Moonshine Meet & Greet Coming September 29th

[+CYBret]

I wanted to invite you to the Moonshine Meet and Meat and Greet (with bacon) event coming up at the end of September. If you’re not familiar with Moonshine, Illinois, it’s an amazing little town with a population of exactly two. However, every day (Monday through Saturday), hundreds of people pack this town to get one of their signature Moonburgers. It’s become so well known that Moonshine has been featured on CBS Sunday morning and several other programs.

 

More information about Moonshine.

 

I’ve had a cache at Moonshine for about five years now. Cachers from out of the area often complain that they arrived too late for a burger (the grill closes promptly at half-passed noon) and have asked me to put together an event at the store. Just to sweeten the deal a little, there will be an evening cook out event in a nearby town that day as well. Add it that, there are over 40 caches within 10 miles of Moonshine and I think you can expect a great day of caching and fun.

 

Moonshine’s not an easy place to find (it’s one of those “you can’t get there from here” places), so I wanted to mention this in the forums to give everyone a chance to come. This is one of those places you haven't seen in years. If you've got young kids you'll definitely want to bring them to experience it before places like this are all gone.

 

We would love to see you there!

 

 

Bret

 

P.S. The current record at Moonshine is 716 burgers served in one morning. I'm not sure we can beat that, but if we do it'd probably qualify as a Mega Event.

[+Cpt.Blackbeard]

I've had your moonburger cache on the watchlist for a few months now planning to hunt it someday when I could get a moonburger. You are 1 of 11 user(s) watching this cache. It's to early to know if I'll make it but I'll add it to the list and see how it works out.

[+CYBret]

I'd love to see you there, Cap'n.

 

By the way, the times on the cache page are in IlliNOISE time!

[+Cpt.Blackbeard]

I'd love to see you there, Cap'n.

 

By the way, the times on the cache page are in IlliNOISE time!

 

I'd love to go but it will mean taking the day off work, and Saturdays are all overtime.

I'll see how it goes, and you're Central time aren't you, so 10.30 there is 11:30 here?

[+CYBret]

 

I'll see how it goes, and you're Central time aren't you, so 10.30 there is 11:30 here?

 

Uhhhhh....yes....I think that's how it works.

 

By the way, the event is still 2 months away and there are 14 "will attends" on the page with a total of 31 people (plus a few extra who haven't got around to posting yet).

 

Yikes...Helen's gonna kill me!

[+Cpt.Blackbeard]

Hehee, hope there's room outside for the overflow crowd.

 

The best burger I've ever had I bought in Idaho at a place called The Loading Chute. Not sure what town it was in but we stopped there after leaving Craters of the Moon on our way south to Nevada.. If a moon burger is even close to that good it will be well worth the drive to get it.

[+Lord Elwood]

Man, I'd love to attend, but a good friend of mine is getting married that day and with the trip being about 5 hours away, I don't think it'll work.

[+CYBret]

Awwww, I'd love to see you there too, Elwood. Any chance you can talk your friend out of it? Maybe just put the wedding off a week? After all it's JUST a wedding. These are Moonburgers!

 

By my count we've got about 40 confirms so far and it's still 50-some days away. The record at Moonshine is 716 people served in one day and that was set at a motorcycle rally. I dunno...are you cachers going to let a bunch of bikers show you up?? How awesome would it be for the new Moonshine record to be set by Geocachers???

 

[+Lord Elwood]

I tell you, these weddings just keep ruining my Geocaching plans!!! I can't go to the Moonshine Meet & Greet because one friend is getting married. And I can't go to the Ohio Men's Escape Weekend because another friend is getting married (and I'm in that wedding)!

 

Seriously, my friends need to show some respect for Geocaching!

[+Cpt.Blackbeard]

I'd love to meet you as well Elwood. Look on the bright side, fewer siongle friends means fewer future weddings. Maybe they can move the wedding to the moonburger meet and Bret can perform the service.

