Things can always change given your point of perception. The man down the street may look like as if he is aimlessly staring into the trees at the park, but in reality he is on a treasure hunt. Yes I said it, a treasure hunt. The thrill of finding buried treasure does not have to stop just because we are no longer five and mom isn’t hiding candy in the sandbox. The game has evolved. Welcome to the world of Geocaching, a high tech worldwide treasure hunt.
Spanning six continents Geocaching is a real world treasure hunt with over 2 million active geocaches. The concept behind the game is simple. Find the cache, sign the log book and see what others have left behind. Over 5 million people world-wide are registered geocachers, and players have strategically hidden individual caches for you to find. It is the thrill of the hunt that really can become addictive. The breathtaking and quirky locations, the outdoors and the journeys to find the cache are what the game is really about. Any Smartphone or GPS system can download the Geocaching App. I use the Intro to Geocaching App found in the App Store, it is a free download.
Once everything is loaded open the app and the GPS system will locate your device and the three nearest geocaches to your current location. I was surprised to find that all three were located under a mile away from my office. From here the hunt begins and the app tracks your distance from the cache’s location and offers a hint written by the owner of the cache.
To find the cache can be difficult and may take some time. The majority of Geocaches are located in outdoor environments so make sure to pay attention to what you are standing on and where you are headed. Geocahces can be anything from fake rocks to small ammunition cases.
Once you locate the cache, add your name to the log book located inside and check for travel bugs. