Geocaching at the Celery Farm; a photoessay

Before I left for school, I decided to squeeze another Geocaching adventure in. For those unfamiliar, Geocaching is an activity in which a box is hidden in some public area. The coordinates (latitude & longitude) are marked and then you can go and find the box. Usually, there's a log to sign in it, and sometimes objects-- you usually take one, and leave one. Half the fun is usually just exploring the area in which the cache is hidden. Afterwards, you can record your visit on the website.

There are also 'trackable items' that you sometimes find in caches-- geocoins and 'travel bugs'. These can be logged on the website, and usually travel from cache to cache. On a previous day, I'd found one of these, and I decided that the Celery Farm cache in my town would be a good place to re-hide it.



This coin came with a goal-- it was to be placed in places that would attract tourists or campgrounds. I decided that the Celery Farm would be perfect, because it attracts a lot of visitors. It's a great place to hide, and bird-watch, and just enjoy nature.

So, my mom and I set off along the path.



As the name implies, the area used to be a celery farm. It no longer is, but, luckily, it hasn't been built up. Entirely too many areas in my county have been, so the Celery Farm remains a nice bit of nature amidst the urban sprawl.

There used to be a house in the middle of it. I can remember the house being rather dilapidated and falling down, and eventually they took it down altogether. Now, it's a little holly garden.



The main path takes you in a circle, around a mile long. It brings you around a lake, which I believe is (or, at least, was) called Wolf Lake. The area is very marshy, and has a lot of platforms and benches, where you can watch the wildlife.



There are a bunch of different areas along the hike; some take you alongside a stream, and others bring you into areas where you're surrounded by cattails. The scenery remains quite varied!



Unfortunately, in the above picture, you can see some of the urban intrusion, in the form of condominiums. Quite an eye-sore, and we have too many of them as it is! Ug. Can't humans let any bit of nature remain untouched?

It was pretty cold while my mom and I were walking around, and there was a lot of interesting bits of ice.


There are also a few little bridges here and there to bring you over the more marshy of areas. Sometimes, you can see turtles and such in the water underneath the bridges.

After crossing one in an area we don't normally visit (as there are other trails that bring you away from the lake and into the woods beyond), my mom and I found the perfect spot for a picnic! We'll have to remember that for the spring.



Most of the benches in the Celery Farm are dedicated in memory of people who've passed on. In addititon to the benches, though, there's a little area known as the butterfly garden, and dedicated to a woman who'd been involved with the area. Unfortunately, in winter, the garden isn't very exciting, but it does have a big, old tractor off to one side... memories of the farm, now long-gone.



As you come to the end of the trail (well, that depends on which way you start, I suppose!) you return to the urban-world. Houses press up against the path, and the sounds of cars become audible. The landscape remains pretty, at least.


It was a good visit, though I'm eager to go back in the spring, when it's warm and the flowers are starting to come out! My mom and I found the geocache we'd originally gone to find, though, which was fun, and the geocoin is safely tucked away there. It's yet to be re-discovered.

I'll be posting all of these pictures individually, with captions, as well, so keep an eye out!