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El Ranchito de Las Colinas Traditional Geocache

Hidden : 1/27/2016
Difficulty:
2.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:

A small, well hidden cache in the historic heart of Las Colinas. Approach from the west. No need to cross fence.

If hunting during business hours, parking near the cache is not exactly visitor-friendly. Another parking option is listed below.


This cache is on the edge of what used to be Carpenter Ranch (John Carpenter Freeway - same guy). John Carpenter and his wife raised their kids in Highland Park, but in the 1930s, this was their rural, weekend retreat.

The ranch was originally a working cattle ranch called Hackberry Creek Ranch. John's wife, Flossie affectionately called it “El Ranchito de Las Colinas” (the Little Ranch in the Hills). After WWII, John’s son, Ben moved onto the ranch to raise his family and the ranch was renamed Carpenter Ranch. Ben Carpenter is regarded as the founder of current-day Las Colinas.

The land occupied by their ranch house, (just a few yards east of this cache) was going to be a DART station for the Orange Line that now runs to DFW Airport. DART opted to not add this stop in the last phases of the light rail's construction. An internet search of "Carpenter Ranch DART" will turn up lots of info and conceptual drawings of what it was planned to become.

******UPDATE****** They have begun construction on a new structure in the location of the old Carpenter Ranch. The aforementioned DART station will become a reality also. This will not affect hunting or signing the cache.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Purfg uvtu. Abg va cynva fvtug.

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)