Top 10 Caches in Gloucester County

With the 13th Annual GCHR Picnic fast approaching, I figured I would put together several lists detailing the best caches around the area.  Once I have each cities list put together I will submit them to the GCHR group.  Once they approve the list and publish it to the picnic site, I will then publish the same list here to my site.  The only difference between the two sites will be that this one will have some additional comments from us.

Today's list will be the best caches, based on favorite points, in Gloucester County.

The red dot (next to the "Y" in York) is the approximate location of the picnic.

For more information on the picnic - click here

Note: There is a small toll to get across the Coleman bridge to Gloucester.  
It costs nothing to come back though.

Gloucester County – top 10 caches 

based on favorite points earned:

1.    GC23NB6 – The Undertaker – 33 favorite points - hidden by eddie62.  An interesting cache in an even more interesting location.  Approximately 16 miles from Newport News Park.
Note from SNAP!!! - Be careful, Nana has a great story about this cache!!!

2.    GC2Q4B1 – All Tangled Up – 31 favorite points - hidden by Dr. Dragon.  This regular container is hidden on the CO’s property just north of Gloucester.  About 17 miles from Newport News Park.
Note from SNAP!!! - A really nice cache!!!

3.     GC312AE – Criminal Carts – 30 favorite points – hidden by sillywilly.  A cache guaranteed to make you chuckle.  Approximately 14 miles from Newport News Park.
Note from SNAP!!! - This cache brought a big smile to our faces!!!

4.    GC42B9M – Hysterical – 28 favorite points – hidden by Chip’n’Lori and adopted by tmberwuf65.  A cache located on the main highway to Gloucester approximately 8.5 miles from Newport News Park.
Note from SNAP!!! - Another amusing little cache!!!

5.    GC2TC8J – License To Cache - 21 favorite points – hidden by MermerCheese&LugNut.  A cute little micro cache located just over 14 miles from Newport News Park.  Located just off the main highway to Gloucester.
Note from SNAP!!! - A tricky little cache!!!

6.    GC42HM4 – Flower Power – 20 favorite points – hidden by Chip’n’Lori and adopted by tmberwuf65.  Located just off the main highway to Gloucester this cache is almost 13 miles from Newport News Park. 
Note from SNAP!!! - Great little cache!!!

7.    GCJQQW – Mean Micro #1 – The Chief’s Place – 16 favorite points – hidden by The-Colemans.  Another unique historical site hides this micro.  Located less than 8 miles from Newport News Park.
Note from SNAP!!! - History and a cache!!!

8.    GC2KHQ8 – The 4th Day of Christmas – 16 favorite points – hidden by Powltry Peeps.  Located on the far side of Beaver Dam Park this cache is almost 20 miles from Newport News Park.
Note from SNAP!!! - the fourth day of Christmas - now exactly what was that gift???

9.    GC4Q2TG – Hiding from the Pandas – 13 favorite points – hidden by Team Slug Jr.  A clever hide in a unique place, this cache is about 18 miles from Newport News Park.
Note from SNAP!!! - A wonderful place and cache!!!

10.    GC383HB – Farm Flatulence – 10 favorite points – hidden by tmberwuf65.  This park n grab is just off the main highway to Gloucester approximately 8 miles from Newport News Park.

Stay Safe & Keep Caching!!!

Suffolk Nana & Papa - - - or just plain ol' - - - -  SNAP!!!

August 2013 - What a fantastic month!!!

August 1st - the first day of the Geocaching.com 31 days of August.  Attended an local afternoon AACC event.  our only find on the day but then again, it was a weekday!!!





August 2nd - Attended another afternoon AACC event and grabbed a nearby cache.  Those would have been our only two but we were lucky enough because of some much need cache maintenance to grab one more for a total of 3 caches.

August 3rd - 11 finds on a beautiful Saturday and we named GC41RZ1 - Mysterious Marsh as the winner of the "COVETED" SNAP!!! Cache of the Day Award.

August 4th -  15 finds on a beautiful Sunday caching with alara.  We named GC4ERGE - Ivy Back as the winner of the "COVETED" SNAP!!! Cache of the Day Award.

