GCXFQ2 My Summer Vacation In A Can (Traditional Cache) in California, United States created by Green Oobleck

This cache has been archived.

Green Oobleck: Like most vacations, this one needs to end. Good times!!!!

GCXFQ2 ▼

A cache by Green Oobleck Message this owner

Hidden : 8/2/2006

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

This is a coffee can chocked full of souveniers from my Summer 2006 family vacation to the Midwest, Canada, and the Mid Atlantic region. If you can, exchange your crappy vacation mementos for some of mine. If not, then any trade is ok. Good luck and enjoy some of our memories.

Our three week vacation was awesome. We enjoyed every minute of it--well, most of the minutes (99 degree weather with 95% humidity is deadly--like "Oh My God!!! Will I ever be dry again??!!" deadly. I also gave over a pint of blood to the Ontario, Canada mosquitos--itchy, itchy, itchy--especially the ones on my feet and knuckles; Is there even blood in your knuckle?

Otherwise, we enjoyed my aunt's cottage on the banks of Lake Erie--horseshoes, summer lightning storms, Seadoo rides, swimming, fires on the beach, fireworks (left over from Canada Day--it's like our 4th of July), and local caching (Canadian caches are tough--we only found about half that we looked for), I even left a cache there.

After a week there we took off for our road trip--we travelled 11 hours through Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and the District of Columbia--we tried to nab a few caches in each state. We spend 2 days in Philadelphia--saw the Liberty Bell and Independance Hall; then we enjoyed a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich at Geno's in south Philly (had mine with Cheeze Wiz--I know it sounds weird, but that's how they do it).

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We then made a day trip to Atlantic City, New Jersey and walked on the boardwalk all day--very nice. We enjoyed the beach and the shops and the strange sensation of sitting on the beach and watching the sun set behind you instead of on the water (Oh yeah, the beach was littered with jellyfish--very strange). Only had time for 2 hands of blackjack at the Taj Mahal and lost both hands--$25.00 well spent, I guess (I can say I gambled in Atlantic City at least--The Donald needed the money anyway).

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We then were off to Washington DC for 4 days--where we Metroed and walked 12 hours each day--we saw every memorial, monument, and museum we could in the time we had. Highlights included the White House tour, Arlington Cemetery--watching the changing of the guard and seeing the rows and rows of fallen soldiers is awe inspiring, The Smithsonians were incredible (I especially liked the Air and Space Museum). It was an exhausting and enjoyable time--hands on history is amazing; the kids learned so much.

Then it was off to Mount Vernon, Virginia--George Washington's home--the tour was fantastic and the gardens and grounds were huge. We took in the tombs of George and Martha, had a picnic and headed down the road.

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We drove for 5 hours to Pittburgh; we stopped here because it was a half way point back--not too much to see here, and I would not recommend wandering downtown in the evening--bad move on our part, but we survived and enjoyed a nice dinner and returned to the hotel alive.

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We returned to the cottage and spent our last week relaxing, beachcombing, and catching up with my 6 cousins and their children (one night we had 10 people sleeping on the livingroom floor. Lots of people). After 2 nights of it being over 90 degrees in the cottage and the mosquitoes sucking us dry, we were ready to come home. Overall, it was amazing and I look forward to our adventures next Summer. All in all it was fun, but it is good to be home.

Original Contents of the cache include:

A bag of shells from the Lake Erie beach.
Shells from the Altlantic City beach and boardwalk.
A bag of beachcomed items I collected on my daily walk along Lake Erie.
A Point Pelee National park bumper sticker.
A Canada flashing pin
A "Friends Don't Let Friends Vote Republican" shirt purchased in DC.
A Mount Vernon bumper sticker.
A Canada stuffed bear.
A Canada penny magnet
2 Washington DC pencils
An Atlantic City keychain
A mini Canadian flag
A Washington Revolutionary Mount Vernon Yo-Yo
A George Washington sunglasses ornament from Mount Vernon
A Washington DC waterglobe
3 House of Blues Atlantic City golf tees
1 HOB Atlantic City guitar pics
1 HOB Atlantic City pin "Be Nice Or Leave"
1 small Canada lapel pin
A Library of Congress pen
3 sets of Canadian money
1 McDonalds toy purchased in Maryland

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Guvf pnpur vf ohfurq yvxr jr jrer va QP. Pubbfr lbhe cngu jvfryl. Gurer ner frireny jnlf gb npprff guvf pnpur.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)