I actually got up and went geocaching around five thirty AM, this morning, which was really six-thirty AM, I guess. It was dark, anyway! I felt pretty off, but I did it anyway. It's easier once you get going.
I drove up to Serra Mesa (after putting gas in the vehicle!) to make the find on a Challenge Cache there that someone had finally replaced. The challenge required that I find ten caches that had not been found in a year. Or one that had not been found in three years. I found several that had been lonely for two years, and the rest were barely a year. The biggest challenge was waiting for the Challenge Cache itself to be replaced so I could post the find!
Then I drove downtown to the bayside to look for some caches. I found one, then I found out the marathon, or half-marathon or SOMETHING was going to take place there, so I skedaddled before traffic became offal.
I saw a cache near the zoo I hadn't found before, so I got that one. Here's a couple of pics of the area.
Here's the car barn for the Balboa Park railroad. I don't recall ever seeing this before. So there you go, another benefit of geocaching, taking you to unusual and possibly interesting places!
From nearly the same spot (you can see my backpack sitting over there), this interesting green thing is observed. Is it antique and ancient? Or is it artistic since this is the very edge of the Spanish Village artist area?
Next I headed over to Golden Hill Park to visit a new cache by the stairs and fountain that I am so enamored of. I found the cache, just beyond a sleeping urban camper. I highly recommend visiting the grotto and stairs (during the day!!), it's a cool little-known spot. It's funny, I thought the fountain was a fireplace until I read an article about it!
Next I headed over to nearby 32nd Street Canyon, where I didn't find two caches.
As depressing as that was, I almost headed home, but then I instead drove on down to the Otay River valley and headed east on a dirt road. That one I cycled down earlier in the year. The first cache I found. With beeeesssss!! Fortunately the bees, seen here, were not active in the cold. I guess maybe it was a swarm that had landed for the night. The couple of bees that WERE active did not sound happy to see me!
The next two caches I did not find, and I had not found them before, either. I DID find one at the river crossing. While looking for it I heard a loudspeaker announcing "This is the San Diego Police Department", and a siren and a helicopter. Oh no, thought I, the off-roaders are getting busted! I better get out of here (even thought I'm not off-roading)!!
I drove back out the sometimes muddy, sometimes rutted, and sometimes slippery dirt road, dirtying up the vehicle nicely around its bottom.
I drove up to La Media Road to park. At the end is a favorite spot for dog walkers, hikers, motorcyclists, and apparently powered paragliders. I talked to a couple of them putting away their equipment and found out it was THEM that the SDPD were loud-speaking to. They said the police did not ticket them, but told them to leave. The guys were not mad or anything, and said the police treated them fine. They said the police helicopter would be taking off in a few minutes from behind the hill. I bid them good day and headed on my way. I heard the helicopter taking off and quickly grabbed the selfie-phone and made the shot, but I don't see the helicopter.
This whole mini-expedition was to look for one cache, which had been replaced, I heard. I've been here several times before. This time I spotted it. I didn't see any snakes, bees, or accursed weed-seeds, and it wasn't too warm, so it was a nice little stroll.
Next I drove up to a nearby park. I KNOW where the cache is, but a mom with a stroller came into the park and just was NOT moving on, so I left as it impossible to make the grab. Skirt-lifting is tricky in the best of circumstances!
So I headed up to REI (south), 'cause there's a cache there I keep trying to find. Nope, didn't find it this time, either!
Next, over to Home Depot. Found one there, and put a new log book in as the log sheets seemed full. 'Cause that's the kind of guy I am.
I'm listening to this song right now, and I'm weeping.
There was another cache at Home Depot, but I didn't find it. Is that four DNFs, or five?
Did you know there is a Torrey Pines Road in East Lake? What is up with that?
Nextly, I went to an industrial park to look for a cache there that I've had difficulties with since 2012. There was another cache nearby, a skirt-lifter, that was easily done, then I head over to the prime target. I spotted it easily, made the grabbed, and signed the log. I noted that the cache was ten feet lower than it was in 2012, now within arm's reach, for which I was thankful.
And I guess that was the end, and now I am home. I found ten caches today, and had five DNFs. I think. And spent about ten bucks on gas, and maybe walked about a mile or so. Maybe two. Maybe 1.5??
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