16 years ago there were less than 200 geocaches hidden within 100 miles of Kingsport, Tennessee. I borrowed a blue Garmin Legend GPS receiver from an engineering firm to seach for two geocaches after a Cub Scout weekend event. My first find with my two sons was Pirate Pasta (GC55C0). The bitter cold (18F) made it difficult to write with the ballpoint pen. The second find, The American Mile (GC9816), was archived as the site now has a medical center.
Over the years, I have enjoyed how this hobby has enabled me to more deeply explore areas visited - with finding the container as a bonus. My smilie count is approaching 4,000 thus this milestone will hopefully be acheived at this event.
Another benefit to geocaching are the fun acquaintances developed with a wide range of characters. This event will start with the opening of El Charolais (1805 W State of Franklin Rd #1200, Johnson City, TN 37604) at 11am Saturday, January 12, 2019. (Location selected because the local geocachers favor Mexican fare.) We'll gather at several tables to share more tales of the hunt until around 12:30ish.
After lunch, the objective is to find the replaced Pirate Pasta (reference coordinates are approximate as it has moved and changed containers from the original hide). For those working on the Jasmer challenge, this geocache was hidden in May 2002, thus is one of the oldest in the area.