Logs for Perfect Tommy 

Thanks to gridge98 for including me in the fun. First Whereigo for me and it was fun finding the New York City leg of this adventure. Best part was the chap playing the Mario Brothers theme on a xylophone near GZ. Thanks for the fun! 

Spent roughly 4 hours and change on line waiting to go on various rides (Space Mountain was definitely worth it however). This virt was a welcome change from standing and waiting around like cattle. Thanks for the virt! 

This was one of the few virtuals in DC near the Mall that I had not found so I came out early Saturday morning to rectify that. Noted the needed information and emailed it off to the CO. An impressive sight and I made sure to bring the family by to see it later in the day. Thanks for pointing this unique feature out and maintaining this virt. 

When my vacation to Marco Island was booked, I started scouting the geocaches in the area and was pleasantly surprised to find that Florida's oldest was in the vicinity. It went straight to the top of the to-do list. Got nostalgic reading the description: you usually only see an EPE range posted on old cache listings and the terrain and difficulty are usually rated much lower than today's expectations; but the logs gave me some pause with tales of alligators, bears and swampland. Checked in with the rangers but disappointed I didn't get any dire warnings about gators. I did note that the mosquito meter was set at the upper limit of "Caution", perilously close to "Run". As a result, the group I was hiking with (almost all muggles) bathed ourselves with insect repellant. It helped somewhat. It repelled panthers, bears, alligators and manatees as we encountered none. We did see a couple of butterflies, a gecko and have the welts to prove we also encountered some mossies who apparently had built up an immunity to S.C. Johnson products. It was a pleasant hike and, thanks to the dry season, not muddy at all. I'm sure the recent burn helped (some foliage was still smoking) to keep any critters a distance from the trail. We finally came to the point we had to leave the trail and take the plunge into the charred palmetto. We picked our way through the burn and finally reached the green and soon found the social trail that led straight to Florida's oldest. Signed in and grabbed two TBs. By way of call and response, we were able to find the rest of the group that had the good sense to stay on the trail as those who ventured into the burn now had charcoal smudges and streaks on their clothing and skin. This cache also drew blood at some point during the hunt but that only added to the pleasure of bagging this ancient. The hike back to the trailhead was uneventful (mossies notwithstanding) and pleasant. Thanks to Dogbone for placing this cache and anidanid and lorriebird for maintaining it. Definitely worthy of a Favorite. 

Gave the area a good canvass but came a cropper. Can't blame the GPS 'cause I was getting steady single digit readings. Clearly operator error as the hint flew right over my head. Somedays the bear gets you. Thanks anyway. 

Bushwacked the .6 miles over from Looking North. Triple digit heat (105) and dwindling water supplies but undaunted I picked my way through the scrub. Not physically exhausting (it's basically flat) but mentally taxing as I was always on edge watching where I walked and looking out for rattlesnakes, scorpions and avoiding the ubiquitous prickers. No encounters with the first two; too many encounters with the last (luckily I brought work gloves). An inhospitable land. But at least there's no ticks! All for the sake of finding Arizona's oldest (and knocking off another calendar month in the Jasmer Challenge). Grabbed the New Hampshire geocoin and dropped four TBs. Thanks for keeping this oldster going. 

Quick find thanks to the cache description and hint and mercifully the hunt was not interrupted by any muggles. Nice hiding spot. Signed in and dropped the Wedding Bells TB and grab a UK geocoin. After pulling out my hair trying to ferret out the nanos and micros that frequent Manhattan, many thanks for the regular cache. 

Cache has now been with four traveling caches since I dropped the cache off in my own Town & Country traveling cache. Birds of a feather flock together... I've emailed the owner with additional information when the cache page is updated. Dropped the Starcatcher geocoin into the cache as well. Happy trails!
 

