Caching From Vancouver Island to Alberta

Courtenay Trip

I Booked a show over in Courtenay on Vancouver Island this month. I used to live there, and that is where I got my start into Geocaching back in September of 2008. Susan and I grabbed several caches from Nanaimo to Courtenay on the way to my show, including some that I had already got when I lived there and from other trips up that way. We took the old Island Highway on the way there. If you have the time, I suggest this route as it is very scenic and more accessible caches.

 

This spot had a virtual cache called "Royston Wrecks", Beginning in the late 1930s a total of fifteen old vessels were brought in and sunk just to the south of the booming grounds. These ships are known as the Royston Wrecks.

Today the breakwater is a dangerous place to visit due to the advanced stage of deterioration of these ships. It is also home to many forms of wildlife and has been designated off limits.

I also planned on stopping at a cache I own in Rosewall Creek Provincial Park which I placed in June 2011 as a promotion for BC Parks in conjunction with the BCGA which I was the Vice president at the time. It was to Celebrate 100 Years of BC Parks. The following is part of the writeup on the cache page:

BC Parks is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The first BC Park was Strathcona Park on Vancouver Island which was officially created on March 1, 1911.

Today, the parks system in British Columbia is one of our greatest resources. Currently 14.26% (13.5 million hectares) of British Columbia's land base is protected.

There are more than 340 campgrounds, 6000 km of hiking trails, 118 boat launches and 263 day-use areas in B.C.'s provincial park system.

BC Parks and the BC Geocaching Association are partnered along with the Year of Science to invite you to explore BC Parks.

I had actually planned on picking it up and Archiving it, as It doesn't get logged much anymore. Weirdly, Susan and I looked for about 30 minutes and couldn't find it. lol 

I am hoping it is still there, so I have left the cache page active for now. Maybe on my next trip over I will look again.

On the day after my show, we headed down Island to visit some friends in Cobble Hill area. Of course we grabbed some caches along the way.

This old tug boat has a lot of history and miles on it.

It was part of an Adventure Lab placed in Ladysmith area by my caching friend Paulboy.

All 5 stages where fairly close to each other so it made a nice walk.

This opening in the bottom of a floating building is used to watch the sealife below.

A very well built Little Free library with a geocache in the top section, in Comox.

This Snowbird plane sits prominently in front of the Comox Valley Visitors center and holds a clue to the lock for a nearby geocache.

NOTE: The highlighted or underlined words in my blog can be clicked on as they are links to other cool stuff!! Also if you click on any of the pictures they become bigger!!!


In total in the day and a half we spent on the Island I got 

4 Virtual caches, 1 Multi cache, 2 puzzle caches, 1 Adventure Lab, and 17 Traditional caches. 

Not to bad for a quick trip out to Vancouver Island.

Edmonton Trip

I flew to Edmonton for 5 days, and I ended up getting more Adventure labs than actual caches. When I arrived in the Edmonton Airport I was able to get 2 different AL's without having to move all over the terminal. They were all questions about Edmonton and some of the different locations and attractions around Edmonton such as Elk Island park and the Edmonton Oilers . I was able to answer them all on the way to outside of the Airport. 

While in town, I went to West Edmonton Mall. The last time Oliver and I were here, I did 4 out of 5 stages of an Adventure Lab. Today I was able to finish the AL by visiting the last stage, plus there was a new AL and a Virtual inside the mall for me to do. 

I love it when you can enjoy a place and also get different caches. I didn't even have to go outside, which was good because it was cold and snowy in Edmonton. Lol



PS: On the right hand side of this webpage is where you can find my YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram, links. Please feel free to check them out and follow or subscribe!!!

West Edmonton Mall has so many attractions to enjoy and see. 

They have an exact replica of the Santa Maria which is the vessel that Christopher Columbus used to sail to America in 1492.

There is also the Mindbender which is the largest indoor triple looping roller coaster in the world. But after it being there for 37 years it was shut down in January of this year. It was Fantasyland parks  (Now called Galaxyland) premier thrill ride since the Grand opening of the park in 1985 

When I lived in Edmonton, I used to ride it quite often, when visiting the mall.

Well that's it for this month!!

Keep on caching!!

Chris Yuill

Magicman65

A Great start to a New Year!!!

New Years Souvenirs and 2022 in Review

The above pic is 2022 year in review. Stats always fascinate me.

Magic Shows Science World

I got to perform at Science world a couple of days, during Christmas break. Great crowds and lots of fun!!

Got lots of great photo's of my shows.

NOTE: The highlighted or underlined words in my blog can be clicked on as they are links to other cool stuff!! Also if you click on any of the pictures they become bigger!!!

Caching in the Sun!!

Went out with Sansue on a sunny afternoon and grabbed 9 caches, in Pitt Meadows. 2 were multis and a few were high difficulty caches. 

This one was called "Blockhead"

It was found quite easily as it was out in the open, so I hid it a little better.

Just a rock????

NOPE!!!

This one had us walking in circles for a bit.

PS: On the right hand side of this webpage is where you can find my YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram, links. Please feel free to check them out and follow or subscribe!!!

Columbus Ohio Trip

Went to Columbus, Ohio for a Magic convention at the end of January. On the first day of my trip, I traveled down to Seattle to fly out the next morning. I got 14 caches on the way to airport, including a First to Find before heading over the border. One was a puzzle cache which was also a challenge that I was able to find as I have completed the task. One was a Letterbox cache and then also 12 traditional caches but 2 were very cool gadget caches by “Bouncebounce”

I will probably visit these again when Susan and I go down that way, just so she can enjoy them also.

Whenever I head down this way, I seek out his caches as they are very cool gadget caches that he puts a lot of work into.

2 caches I found were cool little free libraries. 

One was very colorful and the other was designed like an old fishing building.

Awesome craftsmanship in this Free Library structure.

DAY 2:

Got to Seattle airport just after midnight and once inside I was able to do a virtual cache and 2 5-stage adventure labs. 

One of the benefits of being 6 hours early for my flight. Lol. A total of 11 finds all in one place.

So much cool art work in this airport

On day 2 of my trip, I found a total of 3 different Virtuals in 3 different states (Washington, Michigan, and Ohio)

I also got 2 new state souvenirs, and 3 Adventure labs.

A virtual at the bust of Edward H. McNamara, and who the airport is named after.

So many cool sculptures and architecture near my hotel in Columbus.

Day 3:

Today I was only able to get 2 nearby stages of an Adventure Lab between my hotel and the convention hotel, as I was at the convention all day long.

Day 4:

Today I tried to do a cache that was on the roof of a parkade, but the doors were locked to get to the elevator and stairs. So I got no caches today but had a great time at the convention. 

Day 5:

Headed to the Columbus airport early as my flight home was at 6:30am. Got to the airport and was able to get the Virtual there. 

Very interesting sculpture called "Brushstrokes in Flight"

The Columbus airport was almost empty, so it was easy to get a good picture.

Had a 4 1/2 hour layover in Detroit but I had already got the AL on my way here, so not much to do but wait. lol

Once back into Seattle, I got in my car and started heading for the border back to BC. 

I grabbed a Virtual and a Traditional in Marysville, and one more challenge cache on the way home. All in all a great trip, lots of Awesome Magic, some great caches and home safe. 

Well that's it for this month,

Keep on caching!!

Chris Yuill

Magicman65