If you CACHE it they will come (GC289R9)

After leaving Dad in Gig Harbor I head home via 512 and decided to find this cache.  It was placed by my co-worker Donny, it was his first hide.  The hardest part of this cache was finding where to park.  I ended up parking as close as I could and walking through a little park and a whole in the park fence to find the cache.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Lounging at the Library (GC1EGZK)

Dad and I stopped for lunch and a local Mexican restaurant and this cache was across the street.  Dad had found it a few days before but he came along with me while I found it. 

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

No Weigh, Jose! (GCYJ2G)

This was a cool little cache.  It was burred so only the bark was showing.  It took us a few minutes to find it but we did.  Just a little park and grab but clever camouflage.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Novra Deja Vu (GC8C27)

This was my third virtual cache.  In the middle of a neighborhood their is a little park.  In order to claim the find on the cache you have a answer a few questions about the park like who donated the land.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Marvin G Shields (GC1V842)

This was by far my favorite find of the day, it seemed fitting to find this cache on Memorial Day.  This cache is in honor of Marvin Glenn Shields he was the first, and remains the only, Seabee to receive the Medal of Honor. He was also the first United States Navy Sailor to receive the Medal of Honor for action in Vietnam.

U.S.S. Marvin Shields (FF-1066) Fast Frigate

The first ship of the Fleet honoring Naval Constructionman third Marvin G. Shields, United States Seabees, who lost his life during the Vietnam Conflict. The ship was commissioned at the U.S. Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington on 10 April 1971.

Here is Marvin's Medal of Honor citation:

Marvin G. Shields, United States Navy, (posthumous), Construction Mechanic Third Class, U.S. Navy, Seabee Team 1104., Dong Xoai, Republic of Vietnam, 10 June 1965.

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with United States Navy Seabee Team 1104 at Dong Xoai, Republic of Vietnam, on 10 June 1965. Although wounded when the compound of Detachment A-342, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, came under intense fire from an estimated reinforced Viet Cong regiment employing machine gun, heavy weapons and small arms, Shields continued to resupply his fellow Americans with needed ammunition and to return the enemy fire for a period of approximately three hours, at which time the Viet Cong launched a massive attack at close range with flame throwers, hand grenades and small-arms fire. Wounded a second time during this attack, Shields nevertheless assisted in carrying a more critically wounded man to safety, and then resumed firing at the enemy for four more hours. When the Commander asked for a volunteer to accompany him in an attempt to knock out an enemy machine gun emplacement which was endangering the lives of all personnel in the compound because of the accuracy of its fire, Shields unhesitatingly volunteered for this extremely hazardous mission. Proceeding toward their objective with a 3.5- inch rocket launcher, they succeeded in destroying the enemy machine gun emplacement, thus undoubtedly saving the lives of many of their fellow servicemen in the compound. Shields was mortally wounded by hostile fire while returning to his defensive position. His heroic initiative and great personal valor in the face of intense enemy fire sustain and enhance the finest tradition of the United States Naval Service.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Knot!!! (GC290A7)

Our second DNF for the day.  This one was confirmed missing by the cache owner later that day.  If they replace it I would have to come back and find it.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

HighGround (GCKMX5)

This was my first offset Geocache, that wasn't a multi-cache.  An offset cache is typically one where you have to go to a location and then get clues to find the coords to the actual cache site.  This one took us to a big tree and then said walk about 30 feet SW.

It took a few minutes but we found it.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

GPR2 - #1 Cedar Lake (GC13EP8)

This caches posted coordinates were the most off of any cache I have even seen.  The posted coordinates take you to the other side of the lake.  It was dumping rain by this point.  It wasn't until 1/2 hour of searching on the wrong side of the lake that I found someone log posting the correct coords.  I have no idea how that cacher found the right coords but we walked back around the lake and found the cache.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Fairyhoney, You'll Flip For This Cache!!! (GC12172)

This was just a quick little find.  It was raining pretty hard by this point so we just made it quick.  We found the cache but didn't stay long.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Mullenix Fire Station P&R (GC22VEP)

This was our first DNF of the day, I'm pretty sure it's gone. The area where the cache was suppose to be had recently been hit by a car and it looks like the sign where I think the cache was hidden has been replaced.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Movie: Pelican Brief 1993 (GC10JCR)

This was our second find for the day and it was inside a storm drain.  Nothing much else to say about it.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Dominic’s cache (GCPT85)

So Dad and I took a little cache trip just the 2 of us today.  We meet in Gig harbor so this was just a quick park and grab to start our trip.  Dad had never seen an LPC before so it was a good one to start with.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

It doesn't fall far from the tree (GC29D4B)

This cache was published at like 10:15pm so everyone else in the house was a sleep so I decided to go for it.  road trip was just pulling out of the parking lot when I was pulling in.  He doubled back and stopped to talk to me.  He had just found it right before I pulled up, if I would have been a few minutes earlier I might have been able to get the FTF.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Highs and Lowes (GC27XB0)

We had to run to South Hill Mall so we found this cache on the way home.  It was just an LPC but it was another mile in the First Annual Summer Vacation Travel Racer Competition and in this race a mile is a mile.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

DNC Micro Cache #2 (GC1YDW0)

This was just a quick park and grab.  Julie and Ethan waited in the car while Oliver and I found the cache.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Childhood Frustration (GC2984H)

This one took me a little while to solve.  I started working on it for about 30 minutes the night it was published and couldn't really get anywhere.  The next day I took what I had to work and was talking to one of my co-workers he had it solved in like 2 minutes.  It took him longer to explain it to me then it did for him to figure out the pattern.

