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Wind Sock Tower at Bob Evans Farm LbNA #69807

Owner:Captain Kirk
Plant date:Apr 14, 2016
Location: Bob Evans Farm, Rte 588
City:Rio Grande
County:Gallia
State:Ohio
Boxes:0
Found by: Not yet found!
Last found:N/A
Last edited:Apr 17, 2016
Bob Evans Farm is a valued member of the community. Not only do they run a family-friendly restaurant and farm, but they open their field to musical concerts, special events, RC Airplane fly-ins, and model rocketry launches. For this reason, we want to make certain not to annoy them or cause them any grief. Technically, this private land that is open to the public, and so we have access.

The village of Rio Grande is small, and features a university, Bob Evans Farms, a couple of shops or stores, a pair of rest areas and not much more. US Route 35 runs a mile north across the region between Gallipolis and Chillecothe.

Take the Rio Grand exit and travel one mile south on Route 325 to Route 588 west. You will pass a McDonalds and a gas station/convenience store on your right. YOU MUST STOP AT THE INTERSECTION OF ROUTE 588. Not all directions must stop, but you DO!

After turning left, east onto rte 588, you will travel over a small rise hilltop for about a mile. During this mile, you will pass a Subway, a BP gas station and a Giovani's pizza chain on your right. Just after the small local No-Tell Motel on the right is the brick entrance to Rio Grande University athletic fields. Turn right through the gate and pause.

From this location you can view the entire Bob Evans Farm valley. On your left across rte 588 is the Bob Evans Restaurant and farm complex. On the right side of the high far ahead, you can spy a small windmill. In the middle of the farm field stands a small white bldg, which is roughly your goal. To your far right are the athletic fields of Rio Grande which are too far and out of bounds.

Counting this brick gateway as the first entrance to the fields, continue east on rte 588 a half a mile. You will pass by a second gated entrance on your right with a signboard. Your goal is the third entrance on the right, which is directly across from Bob Evans Farm complex. This gravel road passes directly in front of the white windmill and then curves to the right, back toward the athletic fields. But, after the curve, on your left you will spy a small wooden structure that is a tower or cupboard with a windsock pole rising above it.

If you didn't know better, you might think this was an airport. And it serves as one for the Radio Controlled airplane flying club. The plaque on it reads "Rio Grande Fliers".

What you seek lies below the tower, in a gap between the cement bricks used to support this tower. Look between the bricks from all sides to spot a Camo-wrapped JIF jar letterbox with a bright yellow lid. Remove from the jar a store bought stamp and a simple log book.
I Hope you brought your own stamp pad, pen and some paper towels to clean up. Please reseal both baggies after doing your business, and replace the jar between the bricks, tucked far enough back not to be seen by the mowers, but able to be found by letterboxers. I am told mowers and the RC Club will move/drag this structure around, so you may have to search a little. Please leave the jar with the writing readable from the outside.

A short distance ahead on this curving gravel road is a stone windmill, a public land mark, and a challenge for hiding a letterbox. Perhaps a later box will be secreted there, if a suitable concealment can be found that won't annoy the mowers and maintenance people.

Do not molest the windsock tower nor the windmill. Return to Rte 588 by driving past the windmill and turning carefully onto the highway when traffic allows. Consider a meal or refreshment at Bob Evans Restaurant just across the street before heading home.

Hike length: 0.1 miles