Back to Cincinnati for Extended Stay

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The "Log Sheet" for GeoWoodstock 2018

Our next stop is Cincinnati. I have family in the area and have a big geocaching event to attend while we are here. Geowoodstock is an annual event that moves around the country and this year it is coming to Coney Island in Cincinnati. The event was going to offer camping at the county fairgrounds but from what we could tell, they would accommodate tents and smaller trailers but we weren't sure our rig would fit or might just sink in mud if it was a rainy. Plus their camping options were just for the several days around the event. We were planning on staying about 3 weeks. East Fork State Park is on the east side of town and we knew what to expect there, having stayed there many times over the past 6 or 7 years. They have nearly 400 sites in the park but only about 20 of them are full hookup. Ohio State Parks allow reservations to be made 6 months in advance but limit the stay to 14 nights. We added a reminder to our calendar to check availability in mid November last year. We made the reservation exactly 6 months in advance and then booked it for the full two weeks. The other perk by booking this early was that at the time, East Fork was part of the Passport America program which got us half price for non-weekend days. At the beginning of the year, they dropped that program. 

It is just over 200 miles from Cave City to East Fork and other than some unexpectedly heavy traffic in the Cincinnati area for a Saturday afternoon, the drive went smoothly. Our schedule was quite busy for our first week or so. We aren't accustomed to having such a set schedule, but there were preliminary geocaching events each day leading up the the big event the next Saturday. We did get some family time having dinner at one of my sisters with her family. Since it had been about 20 months, it was good to see them all. 

We managed to fit in a morning helping out the team that is putting on Geowoodstock. They had put out a call for help to stuff some of the registration packets needed for the many thousands of geocachers expected for the event. The location was only about five miles away so we headed there and met many local cachers. Other than the sliced thumb from my own knife, it went well!  The best I could come up with was a paper towel and packing tape to stem the bleeding. Leaving bloody fingerprints on registration packets was not a desired outcome. The makeshift bandage worked but did impact my productivity a fair amount.

One preliminary event took place at Graeters Ice Cream. This is one of the places on our short list of must do stops when we are in town. The fact that it was a geocaching event made it that much better. We sat around talking with local cachers while enjoying our sundaes. Since it took place so early in the week, on a weekday, during normal working hours, there wasn't a huge turnout. Even so, we did pretty much take over all the inside seating. Non-caching patrons likely wondered what was going on. 

Another evening geocaching event later in the week was in the town of New Richmond. It's a cute little town right on the Ohio River. Several blocks of the main street were closed off so the large number of geocachers could gather to meet. A musical group was playing in the small park and several food trucks were there to supplement the several restaurants that were along the street. We ran into our first couple of geocachers we know from the Rochester area. Plenty more are on their way but many won't make it for another day or two. We also ran into a local geocaching couple that we had met in Maryland a few years ago. There was a geocache hidden in a cave that required a fair amount of belly crawling in the dirt and water. I wasn't able to talk Chris into joining me but knew it wasn't the type of cache to do solo. The husband of this couple had the exact same problem so we teamed up and tackled it together while our wives waited, hoping we would emerge. It was nice to hear what they have been up to and tell them about our adventures since we last saw one another. 

Some of the Crowd at New Richmond

Band on the Ohio River

View of New Richmond

Nice Evening to Listen to Music

One of the more strenuous days was spent hiking the California Woods Nature Preserve.  We had planned on going there to get the dozen or so caches that were placed recently for all the people coming into town. The plan was to then go nearby to do a 10 mile bike ride around Lunken Airport. We arrived at the preserve and started up a trail. We ran into  another couple that had only done two of the caches and were deciding where to head next. We convinced them that we should team up and work together. They were a nice couple from Maryland also in for the Geowoodstock event. It was nice to have the company and the extra two sets of eyes searching for the caches. By the time we finished up with most of the caches here, we realized we were too tired for a bike ride so we headed over to Coney Island to pick up our registration materials. There was a good crowd of people with the same idea and things were initially disorganized but we got our packets and got our wristbands to try some of the rides on Saturday. 

That evening was another event. This one was held at Mt Carmel Brewery. We have attended many caching events at ice cream parlors or restaurants but never a brewery. This one was well organized. The Clermont County planners recognized that the parking at the brewery was not sufficient for the very large crowd that was now in town. They setup a shuttle bus service from a nearby shopping mall and had two of the county school buses continuously circling between the brewery and parking. The crowd here was substantial. A 3 piece band was hired to entertain us all, but the geocachers were so busy talking with one another that the band seemed to be overlooked. I felt sorry for the performers because there often was only limited applause after each song. There was a good assortment of beer to choose from and we enjoyed ourselves. 