August 5th -  Back to work today and the only cache we earned was an quick AACC event.

August 6th -  Another work day so only one afternoon AACC event find.

August 7th -  Another work day so only one afternoon AACC event find.

August 8th -  Another work day so only one afternoon AACC event find.

August 9th -  Another work day so only one afternoon AACC event find.  (I think I see a pattern here!)

August 10th -  NOT!!! a  work day but alas, the SNAP-mobile is getting a face lift so we use Papa's car and only get 6 finds!!!

August 11th -  Sunday - Teamed up with jtmlam59, checked on some newly adopted caches and then made a quick run up to Charles City.  16 finds total.

August 12th -  Another work day so only one afternoon AACC event find.

August 13th -  Another work day so only one afternoon AACC event find.

14th -  Another work day so only one afternoon AACC event find.

August 15th -  Another work day so only one afternoon AACC event find.

August 16th -  Another work day so only one afternoon AACC event find.

August 17th -  Saturday - only 8 finds today but they involved quite a lot of hiking so we recovered by attending a Gloucester Meet n Greet!!

August 18th -  Sunday - 7 finds today and loved the Meet n Greet down in Elizabeth City!!!  Bypassed Find #5300 today and named GC4HJYY - Hide a Key as the winner of the "COVETED" SNAP!!! Cache of the Day Award!!!

August 19th -  Another work day so only one afternoon AACC event find.

August 20th -  Another work day so only one afternoon AACC event find.






August 21th -  Another work day so only one afternoon AACC event find.

August 22th -  Another work day so only one afternoon AACC event find.

23th -  Another work day so only one afternoon AACC event find.

August 24th -  Time for a weekend geocaching trip.  Teamed up with jtmlam59 once again and made a run in and around Rocky Mount NC.  87 finds on the day and named GC3D61T - Am I still Lion? Is it under the LPC? as the winner of the "COVETED" SNAP!!! Cache of the Day Award!!!

August 25th -  Finished up our weekend geocaching trip with 49 finds and surpassed the #5400 found mark.  Named GC41K12 - Pasturized - as the winner of the "COVETED" SNAP!!! Cache of the Day Award!!!!

August 26th -  Another work day so only one afternoon AACC event find.

August 27th -  Another work day so only one afternoon AACC event find.  But this was a special event as today was SNAP's 35th wedding anniversary.  So the winner of the day for the best excuse as to why I was not at home was........ mbbaumann.  Congrats!!!

August 28th -  Another work day so one afternoon AACC event find and two finds on nearby caches!!!

August 29th -  Another work day so only one afternoon AACC event find.  This was the last of the AACC events and thanks to everyone that attended.

30th -  Friday night we attended the pre-event for the picnic.  Great crowd and just knew that the picnic was going to be great by the size of the crowd at the Friday event!!!

August 31st -  August 31 is my birthday and believe it our not GCHR is throwing me a great big party - they named it the 11th GCHR picnic but that was just so I wouldn't know about all the plans.  The turn out was fantastic and it is not every year when over 500 people sing you Happy Birthday!!!  There will be another blog specifically for the picnic but thanks to everyone who attended!!!

Till next time - Stay Safe & Keep Caching!!!!

SNAP!!! - Suffolk Nana & Papa

Gloucester County Top Caches by Favorite Points

Planning your caching around the picnic?  Coming in from out of town, and want to make sure you don’t miss some of the best caches?  Over the next few weeks, we’ll be generating several lists to help with this.

Each list will detail the best geocaches in each city in the Hampton Roads and surrounding areas based on the number of favorite points these caches have earned.

 

Here is the list for Gloucester County – top 10 caches based on favorite points earned:

NOTE: There is a toll to get over the bridge into Gloucester County.

1.    GC2Q4B1 – All Tangled Up – 25 favorite points - hidden by Dr. Dragon.  This regular container is hidden on the CO’s property just north of Gloucester.  About 17 miles from Newport News Park.

2.    GC23NB6 – The Undertaker – 22 favorite points - hidden by eddie62.  An interesting cache in an even more interesting location.  Approximately 16 miles from Newport News Park.

