I'll be doing some Arkansas caching

[konopapw2]

I will be caching in Arkansas from Sept 18 - 21. If any Arkansas geocachers would like to meet with me to do SLAGA Geocaching Podcast interviews, let me know. I'll have my recording equipment and a laptop with me. I haven't made specific plans on where I'll go. Could be anywhere. Will probably play it by ear as I research some remote caches later on this week.

If anyone is interested in meeting up, I can give you the scoop on how things work (and don't work) in SLAGA :wink:

The main reason I'll be in your state is to get a way from the rat race and punish my body with some good physical cache hunts. (no puzzles, please!)


Paul Konopacki

Charter SLAGA member
www.geostl.com (http://www.geostl.com) webmaster
SLAGA Geocaching Podcast producer
former SLAGA president
amateur videographer
burnt-out computer programmer

[flannelman]

I'm not sure about interviews or the SLAGA(not familiar with it), but if you are in the west-central part of the state I might be able to cache with ya. Let me know when you decide where you will be going and welcome to Arkansas.

[konopapw2]

Looks like I'll be stopping in Clarksville sometime next week. And perhaps staying at the Best Western! Party in room 101! (just kidding ...?)

SLAGA stands for the St. Louis Area Geocachers Association. Our web site is: http://www.geostl.com

I produce a podcast where I interview geocachers and get audio at geocaching events. I'm about to publish episode #35. All episodes can be found at http://podcast.geostl.com .

A podcast is like an independent internet radio show stored in a .MP3 file that you can listen to on your computer or in a portable MP3 player. It's free to listen to. Note I didn't say my podcast was particularly 'interesting' to listen to :?

[arkansas_stickerdude]

If you need someone I would be willing to meet with you . It sounds AWSOME.

[flannelman]

Thanks for the info. I'll check out those links. It does sound interesting.

[konopapw2]

I leave St. Louis on Sat, Sept. 16th. Head to Springfield, MO and cache until dark.

Sun, cache my way to Fort Smith and spend night around there.

Cache Mon and Tue in Clarksville. (Hopefully GolfNutz has vacancy!)

Wed and Thu in Conway and Little Rock area.

Fri and Sat - head back to St. Louis.

I drive a dark green Dodge Dakota with Missouri plates (gc.com plastic plate guard and gc.com sticker in right camper window.) If you happen to see my, honk and wave and I'll pull over so we can talk. Or, if you see the truck parked, I'm either out caching or sleeping in the back!

[konopapw2]

.

[flannelman]

Sounds like agreat trip. Maybe I'll see ya along the way,

[cachecrazies]

If you head back home through Mountain Home there's lots of beautiful hiking caches to find in this area.

Let us know if you're coming this way & we'll try to meet up with you.

[konopapw2]

I"ll update my whereabout here. (I say that like I'm important, or something.)

I picked up a 2nd GPS receiver from RGS today. It's actually an old Garmin GPS III of mine that I gave to him because I broke the antenna on it.) I'll use it for navigation and my Vista for hunting.

Rich and Charlotte gave me all their Arkansas brochures, so I'm set for all the tour trap sites! They recommend Highway 7 through Harrison, so I might not get to Fort Smith, after all.

I did notice that Mountain Home has a large cluster of caches around the lake! You just might see me in your area at the end of next week.

[konopapw2]

Rather than gather all the audio for a podcast when I get back, I am going to try to publish my experiences daily.

If you already subscribe to the SLAGA Geocaching Podcast RSS feed, you'll get each daily episode as it is published. Or check podcast.geostl.com for new episodes.

(Wasn't this supposed to be a relaxing vacation?!)

[konopapw2]

Very funny. How can you call it scenic Highway 7 when all you see at every overlook is fog?! I did get some caching in, but after getting soaked while hunting Round Mountain, that was it for me for the day. I am now in a motel in Russellville. It is supposed to rain more tomorrow. I might go back up Highway 7 to get some caches, but then head over to Clarksville by evening.

[konopapw2]

I'll be in Clarksville for a couple of days. After that, it depends on which AR geocachers want to do podcast interviews (if any).

[Q]

Well, being a river rat, I must say thanks for bringing the rain with ya! Sorry you had a couple of wash days tho. Weather oughta be a bit better. At least it ain't 100 degrees. Good hunting!

Being a newbie still, and leaving town Thurs night, I will decline on being an interviewee. Maybe some of these mo 'sperienced folks can hep you out.

Clif

[konopapw2]

I'm in Mountain Home. Trip about over. It's been fun. Thanks, y'all.

[cachecrazies]

Luckily we were able to meet up with Paul yesterday when he was in Mountain Home. And had a great visit! Geocachers NEVER run out of stories to share!

Went to lunch at one of Rich & Charolette's favorite restaurants here to continue our talking but he turned the tables on us! :o
Thanks Paul - very sneaky!

[konopapw2]

Thanks to CacheCrazies for the Arkansas geocoin. You grilled me to make sure I was worthy!

Once we left the eatery on Friday, it started to rain and for the rest of the day, it alternated between sprinkles and downpours. So I decided just to head home to St. Louis, since I was so close.

I passed through St. James, Missouri a few hours after a tornado hit, but didn't know that until I got home. The semi-truck that was tipped over in the ditch, east of Rolla on highway I-44, might have been from the winds. There were a few more accidents due to the slick highway that slowed down traffic. Luckily, I experienced only heavy rain and lightning and no wind.

Publication of geocaching podcast interviews with Max/Mike from Clarksville, Wayne (Gaddiel) from Conway and CacheCrazies from Mountain Home will be forthcoming (www.podcast.geostl.com (http://www.podcast.geostl.com))