The Ohio Swirly Challenge Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

GrizzFlyer: Thanks to the 45 geocachers that completed this cache, it was a lot of fun creating it and enjoying the found logs. Been sitting on this one long enough, its time to flush the cache.

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Hidden : 12/6/2011
Difficulty:
4 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:

OHIO'S SWIRLY
REST AREA CHALLENGE

The Ohio Department of Transportation and the Ohio Turnpike Commission currently own and maintain 114 roadside rest areas and service plazas along major interstate routes and some state routes within Ohio. They are open 24/7, and are mostly of the modern variety. There are still a small amount of primitive rest areas and parking-only facilities open, but they are declining quickly due to maintenance and EPA concerns.

To qualify for this challenge, you must find at least one cache at a minimum of 30 different rest areas in Ohio. You cannot log a “Found” until you have completed the challenge successfully. You can find and sign the log at any time, and log a “Note” on this webpage, and then go back and delete that note when you log the cache as Found.

Of the 100 ODOT-owned rest areas currently active, 79 of them contain at least 1 cache. There are a total of 103 active caches in those 79 rest areas as of the date of publication of this cache. The remaining 21 rest areas do not have an active cache, although some may have had a cache at some time in the past. Several of the Ohio Turnpike service plazas contain caches, and several do not. All of them have had caches at one time. I have compiled a bookmark list of the currently-active caches that qualify. I will add archived caches that qualify to that bookmark list as they are brought to my attention.

The final cache is at the listed coordinates. It may have been the site of a rest area at one time, we’re not sure. There is a good pull-off parking area and the remnants of some type of structure. It does not count towards your total.

To make things as clear as possible, and to be fair to everyone, some rules need to be established:

1: If you are a premium member, create a public and shared bookmark list and include those caches that you wish to be included for your challenge. Maintain this list as shared and public for a minimum of 60 days after you post your Found log. That gives me plenty of time to verify your list, and for others to look at it to assist them in composing their list.
-for non-premium members, you’ll have to do it the hard way. In your Found log, list your 30 rest areas by GC number and name, and then include the info required in #2, below.
2: Include the route and direction of the rest area, the county and/or nearest city and/or milepost where the rest area is situated, and date of your find. Entries might look like this:
I-75 NB, Wood County, 12/25/2007
SR-33 WB, milepost 165, 1/17/2011

3: The cache must be located within the official confines of the rest area.
4: Caches may be of any type, such as Traditional, Multi, Virtual, etc, except for Event caches and the old Locationless caches. If you include an Unknown/Mystery, you must be able to establish that the final coordinates are within the boundaries of the rest area you are claiming. The newer Challenge category are not geocaches, and cannot be used.
5: Prior finds are permitted.
6: Finds on now-archived caches are permitted, but no archived caches are required to complete this challenge.
7: Caches found at now-closed rest areas are permitted, but you must have found the cache when the rest area was active.
8: Only 1 cache per rest area allowed. If you found 4 caches in one rest area, nice job!, but you can claim the rest area only once. The only exception to this rule is in #9, below, for rest area cache owners.
9: If you own or previously owned a cache that was placed in a rest area, and it was active on or before the publication date of this cache (12/23/2011), you may claim your own cache. BONUS: You may also claim one other cache in that same rest area, owned by another cacher, if you found it.
10: Twin rest areas, such as one on the northbound side of an interstate and another on the southbound side, are separate rest areas. Each can be logged. That’s why we ask for the direction of travel in your bookmark list (see #2 above).
11: The rest area must be an official Ohio DOT state-owned and operated rest area or Ohio Turnpike service plaza. Scenic views and overlooks do not qualify unless they are attached to an official rest area. Emergency pull-offs do not qualify. Locally-owned parks, picnic areas, and rest areas do not qualify.

Ohio’s current official ODOT rest areas are located HERE

The official Ohio Turnpike Service Plazas are located HERE

Something that might help keeping track of your rest areas is to print off the map on the ODOT page, and color in the symbol for each rest area found.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Abg ba gur tebhaq

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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