Join me in the year-long celebration of 20 years of geocaching by attending this event at Turkey Creek Park in Niceville, FL. For a while now, I've been eyeing several caches there to fill some blanks in my fizzy. I've held off setting out for them because no one wants to float down the creek alone! When the opportunity to host a Community Celebration Event came my way, I knew this had to be the place! As I started my planning, I also saw that on the third Saturday in August cachers around the world gather to celebrate International Geocaching Day, so I also had my event date. Come and get two souveniers at once!!
We will meet at a pavillion at the NORTH entrance to the park. There we will gather for prizes, fun and frivolity, regaling each other with tales of our caching exploits over these many years. I will endeavor to transport some local TB-Hotel guests to the party, where you can introduce yourself and perhaps invite one or two to join you on some of your further travels. After the event, we can go from the pavilion about 1/4 mile walk to the creek and float to its various caches. Depending on your float plans, and whether you'd prefer to walk before floating or after, I've provided waypoints for the park's parking areas at the north and south ends.
*** NOTE *** Whatever the current Covid-19 social distancing requirements may be, they will be observed during the gathering. Understandably, some may prefer additional levels of precautions. So, come prepared with whatever you may need to comply with the requirements and your personal conscience/comfort level.
For the really adventurous, I've marked an EXTREME North Parking spot at a cache 1/1 for 11/11 just off Route 85 N where you can launch a kayak or float down Turkey Creek to the event *** NOTE *** I understand this will require about a two-hour trip down the creek and that cache is on the Eglin Reservation and a permit granting you legal access to the Eglin AFB Reservation is required to seek and find ANY cache on Eglin AFB Reservation!!! You must have this permit and it must be in your possession. The Jackson Guard will check. For $20 you get an outstanding map and a year-long Recreational Permit. The permits are valid for one year from date of purchase. You can get your permit from the "Jackson Guard" either in person, online (https://eglin.isportsman.net/) or by mail (send a copy of your driver's license).
Address: Eglin AFB Natural Resources Office
107 Hwy 85 North
Niceville, FL 32578
Phone: (850) 882-4164
Coords: N 30° 31.49' W 86° 29.57'
Hrs: Mon-Thu 0700-1630, Fri 0700-1800, Sat 0730-1230, Closed Sunday
Continuing downstream out of the park will take you to near cache in the bayou and you can load your kayak at the Valparaiso Boat Ramp near the Cedar Fruit cache. I've provided an EXTREME South Parking waypoint there for you.
"Borrowing" from another's Community Celebration Event page:
What is “Big Blue Switch” day?
On May 2, 2000, when, just past midnight, the U.S government discontinued its use of Selective Availability in order to make GPS more responsive to civil and commercial users worldwide. Twenty-four satellites around the globe processed their new orders, and instantly the accuracy of GPS technology improved tenfold. Tens of thousands of GPS receivers around the world had an instant upgrade. Prior to this date, only the military had the ability to receive accurate GPS readings. Now, the world and all its wonderful people could pinpoint their precise location. For reasons unknown, this is often referred to as the flipping of the “Big Blue Switch”.
The very next day, a computer consultant named Dave Ulmer hid a black bucket in the woods near Portland, Oregon. Along with a logbook and pencil, he left various prize items including videos, books, software, and a slingshot, then posted the coordinates online.
N 45° 17.460 W 122° 24.800
Three days later, the container was located by Mike Teague. Now, twenty years and over 3 million geocaches worldwide, later, geocaching has become a global phenomenon to get off the couch and get outside.
Community Celebration Events - 2020
This Event is part of a limited release of Community Celebration Events to celebrate 20 years of geocaching. Geocachers hosted events between May 2, 2020 and December 31, 2021. Learn more about Community Celebration Events on the Geocaching Blog.