 

Lets see, 40 cachers eating 716 moonburgers comes out to about 18 burgers apiece. Sorry, not on my best day unless they are White Castle sized, and I have the whole morning to eat that many.

I am really going to try hard to make this one, you are making me hungry for one and I've never even had one.

[+CYBret]

I see the Captain finally committed to Moonshine! Can't wait to see you there!

 

I've had some requests for hotel and camping information in the area. I've added both to the The Moonshine Meet and Meat and Greet (with bacon) event page, plus some information about another event being held in another nearby town later that evening.

 

S'more Meet and Meat and Greet(with Marshmallows)

 

C'mon. What else do we have to do to sweeten the pot?

[+Cpt.Blackbeard]

Darn you Bret, I commit to one and you pop up another choice.

I doubt I'll make it but who knows, we'll see.

I intended to load some local moonshine cachess in my GPS but I just discovered I left it in my mixer at work, grrr.

Oh well, two months left to git'er done. Looking forward to finding one of Your caches for a change.

[+CYBret]

With less than a month to go, the attendance is topping 80 people at Moonshine so far! Only 633 more to go if we're going to break the old Moonshine record!

 

I've set up a bookmark list on the page for some of the quick caches in the area. I'll try to get another list together for some of the more difficult ones and interesting sights.

 

And things are looking great for the S'more Meet and Meat and Greet(with Marshmallows) event that evening. We should be well fed on the 29th!

 

WARNING: If you're over 40 you cannot buy a Triple Bacon Cheese Moonburger without a note from your doctor.

 

[+Cpt.Blackbeard]

Thanks for the list. I've already loaded several but but I'll lod the whole list anyway to be safe. I won't have time to find that many but it always pays to be prepared.

 

And I can forge a Doctors note.

[+5¢]

Moonburgers are the best. This ought to be a really cool day with two events and lots of caches.

[+Jenischmeni]

Hi CYBret! I'm sorry that we didn't meet at the Fall Picnic, but I heard about this event from Anabel. (Who wants to try to make it too.) How far is this from your home town? And if I attend, could I have a few minutes of your time to make inquiries about your town? (I have been doing ancestry research which leads to it.) I'm checking out your campground info.

[+CYBret]

Hi CYBret! I'm sorry that we didn't meet at the Fall Picnic, but I heard about this event from Anabel. (Who wants to try to make it too.) How far is this from your home town? And if I attend, could I have a few minutes of your time to make inquiries about your town? (I have been doing ancestry research which leads to it.) I'm checking out your campground info.

 

Moonshine is about 25 miles south of my hometown. I'd be more than happy to answer all the questions you have about Kansas, IlliNOISE.

[+Jenischmeni]

It'd be very nice, and I'd appreciate learning local lore of the region. As soon as I saw that you were from Kansas, I knew I had to attend. I have a couple of REALLY old books about the early pioneers of the region. I'll try to remember to bring it along, you'd probably enjoy seeing it. (It's fun to read how they 'hunkered down' in the fort to defend themselves against Indian invaders.)

 

I'm going to post my RSVP right after I post this. Nongeo hubby is coming along. (Let's convert him, shall we?) I have a running email with Anabel & Brazilindy and Go-Purdue. It's starting to look like we're all coming & all planning on camping. I saw the three campgrounds you mentioned on the event page. Out of the 3, do you have a recommendation? I'm leaning towards Hickory Holler, but probably only because it's closer. You'd probably know them better than I. I'm supposed to report back to 'the gang' and let them know my opinions (errr your opinion) on a campground.

 

Thanks!

[+Cpt.Blackbeard]

CyBret will anwser your questions IF you give him the proper Geocacher greeting.

[+Jenischmeni]

And the proper geocaching greeting is???? "Oh holy, finder of all caches, I plead with you to answer my query?" Or is there a secret handshake I need to learn?! LOL

[+Cpt.Blackbeard]

And the proper geocaching greeting is???? "Oh holy, finder of all caches, I plead with you to answer my query?" Or is there a secret handshake I need to learn?! LOL

 

Well, I shouldn't be telling you this since technically you must be a member for at least a year first, but us Pirates never have understood technical stuff. This is what you do:

When meeting somone you think might be a geocacher you yell "Ho, are ye a geocacher?" and the correct response is "Yay I a geocacher am I".