So the next chance we had the family drove out to find the cache.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

On The Rivers Edge (GC1JQRE)

So because I'm in this First Annual Summer Vacation Travel Racer Competition which is based on which family can travel the most miles over the summer.  So I had to find a cache in Everett while up there for a poker game.

My first choice was just a quick park and grab near this waterfall.  But I didn't check the recent logs until I was at the waterfall and I realized it had been DNF the last dozen times.  So I didn't even bother to look.

The next closest cache was 1/4 mile away down this trail.  The only thing is was poring rain which is why I was going for the park and grab.  Well with few other options down the trail I went.  I figured I could run it fairly quickly and make it back without getting too wet.  Ha Ha, I didn't take into account the camouflage of the hide.  This was a pine cone hidden in a tree.  It took me awhile but I found it.


--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Customer Service (GC176MC)

This was just a quick cache on my way North to go visit a friend in Everett for a poker game.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

South American Tussock (GC1GBBR)

This is by far the weirdest cache I have found to date.  I have found caches on private property (with the owners permission of course). However, this cache is in someone front yard, which is ok but it's in the middle of a neighborhood.  I would be like me putting a geocache in my front yard.

It's kind of hard to be stealthy when you are walking into someone's front yard.  I completely forgot to drop my wooden nickel in the cache I just signed the log and got out of there.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Wigwam To Wetland (GC1RX7K)

This is my first Earthcache.  My mom took the boys to the store and Dad and I went to figure out the questions to at the earth cache site to be able to log this one.  The Earthcache site is wigwam that was used to burn plies of wood scraps and damaged boards from the wood mill.

In order to log the cache as a find you have to take a picture of yourself at the cache site so here is my picture.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

PEAK 2 PEAK 2010 (GC1Z79V)

So this cache site has a nice little playground area so my mom took the boys to the playground while dad and I found the cache.  My boys love Geocaching but after a few small caches they are ready to go play at the playground.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Tree Hugger (GC1FYD3)

Oliver didn't want to be in the picture so Ethan is holding our race car Summer Vacation Travel Racer - ImLuckiest for the First Annual Summer Vacation Travel Racer Competition.  My dad was nice enough to hold up the cache container.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Project 218 (GC1ZB27)

Since the first few cache of the day were small we decided to go find an ammo can for the boys to trade some swag.  They each got a new toy, Ethan wanted a transformer toy and Oliver got a slinky.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Cache Depot (GCMZ37)

Ethan is such a goof ball he was trying to play the cache like a musical instrument.  Oliver was just hanging out.  At least this cache was big enough to have a few little things for the boys to try with.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

How'd That Get Here? (NRV) (GC1ZGD2)

This was a fun little cache.  It's a tennis ball that was hollowed out and had a little cache inside.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Lunchbreak Nano (GC23499)

Today the boys and I met up with my Mom and Dad to do a little caching in Tacoma.  This was a fun little find.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Welcome to First Hill (GC1VENA)

Today, I started something of a competition with a few other geocaching in the Bonney Lake area.  We are calling it the First Annual Summer Vacation Travel Racer Competition.  The goal to is use the Summer Vacation Travel Racer - ImLuckiest travel racer to track our mileage.  The goal is from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, travel as far as possible and the family that logs the most miles wins a family dinner!

To start the race I found this cache in Seattle, nothing like starting off with a quick 30 miles.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Raineeeeeer (GC28P4R)

Julie's Dad was in town for the night so we took him out for a quick geocache on the way to dinner.  I was just a quick park and grab but it at least showed him the idea of what geocaching is all about.

We also picked up a travel bug Emerald City TB.

--Tom

Link to Geocaching Page

Explorer's Hideout (GC118TR)

I'm pretty sure this cache has gone missing.  Dad and I looked for 45 minutes with no luck.  It was in a great location but you can see where there are lots of trails in the area from school kids cutting across the field.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Moroni's Challenge (GCX18K)

This was a little sad.  When Dad and I got to the GZ the entire cache was dumped all over the place.  Someone had taken the log book but the ammo can and some of the swag were still there.  We put it back to together as best we could and emailed the cache owner.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Gateway to Triple F (GCG8WT)

This cache was way harder then it should have been.  If you have never seen this type of hide before it could be difficult but once you know what you are looking for it's fairly easy.  The problem is the person who found this cache last time but the lid on a little too tight.  Dad and I had to hit it with a pair of pliers a few times to get it off.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Pepper (GC1W1A4)

If the last cache was Salt and it was all about putting the black chess player in checkmate then Pepper would be just the opposite.  So in order to solve this I had to put the white player in checkmate in one move.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Salt:Checkmate! (GC1W17B)

This was a fun puzzle.  The cache is a series of 6 chess boards and you had to solve the board to put the black player in checkmate in one move.  Since the boys were with there Nanna I figured I would out and find a quick cache.

