This cache is part of the Puzzle Caching Series. It was designed to help geocachers practice their puzzle solving skills on different types of puzzles that are commonly used on puzzle caches. Inspiration for this series came from Puzzle Solving 101 Series by epeterso2. If you really want some good puzzle solving tips and practice, I highly recommend that you check out The Puzzle Solving 101 series.
This series originally included 7 puzzle caches that, once solved, provided clues that would lead to a final puzzle cache. The final puzzle cache has been archived, but many of the 7 puzzle caches are still available. All containers are Lock-n-Lock or similar containers which have been camouflaged. The caches are hidden all over Pierce County and can be done with a minimum of 40 miles of driving. The puzzle caches can be done in any order.
This puzzle is a steganography puzzle. For tips on solving steganography puzzles, see Puzzle Solving 101 - Lesson 8: Steganography. For general puzzle solving tips see Puzzle Solving 101 - Lesson 1: Strategy. Both of these cache pages have useful tips and tools for solving puzzle caches similar to this one.
I also want to thank gunguy&fam for beta testing each of the puzzles!
Now... for some fun! Below is a puzzle that, when solved, will reveal the coordinates for a Lock-n-Lock, or similar container, which has been camouflaged to match its surroundings. There is a clue attached to the lid of the container that you will need to find the final cache in the series. Good luck and happy caching!
The Amazing TB Race
It all started with a geocaching event…
Jacob N. Smith and Joseph W. King were best friends and avid geocachers. They cached every opportunity they had, and almost always did so together. One weekend, a local geocacher was hosting an event about solving puzzles. At the event, Jacob and Joseph each won travel bug dog tags that were in the shape of a globe. Since their TB dog tags were in the shape of a globe, they decided it would be appropriate for them to have a race around the world. They put both of their travel bugs in a cache nearby with a goal of traveling as many miles as possible, around the world, and eventually ending up back where they began.
The first to get a notification was Joseph. He was at work when he got a notification that his TB was picked up from the cache and moved to a cache near the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. A couple of weeks later, it was moved to a cache at the top of Sugarloaf Mountain.
Then, Jacob started receiving notifications that his TB was on the move. It was dropped off at a cache near the Petronas Twin Towers. But then, he didn’t hear anything for a few weeks.
While Jacob’s TB had apparently disappeared, Joseph’s TB was on the move again. First it moved to a cache at Analakely Market and then on to a cache at Seljalandsfoss. It took a couple of weeks, but it even ended up moving to just outside of Dodger Stadium. Before Joseph could receive another notification, Jacob’s TB was on the move again.
First, it moved to a cache in Songwe Village and then on to a cache near the Wat Arun Rajwararam. Then, he got a surprise! Jacob’s TB was moved to a cache just outside the Vieux Ngom Carpenter Shop. After a week, it then moved on to a cache near the Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum.
After that, they took turns receiving notifications. Jacob got one saying that his TB was in a cache near the Al Sadiq Water Towers. Then, Joseph got one saying that his was in a cache near the Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele. Then, Jacob’s travelled to a cache near the Imperial War Museum of Duxford and Joseph’s travelled to a cache near the Rialto Bridge. Then, for 6 months there was nothing. They thought for sure that both of their TBs had gone missing.
Jacob and Joseph were eating lunch together one day, and they each received a notification…at the same time. As they each checked their emails and shared the new location, they were amazed. Both travel bugs had been picked up by the same person and that person moved both travel bugs back to their starting location. That was when Jacob and Joseph both decided that their travel bugs truly did take an amazing race around the world.