 

Upon the confirmation, the two then approach each other, put their left hand on the other person's right shoulder, standing arm's length and dance around in a circle while skipping and singing (very loudly) "Geocachers are we! Runy muny mee! Yaba daba baba. He, he, he!". This should continue for no less than 3 minutes.

 

Afterwards I'm sure he'll gladly answer all your questions.

[+Jenischmeni]

Oooohkay. If that's what I gotta do.

 

BTW...As I understand it and movie have depicted, Pirates view rules as "more of a guideline".

 

Anabel & Brazilindy and I have posted our RSVPs for the event. We're needing to firm up our camping reservations. Do you, Cpt.Blackbeard, or anyone else lurking in the post, have any first hand knowledge of the three different campgrounds? Any preferences? We're leaning toward the Hickory Holler one, only because it's closer and looks nicer in the pictures. We really need to be making reservations pretty quick.

 

I also think Go-Purdue is coming along!

[+CYBret]

Don't listen to the Cap'n. Usually all you have to do is buy me food to get me talking.

 

I'll do some inquiring about the camping situation and hopefully have some answers for you soon.

 

As for talking about Kansas, it sounds like you'll have more stories than I will! I know a few though. It'll be interesting to see how the names line up.

 

It'd be very nice, and I'd appreciate learning local lore of the region. As soon as I saw that you were from Kansas, I knew I had to attend. I have a couple of REALLY old books about the early pioneers of the region. I'll try to remember to bring it along, you'd probably enjoy seeing it. (It's fun to read how they 'hunkered down' in the fort to defend themselves against Indian invaders.)

 

I'm going to post my RSVP right after I post this. Nongeo hubby is coming along. (Let's convert him, shall we?) I have a running email with Anabel & Brazilindy and Go-Purdue. It's starting to look like we're all coming & all planning on camping. I saw the three campgrounds you mentioned on the event page. Out of the 3, do you have a recommendation? I'm leaning towards Hickory Holler, but probably only because it's closer. You'd probably know them better than I. I'm supposed to report back to 'the gang' and let them know my opinions (errr your opinion) on a campground.

 

Thanks!

[+Cpt.Blackbeard]

Don't listen to the Cap'n. Usually all you have to do is buy me food to get me talking.

 

 

Aye, just testing the waters there Matey.

No, I've never camped that close to home, normally if I'm in Illinoise in the evening I'm on my way home from Colorado or Wyoming or other points west and once I cross the Mississippi I don't stop till I'm home.

Looking forward to seeing one and all at the meet though, only two weeks away now. Maybe I'll be healthy again by then, this cough is a killer.

[+CYBret]

I just called Helen to give her a current count on how many to expect. When I said it was up to about 110-112 she didn't even bat an eye.

 

So I asked her, "What would it take to scare you?"

 

She said she didn't even get scared when they told her there could be 1000 motorcyclists there last April.

 

 

 

 

 

I think we have a possible location for Geo-Woodstock '09.

[+Cpt.Blackbeard]

It just occured to me today that I'll be hunting those IllNOISE caches with nothing but the coordinates, I have no PDA and my printer is on the blink. Guess I'd better start making a few notes on types and sizes so I won't spend 2 hours looking for a mystery or puzzle cache at the wrong coodinates.

[+Jenischmeni]

Nonsense, Cpt.Blackbeard! All you need do is buddy up with some fellow geocacher who possesses all you need! Save the ink!

[+CYBret]

Really, it wouldn't be a bad idea for some people to drive on over to ZBQ's event after Moonshine, leave their vehicles in the park and buddy up.

 

On the other hand, you should know that most of the roads down there are laid out in a nice grid. They're nice and straight for the most part.

 

Well....except for that one road.

 

Bret

 

P.S. Hey Cap'n, I got your personalized name tag done today! Hope you like it!