Dad needed some help with his cell phone so he met me at the park and came long.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Bairs in the Woods (GC1PJW4)

I found this one on the way back to my car from the Don't eat green mayonnaise cache.  It's a pretty well hidden cache it was getting dark and took me a while to find it.  I found a cool Traveling Bears coin in the cache.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Don't Eat Green Mayonnaise (GC1QW78)

I think the title of this cache says it all.  I don't like Mayonnaise at all but there is no way I would eat green mayonnaise.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Curiously Strong (GC1613P)

Ethan didn't want to come out of the car and find this one so Oliver and I did it alone.  It was just a quiet little bridge over a pretty creek.  Oliver wanted to throw rocks into the creek but there were no rocks on the road I and I wasn't going to let him crawl over the guardrail to pick one up.  He wasn't very happy with me until I handed him a stick it's just as good as a rock for throwing into the creek.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

A Purdy Save (GC1RQVG)

We stopped off for lunch with mom and dad.  After that the boys and headed home.  Along the way we decided to pick up a few more caches.

The boys really wanted to take something from this cache but it was half full of water and everything inside was soaked beyond repair.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Anthony's 1st (GCQWXB)

Dad tried to find this cache once before without his GPS, which means he wanted me to guide him there based on a 2 year old Satellite photo.  Needless to say we came back today to actual find it.  Ethan wanted to hide behind the cache for some reason.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Paint Your Wagon (GC129WH)

This was just a quick park and grab. The funny thing is the cache owner had commented that this cache had been muggled a few times but when we pull up we find a bring yellow lid hanging out from being the tree.  I could see if from a mile away, and it's not like the last person who hide it didn't do a good job it's just way to big of a container for the hiding spot.

Oh well it's another cache checked off the list, only 1,040,000 to go :-)

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Shelton Travel Bug Museum and Hotel (GCT9X5)

This cache is at the Mason County Historical Museum.  It's a great little museum full of pictures memorabilia from the local area.  It's also a Travel Bug Hotel so I dropped off a TB and picked up another Journey of the Sole.


--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Bayview Overlook (GCJ36X)

So I was driving into Shelton and Dad was navigating, he said lets do this Bayview Overlook one.  So he was giving me directions the problem was he would wait until I was in the middle of the intersection to tell me to turn.  Luckily it was mainly side streets and there wasn't any other cars on the road.  Lesson learned don't let Dad navigate!

Then he tells me it's a 2.5 Terrain uphill, not that it's a problem but with the kids I typically try to pick easier caches.  If I go for a more difficult walk it just means I end up carrying Oliver on my shoulders, which I did.

It was a nice walk and a beautiful view once we got to the top.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Rock of Ages II (GCXCVM)

This cache was just down the road from the Kennedy Estuary so we found this cache as long as we were there. It was a fairly easy cache inside the water meter cover.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Kennedy Estuary (GC1HC8F)

Dad has had s travel bug for almost a year. He lost it and then found it last week. It's mission was to visit all the counties in Washington State, since it hadn't yet been to Maison county we went for a drive to Shelton to drop it off.

I also found my first patch trackable Party of Five?......Maybe Four of course I have to remove the tracking number :-)

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Discovery Bay Bounty (GC19DVR)

Right down the road from Troll Haven is the Discovery Bay Bounty right next to the beach.  So we decided to find this Geocache as well.  In case you couldn't tell Oliver was upset because I had forgot his Geocaching "CamelBak" backpack.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Trollville (GCGTAA)

On our way home from Sequim I just had to stop and find this Virtual cache.  For those who don't know a virtual cache means there is no caching container or logbook but you typically have to take a picture or answer a question about the area.  In this case you were suppose to take a picture of yourself in front of a large Troll but the troll has been removed so you can answer a question about the place to clam the find.

Check out this website for more information on Troll Haven

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page

Dungeness Poker...I'm Bluffing (GC90AD)

Today Julie and I decided to take the kids up to Olympic Game Farm over in Sequim.  Neither of us had ever been to Sequim or the game farm but we had heard good things about the area and wanted to take the boys out on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

So we checked out the Olympic Game Farm it was very cool.  Just to give you an idea here is a little picture of an Yak who really wanted a piece of bread.

After we were done at the game farm we headed over to the Dungeness Spit to check out the New Dungeness Lighthouse.  My Grandpa use to be the lighthouse keeper out here when he was in the Coast Guard and my Uncle and Dad both lived at the lighthouse when they were babies.  So I could come all the way out here and not check it out.  We decided not to hike all the way to the lighthouse since it was already 3pm and I really didn't want to have to carry both boys for the 12 mile round trip hike to the lighthouse.  Julie and I are already planning another trip up there to make the hike.

So since we weren't going to hike out there we just hung out at the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge there are lots of other trails and bluffs to walk along.  That is where we found this Geocache with a great view.

--Tom
Link to Geocaching Page