Aug 31 2009
Capital Commons Cache
Every now and then in the geocaching routine, I come across one of those caches where it is multiple puzzles and steps to complete the thing, as well as multiple visits to hunt the thing at the final location.
Capital Commons was one of these multi-adventure caches that started about a month ago. The first part of the cache required a visit to the New Hampshire State House campus (the seat of NH government). Just the immense granite structure was impressive and worth the visit. This is one of the oldest state houses in the country where the government still meets and performs its daily tasks.
The cache required visiting different monuments and placards around the campus to get numbers to make up the coordinates. This state is rich in history and there is quite a lesson of history by reading each of the monuments and placards. This part of the cache took two visits.
Upon rounding up the numbers at the State House campus and assembling the coordinates – it was off for the drive across town to the cache location – a park. This little park in a residential neighborhood was busy when we arrived, so we just did a casual walk around to get our bearings as to where the cache might be. That was it for the day and it was back to work.
The following week, we returned to continue our search. After multiple searches and dodging the eyes of the muggles, we were finally able to locate what we thought was the cache – it however, ended up not being the cache. Time ran out and it was back to work. We were determined the next time and when we returned a week later with a ‘hint’ in our hands (and an empty park), we set about the task to capture this cache and complete this adventure.
I much prefer the caches that are out in the woods – you don’t have to worry so much about the muggle activity and what folks might think when they see you prowling around looking for the cache. The first part of the cache was great – a good history lesson, they could have found a better place to hide the final cache in an area that had less traffic – let’s see how long this cache will remain.