3.    GC2TC8J – License To Cache - 17 favorite points – hidden by MermerCheese&LugNut.  A cute little micro cache located just over 14 miles from Newport News Park.  Located just off the main highway to Gloucester.

4.    GC42HM4 – Flower Power – 14 favorite points – hidden by Chip’n’Lori.  Located just off the main highway to Gloucester this cache is almost 13 miles from Newport News Park. 

5.    GC42B9M – Hysterical – 14 favorite points – hidden by Chip’n’Lori.  Another cache located on the main highway to Gloucester approximately 8.5 miles from Newport News Park.

6.    GCJQQW – Mean Micro #1 – The Chief’s Place – 12 favorite points – hidden by The-Colemans.  Another unique historical site hides this micro.  Located less than 8 miles from Newport News Park.

7.    GC1M0HV – Among the Holly – 12 favorite points – hidden by tmberwuf65.  Located on the trails of Beaver Dam Park in Gloucester this cache is almost 19 miles from Newport News Park.

8.    GC2KHQ8 – The 4^th Day of Christmas – 11 favorite points – hidden by PowltryPeeps.  Located on the far side of Beaver Dam Park this cache is almost 20 miles from Newport News Park.

9.    GC383HB – Farm Flatulence – 9 favorite points – hidden by tmberwuf65.  This park n grab is just off the main highway to Gloucester approximately 8 miles from Newport News Park.

10.  (TIE) GC372B5 – Hugh Bergeron – 6 favorite points – hidden by Northrock.  A clever cache hidden in some small woods just over 16 miles from Newport News Park.

11.  (TIE) GC1BRZ2 – Smokey’s Retreat – 6 favorite points – hidden by tmberwuf65.  Another cache hidden on the trails of Beaver Dam Park.  Approximately 19 miles from Newport News Park.

GCHR 11th Annual Picnic - August 31st, 2013 - GC42NJJ - A MEGA-event

Every Labor Day Weekend for the 11 years GCHR (GeoCaching Hampton Roads) has held their Annual Picnic.  Last year (2012), the event became a MEGA-event making the picnic Virginia's first ever Mega-event.  This year, 2013, GCHR once again is planning another great event, hopefully, to meet and exceed last year's totals of fun, excitement and attendance.  Vendors are returning again, and new vendors are planning on attending.  The staff and volunteers of GCHR are deep into planning and if the planning meeting that I attended yesterday is any indication - fun will be had by all!!!

I have been compiling lists of top caches in the area for the event.  So as an intro into The Hampton Roads area - here is some information that may assist you if you are planning on coming to the area for the picnic.

The Hampton Roads area

Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia. Hampton Roads is notable for its large military presence and its year-round ice-free harbor, and hundreds of miles of waterfront property and beaches, all of which contribute to the diversity and stability of the region's economy.

The water area known as Hampton Roads is one of the world's largest natural harbors, and incorporates the mouths of the Elizabeth River and James River with several smaller rivers and itself empties into the Chesapeake Bay near its mouth leading to the Atlantic Ocean.

The land area includes dozens of cities, counties and towns on the Virginia Peninsula and in South Hampton Roads. Some of the more outlying areas from the harbor may or may not be included as part of "Hampton Roads", depending upon the organization or purpose. For a commonly used example, as defined for federal economic purposes, the Hampton Roads metropolitan statistical area (MSA) additionally includes two counties in northeastern North Carolina and two counties in Virginia’s Middle Peninsula. Officially, the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA has a population of about 1.7 million, the 36th-largest metropolitan area in the United States.

The area is steeped in 400 years of American history and hundreds of historical sites and attractions in the area draw visitors from around the world each year. The harbor was the key to the Hampton Roads area's growth, both on land and in water-related activities and events. The harbor and its tributary waterways were (and still are) both important transportation conduits and obstacles to other land-based commerce and travel. Creating and maintaining adequate infrastructure has long been a major challenge. The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) and the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (MMMBT) are major harbor crossings of the Hampton Roads Beltway which links each of the largest population centers of Hampton Roads. In 2007, the new Hampton Roads Transportation Authority (HRTA) was formed under a controversial state law to levy various additional taxes to generate funding for major regional transportation projects, including a long-sought and costly third crossing of the harbor of Hampton Roads.

