May Days Festival!!!

 Caching on Granville Island

Had a show on Granville Island for "Make A Wish Foundation" and while I was there I was able to grab a couple of caches. One was a new Virtual that wasn't there the last time I was here. To claim a find, you had you visit several locations, and take a selfie at the different locations.

Of all the places I had to go for the Virtual, and take pictures with signs and other stuff, This was what I thought was the coolest sign on Granville.(it wasn't even one of the locations to visit)

Fraser Valley Cache Bash 8

Went out to Abbotsford on Stars Wars Day (May 4th) to hopefully grab some FTF's as a bunch of caches were going to be published for the "Fraser Valley Cache Bash"

It is an event in its 8th year. New caches are hidden for the event and all published on the same day.

We ended up getting 3 FTF's only and 2 STF's

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!!!

Sunshine Coast trip

Went over to the Sunshine Coast for some shows. Perfect opportunity to grab several caches while there. I have been over this way many times and it is always a nice place to visit and tour.

In case you are unfamiliar with the sunshine coast:

Sunshine Coast

Located on the southern coast of British Columbia, Canada, the Sunshine Coast extends 180 kilometres between Howe Sound in the southeast and the entrance to Desolation Sound in the northwest. The rugged mountains bordering these inlets cut the Sunshine Coast off from direct road connection to the rest of the province, so even though it’s part of the British Columbian mainland, you can only get to the Sunshine Coast by ferry, private boat, or plane. 

The Sunshine Coast includes the traditional territories of the Tla’amin, Klahoose, shíshálh,Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and Homalco Nations.

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!!!

We made our way over to the Sunshine Coast on Thursday evening of the long weekend, on the late ferry because I couldn't get a reservation for Friday. We ended up staying the night in Secret Cove at a place called Rockwater Resort. We were given a "Yurt" to spend the night in. You can watch the video I posted on "Facebook" 

It was a really cool place to stay. Would love to go back there for a longer stay than just overnight.

A "Yurt" is basically a tent but with a framed structure.

The next day I took Susan to a cache that I had found before on a previous trip to the Sunshine Coast. It was called "Topiary Surprise"

As you can see in the picture, the hedge has been sculpted into a face.

Very Cool!!!

    

Grabbed a couple of caches in Sechelt. This one was at a signpost, and it had the direction and mileage to Geocaching Headquarters on it.

Also grabbed a cache in the local library.

Can you see it??

The next day we were off to Maderia Park to perform for their May Days Celebration.

They had a parade to kick it off, and then the festival began. I was told that they had over 4000 people attend the event. I did some strolling magic and a show.

It was a lot of fun. After I was done we headed back towards Gibsons to get a ferry. We grabbed a few more caches on the way back.

One was a cool one called "Favorite Finds"

It was a pipe in the forest next to a stream, and it took us a few tries to get the container with the log out of the pipe.

We also got some other caches in Gibsons, while passing through.

It was a fun little 2 day getaway, and now I am finishing up my packing and moving, and my next trip, I am off to Kelowna on the 2nd of June for a show, so I can grab some caches I may have missed but wanted to get from my last trip from Kelowna last month.....BUT, more about that in Next Months Blog!!!

Well that's it for this month!!

Keep on caching!!

Magically yours,

Chris Yuill

Magicman65

April Road Trip!!!

Comedy Magic Road Trip

I booked a bunch of shows in the interior of BC, so it made for a nice road trip. The trip was from home to Kamloops, to Salmon Arm, to Vernon, to Kelowna, to Hope, and then back home. A nice 5 day trip and I was able to grab several caches each day. The weather was perfect the whole trip, which made for some nice traveling and caching.

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!!!

Day 1 (April 15)

Today I left home in the morning and headed to Kamloops where I would be performing this evening.

Headed down the highway towards my first show of 5. 

I stopped into Britton Creek Rest area and was able to grab three full adventure labs and a couple of nearby whereigo caches

One of them I had to stomp through some snow to get to it. Lol

Along the way further up the Coquihalla there were several Challenge caches I would be able to get as I had qualified for all of them. 

Got a puzzle cache in Kamloops upon arrival. I solved it a long time ago when I was there but couldn't find it as there was snow on the ground, but was able to grab it today. 

Grabbed a quick Virtual about "Billy Miner" and the Great Train Robbery where he stopped the wrong train and only found $15 and after a 50 mile horse chase he was caught and sent to jail for life!!!