A filmmaker named Chris Williamson was presenting his 2017 movie titled 'Treasure'. The movie isn't solely about geocaching, but it does use geocaching as a central theme. We have seen quite a few low (no) budget films about geocaching in the past, so we went in thinking we were in store for another such film. The showing was at an auditorium of a church in the town of Loveland. The theater held several hundred people and had a nice projector and sound system. The movie itself turned out to be remarkably good. Even someone not familiar with geocaching would likely enjoy it. 

Geocaching friends from Warren Pennsylvania that we have know for years had contacted us a few months ago and agreed to camp at East Fork for the event as they head back home after a trip to North Carolina. They pulled in late Friday afternoon and came over for dinner after they got set up at their site. It was great to catch up with them after a couple years. We have already made plans to swing by their area as we continue our trip north next month. 

That Friday evening was the last pre-event before Geowoodstock. This one was a toga party held at the Clermont County Fairgrounds. I think we made the right call by not opting to camp there. It was fine for tents and popup trailers but we would have stuck out like a sore thumb. The party itself was fun. Probably a quarter or third of the attendees were dressed in togas or other Roman garb. We ran into a few more cachers from western New York and had a nice time talking with them. The planned bonfire took quite a bit to start up. I'm pretty sure all they did was toss a couple face cords of firewood into a pile about 5 feet tall, doused it with three bottles of lighter fluid and asked us all to stand back as they lit it. The fire started out very strong but with no kindling, after a minute or two when the lighter fluid was all burned up, all they ended up with was a smoking mess. Twenty minutes later, I saw the crew was back working on it and shortly afterwards the fire was burning in earnest. I didn't notice what technique was used but I didn't hear any explosions and no paramedics were required. 

The day of Geowoodstock was a warm and humid day with thunderstorms expected by lunchtime. We were amazed at the number of vehicles coming into the event. Our route brought us down the expressway from the north and traffic wasn't too bad until we got on the road next to Coney Island. Many of the attendees are staying at hotels just across the river in Kentucky so the traffic heading northbound extended as far as the eye could see. For as many vehicles as there were, I was impressed with how quickly we got parked. We made our way over to the event and started to check out the dozens of vendors that were set up selling their items. Many of the people were in a buying mood. We have the advantage of having limited space in our motorhome so we tend to not buy many souvenirs. 

Entering Coney Island

Big Crowds at Vendor Area

Mostly Nice Weather at GeoWoodstock

Geocachers Signing the "Log"

Original Can of Beans from First Geocache

We ran into more and more people from Rochester although we know that we didn't get to see all of them. I think the headcount estimate was 7000 people so I guess it wouldn't be too surprising that we didn't see all our friends. They had speakers every half hour or so but we only caught the guy from the FBI bomb squad who happens to be a geocacher as well. He had some great (or bad?) stories about geocaches being hidden in poor locations or in containers that look a bit too much like a pipe bomb and the bomb squad is called in often with explosive results. The thunderstorms held off until late afternoon and didn't last too long so the event wasn't spoiled. We caught up with a few friends from Rochester and talked them into trying Skyline Chili for dinner. After dinner, we came back to spend some time with a friend and did a few rides. Maybe not the best idea after a big meal.

Roller Coaster at Coney Island

The next day was a CITO event (Cache In, Trash Out) which is basically a large group of geocachers coming together to help pick up trash in a park. This event was held in East Fork, so we didn't need to go too far to participate. We met up with our friends from Pennsylvania and were given a section of the road coming into the campgrounds to clean up. At first we weren't seeing much trash, but once we checked the woods fifteen feet from the road, we found all sorts of cans and bottles. I suspect they are tossed by campers or boaters as they head out from their weekend. The four of us each ended up getting a pretty full bag of trash before finishing our assignment. We felt accomplished but definitely needed showers. 

Sunday afternoon and early evening were spent visiting with family and friends on Lake Waynoka. It's a bit east of our campgrounds, but my sister and brother-in-law have a pontoon boat docked there. We had a nice time out on the water and then enjoying dinner and s'mores before heading back to camp. It was a full day.

With about another week left at East Fork, but wanting to stay in town for a week beyond that, we needed to figure out our next stop. We headed to Newtown where the FMCA office and campgrounds are. We have camped there before but they previously didn't take reservations. We pulled into the place to gauge how busy it seemed and found they have a new sign stating you must have reservations. We stopped and asked one of the guys that was out working around his rig. He told us the reservation system is new and up on the website. Sure enough, when we checked, we could get in there for the extra days we wanted. They only charge $20 per day for full hookups with wi-fi, and give members two nights free per month so our 6 nights will cost $80. Pretty good in our book!

With all the geocaching events over, our schedule became a bit more relaxed. We managed to visit with my other sister that was feeling under the weather during our earlier family get together. We made it over to her place a few times and got to help out around the yard. I guess there is a part of me that misses some of the chores associated with home ownership but not enough to settle down somewhere quite yet.

