08/22/2008
Why are we doing this?!?!
Why? Why does anyone do anything? Because the opportunity arose. As Geocachers we will often set out on ridiculous searches in rough terrain and near kill ourselves in search of tupperware. Why walk when you can fly!When KappaAlpha team and Celestial Badger were doing some caching holiday planning - a trip to the northeast fit well into their ideas, having completed a Washington state area trip, and a south central US trip already (Look for Team X-65 and Team C-Ker) the Northeast was the next logical choice. We wanted to get an icon for the GPS Maze exhibit which closes on the 1st of September - so this was the best time to go - and go we will!
If you aren't familiar with Geocaching, though I'm sure you are if you're here, the thrill is usually in the hunt... getting to the destination and enjoying the views, and company along the way.
This trip is nothing different. Travelling across the continent to seek out Earthcaches and Exhibits - because we can.
Ask any Geocacher. It makes sense. And it's totally nuts.
What better reason to do anything!
We'll be in the following states on the tour:
Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont
Send us an email (care of scratch at gscratch @ gmail.com) if we're coming close by!
(Click here for a rough route map...)
08/24/2008
08/27/2008
08/27/2008
Not our usual style of caching to be sure - big city US caching is about LPC's and Micros, with only the odd large in sight. Driving till late - we worked our way through Mass into Rhode Island (beautiful by the way) and into Conneticut to stay in Waterbury. Some interesting geocaching along the way - with a couple of cool hides here and there. All in all - lots of miles, and a good time. Tomorrow - Plaid and Jersey!
08/28/2008
Leaving Danbury CT later than expected we needed to breeze through New York and get our butts to Edison NJ. A few more cool caches, and a nerve rattling drive on the New Jersey Turnpike got us to a Fuddruckers for dinner. Tell me people... How do you leave Edmonton Alberta, fly 3300 km, drive 500 more, and walk into a restaurant with a Calgary Sun news clipping on the wall? No idea? Me either. A few more hours and some good night caching in Edison, and Scratch_ had his 700th cache, and a good night sleep.
08/29/2008
08/30/2008
08/31/2008
Getting ready for the trip!
We've been working hard (after all the trip planning was complete of course) to get our site up and running, and planning routes. This is a heck of a trip - with 12 states and 2200km of driving over 4 days - so we're travelling light. Cameras, video and all the trimmings. Doesn't get more complicated - and we're loving it!08/27/2008
BLOG NOTE
I'll only be giving you a synopsis here - there is simply too much to relay. Video and Pictures may lag a little as we are reliant on the services of others for much of the reporting. Once this is all done - we'll do our best to get a little detail.08/27/2008
Day 1: Edmonton AB to Boston MA to Waterbury CT
With Kappa already in Boston, the badger and I rolled onto Air Canada and headed out for boston in the wee hours of the morning. Touching down at logan at 2:30 we tackled a thrifty truck for the trip to Revere and hit the road. Only 30 minutes later, and well out of boston the first cache was in the bag.Not our usual style of caching to be sure - big city US caching is about LPC's and Micros, with only the odd large in sight. Driving till late - we worked our way through Mass into Rhode Island (beautiful by the way) and into Conneticut to stay in Waterbury. Some interesting geocaching along the way - with a couple of cool hides here and there. All in all - lots of miles, and a good time. Tomorrow - Plaid and Jersey!
08/28/2008
Day 2: Waterbury CT to Edison NJ
The morning started with some great caching in CT, including some beautiful country around New Haven. The early leg ended at West Rock Ridge with a great earthcache and glacial erratic. From there we cached our way to Bridgeport CT - home of the soon to be closed GPS Maze Exhibit. This was an icon hunt as we breezed through the displays. Great tool for teaching new cachers to be sure. From Bridgeport - a quick trip (with few caches unfortunately) to Plaid (link here). This branding and creative agency donated their source code to support our site. We owe them a great deal, and really enjoyed getting to talk to them. Great folks. If you need creative genius, and a crack team of branding experts - contact Darryl.Leaving Danbury CT later than expected we needed to breeze through New York and get our butts to Edison NJ. A few more cool caches, and a nerve rattling drive on the New Jersey Turnpike got us to a Fuddruckers for dinner. Tell me people... How do you leave Edmonton Alberta, fly 3300 km, drive 500 more, and walk into a restaurant with a Calgary Sun news clipping on the wall? No idea? Me either. A few more hours and some good night caching in Edison, and Scratch_ had his 700th cache, and a good night sleep.
08/29/2008
Day 3: Edison NJ to Cockeysville MD
Small town America is a hoot. Today though we would see some heavy duty miles, and as many caches as we could fit in. Caching through the day would take us to Pennsylvania for a few small moments, around some amazing New Jersey country, through Delaware into Washington DC, back out of DC and deep into maryland to Cockeysville. Some of our favourite caches showed up today. Creative hides, some great difficulty, virtuals, seeing the President of the United States, and surviving a few driving rains would certainly make it worthwhile. Finding Arondel Maryland north of DC and it's hardcore micro landscape didn't hurt and got Kappa to his 1600th cache with no worries. Today the humidity got us too - 25c and 90% humidity drained us of fluid like it was going out of style. Yikes... A long late drive to Cockeysville and a much needed rest was the basis for the day.08/30/2008
Day 4: Cockeysville MD to Albany NY
Woah. What a day. Iron and Marble mines at Oregon Ridge Park, Lost River Caverns in small town Pennsylvania, Long roads with low cache counts through upstate New York - a long day. Too long to write more. Sleep. Must sleep.08/31/2008
Day 4: Albany NY to Lynn MA
This was the tough day miles wise. Original plans had us hitting an earthcache in Maine to round off the earthcaches - but the miles just didn't work. With the earthcache in the route - we were looking at a 500-600 mile day - and with 30+ caches to find, it simply wouldn't work. The choice was made early to hit the two Albany earthcaches, and move into Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Vermont proved to be very enjoyable, with a number of very cool caches along the way and some of the most beautiful driving on the trip. The Red Arrow Diner in Manchester New Hampshire is NOT to be missed, and the long string of power trails was most decidedly giving us the shakes... The timelines just didn't support them though - so we powered through to pick off the few available quick caches in Maine for a quick return trip to Boston to finish up the trek.
The Tour Schedule
08-27-2008
Arrive Boston, Massachusetts late afternoon...
Rhode Island
Connecticut
08-28-2008
GPS Maze Exhibit GC1C2BA
Visit Plaid (The coolest agency in the land)
New York
New Jersey
08-29-2008
Delaware
Maryland
District of Columbia
08-30-2008
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
New York
08-31-2008
Vermont
New Hampshire
Maine
Back to Massachusetts
09-01-2008
Early morning departure from Logan back to Alberta.
08-27-2008
Arrive Boston, Massachusetts late afternoon...
Rhode Island
Connecticut
08-28-2008
GPS Maze Exhibit GC1C2BA
Visit Plaid (The coolest agency in the land)
New York
New Jersey
08-29-2008
Delaware
Maryland
District of Columbia
08-30-2008
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
New York
08-31-2008
Vermont
New Hampshire
Maine
Back to Massachusetts
09-01-2008
Early morning departure from Logan back to Alberta.
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Used with permission.
Original Site Design is courtesy of "Plaid" and Darryl Ohrt
