2015-11-25: Geocaching Around Beaumont Texas

For today I stayed local, Geocaching around the SW Beaumont, Texas area. The first stop was Tyrrell Park. There were several caches within the park including this virtual cache of the Memorial Tribute to the victims of the attack on 9/11.

So I get to the next cache site which was at the base of a tree near a creek. Near the base of the tree, which was hallowed out inside the trunk, I found a small pink container with nothing inside. Inside the trunk I found an old micro sized cracked container that was empty. Both had strings attached which were broken. So I took the broken micro and put it inside the pink small and then placed those inside the tree. 

Next up was another statue. This one is of man's best friend, the dog. Can you see the cache in the picture?

The next cache of particular interest was over at the Lincoln-Broussard Cemetery. This once neglected cemetery had been overgrown with trees until recently. The county had finally sent over a work crew from the Jefferson County Jail to clear the trees and brush, uncovering the many damaged crypts. So far none of the markers have been uncovered. Well at least they are starting to show respect to those buried here.

Overall, I ended the day with 12 cache finds before heading back to the hotel. 

2015-11-18: Geocaching Around Jasper County Texas

This morning after dropping Candy off at work in Kirbyville, I drove further north up to Jasper County, Texas. Jasper itself is a small town with only a few Geocaches around. But I took a drive up to check out an apartment and to the more rural areas of the county to go Geocaching.

After picking up one cache in town at a half vacant shopping center, I drove north on US-96. My first stop was a small neglected cemetery. A couple of secondary roads off the main highway later, and passing by the overgrown hiking trail going up the hill towards the cemetery, I finally found the entrance.

It was about a 1/4 mile hike to a small fenced area of about 10' by 20' with only one marked gravesite. Baby Girl Behannon who lived only 9 days in 1884. Getting back to the cache though, it was still further into the woods and required some bushwhacking to get to. But having done so, I was not only rewarded with finding the cache but also finding a little creek.

Several more Geocaches later and I came upon another cemetery cache. Nothing particularly historical or significant with this one, but it was a cemetery cache.

The last cache for the day was a magnetic key holder hidden about halfway down a bridge over another creek. No place to park on the bridge, so I parked down on the shoulder about 250' away and walked back. After leaning WAY over the side to reach down for the cache and signing the log, I heard dogs barking. Looking in that direction, I saw 3 dogs barking and running towards me about 500'-600' away. YIKES! Fortunately the car is in the other direction! I quickly replace the cache and sprint towards the GeoMobile. Yes! Inside the car with doors closed with maybe 100' to spare. That was close.

Enough excitement for today.

2015-11-16: Large Pelicans and a Drive Down to Galveston

Today we decided to drive down to Galveston Island, TX with my son to do some sightseeing. After an IHOP breakfast, we hit the road. Down in a little town called Seabrook, we pulled over for gas. I noticed across the street a couple of rather large colorful pelicans. While I was pumping the gas, I checked my phone and sure enough there was a Geocache over there also.

So we went across the street to investigate. There was a small city park called Mohrhusen Park, named after Lois Mohrhusen who served on the Seabrook City Council for a number of years. Kinda like the Frog statues we saw, this town celebrated pelicans. Here's two of our favorites.

Also across the street in a different direction was this rather small and unusual looking building. Currently housing a law practice, it was once an ice house dating back to the 1930's. I'm kinda curious about what's up on the roof.

Arriving down on Galveston Island, we went over by the beach front to check out the pier. Not much going on right now as the tourist season is over. But we parked and took a stroll. We couldn't get very far down the pier as most of it was closed in the off season except weekends and evenings.

There's my 18 year old son. An adventurer himself having just finished hiking the 2200 mile Appalachian Trail a few weeks ago.

Before leaving Galveston Island and heading back home, we could leave without a little Geocaching. So we did stop by two local cemeteries and to two caches. Then we made our way back to the hotel in Beaumont.

2015-11-15: Moving From Florida to Texas

Well this weekend was a big move and another road trip. We are picking up roots from Central Florida and moving them to Texas. Candy has accepted a new job as a Traveling Occupational Therapist and her first assignment is in East Texas. It was sad to be leaving all our family and friends behind, but it was time to begin a new chapter, opening new doors, and explore new areas of the country.

So we stuffed everything in our two cars and what didn't fit went into storage. Yesterday morning we started out up the road and stopping off in Winter Garden. My youngest son (18) will be coming out with us for a little while. So we dropped off my car with him to drive out, while Candy and I rode together. He wasn't ready just yet but did manage to catch up with us last night at the hotel in Lafayette, LA.

Yesterday we had only made one Geocaching stop, a virtual cache at a cemetery in Tallahassee, FL. It involved finding the gravesite for Paul Dirac, the English physicist who won a Nobel Prize for predicting the existence of antimatter.

Also, when we left Florida yesterday we had two long days of driving ahead of us and little time for stopping. The initial destination was Sweetwater, TX which was another 8 hours further west. But as yesterday progressed, some complications arose with the facility and the assignment was changed to Kirbyville in Southeast Texas. So this morning we only had several hours of driving to do which gave us more time to explore and go Geocaching.

This morning after checking out of the hotel, we found a Starbucks and a nearby cache. That also gave us a new county find in Louisiana! A couple miles down I-10, we found a Cracker Barrel for breakfast and another quick Geocache.

Continuing further west, we pulled off and stopped in Rayne, LA to grab a cemetery cache. Here's another great reason to go Geocaching! The initial interest in Rayne was for the cemetery cache. But one we started driving through town, we found out that Rayne was the Frog Capital of the World. And all around town were these dressed up frog statues. Here's a small sampling of the many frogs around we saw.

 

Oh, and let's not forget the cemetery which was the initial reason for stopping here in Rayne. It's the St. Joseph Cemetery and dates back to the mid-1800's.

A few more stops in Louisiana to pickup new counties and we arrived in Beaumont, TX. We checked into a hotel here even though Kirbyville was almost an hour north of us. But it is such a small town, there isn't a hotel there that accepts a small dog. Oh yeah, Max the GeoDog is coming with us too. So we'll be here in Beaumont until her company finds an apartment for us to stay in.

2015-10-18: Out for a Sunday Drive and Geocaching Along the Way

Today was a day for a Sunday drive down the backroads of Florida to see what we can find while Geocaching along the way. Took the Turnpike north to Clermont where we stopped for breakfast at the Cracker Barrel. From there we headed out west on SR-50 all the way to Tarrytown. I think the last time out here we turned north on Hwy 471, so today we turned south.

We picked up a quick geocache at a guardrail crossing the Little Withlacoochee River. Then turning into the Richloam Wildlife Management Area to get a few more geocaches. The next cache we came was called JayJay's Swamp where our recent purchase of rubber boots came in handy!

A couple of more caches in the woods and a little bit of bushwhacking. When we started out this morning we didn't have any intention of doing ANY hiking today. But when you're so close, it's hard to resist! And then there was this one... We drove as close as we could get, we put the rubber boots back on and began the short hike along the trail. Even with the boots though, the water was starting to get too deep. It was heading towards the river. So we passed and backed out.

 

Continuing down 471 southbound, we found a few more roadside caches before picking up US-98 into Lakeland and heading back home.