This is the fourth cache in the "Jim Gary's Sculptures" Series. Jim Gary was a native of Central Jersey and famous world-wide for his art. Though quite capable of more "serious" pieces (he won several awards), he's best known for his nearly full-scale dinosaurs made from automotive scrap metal. Once, when asked "Why dinosaurs?" Jim Gary replied, "Because people like them." And we do! The "Garysauruses" a traveling exhibit: "Dinosaurs of the Twentieth Century" spent three decades roaming the earth and breaking attendance records wherever they went.
This specific "Garysaurus", Stella by name, is a nearly life-sized Stegosaurus painted a purple/blue mix. It was actually part of the last traveling dinosaur exhibit and was last seen at Jim's Playground. The other sculptures from that display are rumored to have ended up in a museum in Tallahassee Florida. Anatomically, this dinosaur is very close to accurate. Is it realistic or abstract based on his choice of medium and colors? This distinction, for which Jim Gary was somewhat unique, made him unclassifiable in artistic circles.
This cache is a two stage multi-cache starting near the sculpture outside of the Monmouth Museum and leading you across campus through the Brookdale CATS nature trail that features great views of the Swimming River Reservoir. The round trip is under a mile and even less if you are the bushwhacking type. At the first stage you are looking for a magnetic key-holder under one of the tables. Not on the dino! Watch for muggles! Stage two is a regular size ammo-can snugged under a log just 60 foot off of the trail. It is packed with Dino Goodness that I had been saving for 3 years waiting for a JG Sculpture Location that would support a regular sized cache. You can repark if you prefer or you can access the trail from the southeast or southern corners of the parking lot. Enjoy the sculpture, museum, hike and hide!
This cache is certified Central Jersey!