The MSA consists of these locations in Virginia:

• Gloucester County
• Isle of Wight County
• James City County
• Mathews County
• York County
• City of Chesapeake
• City of Hampton
• City of Newport News
• City of Norfolk
• City of Poquoson
• City of Portsmouth
• City of Suffolk
• City of Virginia Beach
• City of Williamsburg

The MSA also includes the following locations in North Carolina:

• Currituck County
• Gates County

December Upcoming Events

There are more than enough events in the coming month to more than stuff anyone's stocking.  Here is a breakdown of each event:

12/1/2012 (Saturday) - 3rd Annual 10 Mile Hike - GC3Z1E0 - hosted by Rivahcntrygeocachers - location is Beaver Dam Park - 9 AM start - the Rivahcntry cachers are a great bunch of people and they always put on a great event.  We were planning on attending but I think we are going to miss this one.

12/8/2012 (Saturday) - Off the Beaten Path II - Bike & Greet - GC3XGNB hosted by AllstarSS - location is Lone Star Lakes here in Suffolk - 10 AM start - if the weather holds this should be a really great event.

12/9/2012 (Sunday) - Tidewater Meeting - GC3HX24 hosted by Great Scott! - location is in Virginia Beach and the start time is 2PM Sunday at the Golden Corral

12/11/2012 (Tuesday) - 12/12/12 at 12:12am GMT - HC3Y5GD - hosted by steve-n-kim - Guads Restaurante Mexicano @ Hilltop in Virginia Beach  6 - 9 PM

12/12/2012 (Wednesday early morning) - 12-12-12@12:12:12am - GC3Y0JK - hosted by DMB4Life - located at the Krispy Kreme Doughnuts on Virginia Beach Blvd - just after midnight

12/12/2012 (Wednesday) - 12-12-12@12:12:12pm - GC3Y0JW - hosted by DMB4Life - in Chesapeake - lunch @ Chicho's Pizza on Volvo Parkway on Chesapeake

12/18/2012 (Tuesday) - Third Tuesday Burgers and Beer - GCHR Dec 2012 - GC41P9P - hosted by Penguincacher - located in Hampton at Vancosta's - 6PM start

12/21/2012 (Friday) - It's the END OF THE WORLD as We Know It - GC41JVN - hosted by Adventure Stones - Chesapeake - Buffalo Wild Wings - start 5:30PM - - note: the Adventure Stones events are much easier to find than most of their hides (IMHO)   :)

And please don't forget the big one!!!  

2/2/2013 (Saturday) - Sixth Annual Milestones Meet and Greet - GC3YCWD - hosted by episcodad - located in Kempsville - 5:30 PM start

As Always - Stay Safe & Keep Caching

SNAP!!! - Suffolk Nana & Papa

Upcoming events

Yes - it has been quite a long time since our last update.  Between work and caching I seem to have run out of time to blog - well at least it seems that way!  The good news is I did get a new laptop out of the deal.  I had been having problems with my old laptop and it took me forever to make that final decision on what to replace it with and that was only after I finally gave up on the old one.

Anyway - what has been going on in the caching world???

Before I get into (hopefully) several blogs about the caching we have been doing - let me first tell you about a fantastic caching weekend that is coming up fast.

It all starts with a afternoon event in Gloucester (GC3X316 - Dark Matters—3rd Sat. (not) in Rivah Country—Nov. ). This is a meeting place to gather cachers, split up into groups and carpool.  We then will take off for Fredericksburg for dinner.  Once it is dark - there are 25 night caches spread out along Highway 1 (and the surrounding area).  Of course there are always the standard caches around the area that may also be found.  Once you have decided to call it a night you are free to either return home or grab a nearby hotel room.  Then, the next morning, what a better way to wrap up the caching trip than a hardy breakfast - at IHOP at about 8:30 Sunday morning (GC3Z17Q).

I plan on attending so I hope to see all of you there.

As always - Stay Safe & Keep Caching!!!

SNAP!!! - Suffolk Nana & Papa