NOTE: The hint is an absolute
spoiler!
This cache is a tribute "for the seven who flew for all of us." On
January 28, 1986, at 11:38:00 a.m., the Space Shuttle Challenger
took off on mission STS-51L. Just 73 seconds later, an O-Ring
failure in the Right Solid Rocket Booster caused a catastrophic
accident that claimed the lives of all seven aboard. (Read TIME
magazine's account here)
Many students around the country
tuned in to view this launch in class because the flight crew
included the first participant in the Teacher in Space Program,
Payload Specialist S. Christa Corrigan McAuliffe. I remember where
I was, because I was at home sick from school that day and watched
the launch with my dad. Do you remember where you were when the
Challenger Seven "slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face
of God"? (more from President Ronald Reagan here)
Other members of the flight
crew included:
Gregory B. Jarvis, Payload
Specialist 
Ronald E. McNair, Ph.D., Mission Specialist
Ellison S. Onizuka, Lt. Col. USAF,
Mission Specialist 
Judith A. Resnik, Ph.D., Mission Specialist
Francis R. (Dick) Scobee, Commander
Michael J. Smith, Capt. USN, Pilot
This space-themed, kid-friendly
cache is an ammo box located in Hidden Creek Park in Eastern
Henrico County. It is a nice park, with a nature trail (closed due
to constuction at time of cache placement), tennis courts, a sand
volleyball court (no net at the time of cache placement), a nice
track, a Community Building, picnic areas, a nice playground and
some above ground sections of Hidden Creek! The cache is not too
far off one of the trails, and bushwhacking should not be required.
Look out for the prickers! Just like you would with any other
cache, please be sure to recover as well as you find it (or better
than you found it), since it is not far off of the trail. Also,
look out for muggles. They can sneak up, but since they're usually
children, you can usually hear them coming! q=o) Take time to stop
and look at the memorial to the Challenger Seven, placed at N 37°
33.380' W 077° 23.757' (or thereabouts) on behalf of the Children
of Henrico County. It's easy to spot.
***Directions to the park are as
follows: Take 64E to Mechanicsville Turnpike East Exit. Take a
right at the second light on Crump Street/Bloom Lane. Take a left
on Apollo Road and then a right on Cleary Street. Take a left on
Brockway Lane. Continue to the park entrance. The park is located
near the Math & Science Center.
Please make sure that you get directions to the park before
visiting. You don't want to get lost in an area you are not
familiar with!
The original cache
contents are:
-FTF Prize (STS 51-L Mission Patch and FTF certificate)
-A camera to take your picture with the cache (leave camera and
when it's full, we'll develop and post the pictures)
-Mars Mud
-(4) Buzz Lightyear Keychains
-(2) American Flag Buttons
-Log Book
-Flash Gordon 4 episode DVD
-Space Travelers Children's Book Level 3 (Grades 2-4)
-Space Busters Children's Book Level 3
-Astronaut Living in Space Children's Book Level 2
-"John Glenn: A Memoir" Audio Tape Set
-(2) space Pencils
-(1) "I love geocaching" pencil
-Shuttle Bug Travel Bug
This cache was created for
imhisclay for Christmas by a member of her crew (her husband)
Happy Caching! q=o)
NOTE: cache camera
pictures now available at the TWaB picture page!
q=o)