Seattle, Green Lake and Discovery Park

So I got Friday, Saturday and Sunday off from work.  And so far it was glorious.

I got most everything ready the night before.  My clothes, food, etc. and set it aside.  My alarm went off around 9:15 and I woke up with a sore neck on my right side.  I must have slept wrong or something.  It hurt to turn my head to the right.  I grabbed the heating pad to see if that would make a difference.  I finished packing up my stuff and I put it in the car.  I took one more trip in the house to make sure I had everything and said bye to mom.

I got gas at the Arco and made my way to the freeway via Reservation Road to Mounts.  I got on I-5 and hoped that I didn't have any car trouble.  As I was approaching Tacoma, for some reason traffic went full retarded and decided to stop...for no reason.  As we passed the Tacoma Dome and into Fife, traffic let up like nothing had happened.  What is up with this insane traffic!  It wasted ten minutes of my travel time!  Grrr.

I cruised along until I saw a sign that said there was a accident on the interchange of I-5 and I-90 and there was a three mile back up.  What?  Really?  Come on people!  Learn how to drive!  I approached the stoppage and made sure I was in the correct lane so I didn't get stuck and have to cut someone off at the last minute.  We got through the three mile back up and I was cruising right along again.  I should get there by noon.

I pulled up next to Doug's house at exactly noon.  I grabbed my laptop and my bag, my keys and phone and walked up to the front door.  I knocked and walked in.  I made a bunch of queries while I waited for him to finish his game so we could go to lunch.  We jumped in the car and headed towards Ravenna and Roosevelt and parked in the park and ride.  We walked a few blocks and across the street to Rain City Burgers.  A place that Doug tells me Dave Matthews frequents a lot.  I ordered a bacon burger and he ordered the 12th man burger.  They were all Seattle sports teams oriented and even the decor was decked in sports memorabilia.  The food was tasty.

We drove back to his place and I decided to grab my last 13 caches while I had some time.  I decided to ride my bike to Green Lake and grab the eight caches around the lake loop.  I got to experience what it was like to ride your bike down the street like it was a car.  It felt weird waiting for a light to make a right hand turn on the street.  The Green Lake trail was a 2.8 mile paved loop that ran counter clock wise if you were on wheels and whatever way you wanted to walk.  I rode my bike so I had to follow the way of the path.

The first one I grabbed was called Beauty of the Earth (GC2V18R) and it was a nano attached to a bench.  I found it instantly.  Some landscapers sorta watched me but really didn't care too much.

I hopped back on the bike and road towards the next one on the loop, Surprise, Surprise (GC2TY3R).  It required me to climb up a tree to reach the cache.  I found the right tree and now I had to find a way up it without getting myself caught up on the branches.  A squirrel watched me the entire time.

The Greener Side (GC3WDDH) was the next one around the lake.  It was near the Green Lake Aqua Theater and there were lots of muggles just hanging out.  To the picnic table to the left of me were several teenagers just enjoying a Friday.  I sat at the other picnic table like I was taking a break.  I found the cache right away.

I got back on the bike and headed to Frederick (GCT2GV), it was a classic fence cap cache but instead of a fence it was on the top of a sign.  I had to be really sneaky for this one grabbing it and putting it back.  So many muggles.

The next two caches brought me to Woodland Park, a wooded area next to the zoo.  Both caches were near a very large dog park.  I chained my bike to a sign and walked out to grab Cocoa Cola (GC1QA7K) and Won't Bite the Hand that Feeds You (GC2HAPN).  That one was adorable.  They used a squirrel stuffed animal and chained it to a tree.  It was holding a bison tube.

Green Lake Dock (GC4KJ93) and Green Lake Grove (GC14V1E) were the last two on this leg of my quest for 10k.  Both were easy to grab, log and put back.  I rode my bike back to Doug's place and I was sweaty when I got there.  I logged my caches just to see where I was.  I was at 9,994 and it was only 3:45.  I didn't realize the World's Collide (GC57KW3) event was at 4...I thought it started at 5.

I grabbed my stuff and headed out the door as quick as I could.  I knew I would get stuck in traffic...and I did.  I got there around 4:30 with some time to spare.  I found the logbook, talked to a few people I knew including Sean, Jayme and Chris.  I was given a pathtag and a lackey tag just for being in the right place at the right time.  I really need to get my pathtag going.