I wish all 5/5s were this accomodating. Saw this pop-up and read Mumu's log and the chase was on! It's been a dog's age since I found a traveling cache and, since they are a vanishing breed, I had to give it a go. Dusk was approaching and a fog was rising from the snow cover so it made for a very eerie walk in the woods. As I was chugging up the hill, I started to worry that I had not printed out Mumu's log or brought a flashlight. But the coords were spot on and the cache was in the first spot I checked. I made a makeshift sign per the instructions on the cache page but as I walked away, it looked more like a billboard so I turned it in profile so it isn't as conspicious to muggles. It was dark by now so it was a spooky retreat back to 448, half-expecting to hear the hoofbeats of the headless Hessian. Made it back with head intact. With some luck, I'll rehide it tomorrow. Although there is an unactivitated geocoin in the cache, the Red Remembrance Poppies geocoin was unfortunately not in residence. 

No joy in Mudville. Searched the likely spots given the cache description and clue but this cache proved too clever for me. Felt a little conspicuous while searching with all the traffic buzzing around and called it quits after a couple of cars parked in the immediate vicinity. Being a paranoid New Yorker, I figured undercover cops, so I moved on. 

Effective immediately, logs that use ships that are part of the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, in Benicia, California, will no longer be accepted as legitimate finds and will be deleted. All previously posted logs that use such ships are grandfathered in. 

Anticipating the last minute rush to log locationless caches before they expire, I will delete "Found It" logs that do not comply with the cache requirements. Previously I would send out an email as a courtesy to allow the logger to cure but that has become an unwelcome chore so henceforth I will just delete the non-complying log without explanation. Please note that this cache may be archived prior to December 31, 2005 at management's discretion.


[This entry was edited by Perfect Tommy on Thursday, November 17, 2005 at 6:19:37 PM.] 

Anticipating the last minute rush to log locationless caches before they expire, I will delete "Found It" logs that do not comply with the cache requirements. Previously I
would send out an email as a courtesy to allow the logger to cure but that has become an unwelcome chore so henceforth I will just delete the non-complying log without explanation. Please note that this cache may be archived without any further notice prior to December 31, 2005 at management's discretion. So if you have a section you want to log, do so now and do it properly. Thanks. 

This is the Willamette Meteorite, so named because it was found in the Willamette Valley in 1902 near Oregon City in Clackamas Co., Oregon. It is a metallic iron meteorite, weighing over 15.5 tons, the largest meteorite ever found in the United States, and the sixth largest meteorite in the world. Metallic iron meteorites are a relatively rare kind of meteorite. They comprise a class of about 600 (type IIIA) out of a total of 25,000 meteorites so far found on the Earth's surface. Its most striking features are a well-defined nose-cone shape and a deeply pitted rear surface, the pits and grooves having been produced by long-term exposure and weathering of the exposed surface of the meteorite in the wet and humid Northwest region (it is believed the meteorite emigrated from Idaho to Oregon as the ice shelf receded). The large cavities on the exposed flat side of the meteorite shown in the pictures formed not in space but on Earth during this weathering period. This occurred from the interaction of rainwater with iron sulfide deposits in the meteorite, producing weak sulfuric acid. The etching by this acid, an extremely slow process, dissolved the metal and produced the cavities now found on the meteorite. It was purchased in 1906 by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City where it now resides. For more information
http://www.amnh.org/rose/meteorite.html
Thanks for the cache.
 

In Westchester County, New York, history is indeed all around us. Westchester County was one of the crossroads of the Revolutionary War. The Battle of White Plains occurred not far from the posted coordinates back in October, 1776. General Howe missed an opportunity then to smash the colonials and settled for occupying New York. Thereafter, Westchester became a no man's land for the rest of the war with occasional skirmishes between the opposing forces. The British spy, Major John Andre, was captured by American irregulars not far from here in Tarrytown, while he attempted to slip into British lines after meeting with the traitor Benedict Arnold in connection with Arnold's plan to hand over the fortifications at West Point to the British. Towards the end of the war, Washington and the Count de Rochambeau marshalled their combined forces in Westchester. The French forces and their commander bivouacked in and about Greenburgh and then marched south with the American colonials to the decisive siege at Yorktown. http://www.w3r-us.org/ The unassuming old farm house on 425 Ridge Road near Greenburgh was General Rochambeau's headquarters (Washington's headquarters were in White Plains). Except for the marker by the roadside, there is little indication that the now vacant, tumbledown Odell House had a role in the Revolution. It is on the National Register of Historic Places (#73001286). Thanks for the cache!
 

