GEO CACHING

Our new summer activity

I recently learned about a great outdoor activity from a friend of ours.  We were all sitting around a bonfire in our fire talking about what we have been doing this summer and a friend said that they had been Geo Caching.  I had heard about Geo Caching in the past but had really not idea what it was and who would be doing it.  Come to find out it is little a treasure hunt and I would be in love with doing it. 

My youngest son Ethan is the one that goes with me the most.  Aidan my older son does not like it becasue he has not been able to find a cach yet.  And Rusty my husband well  I took him for the 1st time this past weekend and the 1st one we found that day was right off the side of the road, he enjoyed that but the others we were hunting for were at a great park a few towns away off of hiking paths.  Well that was too much exercise for him that day.  So I am not sure I will get him to go again.  I am hoping to get Aidan to try again, maybe just he and I, so he can find one himself. 

Enough of my experiences, here is what Geo Caching is (I got this information off the geocaching.com website):

What is Geo Caching?  

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.

How is the game played?



At its simplest level, geocaching requires these 8 steps:

1. Register for a free Basic Membership.
2. Visit the "Hide & Seek a Cache" page.
3. Enter your postal code and click "search."
4. Choose any geocache from the list and click on its name.
5. Enter the coordinates of the geocache into your GPS Device.
6. Use your GPS device to assist you in finding the hidden geocache.
7. Sign the logbook and return the geocache to its original location.
8. Share your geocaching stories and photos online.

There are many other levels to the game. Keep reading the guide to learn more

What are the rules?



1. If you take something from the geocache (or "cache"), leave something of equal or greater value.
2. Write about your find in the cache logbook.
3. Log your experience at www.geocaching.com.

 What do you need for Geo Caching?

The only necessities are a GPS device or a GPS-enabled mobile phone so that you can navigate to the cache, and a Geocaching.com Membership.

Where are Geo Caches located?

Geocaches can be found all over the world. It is common for geocachers to hide caches in locations that are important to them, reflecting a special interest or skill of the cache owner. These locations can be quite diverse. They may be at your local park, at the end of a long hike, underwater or on the side of a city street.

Ok, so you get the jist of it.  Check out www.geocaching.com.  It is a great site and you can put together list for day trips of Geo Caching.  The above picture is of my husband and my boys when we were geo caching at the park in the woods.  This was a good time because it was the 1st one we had found in the park. 

I can't tell you how much really enjoy this activity and looking forward to trying it when I am on vacation out of state.  We are going to  North Carolina in April 2013 and I am looking for to finding some of them down there.  Wondering if they have some on the beach! 

Please let me know your experiences with Geo Caching if you have any or if you think you may give it a try. 

P.S.  I use a app I downloaded to my Iphone.  It is the offical www.geocaching.com app and it works great.

Happy Geo Caching!!  Susan :)