Just after 5, I decided it was time for me to go.  I needed four more caches and I still had some daylight.  I decided to drive out to Discovery Park, a place where Doug has done some conservation work about a year ago.  I've never been there until now.  I followed Nuvi, which led me into Ballard and near the locks and out towards the Puget Sound.  I parked in the south lot and walked almost a mile to the earthcache (GC2WVHP) location.  With the earthcache, I would complete my 7 Souvenirs of August, geocaching's newest challenge, and unlock the achiever badge.  I was the 14,879th geocacher to complete it.  I got to the beach and answered the questions and took the necessary picture.

I walked back up after visiting the light house.

I stopped at the three on the way back to the car, Discover the View (GC2C509), Discovery Park Cito Cache 2010 (GC274GK) and Caching Again in Discovery Park (GC254YZ).  All were really easy to get to and find.  I was tired and hungry so after using the restroom, I walked back to the car as quickly as I could and made my way back to Doug's house.  His roommate Duncan, made dinner.  I ate my food as we streamed the Seahawk/Charger game through the computer onto the projector screen.  I logged caches and got caught up on my pictures on Instagram.

Next Adventure:  Geocaching Block Party and My 10,000th Caching Milestone

Millersylvania Caching and the Quest for 10k

I had a couple of days off and I was told my stamp was missing from my state park cache.  I grumbled.  I was really hoping my cache would be one of the ones that didn't get vandalized.  Since last June, several of the state park caches have been either muggled or the stamps were stolen....sometimes the stamps were stolen multiple times.  It got to be a chore for some of the cache owners who own multiple or the caches that were more than 100 miles away from their homes.  I was lucky.  My state park cache was only 15 miles from my house line of sight and a little bit more than that by roads.

I dug through all of my caching gear and found a stamp and a stamp pad, sadly the stamp pad was silver...so I brought a green sharpie so they could color the stamp with a sharpie if the silver was too light on the passport.

I decided why not make an entire day out of it.  I had 50 caches to go until I reached my 10,000th milestone.  There were some along the way (that I've ignored the past few months) that I could get on my way to Millersylvania.  I started with the extra caches and worked my way towards the park.

TT's Cache (GC50VMN) was the first one along the way.  I pulled the car over and quickly found it tossed aside in the bushes.  I put it back where I had found it.  Not sure if that's where it was suppose to be.  I got onto I-5 heading north and stopped at the Scatter Creek Rest Stop to grab the newest cache that I didn't have yet.  28 = 11,827 (GC4WGTK) was published in honor of a trip across 28 states.  I parked the car as close as I could and tried to avoid muggles which was hard since it was a rest stop.  I found it hanging on the fence.  I quickly signed it and returned to the car.

I continued north on I-5 and got off at 93rd.  The truck stop was really busy and I had to wait for a bunch of semi trucks before I got away from that area.  I turned onto Case Road and en route to Tough Case (GC52KWV) by our buddy Lars (RL Painter).  I really wasn't sure what I was looking for at first.  I hoped that it didn't take too long to find because I had an agenda for the day.  The coords were spot on and I had the cache in hand within the minute.  It was a duct tape wallet made famous by our Oregon cachers.  The Portland area has a ton of these kind of hides.

The next one was not too far down the road.  I knew it was going to be a guard rail based on its name, Safe Guard (GC528Q3).  It was hidden by a little girl and it was her first hide.  I parked in the turn out, found the cache, grabbed some of the aluminum cans on the side of the road and headed to the park.

I continued south and turned onto 113th just before Scott Lake and followed that until I got to Tilley Road.  Millersylvania was on the right side of me.  I had to stop at the kiosk to pay for a $10 Discovery day pass.  My year long Discovery pass expired on June 10th.  I didn't get another one until I absolutely had to, which was going to be for the Ape cache event in Snoqualmie in a few weeks.  I paid my $10 and followed the road to my cache.  I'm just glad the container wasn't muggled.  I grabbed it from its hiding spot and wrote on the logbook and the lid of the cache "DO NOT REMOVE STAMP OR INK PAD!"  I put the stamp, ink pad and the logbook inside a bag and hoped for the best.  I hid it back better than I found it.

WaStatePks100:  Millersylvania (GC4D5B9)

After securing my cache, I decided to start from the furthest one out and work my way back towards the main road.  I took a wrong trail and walked more than I should have but I eventually made it to Millersylvania State Park Big Tree (GC4X4CP).  They were huge trees!

I walked back down the trail and to the junction that lead me to Millersylvania State Park Boardwalk (GC4X4CT).