Day 2 (April 16)

Today I would grab a couple of caches while heading from Kamloops to Salmon Arm, as well as several in Salmon Arm. 

One of the caches I went to get was a letterbox cache that Susan and I started to do on our trip thru here towards Edmonton back in 2020.  

We started getting all the information and then realized the final was in a nearby Library but because we were coming thru here on a Sunday, it was closed, so we headed onto the next cache and stopped trying to solve it.

Was able to grab it this trip except I had to go back to the mural for the info about 3 or 4 times as I kept missing something when I looked for it in the library. 

I went to downtown Salmon Arm for a nice little walk.

I did a couple of Adventure Labs in Downtown Salmon Arm, and there are a lot of cool buildings in the downtown area.

Check out the roof on this building.

Day 3 (April 17)

Today I headed from Salmon Arm to Vernon for this evenings show. 

Did an interesting AL about houses that were over 100 years old in Enderby

Went thru Enderby and Armstrong on the way to Vernon. Grabbed several caches as the trip was only 45 minutes, so I had lots of time for caching today.

Did several Adventure Labs and caches when I got to Vernon as well including several "Free Library's"

This one even had a smile!!!

Day 4 (April 18) 

Today I went from Vernon to Kelowna which was also only 45 minutes away

Was able to do an Earthcache about Hoodoo's while in Kelowna. 

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!!!

Day 5 (April 19)

Last day of the tour. Headed out from Kelowna towards Hope, and after the show in Hope I will head back home as I will only be a couple hours away.

In Hope, and I was able to do several caches as well as 2 Adventure Labs about the movie “Rambo”

The movie was mostly filmed here in Hope in 1982, and the AL’s take you to different spots that were used in the movie.

In the Fall of 1981, for 6 weeks, the town of Hope, BC was the site of the filming of the action movie Rambo: First Blood. The movie tells the story of Vietnam War veteran John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), who travels to the fictional town of Hope, Washington. While there, Rambo is arrested by the town’s sheriff, played by Brian Dennehy. Rambo escapes, and a bloody manhunt begins, and culminates into almost leveling the small town.

Very interesting to see all the spots and feel like you were there in the movie. Here I am at the "H Tree"

I also saw the building they used as the Sheriff's office and the Outpost Gun shop, as well as the bridge where he was arrested at, after dropping him off to leave town.

If you are ever in Hope, BC and have seen the movie 

"Rambo-First Blood" I highly suggest you do these 2 Adventure Labs

Here is the scene in the movie at the "H Tree"

Two trees planted long ago, whose young trunks became entwined to form the distinctive letter "H", still stands at the junction of Hudson Bay street and 5th Avenue.

Usually there are two wood carving statues in this spot. One is "Sheriff Will Teasle" and the other is "Rambo"

Unfortunately the "Rambo" carving was not here as some of the carvings are removed over the winter to preserve the nice finish on them. 

I even saw a forklift driving down the street carrying another carving as the city was putting them out since the nicer weather is upon us.

Here is a picture of me with "Rambo" from a previous trip to Hope with Sansue

These 2 "Rambo" Adventure Labs where not there during that trip.

Saw a bear in Hope while waiting for the train to pass by, but he seemed friendly so I wasn't worried!!

The second library cache I did this trip was in Hope. Much quicker to find than the Salmon Arm one. lol

Can you see the Hidden Treasures??

This was the cover of the book, that the cache was in. Very creative to build your own book to reflect the cache itself.

This was the last cache I would do during this trip, as after my show this evening I would be heading home.

In total on my five day road trip I found 60 stages of 18 different Adventure Labs, and 52 caches, which included 23 Traditional's, 1 Multi, 1 Earthcache, 3 Wherigo's, 3 Letterbox caches, 4 Virtual's, and 9 puzzles of which 8 of them were Challenge caches.

Not a bad total for 5 days of caching.

Next month will be a busy month as I will be moving, but I will also be heading over to the Sunshine Coast for some shows, and will be taking Sansue with me, and we will grab several caches while there.....But, more about that in Next Months Blog!!!

Well that's it for this month!!

Keep on caching!!

Magically yours,

Chris Yuill

Magicman65

Birthday Weekend

Forgot to mention in Last Month's Blog, we found the newest Locationless cache from Groundspeak called "Where's 25? - Locationless Cache" while we were out grabbing some Adventure Labs. 

