Woke up at 6, got dressed, packed up, and moved everything into the car. The Jeep really shows its strength here – plenty of space and comfortable for a long day on the road. After checking out, I received a refund on my credit card for the nights I didn’t stay. By 7, I was already behind the wheel, ready for today’s drive.

My goal: the exit off I-70 that leads to the tiny place called Mingo, Kansas. That’s 392 km one way. Why would I go there? Because after visiting the Trifecta of Original Stash Plaque, the APE cache, and Geocaching HQ, there’s still one more cache that belongs on every geocacher’s list: GC30 – Mingo.

Placed on May 11, 2000, GC30 is the oldest continuously active geocache in the world. While almost all others from that time have been archived or disappeared, this one has survived. It isn’t about a fancy hide or a spectacular location – it’s about history and longevity. For many in the geocaching community, finding GC30 is a pilgrimage.

So off I went, just me and my Jeep. Around the city, the highways are in excellent condition – smooth new pavement. Compared to Seattle and Portland, I also noticed no visible homeless people here, though it seems I’m in a more well-off area with plenty of new developments.

Once north onto I-70, the hours roll by. The landscape shifts into endless stretches of grass and fields, broken only by the occasional house or small village. Outside the Denver area, however, the Interstate turns rough. At times, I had to grip the steering wheel tightly to avoid being pulled left or right by potholes and cracks.

Half a tank later, I stopped to refill at a small gas station in the middle of nowhere. Warm, sunny weather made it a pleasant break before pushing on.

After 3.5 hours, I finally crossed into Kansas and reached Mingo. First, the obligatory photos of the commemorative plaque, the cache itself, and a couple of nearby caches. While sitting in my car, an old man in a pickup pulled up beside me, rolled down his window, and asked if I had found everything. He even gave me a tip about two more caches right down the road, then drove off with a wave. He’d stopped just because he saw me. 😀

Of course, I went after those two – one was a fun gadget cache, the other a TB hotel. From there, I continued to Colby for a quick McDonald’s hamburger before turning back onto I-70 towards Denver.

On the return, I made two short stops for caches: one in Burlington at the Colorado visitor center (picked up some brochures), and another in Limon, where a cache sits right off the Interstate. The Jeep drinks fuel like crazy, but luckily gas here is extremely cheap compared to Norway.

Tonight’s stop: the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Meridian. A fairly new hotel – just 1.5 years old – in a very nice area. At check-in, the receptionist laughed when I mentioned my previous hotel and said, “I am so sorry for you.” She had worked there before and confirmed what I suspected: not the best guests, and police visits were not unusual.

This hotel, on the other hand, makes a great impression. Friendly and helpful staff, a clean and spacious room, good soundproofing, smart TV with streaming, and coffee available all day. Breakfast is included, and they even handed me tips on nearby restaurants. Their stated goal is nothing less than a 10/10 rating every time. Ambition is always good.

Dinner was a takeaway from Panda Express at a nearby mall. Back in the room, food in hand, I felt the 800+ km of the day. Sleep came quickly.