[+Cpt.Blackbeard]

Nonsense, Cpt.Blackbeard! All you need do is buddy up with some fellow geocacher who possesses all you need! Save the ink!

 

Actually I "HOPE" to find several before I arrive at the meet, if I can drag myself out of bed in time.

THe one hour time difference is in my favor going over, against me coming home, as you know.

I can't stay long after the meet, I have a hog roast in Belle Union to attend in the afternoon with a bunch of Cub Scouts but I'll have to play it by ear.

[+Cpt.Blackbeard]

Really, it wouldn't be a bad idea for some people to drive on over to ZBQ's event after Moonshine, leave their vehicles in the park and buddy up.

 

On the other hand, you should know that most of the roads down there are laid out in a nice grid. They're nice and straight for the most part.

 

Well....except for that one road.

 

Bret

 

P.S. Hey Cap'n, I got your personalized name tag done today! Hope you like it!

 

WooHoo! I like it already, sight unseen! Thanks Dude, I don't have anything for you though.

[+5¢]

Can't wait till tomorrow

[+CYBret]

wow. That was fun! You guys rock! Thanks for coming!

 

I'm exhausted.....I'm sore....I have hurty places on my hurty places.

[+Cpt.Blackbeard]

Great day Cybret, thanks for hosting it. Shame I missed the s'mores event but the hog roast was excellent last night.

[+Corp Of Discovery]

Them was some tasty burgers! Thanks for the fun time Cybret (and for the caches of yours I got on the way home too).

[+Jenischmeni]

I had a great time too and am anxious to get back to the region and finish caching there. The gravel (and I am using that term loosely) roads were interesting and my car has a date with the car wash today!

 

A lot of really nice people and a really great time. Thanks for inviting us over!

 

CYBret, I love my mood ring and will treasure it forever! (My first geo bling!)

 

Good food, good friends, good caches! What's better than that?!

[+ClayC]

Yup, had a GREAT time! Good to see everyone again, meet new people, and boy oh boy are those moonburgers GOOD! Cant wait to do it again!

[+CYBret]

 

Enjoy!

[+Stunod]

Very cool, Bret! Sorry we missed it.

 

I bet that hamburger grease would have been flammable...

[+Cpt.Blackbeard]

Love it. I emailed the link to my sometime caching buddy and Brother-in-law last night, I'm in the doghouse with him already because I didn't invite him to the meet, but honest, last I'd heard he was working that day so I didn't mention it to him.

 

I was really hoping to meet Corp of Discovery there but missed him, or her. Perchance is he/r in one of the posted pictures?

[+CYBret]

Love it. I emailed the link to my sometime caching buddy and Brother-in-law last night, I'm in the doghouse with him already because I didn't invite him to the meet, but honest, last I'd heard he was working that day so I didn't mention it to him.

 

I was really hoping to meet Corp of Discovery there but missed him, or her. Perchance is he/r in one of the posted pictures?

 

HERE is a shot of C.o.D. I think you can see him in a few other pics too.

 

By the way, if you notice in the YouTube video, when Buffett sings, "heard about the old time sailor men" I cut to the picture of you...it seemed appropriate.

[+Cpt.Blackbeard]

Love it. I emailed the link to my sometime caching buddy and Brother-in-law last night, I'm in the doghouse with him already because I didn't invite him to the meet, but honest, last I'd heard he was working that day so I didn't mention it to him.

 

I was really hoping to meet Corp of Discovery there but missed him, or her. Perchance is he/r in one of the posted pictures?

 

HERE is a shot of C.o.D. I think you can see him in a few other pics too.

 

By the way, if you notice in the YouTube video, when Buffett sings, "heard about the old time sailor men" I cut to the picture of you...it seemed appropriate.

 

Thanks for the picture, I have a clue what to look for next time.

I noticed the sailor reference, and that picture turned out really well, it looks like I'm making a toast or something. Only you and I know what I was really doing. (Evil laugh). Thanks again for a great day.