We were discussing this particular cache on our travels and Susan suggested a speed sign. I said I have not seen a speed sign with 25 here in Canada. They are usually 20km, 30km, 50km, and higher. I have even seen a 10km, but never a 25km sign. Later as we were driving along she screams "OMG Look 25!!!!"

Lucky we were in an area we could pull over and get a quick pic with the sign. Not the best 25 to have a pic with, but it will do!!

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!!!

Was at an event at the end of February and I put my special geocoin on the table for those in attendance to discover if they wanted to. It was a gift for being named "Cacher of the Month" for February of 2012. As I was sitting in front of the computer at 4 in the morning and working on my blog, I was also scrolling Facebook and it popped up as a memory. 

You can read about my nomination "HERE"

And you can read the story when I was Named "Geocacher of the Month"

Please feel free to Discover my coin, and let me know where you are from.

Leavenworth, Washington Birthday Weekend!!!

Traveled down to Leavenworth with Sansue on our Birthday weekend. My bday is March 22, and hers is March 23rd

It was a nice sunny day, even though the forecast was for rain.

Lots of things to see and do in town.

 

On the way to Leavenworth we stopped for a cache called "Say Hi to Harry!", which was at a shooting location for the 1987 film "Harry and the Hendersons" staring John Lithgow and featured Don Ameche's "North American Museum of Anthropology" which is the green building behind the Harry statue. It's a great family comedy!

The writing on the door says:

Dr. Wallace Wrightwood

North American

Museum of Anthropology

1986 Filming Location of

Harry and the Henderson's

I thought the painting on this building in town was cool

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!!!

It was fairly busy in town while we were there.

We got a Webcam cache also while in Leavenworth. It is right in the middle of town, where they have all their monthly festivals.

We also visited this cool metal Pig statue, made from a ton of misc. metal parts all welded together.
The cache took us awhile to find, but Susan came up with the find eventually.

 

I also got a challenge cache the next day just outside of Wenatchee called "Fave Worthy! 10-100 Challenge" 

To qualify you need to Find one (1) cache that has earned 100 or more favorite points in each of ten (10) different U.S. States or Canadian Provinces. 

I have 16 caches that qualify in 16 different Provinces or states.

I was also the Second to find this cache.

Here you can see me up on the cliff grabbing the cache.

Susan stayed at the car.

In total for the 2 day weekend I got 1 multi, 1 Webcam Cache, 3 Virtuals, 22 Traditional's, 4 puzzle caches(Two of them were challenge cache's) and 19 stages of 4 different Adventure Lab's

It was a nice little weekend trip, and we look forward to visiting Leavenworth again in the near future.

Next month I am traveling to Kamloops, Salmon Arm, Vernon, and Kelowna and I will grab some caches on the way, but more about that in Next Month's Blog...... 

Well that's it for this month!!

Keep on caching!!

Chris Yuill

Magicman65

Jigidi Puzzles, Adventure Labs, and Magic Awards

 Ferndale Trip

popped across the border for a show in early February, and I planned on getting A Wherigo Cache called "TS-Spare Parts" as well as several other caches.

To get the codes for the Wherigo, I had to do a 396 piece online Jigsaw puzzle, which would give me the codes needed to input into the Wherigo. A few days before the trip, I started the puzzle and It took me 4 hours and 50 minutes total to finish it. Yikes!!!

Unfortunately, plans got altered and we didn't get across the border as early as I was hoping to, and had to get to my show, so this cache will have to wait for another trip.

In MAGIC News.....

Also in the beginning of February the S.A.M. had our Annual Banquet, and I was awarded the Carl Hemeon Award of Excellence in Magic. A very Prestigious award!!

The Carl Hemeon Award, given annually, is one of the most coveted recognitions in the magical community. It celebrates creativity, technical mastery, and the ability to captivate audiences with a unique style and original approach to performance. Chris Yuill’s ability to blend traditional techniques with fresh, innovative concepts has set him apart as a leading figure in the field.

