Geocache Name:

Castle Northmoor (GCX612)

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

1/1.5

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

There’s hidden history all around us—and geocaching is a perfect way to discover it. Seeking out this geocache will bring you to a castle tower—no, not in Europe—in Kansas City. While Missouri isn’t traditionally known for its castles, this tower has been bringing joy to geocacher’s faces since 2006. The tower itself was constructed in 1980 by Harlan Shaver, which included the structure as well as the intricate carvings throughout the interior. For a more detailed history, the geocache page even has a phone number to call for a guided tour.

What the geocache owner, SunshineWalker, has to say:

“I was inspired to place this cache because the property owner used to walk at E. H. Young Park in Riverside, MO. (the town next to Northmoor)…He told me about a strange Tupperware container he had found in the bushes. He said it had notes and little doodads in it.  The container also had the Geocaching Logo and website information. I was curious and looked it up on the computer.  It was a cache that had been lost and Larry’s dog found it.

I got very interested and took my family to several local caches. I still walked in the park with Larry [the property owner] and he told me about his father. The more I heard, the more I wanted to see it. When I saw the castle tower I knew I had to make it a cache site.  Larry has been quite nice about sharing his property and he loves telling visitors about his artistic mother and stonemason father who built the tower.

I’ve really enjoyed the geocaching community and loved creating caches…It was great to take the family on hikes in places we would have never visited and look for treasure. A few years ago we even went to a cache on an island in the middle of the Kansas River. The kids LOVED the adventure, but we were a muddy mess! Fortunately the river was quite low and we waded most of the way.

I think Geocachers are some of the nicest and most interesting people I’ve ever met. They love adventure and are willing to search for hours in the dark for a camo box with penny trinkets in it. How devoted and determined! (The poison ivy generally doesn’t show up for two or three days.)”

 

What geocachers are saying:

“Found this cache thanks to the recommendation from a local friend. I was visiting from Seattle. Wow, what an amazing experience…It’s amazing to me that I never would have had this experience if not for geocaching. For this I am most grateful.” — Bryan

“This amazing cache was about 6 miles from our hotel, and it was well worth the trip. This place is amazing! Such amazing detail! I was glad that I made the trip out here! This one gets a favorite point for sure. I will be recommending this cache to anyone that travels to Kansas City. TFTC!” – croling

“This is one of my favorite caches to date. A further treasure was the builder’s son was nearby and told us much about the man who built the tower…Great geocache! Thanks for the cache owner and the property owner!” – Jawman173

 

Photos:

 

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog.

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Geocache Name:

Kjerag (GCXKXJ)

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

3/4

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

When you see a 3, 4, or 5 next to “Terrain” on a geocache, you can usually count on two things: 1) it’s going to be a pretty good hike and 2) there will most likely be an epic photo-op at the end. Sometimes earning the smiley can take a backseat to the amazing photographs that get taken from GZ. Don’t believe me? Just take a look at the Geocaching Instagram or search #geocaching on Instagram. Photography and geocaching go hand-in-hand, so it’s only appropriate to feature a geocache with world-class found it photos.

What the geocache owner, Andix, has to say:

“My first visit at the Kjerag was in summer 2004 and I was led there by a friend not knowing what to see there. I was so impressed by the feeling standing upon the Kjerag stone, that I quickly decided: this is a MUST BE for a geocache. But I had never hidden a cache box and needed a prepared cache box. So I was planning another excursion two years later… Geocaching isn´t only a hobby – it´s a passion! Nearly my whole life has changed between the past 11 years since I got a geocaching-member.”

What geocachers are saying:

“Puh, what a stressful climb to the top. But after seeing the Kjerag every stress was forgotten. What an amazing view. Thanks for hiding :-)” – silkeli53

“This walk has been on our “want to visit” list for several years now, and it was amazing to finally be able to take the amazing hike.” – optimistene

“First time in Norway! What an nice and beautiful country. This one was found easy, TFTC! awesome hike, standing at the Krejag was pretty scary!!” – The Bennies

 

Photos and Video:

 

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, just fill out this form. Thanks!

Geocache Name:

Heads of State (GCE041)

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

1/1

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

There are some places that deserve to be seen. These rarely visited gems can be anything from a hidden pocket park to a piece of beautiful graffiti—or even a place full of giant presidential heads. However, you can’t always place a geocache there to bring people in. That’s where Virtual Caches come in. While a few rule changes made new Virtual Caches into Waymarks, some of the older Virtual Caches have been grandfathered in since they existed before the rule change. This spot, located in Houston, Texas, is where an artist sculpted and cast these presidential busts for use in a park near Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. You’ll also find sculptures of the Beatles here.

 

What geocachers are saying:

“I came down to Houston for the weekend to grab a bunch of challenge caches and virtuals…this one was on my list…..very cool place….added a few pictures to my log….thanks for bringing me here……TFTC!” – mightymouse21

“Wow, this was a hoot! Detouring through Texas on our way to GeoWoodstock and had to stop at this one. Glad we did. Took pictures so we will post after we get back to Florida next week. Thanks for the adventure.” – Wilemon

“Wow this is great…the things you get to see while geocaching, never would have come here or new about this had it not been for caching, thanks for placing!!” – Holn1b4IDie

 

Photos and Video:

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, just fill out this form. Thanks!