This branch of the New York Public Library, the Muhlenberg Branch library, is located at 209 West 23rd Street and was opened in 1906. Designed by famed architects Carrere and Hastings, it was one of the 65 branches built from funds given to New York City by Andrew Carnegie. The interior was renovated in 2000 but the staircase inside had a turn of the century feel at least. For more information on Carnegie's gift to the New York City Public Library system, www.nypl.org/press/carnegielibraries.cfm. Across the street from the library is the famous (some would say infamous) Chelsea Hotel. I'm sure many of its famous denizens probably spent some time at this library. Well, maybe not Sid Vicious. Thanks for the cache.
 

This mural can be found on the side of 112 Prince Street, at the intersection of Greene Street in the SoHo section of Manhattan. It is one of the earliest works of Richard Haas www.richardhaas.com. Not only has the artist cleverly incorporated the two lone windows on the brickface in his design but has also included two cats on one of the faux window ledges. The overall design is similar to many of the surrounding buildings that have an ironcast frontage found throughout the SoHo district. Haas has many other works in Manhattan, including one in the South Street Seaport area that has already been logged. Thanks for the cache. 

Never thought I'd have an opportunity to log this LC until the opportunity presented itself on the road to Bar Harbor. Glooscap is camped out at the entrance to a campground. Thanks for the LC! 

When this locationless first came on line, I'd figured I'd nab Trinity Church in downtown Manhattan but Bluehook beat me to the punch. Then I found a candidate in Peekskill but before logging it, discovered it was by the son, Richard M., not the father, Richard. Finally settled for All Saints Episcopal Church on Scarborough Road in Briarcliff Manor, NY which was built by Richard Upjohn. http://www.allsaintsbriarcliff.org/anniversary.html. The church is on the National Register of Historic Places for that reason (#02000449). Not as grand as Trinity but a nice stone church nonetheless. The doors were locked however so I had to settle for some exterior shots. Thanks for the cache! 

Found an Emmy but it wasn't on "permanent display". This Emmy was part of a (temporary) exhibition at the Time Warner Tower at Columbus Circle, NYC honoring a number of television shows set in the NYC Metropolitan Area (The Sopranos, Seinfeld, Friends, Sex In The City and Everybody Loves Raymond) with displays of costumes and set designs from the shows. Although I didn't get the smilie, I did get to see Kramer's "Amazing Technicolor" pimp coat and George's parka which made it all worthwhile. 

Well worth the stop as the traffic on 95 was an absolute bear. Thanks for the interesting side trip!

[last edit: 8/4/2003 6:55:19 PM PST]

 

N 38° 55.221 W 077° 03.693
User's web page
Kahlil Gibran

Found this monument to Gibran just off Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, DC. Kahlil Gibran was born in Lebanon in 1883 but emigrated to Boston with his mother and siblings at an early age. A poet, philosopher and artist, Gibran was among the most important Arabic language authors of the early twentieth century. He also went on to become a famous author and artist in his adopted country, the United States, especially by virtue of the phenomenal popularity of The Prophet (visit link) which was published in 1923. Gibran had a studio at 51 West Tenth Street, in New York City. He died in 1931.

As these pictures were taken at night, they do not do the monument justice.

