#17 - Exit 4 I-90 Bug Inn

1-25-09
This was our last cache for the day as we traveled from the Wisconsin Dells back to Iowa. We found this one off the interstate on a walking path. We wanted to drop off our travel coin from Sioux City so we stopped here. The GPS brought us right to the path. We went down the path and Kendall and Keeley ran down the hill past it. I was lagging behind and saw a bird house nailed to a tree. KJ saw stuff sticking out of the hole, and I saw a latch. I went up to open it...there was the cache! We left our One-Way GeoCaching Coin and we took Take Me Away a Travel Bug Dog Tag.

#16 - The Bug Cage

1-25-09
Travel Bug Motel Cache. This cache was located at the Interstate 90 Rest Area MM 21 West Bound. We went across the field and up a hill...knee deep in snow. The clue was "at the base of a fallen tree". We thought just look for a tree fallen. When we got to the top of the hill we found many fallen trees...like 10 or so. Most of them were covered with snow. So we followed the GPS and got within 4 feet. Keeley picked the tree and KJ followed it to the end...and of course, caching hog KJ got another one! This was an ammo box. We left a patch from United Farmers Coop. We took a travel bug called Geo Gourmet. This is a recipe exchange. You have to add a recipe and then send it on its way.

#15 - Westbound I-90/94 Coffee Break

1-25-09
We stopped at a rest area for this one. We all put on our boots and trudged through the snow. Kendall was in the front and we followed his footsteps...of course, he was the one to find the camo coffee can! We took a geocaching poker chip and left an Autoland ice scraper. Good hide on a cold winter day. Jack and Kait stayed in the car.

#14 - Wash Day Blues

1-25-09
We found this one at the Cracker Barrel...under an old wash machine that was on the porch. The clue was "The Name is the clue." So we thought it had something to do with washing, first we thought a laundry mat or something like that. On the website someone had taken a picture of the Great Wolf Lodge from the cache. We stayed there so we looked across the road and saw Crackle Barrel. The kids saw the washtub and jumped out of the car and ran to it. Keeley tried, but it was a quick grab by Kendall!

#13 - The Dells Outlet P/G

1-25-09
We found it! After a quick trip to the outlets we stopped and found this one. The coordinates brought us to the middle of the parking lot. The clue was a "skirt lifter". Kendall gave Keeley the idea that it could be like the cache in Texas at the auto parts store. Keeley jumped out and lifted the base and there it was! We signed the log and replaced the cache! Back on the road to go home after spending the weekend at the Dells for Kruse Christmas.

#12 - Lyndon Station Memorial Cache

1-24-09
We are claiming that we found this, however, we technically only found the velcro that held this cache. It looked like they just got new snow, and we dug around to see if it had just fallen. This was another cache that we stopped for on our way to the Wisconsin Dells! Kendall gets credit for finding the location on this one.

#11 - Veteran's Memorial

1-24-09
We found it in New Lisbon, Wisconsin! We were traveling to the Dells and made a quick stop for an easy grab. We did have to trudge through the snow in 0 degree temps...anything for a cache! This was located in the back end of a cannon. It was a cache covered with velcro. We took the log out and signed it. Keeley gets credit for this one!

#10 - David

1-10-09
Kaitlin found her first cache! We trudged through the snow and ended up at the base of the statue of David in downtown Sioux Falls. We looked all over and could not figure out where it could be. I told Kait that it has to be at the sign...sure enough Kait leaned down and found the micro cache under the sign at the top of the post. It was such a small cache so we signed the outside of the log and carefully put it back. Our hands were freezing so we decided to quit caching for the day!

#9 - Zoo Cache #1

1-10-09
Kaitlin and Mom went caching while Keeley sat in the car texting...imagine that. It was a freezing cold winter day when we ran to Sioux Falls. It was -25 degrees with wind chill! Brr...but caching must go on. We arrived at the zoo just as Christmas with the Animals was taking place. Luckily the kids going in were just interested in going to see the animals. The GPS sent us in circles for a little bit, but we ended up finding it in a small pine tree. We signed the log and replaced that cache!

#8 Sooland T.B. Station

1-3-09
This was a T.B. Station (Travel Bug)
We had to turn around on I-29 and go back about a mile to the rest area southbound. It was still freezing rain and we found our way at the end of the rest stop. KJ and Kee trudged through the snow and found the locked box. They had the combination to the box and opened it. We dropped off a travel bug and took a One Way Christ Centered Cache Coin.

#7 No Weigh!

1-3-09
This cache was found at an old weigh station south of Sioux City. Hence the name, "No Weigh". Clever! We had traveled all night, but stopped at the cache site. It was freezing rain and was so cold after being in warm, sunny Texas. We were all getting our coats on and Kendall went running through the snow and found the cache. He is our "cache hog". Ha, Ha! He brought it back to the truck and we looked at the cache. We dropped off the travel bug keychain after adding a Texas keychain. We took a Captain and Crew Dice game that was in a 35 mm film container. Back into the car. Kait did her normal job...took the photo!

#6 Hole in the Wall Rest Spot

1-2-09
We went a block south of the last cache to find the next spot. There was a silver metal "wall". There we searched for about 10 minutes and couldn't find it. Then there was a muggle at the park so we took a picture of our group and acted like we were there just there for a family photo. When they left, we searched some more. Mom finally felt the back side of the metal wall under the curve and picked up the small metal box. This was a signature log, so we signed it and were on our way.

#5 Heads Up!

1-2-09
The clue to this one: seriously? okay, watch out for the thorn's vines.

We stopped on our way back to Iowa at a roadside cemetery near Troy, Texas. Jack even turned around and went back since it was on the other side of the road. We got out of the truck and walked right up to the tree that had thorny bushes around the base of it. There was a white rock in the base of the tree with a camouflaged container. Keeley found her 1st cache, with the help of dad! We found a travel bug and we took that to drop off in Iowa. We left a state quarter. On to the next cache.

#4 Pedal to the Medal

1-1-09
These coordinates took us to the parking lot of an auto parts store. Kendall found himself at the light pole. He was feeling around...when all of the sudden the base of the pole felt loose. He lifted it up and he found the cache! It was a camouflaged juice bottle with all kinds of treasures in it. There was a geocoin, but we left if since we had just taken a travel bug from the last cache. On to the next one...

#3 Grab The Cash

1-1-09
So we just couldn't get enough geocaching in! We went out again! The clue for this one was on your patellas! The GPS took us to a bank parking lot! It was tucked in the parking median. This one was like a cool whip container covered in camo duck tape. Cache was found by mom!

#2 Piper's Gusher

12-31-08
This was our second find found by our second grade teacher! It took us to a pizza place we had just eaten at a few days earlier. The clue was it is very small, but watch out for the dough boy. The GPS led us to the back of the store and we all started looking. Mom ran her hand behind the rain gutter and felt something. Sure enough it was the cache! This one was a micro cache. We opened this little container, signed it, then put it back for someone else to find it!

#1 CSI Cemetery

12-31-08
Where it all began!
The GPS led us to a cemetery, then up to a tree. It had a platform where the cache was 'hidden'. We had Kendall along but even he couldn't reach it. So we put Keeley on Kendall's shoulders. Keeley found it but didn't want to grab it! So Mark gets down on his hands and knees, then Kendall stood on top of him and grabbed the dirty, bloody, rubber hand. Inside the hand was a signature log. Tada! Our First Cache!