This is my "family friendly" answer to the "Skywatcher
Gorge" cache (GC20B2), which is awesome, but can be quite
challenging. Mine is located much closer to the observatory and is
on relatively level ground, so the whole family can participate.
Park in the Palisades-Dows Observatory parking lot the same as you
would for the Skywatcher Gorge cache: N41 53.339 W091
29.971. Find this fun cache on your way to the Skywatcher Gorge
cache – one of the finest caches in Iowa.
There are many complaints that the coordinates are 40 or more
feet off. I recheck the coordinates occasionally and sometimes they
are right on, sometimes they are as much as 50 feet off. I last
checked in 2010 and they were about 10 feet off.
This cache is near the site of the first geocache in Iowa, which
no longer exists.
I won this fully loaded ammo can cache in a drawing at the
“North Shelter CITO & Potluck” event (GCNX77) July
30, 2005, sponsored by Iowa Geocachers Organization, hence the
“Lucky” name. Thanks to Welch for the fine camo
paint-job and contents. I taped the winning ticket to the inside of
the lid.
Astronomers give a public program at the observatory once a
month, usually close to the time of the new moon. See the
club’s website, listed below, for a list of dates and times.
A great family activity would be to visit the cache while attending
the public program. This cache should take less than thirty minutes
to find, but you will want to arrive about an hour before the
program begins.
The observatory buildings and grounds are maintained by a
cooperative effort of the Cedar Amateur Astronomers, of which I am
a member, and the Linn County Conservation Department. I received
permission from the Linn County Conservation Department to place
this cache.
Congratulations to sleepytimebear for the First To Find!
Visit these links to find out more about the entities mentioned
above:
Skywatcher Gorge: The Sequel
North Shelter CITO & Potluck
Iowa
Geocachers Organization
Cedar
Amateur Astronomers
Linn
County Conservation Department
Update: The cache container was stolen in April, 2010. I have
replaced the container, but it is not as cool. Why would someone
steal an ammo can?