Over the years, Yuill has garnered local and international recognition for his performances, events, and contributions to magic. Known for his expertise in Comedy and Magic, he has performed in prestigious venues and collaborated with some of the biggest names in the magic industry.
The Carl Hemeon Award is presented by S.A.M. Assembly #95, a respected institution that champions the development of magic as an art form and supports magicians in their pursuit of excellence. The award was presented at the S.A.M. Annual Banquet, by his peers.
This recognition further solidifies Yuill’s status as a trailblazer in the magic world. His passion for the craft and dedication to pushing the limits of illusion ensures that he will continue to inspire audiences and fellow magicians alike for years to come.

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!!!

Recently I was looking at some challenge caches and came across one where you need to find 7 different Icons in 5 different countries. You can look at the "Challenge Cache" here.

This is the list that Project GC gave me when I entered into the geochecker.

Canada (14 types)

•  GC9RW7C GPS Adventures Maze Canada - Abbotsford, BC on 2022-08-13

•  GC8HMXA GeoWoodstock Registration Event - GWXVIII on 2022-08-12

•  GCAGW9H Brow of the Hill on 2025-01-05

•  GC86VDF GeoWoodstock XVIII - GWXVIII on 2022-08-13

•  GCANTJ0 Dinosaur at work on 2024-07-21

•  GCPKQ5 BigWave Dave's Dallas at Cook GeoCam on 2013-04-21

•  GC9WPMF LE - Deas Park on 2024-09-21

•  GCAJK4Q Flying Seven on 2025-01-09

•  GC4HDRW Grid/Terrain Points Challenge cache on 2025-01-01

•  GCB2P87 For TPB on 2025-01-27

•  GCAHDEZ Hoy Creek Riparian Zone on 2024-10-11

•  GCAY05V Last Chunk of the Elephant? - Cerulean Macaw on 2024-10-01

•  GC349MK Island Spirit 2012 (WestCan2) on 2012-07-07

•  GCB168M 100th Event Celebration! on 2025-01-27

United States (13 types)

•  GCAC6MF 🇮🇹 Maximus Shopilius 🇺🇸 on 2024-08-06

•  GC9XA5P Memories of Sumas on 2024-12-11

•  GC3X684 2013 Geocaching Block Party on 2013-08-17

•  GC1169 Mission 9: Tunnel of Light on 2010-07-02

•  GCKVR5 High Five over Eye Five on 2022-09-09

•  GC8M53D Easiest Wherigo Ever on 2022-07-16

•  GCAJH23 Old Sumas Customs Building on 2024-11-28

•  GCAZ2T0 City of Blaine - Over All Walls Murals - AL BONUS on 2024-12-18

•  GC4QCPB Race To The Border 2 on 2024-12-11

•  GCAHT7F Letterbox 98057 Renton on 2024-05-31

•  GCK25B Geocaching Headquarters on 2013-08-17

•  GC9N8PG WSGA's Going Ape XI on 2022-09-10

•  GCA94X7 Maker Magic: Happy Canada Day! on 2023-07-01

Mexico (1 types)

•  GC22YA7 SUPERMERCADO NANO on 2010-07-15

Panama (3 types)

•  GC6CD6 The 8th Wonder of the World- The Panama Canal on 2011-02-20

•  GC24E2C Rio Chagres Earthcache on 2011-02-20

•  GC163XA Aleithometer Cache on 2011-02-16

As you can see by the list above, I do not qualify but it was interesting to see what types of Icons I have found in each country I have cached in. Plus it shows the last cache of that type that you found, so if you needed to check again it might change. Interesting!!

Adventure Lab Caching

The weather this weekend was quite wet with pouring rain in the forecast. So we decided to grab some Adventure Labs. One of the stages for one of the labs we were doing was at the Port Moody Skytrain station, but it was past the gates where you pay to ride the skytrain. Susan was looking around just out side the gates and the 2 security guards asked her what she was looking for. She told them what she was looking for and they escorted her thru the pay gates and to the plaque which had the info we needed.

I just stayed near the entrance while she got the information. 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!!!

I am moving in a few months so I have already been organizing and packing stuff. Upon moving stuff around and packing, I came across a book I have that I haven't seen in awhile. 

It is a book called "200 things any Geocacher must do sooner or later."

Above are a couple of pics from the book. It's like an essay book with all 200 items and you write stuff down, when and what you have done on the list of 200 things. I am going to keep it handy now and start filling in the pages to see my journey. It will be cool to look back years from now and relive those moments made during caching.

Well that's it for this month!!

Keep on caching!!

Magically yours,

Chris Yuill

Magicman65