Old Milan Fire Barn and Trackable Exchange

 

 

 

Recently I was inspired by a recent geocache find and so I set out to find the perfect cache container that would be very similar. Since my handy man skills are sub par, I decided to search out specialty or hand crafted bird boxes but I could not find the ones that matched my inspiration. So instead of continuing my search, I reached out to the original creator to see if he could lend a hand in making a container replicating the old Milan fire barn and it also being based off of the idea of this container being a trackable hub. Dave&Mary would soon make this idea a reality and accepted the challenge and only doing it for the love of geocaching. I would cover the materials and expenses and they would be the craftsman's  Here is some of the pictures of the project as it being made as well as the final project. 

 

Project is underway

chimney and peak are added

Primed

Project completed!

 

 

Creative Cache Containers



Custom bird house

Custom bird house

 



The bird house shown above is the handy work of Dave and Mary, fellow geocachers that I've been in contact with recently. I like thier work so much that we are collaborated on another custom box that I will soon be placing in the Milan area. The St John's bird house is favorited by many!

 

 

 

 

35mm film canister tucked into a ceramin rabbit in a meadow.

 

Where's the cache???

Do you see the cache?????

Found it!

Full cache container.

The Silo

Hidden cache near the Silo

LeFurge Woods Nature Preserve

 Trails wind throughout wetlands, meadows, agricultural lands, and, of course, wonderfully preserved LeFurge Woods to allow visitors some of the best wildlife viewing in the Detroit-Ann Arbor region.

My favorite caches are in well hidden areas with views like this.

Short Hike to the cache in a nearby nature preserve

Almost there!

Success! The cache kids strike again!

Parker Mill park in Ann Arbor was a fun time. Cache was in the wooded area just beyond the cabin. The girls and I enjoyed the short search and the time spent while in the park that day. Nearby a family and their photographer were taking pictures with cabin as a backdrop. 

Here is the link to the park if you are interested in checking it out. 

http://michigantrailmaps.com/Washtenaw/ParkerMill/ParkerMill.html

Log cabin at the park

The Old Mill

Enjoying the outdoors

The cache kids

Under the bridge at Geddes road. 

The weather is changing and the fall is around the corner now. I look forward to the fall and what experiences are upcoming for the cooler weather. Our journey began in March, just as the warmer temps crept in so I think that caching in the fall will be welcomed, especially since the insects have diminished...thank god. On our last weekend with warm temperature, the Cache Kids headed out to Detroit's river-walk to take in the beautiful scenery, find some geocaches overlooking the Detroit River and then head across the border to help a particular trackable with it's goal to reach Canada. In recent years the river-walk in Detroit has transformed into a nice peaceful destination where many can take in the sights, sit and relax, ride their bikes, and even frolic though the new fountains. There's plenty of opportunity to take in whichever you desire.

Within yards of Detroit's Renaissance Center there was recent nano-geocache that wasn't too much trouble to find. We signed the log and proceeded with watching the kids jump in the fountain waters and people watch. Here is a link if you want to attempt to locate this nice picturesque cache.
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=0085606c-e8a8-41c4-81c0-db8aed661c4c


In Canada, we had limited time to make out way through the parks that dot the riverside. Parking was a challenge and the kids seemed to have other entertainment on their minds. How can I blame them, it was their first time in Canada (that they could remember) and it has plenty of offerings for children. People were flying their kites, playing Frisbee's, riding bikes, walking their dogs, having picnics and joggers were out in full force too. Running is a hobby of my older daughter now, which is why the mention of the joggers. After a couple of hours and a great afternoon we were able to locate a few caches, log out trackables and head back to the states for dinner at home.

Ambassador Bridge which connects Detroit and Windsor Canada

Detroit Michigan. View from Windsor Canada