Hopefully, finding this cache will establish some “caching connections” between the two states, as cachers from both states need to form a team and help each other in order to find the respective finals. So, no worries! You do not need to travel to Texas or Michigan to log your find. At stage 1 of the cache in Michigan, you will find the coordinates for the final in Texas. Vice-versa for the Texas cache; the first stage in Texas will have the coordinates for the final cache in Michigan.
To complete the cache, find the coordinates at stage 1 in your state, write them down and go to the webpage of the “twin” cache. There, post a note asking for a partner to help complete the cache. If there is already a note asking for help on THIS listing page, react to it first. This way, you give the coordinates you found at stage 1 to the cacher in the other state, who will take over from there. Once you have received the coordinates for stage 2 in your state, find it. Do not forget to write your team name and that of your partner in the logbook also. Once the two of you have found both caches, both of you can log BOTH caches as "found".
If you are feeling really adventurous, you can hop on a plane to Texas or Michigan and complete the caches in person as well!
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
1.None of the geocachers working on a team, can enter an on-line find log until that team completes the cache.
2. There are no restrictions on member locale. One geocacher can travel to both spots and complete the cache on his or her own if so desired.
3. The cachers should identify their team member in the log.
4. It is okay to contact multiple people to start, but once you have provided coordinates to someone, that someone is your selection. You should not provide coordinates to another person in that area. It would be considerate to let the others that you contacted but will not select know that you won't be selecting them.
5. Rathergohiking and Basswoodbend will not be FTF on either cache and cannot help in locating the final for either cache.
This cache was inspired by “Tomball-Telgte Twin Cache (GC3P84D and GC3PQAK) twin multiple caches.
Traverse City, Michigan: It’s “cold as heck” in the winter, but in the summer it's Paradise.
Traverse City is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, Michigan, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was 14,674 at the 2010 census, with 143,372 in the Traverse City micropolitan area. Despite its modest population, Traverse City functions as the major commercial nexus for a seven-county area totaling over 2,700 square miles (7,000 km) and, along with cross-peninsula counterpart Alpena, is one of Northern Lower Michigan's two anchor cities.
The Traverse City area is the largest producer of tart cherries in the United States. Near the time of cherry harvest, the city holds an annual week-long Cherry Festival in the first full week in July, attracting approximately 500,000 visitors annually. The surrounding countryside also produces grapes, and is one of the centers of wine production in the Midwest. Tourism, both summer and winter, is another key industry. The Traverse City area features varied natural attractions, including freshwater beaches, vineyards, a National Lakeshore, downhill skiing areas, and numerous forests. Traverse City is the gateway city to the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore which everyone knows was voted the Most Beautiful Place in America by the viewers of Good Morning America.
What many people are not aware of is the growing list of other praises and recommendations the area has received. This year alone, National Geographic listed the area as one of the top places for your summer trip and AOL Travel News says it is one of the top Beach Towns in the country. Bon Appetit and Midwest Living both included it in their list of the top five "Foodie" towns in the US. It is one of the top wine regions in America and listed as such this year by USA Today and recently, Draft Magazine stated that it is one of the top three emerging beer towns in the USA. Bicycling Magazine lists it as one of the best cities for a bike vacation. TripAdvisor lists it as one of the 10 most Charming Small Towns and says it is one of the nation's best fall foliage destinations. Field and Stream has placed it as #3 on the list of Best Places to Live and Fish.
Traverse City is named after the Grand Traverse Bay, which the city heads. The bay earned its name from 18th century French voyagers who made la grande traverse or "the long crossing" across the mouth of the Grand Traverse Bay. In 1847, Captain Boardman of Naperville, Illinois, purchased the land at the mouth of the Boardman River at the head of the west arm of the bay. During that year the captain, his son, and their employees built a dwelling and sawmill near the mouth of the river. In 1851 the Boardmans sold the sawmill to Hannah, Lay & Co (Perry Hannah, Albert Tracy Lay and James Morgan), who improved the mill greatly. The increased investment in the mill attracted additional settlers to the new community.
As of 1853, the only operating post office in the Grand Traverse Bay region was the one located at Old Mission, which was then known as "Grand Traverse." While in Washington, D.C. in 1852, Mr. Lay had succeeded in getting the U.S. Post Office to authorize a new post office at his newer settlement. As the newer settlement had become known as "Grand Traverse City," Lay proposed this name for its post office, but the Post Office Department clerk suggested dropping the "Grand," in the name, as to limit confusion between this new office and the one at nearby Old Mission. Mr. Lay agreed to the name "Traverse City" for the post office, and the village took on this name.
The Woodlands, Texas: It's hot as heck in the summer but in the winter, it's quite pleasant
The Woodlands is a master-planned community and a census-designated place (CDP) in the within the Houston metropolitan area located 32 miles (51 km) north of Houston along Interstate 45. The population of the CDP was 93,847 in 2010, an increase of 68.6% over its population of 55,649 at the 2000 census.
The Woodlands was dedicated by George P. Mitchell in 1974, managed by The Woodlands Corporation as an extension of Mitchell Energy & Development. Mitchell, an oil man, planned to establish a conference center, hotels, office parks, retail malls, schools, large distribution centers, and golf courses. The house offerings would range from affordable to expensive and large. Bill Schadewald of the Houston Business Journal said that Mitchell wanted the development to "entice city slickers looking for far-flung suburban quality of life."
The tract of land where The Woodlands is situated was previously occupied by the Grogan-Cochran Lumber Mill[10] and are the namesakes for the Grogan's Mill and Cochran's Crossing neighborhoods, called "villages". The original planning of The Woodlands utilized many of the planning concepts and design consultants employed in other well-regarded new communities of that era such as Columbia, Maryland, Irvine Ranch, California and Reston, Virginia. The original development plan included environmental design principles espoused by Ian McHarg, a distinguished landscape architect, teacher and author of the seminal work Design With Nature.
The Woodlands continues to grow residentially and commercially as many companies are moving to The Woodlands. In addition to Chevron Phillips, Huntsman, Anadarko, Hewitt Associates, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Mærsk Sealand, Chicago Bridge & Iron, and Woodforest National Bank have set up operations in the development. The Woodlands Town Center area includes shopping and eating facilities, a waterway resembling the San Antonio River Walk, and water taxis known as "Waterway Cruisers" that are enclosed and cooled for added comfort.
The summer of 2011 brought an unprecedented drought throughout the state of Texas. The drought caused thousands of trees to die thus requiring they be taken down, a process that continued into 2012.