C is for Crazy Caching Today!

So....we left the house at 8:30PM on Sunday night to head out on our big adventure. We stopped for some McDonalds (because, well i love filet o fish sandwiches) and then drove on through to South Carolina without incident. We played 'name that band' with my 90's playlist of 370 songs. By the end, Rich was doing a great job distinguishing between 3 Doors Down, matchbox 20, savage garden, smash mouth, smashing pumpkins, and the gin blossoms. We even listened to some Michael Bolton - gotta love Time Love and Tenderness! At at out 11:30 I dozed a bit while Rich drove. I think you might find that a frequent theme. I am a car snoozer! When we reached Rich's cache virgin counties in South Carolina he began to stop to find one in each of those counties. I was amused watching him trying to find tupperware in the dark. He was successful finding three prior to 1 am with us just about in North Carolina. We decided ...well...he decided he was ready to doze a bit as well so we pulled into a rest area and both of us slept (if you can call what happened in the car, which quickly turned into a mini ez bake oven, sleeping) I couldnt stand it anymore at 5, and offered to drive (gasp, right? I never drive on trips...I did...twice already...we have a record on the first day) I drove for about an hour and then we stopped for an F3 stop - fuel, food, facilities. Rich took the wheel and and we were making really good time, faster than our projected arrival so I made the radical (for me) suggestion that we veer from our pre-established route and find the North Carolina cache across america cache. We had a beautiful drive through the countryside...and reached our destination...took a short walk, climbed through a foundation of a building and there we were......in what would quickly become a watery hell. We knew we were looking for a waterfall..yes we did ....but posts from others said they had crossed this river without getting their shoes wet. We looked in horror at a waterfall that was a mini niagra, whose power could easily have given hydroelectric power to a small city. Rich wasnt even going to try, but I am a stubborn mule and we had gone 40 minutes off our path , one way, to get here and by george I was going to try for that cache. We thought it was on a little delta like island in the middle of the fork of the white water rivers coming from the falls....so....I kept trying spots until I found one where I could cross....with much hazard, I crossed the river using not a walking stick, but a fallen tree (for real, a fallen tree I picked up and was holding and using to balance myself....it was filthy btw, more to come on that later) I got across...victory ..I was so pleased with myself for winning the challenge of the river. Rich was taking my picture from the bank, all proud that I had made the 'crossing' and survived. I couldnt find the cache. I looked and looked....wasnt there. I told Rich to call the info number on this cache....while I found a stump on the little island to sit on and sulk. He called and the fellow who placed the cache said that the waterfall would subside, that it was on a timer and only was that 'rough' when they were using it to siphon water from the lake above the falls. When enough water had be siphoned the dam would close and it would be easy crossing to the far side where indeed we could get the cache. So....I sat on the stump...and sat...and sat...for what seemed an eternity. Stuck on the little delta island. Eventually I couldnt sit anymore...I needed a rest room...I mean, how long am I expected to sit on a stump and hope the waterfall is going to stop? So.......I crossed back - not without incident. I stepped on something in the riverbed, almost fell and that would have sent me kareening at high speeds down the rocky river to the frightening dark muddy (probably snake filled_ place we could see at the end. I caught myself with my fallen tree....kept my balance and crossed to safety. I was downright sulky if you want the truth..now here I was....wet, filthy, hurt and cache-less. I changed in the car, and we headed off to find a potty. Now...one might think finding a potty an easy thing...but....the first 5 places we stopped had no facilities for the public. What is up with that???? I was beginning to worry that I had ended up stuck in the one town where I couldnt potty when we found the Exxon with a dirty but available potty. whew! Then we returned to the river......dam still open. We went to buy some ice for the cooler then returned again...dam still open. Enough was enough so we headed back to the highway without the cache and me now really sulky. I hate it when I look for a cache and dont find it. It is the biggest reason I dont like geocaching. I like finding them, the ones I dont find frustrate me so much it makes the experience sulky for me. Anyway.... we followed the gps back to the highway. Little did we know that it was going to take us 2 hours out of our way....winding through the back roads of North Carolina and Virginia. We picnicked at some point in this drive. Rich was so thrilled. He SO loves sitting on the ground. (NOT!) We finally reached my Uncle Terry and Aunt Marcia's house in Alexandria at 4:30. We visited with Terry, Marcia, and my Dad....grilled some chicken and asparagus, corn on the cob and steaks...and my cousins came over. All three of them! I dont think I had seen all three of them in the same room since I got married 24 years ago. Uncle Terry and Dad regaled us with tales of their childhood foibles and there was much wine and laughter. Good times. Then...baseball. I actually watched a sporting event on television. The Red Sox versus the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles had their butts whooped. I mocked baseball much to the consternation of my cousin Mark, and Rich tried to make a theatre analogy for everything about baseball so I would feel at home. Lots of fun. Then bed...slept like a rock. I was just so happy to be in a bed instead of another turn in the ex bake ov en!

We are off to Niagra Falls today with caches between hither and yon. I am just hoping that today..the caches are easy and not like the water attractions at your local theme park!

I will write again tomorrow......until then I leave you with my song of the day..... 'Sailing' by Christopher Cross..... oh yes....i wish I had a boat at that river cache...i would have 'sailed' right over, grabbed it and been back on the road!

815 Miles travelled
3 caches found.