[last edit: 3/16/2003 3:58:41 PM PST] 

N 41° 13.624 W 073° 51.423
User's web page

The magnificent Croton Dam is actually the second structure to bear that name. The first was washed away in 1841 while still under construction. Heavy rain and snowfalls caused the earth and masonry dam to slide, with devastating effect. Bridges and buildings were washed away and the Croton River became so silted up that it has been closed to commercial shipping ever since.

The second or New Croton Dam was begun on September 20, 1892, and completed on January 17, 1906. It's 297 feet high, 2,168 feet long, and has a capacity of 30 billion gallons. The Dam cost New York City approximately 12 million dollars. It was built in large part by Irish, German and Italian immigrants, who settled in the area after the project was completed.

The Dam's major claim to fame, however, is that it's the largest hand hewn-stone structure in America, and the second largest in the world. Only Egypt's Great Pyramid is larger. To see the Dam in action, follow this link:
(visit link)


[last edit: 11/18/2002 6:27:21 AM PST] 

I had been scoping various old Gothic churches in Manhattan and Westchester County looking for gargoyles but none had the requisite water dispersal function. Came to Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx today for a virtual and, on the way to the cache site, passed the Belmont Mausoleum. My jaw dropped. Plenty of gargoyles (the water dispersal type) adorning every corner of this magnificent structure. The stone work on the gargoyles and fascade is amazing. Belmont had beaucoup bucks. Thanks for the fun! 

N 41° 02.763 W 073° 32.713
User's web page
Found this stone bridge in Stamford, Connecticut. It was originally a railroad bridge but now is known as South State Street. It's bracketed by I-95 to the north and by the railroad bridge that replaced it to the south. Here's a link that has more information and a better picture of the bridge: (visit link) 

N 40° 36.392 W 074° 02.708
User's web page
An abundances of choices here in New York City since there are no less than six bridges among the top 50 longest suspension bridges here. They are: Verrazano Narrows (#6); George Washington (#13); Bronx Whitestone (#31); Throgs Neck (#38); Williamsburg (#42); and Mr. Roebling's famous Brooklyn Bridge (#43). For this cache, I claim the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.

The Verrazano Narrows Bridge was, from 1964 until 1981, the longest suspension bridge in the world. It connects two boroughs of New York City, Kings (Brooklyn) and Richmond (Staten Island), bridging the Narrows at the mouth of New York Harbor. The bridge was named after Giovanni da Verrazano, who, in 1524, was the first European explorer to sail into New York Harbor.

Its monumental 693 foot high towers are 1 5/8 inches farther apart at their tops than at their bases because the 4,260 foot distance between them made it necessary to compensate for the earth's curvature. The Bridge cost approximately $320.1 million to build with a loss of three lives during construction. The $7 toll is only collected going eastbound so you must pay to go to Staten Island but, if you're going to Brooklyn, you ride for free. Approximately 190,000 vehicles per day cross over the 12 lanes of traffic of the bridge.

Until the Verrazano was built, Staten Island was a sleepy backwater, best known for its farms as well as a summer haven on the Atlantic Ocean for Noo Yawkers. That changed when half of Brooklyn moved over the bridge. The population in Staten Island more than doubled in the years that followed the bridge's opening.

Unlike most New York bridges, there is no pedestrian walkway on the Verrazano. You can run across the Verrazano however if you enter the New York City marathon. That race starts on the Staten Island side. The Verrazano also had a cameo role in the movie Saturday Night Fever.

The coordinates were taken directly below the span from the water. Thanks for the fun! 

N 39° 21.988 W 074° 24.843
User's web page
Absecon Lighthouse, Atlantic City, NJ

The tallest lighthouse in NJ and the third tallest in the USA. The lighthouse, which was built in 1857 (under the supervision of Lt. George Meade - who later gained fame as the Commander of The Army of the Potomac and as the victor at Gettysburg), is 171 feet tall or 228 steps up. The coords are from the top of the lighthouse. Thanks for the exercise! 

User's web page
Thanks for an interesting read. Had an apoplectic fit when I read about the near miss on bin Laden. & [:(!]