One afternoon in the middle of the week, we had a bad storm come through East Fork. Not much lightening but strong wind gusts and some rain. It didn't seem that severe but we lost power in the park. With the rain over, we changed dinner plans and grilled outside. About 4 hours later, we had power back and figured we were good to go. I woke up in the middle of the night and discovered power was off again. As long as we aren't running air conditioners or other heavy loads, we can lose power and never really notice it since the house batteries will supply the inverter and all electrical items run fine. When we got up, power was on again and pancakes were made. Actually only a third of them were cooked before we lost power for the third time. I could have started the generator and just finished our breakfast but I figured it would only be out for a short time. We headed out to run some errands and a few hours later came back to the power having just come back on (based on my battery charge level). Fortunately it was fine for the remaining days were were at East Fork. 

We moved from East Fork to Newtown. With the drive being only 18 miles, we spent more time packing up to move and setting back up than it took to drive. I like camping at FMCA because the Little Miami Scenic Trail is less than a mile from the campgrounds. This paved trail goes just a few miles south of Newtown but goes for over 100 miles north to nearly Dayton or Columbus. We have ridden this trail extensively and often drive to a location further north in order to ride a different portion of the trail. It can be a busy place on a nice weekend day but not so busy as to be difficult to ride. Another draw are the hundreds of geocaches that are placed along the trail. We have found nearly all the ones hidden in the Cincinnati portion of the trail but there are a few new ones to try.

We had another fun family get together to celebrate birthdays for my nieces two daughters. We had a big crowd and probably ate and drank a bit too much during the festivities. One of the presents was a model rocket. We all gathered around to see it shot up in the air. I managed to get a picture of it just as it took off. Of course, the wind was a bit too strong and the surrounding area had woods instead of grass fields, so all we could do was watch as the parachute opened successfully and the thing drifted out of sight. A whole slew of people went out on a reconnaissance mission, but were not able to find it. One launch was all we got with that one.

Birthday Mermaids

We Have Liftoff!

Several other stops we made while in the area are worth mentioning. Jungle Jims is a grocery store unlike any we have seen during our several years of traveling the country. Actually calling it a grocery store is a bit of a misnomer. We wouldn't really consider using it as the main store for our grocery shopping even though it is a huge place that has plenty of typical items. They carry an extensive amount of food items from all over the world. Need something from Ethiopia? Try Jungle Jims. How about Middle Eastern food or Indian food? There isn't just a section of a shelf, but whole aisles full of things we have never seen before. The hot sauce section is nearly the size of a convenient store. Want crocodile meat and an ostrich egg for that special meal you have planned? No problem. Jungle Jims is more like a destination rather than just a grocery store. 

One afternoon we took my sister to Spring Grove Cemetery. When looking for things to see and do in the Cincinnati area, this place comes up on the list frequently. My sister had always wanted to visit this place but never seemed to make it there. As geocachers, we often find ourselves in small out of the way cemeteries but Spring Grove is the complete opposite. Just miles north of downtown Cincinnati, this place is big (733 acres) and old (established in the mid-1840's). It is also an arboretum so there are some amazing trees on the grounds. They offer guided tours in the morning but we couldn't make it for one. We picked up the self guided map at the visitors center and headed out to do the mile or so walk. Our choice of days wasn't the best, hot and humid made for a tiring walk. We managed to get part of the walk done and then went back to the car to do the several mile drive around the perimeter of the cemetery. We made a few stops along the way, but mostly admired the place from the comfort of air conditioning. This will need to go back on the list and visited again when we are back in town.

Beautiful Building at Spring Grove Cemetery

Cherubs

One of Many Mausoleums

Peeking in Mausoleum

Reflecting Pond

Devou Park is in Covington Kentucky just across the Ohio River from downtown Cincinnati. It is often the spot used to get shots of the city since it is high up on a hill. Many people know about the developed side of the park, but on the western side of the park is a wooded area with miles of trails. Mainly used by mountain bikers, we headed there to do some hiking and some geocaching. The trails were in good shape even with the rainy weather we have had recently. We ended up finding a dozen caches in just over 4 miles of hiking. Also in Covington is Goebel Park. A clock tower with a working carillon bell assortment that plays on the hour. There is also a glockenspiel that performs a mechanical Pied Piper puppet show hourly. Those two things by themselves were not enough to warrant a trip, but just down the hill from here is a fenced in area with about 10 goats. They are brought in to help keep the vegetation down on the steep hillside of the park. Chris really likes goats and had planned ahead bringing some baby carrots. She was definitely a hit at least from the goats viewpoint. There were a couple very young ones probably only a month or two old.

Heading Up Trail in Devou Park

Overlooking Downtown Cincinnati

Clock Tower Goebel Park

Pied Piper with Rats

Pied Piper with Children

Chris and her Goats

Young One

Feed Me

It's hard to believe our 20 nights in Cincinnati went so fast. I guess time flies when you're having fun. We will be back for more fun in the future no doubt.