we're almost out already.
Special Thank You to WikidKriket and SnakeyLicks for the use of their hotel shower and air conditioning during the hottest days -- we even managed a board game or two. Looking forward to next year!
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