What a lovely park! And what a lovely bunch of spots for a cache! No- a multi-cache. One of my favorite geocache types, and let's see... what else could spice it up? Ah, how about a simple field puzzle that will let you flex your reading comprehension and basic algebra skills? It might teach you an interesting fact or two.
At the posted coordinates (Stage 1), you will find a tall sign with some interesting local history on it. I encourage you to read both sides of it, it’s pretty fascinating. In fact, it also holds a clue that will lead you to the second stage of the cache. How, you ask?
Say that Stage 2 has coordinates in the format of N 35 AB.CDE W 086 FG.HIJ. The puzzle you must solve in order to gain the coordinates is as follows:
Go to the side that has the header “Smyrna’s Equestrian History.” Look at the first paragraph under the picture (not the caption). Take the very first word and look at how many letters it has. Multiply that number by 9 and add 5 to that total. The resulting two digit number is AB.
For CD, look to the second, final paragraph. Add the number of letters from the first three words together. Add 2 to that number. Now multiply that number by the number of letters in the 21st word in that same paragraph. Boom, done.
Turn to the other side of the structure, headed by the words “Bicentennial Trail.” Take the last two digits of the year that the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority granted the Symrna (no, I didn’t spell that incorrectly. Look at the sign once more) Parks & Rec Department usage of the Old Jones Mill road bed. Now subtract the fourteenth prime number from that. You now have EF.
GH can be found on the same sign. Look at the first caption for the photograph of the ribbon cutting ceremony. It was performed on July X. Multiply that by the number of letters in the very first word of that same paragraph. Believe it or not, you now have GH.
The last pair of digits can be found on the same sign as well. Look to the second paragraph of the photo caption. Add the number of letters in the last two words together, and multiply that total by the number of letters in the pictured Mayor’s last name. Subtract 3 from that and you have IJ!
Congratulations! What a lot of work, right? As a mercy, I’ve created a
GeoChecker for you to make sure you didn’t get something wrong.
Finding the next stage will be much simpler. At Stage 2 you will find a container placed very near the spot your coordinates lead you to, and that container shall have the location to the final prize you seek. Please be careful when you replace both Stage 2 and the final (Stage 3) - while not in high traffic areas I don't want any muggles possibly destroying them. Enjoy the walk you’re going to get, and I hope you have as much fun hunting this cache as I did hiding it.