Geocaching: GPS Teasure Hunting
“Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location.” quote credit: https://www.geocaching.com/guide/default.aspx
I first heard about geocaching from a blurb in a magazine. I honestly don’t even remember which one it was…just that it sounded like a fun family activity and most importantly it was out in nature. Working 8am-5pm in an office with no windows and awful fluorescent lighting makes me wish for more time outside. Time among nature with air that doesn’t feel still/stagnant and light that brings color back to my pale skin. I was hooked with my first geocache. It was exciting going down a path in a public park looking for something in secret. Just knowing that there was a hidden box with a log and items for trade inside was thrilling. My husband and I told our daughter that we were looking for hidden treasure and we had to look out for pirates. She thought it was so cool and instantly found herself in the best stealth-mode a 5 year old could muster. We found the log, signed our names to it and our daughter traded one of her happy meal toys for another small toy in the container. We had successfully completed our first treasure hunt. To follow, we found as many as we had time for over the next few weeks. We quickly realized that the name brand app that you have to pay for is worth the money and that we would never be able to look at a rock wall, tree stump, or nook/cranny again without thinking “I bet there is a cache there” or “that would be a good place for a chache.” Since then we have found over 500 caches over the span of several states. This number will surely continue to rise. We have found some very creatively placed geocaches over the years and even though we feel pretty experienced in it, we know we have only scratched the surface. Any geocachers out there with some good stories or caching tips?? We’d love to hear about it! Write in or comment. For those of you who haven’t gone geocaching and want to try it out or lean more about it check out this website: www.geocaching.com
