Aloha KSF! Traditional Cache
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Located in Knobs State Park. Best parking is at 37*53.255,085*40.264 (for up to three cars). Fairly rugged terrain, but not a long hike. Cache is a 7.62mm (what I call 30-cal.) ammo box.
Last September I did something I wondered if I would ever have a chance to do. I visited Hawaii.
Smee had a convention she “had” to attend there, and I was able to tag along with her and our friend Brenda. Because we knew we wouldn’t be going to Hawaii again any time soon, we went early to see more than we otherwise would have, spending the first couple of days on the Big Island (Hawaii) before we headed back up to Honolulu (Oahu).
During our trip we visited volcanoes and walked on lava fields, saw more beautiful beaches and waterfalls than I can ever hope to remember, sighted dazzling species of flowers and birds, attended luaus and basically took in the sights and sounds of one of the most interesting places in the world.
But the thing that impressed me the most—and continues to impress me—is the meaning of the word, “Aloha.” Before I visited Hawaii, I thought aloha simply meant “Hello” and “Goodbye” interchangeably. I thought I was kind of smart for knowing that.
While it’s true that aloha is used as a greeting and a farewell, the real meaning of the word far transcends those perfunctory social customs. As used by Hawaiians, “aloha” is a proclamation that individuals use to tell others, “Hey, we’re in this world together. We all face the same challenges and problems. Love and understanding are what make us family.” It’s kind of like Louie Armstrong singing in “What a Wonderful World,” “I see friends shaking hands saying ‘How do you do.’ They really say: I love you!”
“Aloha” is a powerful, powerful expression, and it’s exhilarating to hear Hawaiians use it every day, even more so when they use it toward you. And in terms of Hawaiians, a cursory study of their history demonstrates how they accommodated a tectonic shift in their culture through the grace of “aloha”—when their beloved land was annexed into what is now the good ‘ol U.S. of A. Read up on this. It’s enlightening. And while you’re at it, listen to the music of IZ. It will give you a far greater understanding than anything you will ever read in a book. It will allow you to actually weep along side of our Hawaiian brethren, and for the same reasons.
I call this cache “Aloha KSF!” because I want to welcome this wonderful piece of land into the fold of Kentucky state parks and at the same time thank the people who had the love and vision to make it a reality.
The ammo box contains primarily gaudy (but I thought neat) key chains with a Hawaiian theme, as well as some Pearl Harbor buttons and, for the first finder, an authentic dashboard hula girl. It don’t get no better than that….
I placed the ammo box in an area that should be gorgeous when things start growing again, so maybe this cache will have a certain lush, Hawaii-like feel to it. In any case, have fun, be careful—and ALOHA!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Yrqtr.
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