Jolee Island Cache
This was my first multi cache without the Island King or the Island Girl and I was excited about finding it.
This cache is located near the playground at Baytown Wharf so I packed a lunch and the boys and I headed out for a picnic and a hunt.
We got to Baytown Wharf and located the playground. So far so good.
But the GPS says I’m .17 of a mile off. It’s a big playground so I wander around but realize I’m still just too far off.
The boys played for a while and then I was able to convince them to walk around with me for a few minutes.
We stopped at the restroom and when we came out I saw a raised deck through some woods.
The clue said something about the 1st stage of the cache being at the pirate’s lookout so I pointed the deck out to the boys and we headed down a boardwalk looking for it.
The GPS tells me I’m getting closer and then we come into a wooded area and the deck but it's about 8 feet off the ground and has no ladder.
And I’m still too far off target.
Through the woods we can see another deck and there is a little deer trail through the woods so I told the boys to follow me and off into the woods we went.
The GPS says I’m getting closer with every step.
We come out of the woods at a boardwalk and a tree house in a large oak tree overlooking the bay.
I’m at ground zero.
And I have earned my geocaching stripes because I bushwhacked through to a spot that I could have used a boardwalk to get to.
The boys loved the tree house and while I was searching it for the cache the Island King called and said he was in Baytown Wharf.
I told him where we were and he walked out (on the boardwalk – unlike us) and met us.
Another clue said to stand on the ladder backwards and I had done that but seen nothing.
We searched all around the tree house and then he stood backwards on the ladder and found it.
It was a tic-tac container with the coordinates for the 2nd cache.
It’s a good thing he came because I don’t think I would have found that one.
The coordinates took us to Jolee Island which is a really cool little island in the middle of the Sandestin inlet that’s connected by a wooden bridge that you must either walk or bike ride across.
We followed the GPS to a nice swing and sat down like the directions told us to.
The clue was to look for the 2 castaways a few fathoms in front of you and the cache is between the castaway’s feet.
We sat and all we saw were about 50 pine trees but no 2 that seemed to really be together.
The area off the path was tall swamp grass and a path has been worn on it so we followed that path.
We looked around several trees but didn’t see it.
I didn't have my boots so I walked back to the swing while he kept looking around the trees.
I sat back down on the swing and noticed a 2nd path just a little to the east of the path he was on and at the end of the path were 2 pine trees pretty close together.
I walked out to them and there was the cache in between the 2.
I called out that I had found it but made him go back and get it – I just don’t like sticking my hand down in pine straw and swamp grass.
It was a nice little cache with a whale travel bug but I left him for someone who can move him along.
We took a tape measure and a ball and we left Christmas earrings and a $1 casino poker chip.
We ate our picnic and had fun in this neat park.
I’m glad the Island King showed up because this seemed to be a 2 man effort.Labels: Staying
