Mertat and I left my house Friday May 14 at 7AM to tackle all the state park Geo-Challenge geocaches in southeastern Georgia. We began at Indian Springs with a quick find. At High Falls we do one of those pick the wrong way to go things and walk 1.8 miles to fond the cache. Doesn’t bother us because it is still early in the day and we are just happy to be geocaching. Then we drive down to Little Ocmulgee for a quick park and find. Getting hot now and we have General Coffee coming up. Another hike but we are having a great time. Lots of caches in this park but we only pick up two others as we are on a mission. We end the day at Laura Walker tired after driving all day, swatting mosquitoes and ticks, and hiking in 88 degree day. Plus Mertat is a little grumpy because I have not stopped to eat but we find a nice Mexican restaurant right next to our hotel so afer a few minutes she is happy again.

Day two began with a long drive from Waycross to Stephen Foster and then another long drive to Crooked River and then a long drive up to Fort McAllister and then finishing up at Skidaway. After Skidaway we need to find a hotel and a place for dinner because once again I have starved poor Mertat and a hungry Mertat is not a pleasant thing. Side note here I did give Mertat enough time to stuff herself at the free hotel breakfast so I am not totally without compassion. Anyway, we route to Gordonia which will be our first stop Sunday morning hoping we find a place to stay and a place where Mertat can eat. Finally in Claxton we find a hotel and a barbeque joint. We enter the Carriage House Hotel where we inquiry about a room with double beds. Are you bull riders, the clerk asks. Not being sure what she means by this we reply no we are geocachers. Oh, she says somewhat taken aback, I thought you were with the rodeo that is in town and that you were bull riders. Now I know we looked a little scruffy from driving a zillion miles in two days and hiking in 86 degree weather and maybe we were a little dirty because that is what happens when you scrounge around for a geocache but never in my life has anyone asked if I was a bull rider. Well all Mertat and I can do is laugh. The poor clerk, southern as she is, is aghast that she may have offended us so she says well I just thought maybe you were bull riders because yesterday this guy cane in and he looked real bad after the bull stomped on his leg. Ok, so there were many things I could have said at this point in time but I just let it go and assumed we looked like a bull had just stomped on us explaining our sad appearance. So over to the barbeque place we head where Mertat orders off the kids menu. I mean here the girl is growling with hunger and she orders kid food with kid size portions. Explain that to me.

Day three, up at 6AM in Gordonia as the gates opened where we found the two caches there. Very peaceful this AM but we needed to get to George L. Smith. and Magnolia Springs Park. Finally the end of our weekend of geo-challenge caching is in sight. Hamburg - number 15 for me and the voucher that would entitle me to a bronze coin. After a long hike finding both caches in this park we head to the office. Hi, we are geocaching and I have completed 15 geo-challenge finds, may I please have my voucher. Your what was the reply. We explained the process that was to take place. The park staff person made some calls and tried to be helpful but no voucher was to be found in this park and the worm walked away with a heavy heart. So many miles, so many caches, I starved my friend Mertat to accomplish this and be one of the first to get a coin and yet I am empty handed. Wait we have one more park on our list for this weekend- A.H. Stephens. Hope is not lost yet. A.H. Stephens this would be Mertat’s number 15 giving her the right to a voucher also. We stop at the office first to check on the vouchers. None can be found but they will make some calls. We leave to go find the cache hoping against hope that when we return after finding the cache the park staff will have the vouchers. Sadly that was not the case. We head home with great memories and feeling lucky we live in a state with such wonderful parks.

Let me also say with only one exception the park staff could not have been nicer or more pleased to see us. We made it a point to visit every park office and to introduce ourselves and to sate the reason for our visit. Plus Mertat likes to shop in the visitor’s centers and this weekend alone she is solely responsible for increasing the revenues of every park we visited, We drove on dirt roads, spent incredibly long periods of time driving on secondary roads with no traffic. Saw the most beautiful countryside and oddities along the way. Mertat is still talking to me so I guess our friendship is strong if it survived this past weekend. By the way total miles driven 936. Can’t wait to do the southwest part of the state. Are you ready Mertat?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: redworm,

Loved reading this. Y'all rock!
I need to get a seat on the next bus.

Sounds like a true geo cachers dream weekend! Thanks for sharing.
Lisa

Sure enjoyed your story Penny

I would have loved to be along for this adventure.