Jump to content

Not Quite 'Trail Magic,' But Just as Awesome!

Pipanella

By Pipanella
in General geocaching topics

Followers 4

Recommended Posts

Pipanella

Pipanella

Posted
Posted

Okay, so we're down by Indianapolis for our daughter's golf match yesterday and today. We get to the hotel late, and we're hungry. Cracker Barrel is a short distance away, so we decide to walk there. We eat, and on the way back to the hotel, my mom and I decide to go into the winery that is right beside our hotel, while my husband went on back to the hotel. Just as we approach, people are walking out and lights are being turned off. Too late...they're closing! But Mom said to me, "That's okay, we can look in the windows."

 

Just as we get there, a man opened the door and said, "We're just closing, but we're open tomorrow." I noticed his hat, and said, "You've got a geocaching hat on!" For a few seconds, he looked at me, then stepped outside and said, "We've got to talk! What's your user name?" "Pipanella." He stuck out his hand to shake mine and said, "Sept1c_tank!"

 

O

 

M

 

G

 

The conversation at that point accelerated at the speed of light and didn't stop until we'd been invited in, tasted some wine, toured the winery, walked back to our hotel so that I could get my camera, taken pictures, and walked out about an hour later with the gift of a bottle of wine and a very cool meeting with a fellow geocacher that I'd chatted with in GeoChat and had read in the forums, AND had found one of his caches while passing through the area in August.

 

CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?!?!? Don't you just LOVE it when things like that happen? ;)

 

No, he didn't know we were going to be down there.

No, I didn't know he worked there.

Totally unplanned and for sure by chance, although nothing like that really happens by chance, does it?

 

As his co-worker said, "Thirty seconds later, and the chance meeting would never have happened. " And, if he hadn't had the geocaching hat on, the encounter would have lasted a few seconds and would have been unremarkable.

 

We went back the next night (last night), and my husband and I enjoyed more great conversation and some wine, and meeting this extremely interesting, kind and generous individual just enriched our trip to no end.

 

pipnsept1c.jpg

 

Thanks for the memories, Richard! :P

Link to comment
Bluto Fan

+Bluto Fan

Posted
Posted

;) Great story, Pipanella. Small world, after all, isn't it.

 

In a similar vein (but not nearly so serendipitous), I was attending an event cache at a local BBQ place. I was talking to a fellow cacher who wanted me to meet a "newbie" and when I turned to greet him I was face-to-face with a co-worker from the telecom equipment company we both work for.

Link to comment
GreyingJay

+GreyingJay

Posted
Posted

See, I think it would have been funny if your encounter had been just the brief "sorry, we're closed". And then later you two would continue to chat online, oblivious to the fact that you'd met each other.

 

And then one day you'd meet again, and you'd be all like, "Wait... that was YOU!"

 

;)

 

Sounds like a great story though. Small world!

Link to comment
sept1c_tank

+sept1c_tank

Posted
Posted

It was, indeed, a stellar experience. It's always great to meet someone you feel as if you already know, especially if it's a geocacher (especially if it's Pipanella)! <_<

 

Pye: (I wake up every morning hoping to get lucky!) :wacko:

 

PeachyPA: Yes, Chateau Thomas winery, located just west of Indianapolis on I-70. Everyone is welcome to stop and visit; we are open 7 days a week. Nearby are a dozen or so caches including I-70 Traveler's Cache. There are plenty of hotels and restaurants within walking distance.

 

Pip: Meeting you and your family was a highlight in my caching experiences. Let's do it again, sometime. :ph34r:;)

Link to comment
Pipanella

Pipanella

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Well, what really makes it even more remarkable is that not only are we three hours away from home, but we have actually found one of his caches (in August). I mean, think of it..........of all the caches in the Indianapolis area, and we have only found ONE, previous to this trip, and we meet the owner of THAT ONE CACHE. By chance, and in a situation completely unrelated to caching.

 

;)

Edited by Pipanella
Link to comment
team walkingsticks

+team walkingsticks

Posted
Posted

Great Story!!!!

 

I had a similar "almost" encounter like this last summer. I am from Michigan and was heading out to Vermont to do some caching and Mt. climbing. I posted on the forums asking anyone if they knew of any good caches around Burlington.

 

"Flask" responded with a great list.

 

So, I am out in the middle of nowhere in Vermont finding one of her recommended caches and when I get back to my car, her vehicle was parked right next to mine!

 

She saw my Michigan plate, geocache window sticker, and Burlington hotel napkins on the dash and assumed it was me. She left me a note on my window saying hello. Unfortunately, we never did meet face to face. What are the odds of being deep in the middle of the woods and parking next to a fellow cacher that helped you out on the online forums a month earlier?!

 

Too cool. I wish you could have enjoyed the wine part though! Now that sounds fun!

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
Followers 4
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...