I tried going to the next one Millersylvaina State Park Backcountry (GC4X4D0) and the trail was closed up ahead so I tried to find another way around but it led me astray and at a dead end near a creek that ran through the park.  I would have to figure out another way around.  I walked back down the trail and out where I entered about a half hour ago.  I wandered through the RV campsites and to the end of it where another trail started.  Then I found out I could have driven here and parked at this trail head.  Lame.  My feet were tired and I still had five more caches to get.

Millersylvania State Park Orchard (GC4X4CZ) was now the closest on the GPS.  I found the tree it was hidden in, logged my find and moved on to the one I was having trouble with.

I found the backcountry one down a gravel road behind a large log.

The next cache, Millersylvania State Park Fitness Trail (GC4X4D2) was along a fitness trail north of the park.  I had to continue on the gravel road until I reached the junction, found the right trail head and made my way around the loop.  I found the right area which included some fitness bars so people could do pull ups out in the forest?  Sure.  I found the medium sized container, logged my name and put it back.

Then my mom called me asking me where I was.  She had worked a half day and because her car wasn't working she had to ask Grandma for a ride home.  The rental was almost done and she needed me to come home, take her over there and help her clean.  I told her I was almost done finding caches in Millersylvania.  She said okay and to hurry up.

Millersylvania State Park Stroll (GC4G96Y) and Millersylvania State Park Welcome (GC4X4CX) were my last two caches.  I was actually excited to be done because my feet were hurting.  I had a blister on one of my toes that was making me compensate my stride so now my leg was getting sore.  Stroll was hidden underneath a cedar tree and Welcome was hidden behind the welcome sign to the camping areas.

I was done!  I semi limped back to the car.  I sat inside, opened all the windows and relaxed for a minute.  I was sweaty and starving...it was way past lunch time.   On the bright side, I completed my goal for the day.  I found 11 caches and was that much closer to my 10,000th cache for the Block Party.  I have 39 more to go.  I made it home, ate lunch and took mom over to the rental to help her clean.  I can't wait until it's rented.  It's been such a pain in the butt the last year.

Next Adventure:  Seattle, Green Lake and Discovery Park

Relay for Life SW Thurston County

Last year was our first year for relay for life.  This year we decided to do it again.  This year my mom was in charge.  I knew she would get stuff done without any hesitation.  Last year there were too many questions and not enough results.  This year we had more organization and more fundraising opportunities.

This year we did a 5K, a coin drive and a quilt raffle.  They all made us some money.  Of course we would have liked them to make us more money but what we got was better than nothing.  Since I got a job in April I didn't get to help as much as I wanted to.  Our team goal was to make $2500 and we were short by about $500.

Friday night I helped mom paint a bra for bra pong.  It was the game we wanted to do this year.  For a dollar you got a ping pong ball and you throw it and try to get it into one of the eight bras.  I thought it was a great idea considering most women who have cancer is breast cancer.

She wanted me to paint the Cheshire cat.

Saturday I had to work so I couldn't help her set up.  Luckily Amy, Michele and Carrie were around to help her.  After work I went home quickly, grabbed a few things, changed and got there just as 5:00 hit.  Trish got there about the same time I did.  I grabbed my stuff and some of hers and we walked over to our tent.

I was starving so I went over to the concession stand to see what they offered.  I saw fritos and chili.  I wonder if Ross would let me combine them for a small price?  She said since I am a prom chaperone it was free of charge since that's why they were there to begin with...to make money for prom.  Sweet!  I sat in my chair and devoured my food.  I walked a few laps with Trish while we waited for Ben to get there.  I knew I shouldn't over do it because I had to get up and go to work the next day but it was such a nice day for a great cause.  Once he did get there, we got him his shirt and it was time for a group picture.

I continued walking my laps because I knew I would have to leave sometime around 11 or midnight.  The sunset was awesome.

Varsity Pizza was taking deliveries for pizza from dinner time until 11 p.m. that night.  We ordered and it came just before 11 p.m.  In the meantime, we had the luminaria bags ceremony at 10 and we walked a lap with someone playing the bagpipes.  I made one for Brenda, my caching friend who battled cancer and survived.

Ben and I thought it would be fun to kick field goals with a soccer ball...until I slipped and fell.  I sat down for a bit and then continued walking until our pizza got there.

I continued walking laps after food until I got to 7 miles.  I figured that's a good place to stop and it was quite a few miles for so little time I was there.  I told everyone bye, got in the car and went home.  I made sure the chickens and ducks were put away, I took a shower and then went to bed.  The next day at work my feet were very tired.

Next Adventure:  Millersylvania Caching