Invitation to visit Groundspeak Headquarters

I visited Groundspeak HQ on Friday afternoon, July 25, after a week of studying Seattle Architecture. I was quite impressed by the massive touchscreen Google Earth monitor at the entrance. I met some of the staff and later had my picture taken with them. I received a Groundspeak Lackeys 2007 Geocoin. I received the older Geocoin after I was the first to BINGO on the Waymarking Category Grid. I am keeping both Geocoins and not releasing them. I left a Trackable Item in the enormous chest that I had found in a cache in Pike Place Market. This was a very memorable experience.

The Canby Chamber of Commerce Geocoin Challenge

Yesterday my #2 son, Christopher, and I did The Canby Chamber of Commerce Geocoin Challenge. We did half the caches, picked up the Game Card, finished the other half, turned Game Card in and claimed our Canby geocoins. We had already visited the required Original Stash Tribute Plaque near Estacada and found a cache in Canby during the Mt. Hood Territory Geocache Contest. Afterwards we found three more local geocaches. We also found a couple benchmarks during the day.

Dangerous I-5 Bridges

The northbound span is the original 1917 bridge, although it was altered from 1958-60 to include the humpback. Discussion of a second span started in 1948. The southbound span opened in 1958. The oldest of the I-5's twin spans is secured by Douglas fir logs "stuck in the mud" of the river. The 1948 Memorial Day flood almost topped the Interstate Bridge's support piers. Neither of the bridges support piers go to bedrock--just "stuck in the mud" of the Columbia River. Think about this the next time that you are driving over the bridges or when you are stuck on the bridge as it shakes beneath you.

4th of July Fireworks

I watched the largest 4th of July Fireworks west of the Mississippi River a few hundred feet east of the Interstate Bridges. Great location. The fireworks were truly spectacular!

2008 Mt. Hood Territory Geocaching Contest

On Tuesday, July 1st and Wednesday afternoon, July 2nd, Christopher and I found all ten of the 2008 Mt. Hood Territory Geocaches: Mary S. Young State Park; Rose are Red, Lavender is …?; Early Oregon Farm; Mining in Sandy; Alpaca?; Timothy Lake; Can’t see the Forest for the Trees!; Is that a ‘Hat Rack’ out in the Field??; A H2O Garden?; And Picnic by the Lake.

Along the way we saw the spectacular Clackamas River from Timothy Lake to Estacada, Oregon, visited the Original Stash plaque, took photographs of a huge blimp moored at an airport and a helicopter -- “Little Orphan Annie” -- braced high in the air in Canby, and caught a glimpse of two deer grazing alongside the road. The event was great fun!