I like to travel. I've had the good fortune to have traveled quite a lot and see lots of interesting sights. I'd like to take you to some of those sights now. What? Don't like to travel? That's ok because you'll be taking this trip while sitting comfortabaly at your computer.
N 21° 21.904’ W 157° 57.002’
Our first stop is a very solemn place. It commemorates a quiet Sunday morning. It calls us back to “A date which will live in infamy.” Here, peace was interrupted and paradise lost. In hours, 2,390 futures were stolen.
Behind the shadows of destroyed airfields, aircraft, and ships, America fought fear, and a determined enemy responding with an unrivaled war effort. An epic battle for democratic ideals and world freedom would bloody the fields of Europe and the islands of the Pacific over the next four years.
This national shrine symbolizes American sacrifice and resolve. Through national tragedy, a “sleeping giant awoke” and the United States moved towards its destiny as a global power.
What year did the event that is recalled here occur? [A]
N 36° 00.962’ W 114° 44.238’
At the time it was completed this was the tallest structure of its kind in the world. Today it remains an impressive sight to visitors.
The contractors were allowed 7 years from April 20, 1931 to April 20, 1938 to build this dam. The concrete placement in the dam was completed May 29, 1935, and all features were completed by March 1, 1936, over two years ahead of schedule!
The dam weighs more than 6,600,000 tons. There are 4,360,000 cubic yards of concrete in the dam, powerplant and appurtenant works. This much concrete would build a monument 100 feet square and 2½ miles high; would rise higher than the Empire State Building (which is 1,250 feet) if placed on an ordinary city block; or would pave a standard highway 16 feet wide, from San Francisco to New York City.
How tall is the dam from foundation rock to the roadway on the crest of the dam (in inches)? [B]
N 38° 37.486’ W 90° 11.078’
The old St. Louis riverfront was selected in 1935 as the site of a national monument to commemorate the westward expansion of the United States in the 19th century. An area of some 40 city blocks was purchased and all buildings were cleared, but because of World War II, further progress on the Memorial was halted.
In 1947 the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Association, a group of public-spirited citizens, held a nationwide competition to obtain an appropriate design for the Memorial. The winner in the competition was the late Eero Saarinen, whose design was dominated by the now famous Gateway Arch.
The Memorial includes, in addition to the Arch, an underground visitor center located directly beneath the Arch. The center contains the Museum of Westward Expansion, which tells the century-long story of the opening of the West in the 1800s, as well as theaters with movies on westward expansion and the Arch's construction.
The stainless-steel-faced Arch spans 630 feet between the outer faces of its triangular legs at ground level, and its top soars 630 feet into the sky. It takes the shape of an inverted catenary curve; a shape such as would be formed by a heavy chain hanging freely between two supports.
Each leg is an equilateral triangle with sides 54 feet long at ground level, tapering to 17 feet at the top. The legs have double walls of steel 3 feet apart at ground level and 7-3/4 inches apart above the 400-foot level. Up to the 300-foot mark the space between the walls is filled with reinforced concrete.
During the summer season, how many people can visit the top of the monument each day? [C]
N 40° 41.365’ W 74° 02.622’
Located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, the lady was a gift of international friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and is one of the most universal symbols of political freedom and democracy. She was dedicated on October 28, 1886 and was designated a National Monument on October 15, 1924.
Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to design a sculpture with the year 1876 in mind for completion, to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. The statue was a joint effort between America and France and it was agreed upon that the American people were to build the pedestal, and the French people were responsible for the statue and its assembly here in the United States. Bartholdi required the assistance of an engineer to address structural issues associated with designing such as colossal copper sculpture. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel Tower) was commissioned to design the massive iron pylon and secondary skeletal framework which allows the statue's copper skin to move independently yet stand upright.
The statue was completed in France in July, 1884 and arrived in New York Harbor in June of 1885 on board the French frigate “Isere” which transported the statue from France to the United States. In transit, the statue was reduced to 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates. The statue was re-assembled on her new pedestal in four months time. On October 28th 1886, the dedication of the statue took place in front of thousands of spectators. She was a centennial gift ten years late.
In her left arm, the statue holds a tablet with a date inscribed on it. What year is the date on the tablet? [D]
N 38° 53.349’ W 77° 02.119’
Alone among the Founders of the United States, George Washington earned the title “Father of his Country” in recognition of his leadership in the cause of American independence. Appointed commander of the Continental Army in 1775, he molded a fighting force that won independence from Great Britain. In 1787 as President of the Constitutional Convention, he helped guide the deliberations to form a government that has lasted for more than 200 years. Two years later he was unanimously elected the first President of the United States. With this monument the citizens of the United States show their enduring gratitude and respect.
The official dedication occurred on the day before George Washington's birthday in 1885. Part of the celebration went into the night and ended with the first display of fireworks to occur on the grounds. However, it was not until October 1888, forty years after the laying of the cornerstone, that the public was officially allowed to ascend the monument.
A unique feature of the monument is the 193 memorial stones that adorn the interior of the monument. Starting in July 1848 the Washington National Monument Society invited states, cities and patriotic societies to contribute Memorial Stones.
The memorial stone contributed by the state of Washington has a number inscribed on it. What is the number? [E]
Now Where's the Cache?
Have you enjoyed the trip? I hope so. We've visited some pretty amazing places but we're home again now and anxious for the object of our desire: the cache! It's not far away. I hope you learned the answers to the five questions above because you'll need them to find it. Latitude is N 47°. Longitude is W 122°.
To find the minutes of Latitude:
(((B × 10) ÷ 4) + C - ((A - D) + 5)) ÷ 1000
To find the minutes of Longitude:
((E × 7) + D - 64) ÷ 1000
To check your answers and/or to verify your final coordinates use my Puzzle Cache Verifier.
Click To Rate This Cache
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If you are a Geocacher in the state of Washington, please join the Washington State Geocaching Association. This is a great way to get the most out of Geocaching in our region. Simply go to geocachingwa.org for details!
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