Geocaching

Geocaching is an outdoor treasure-hunting game in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers (called “geocaches” or “caches”) anywhere in the world. A typical cache is a small waterproof container containing a logbook and “treasure,” usually toys or trinkets of little value. Today, well over 540,000 geocaches are registered on various websites devoted to the pastime. Geocaches are currently placed in over 100 countries around the world and on all seven continents, including Antarctica.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Over spring break we found ourselves with nowhere to go and nothing to do, only made more painful by the long list of friends going to exciting places. We decided to make our own fun by Geocaching.

By registering at the website and typing in your address you might find hundreds of hidden treasures right in your neighborhood, we did. Once we found our locations, printed of the details, borrowed a GPS we were off—–well it is not that simple, you know the drill–snacks, jackets, drinks………. So after we were prepared as we could be, we were off.

We found our first cache fairly easy—-THANK GOODNESS. You know I had an audience that I was trying to sell on this whole deal (and a 15 year old can be very skeptical!) . This activity NEEDED to be more fun than going to the beach or snow-skiing!

Our first cache not only was easy to find but had some special treasures. Each cache can be filled with different items, usually small trinkets.

Some have “travel bugs” and we were lucky to find one in our first find.

Each child chose a little trinket from the cache and in return they each left one that we had brought from home.

We logged our visit in a log book that is usually included in each cache.

Our next cache led us on a wild goose-chase–never to be found.

Our third cache was a wild trek over a barbed wire fence, a boggy field and a small creek, but we did score! This one had a “geocoin.”

The “Travel Bugs” and “Geocoins” are registered by entering their code on the internet when found and then moving them to another geocache. You can watch them move along from cache to cache online.

Our next outing was a multiple cache at none other than a cemetery. Let’s just say it was really really hard and again trying desperately to keep my troops happy I begged the gravedigger (literally) in his backhoe for a clue! Having problems with the second part of the clue we again searched out the gravedigger (now digging a grave) for more help. I am sure this clue asking is NOT okay so if you are a die-hard geocacher or the geocacher police please remember I am out alone with a 15 year old, an 11 year old and a three year old on my back in a backpack—-this justifies clue asking. Finally the two micro caches led us to the final cache. Of course, it happened to be right by where they were digging the grave so all the workmen cheered for us! It only takes us a little applause and now we are totally into geocaching.

All in all it was great fun and we made some great memories! We are the KansasGrasshoppers and we left calling cards in all of the caches we found—-see if you can spot one!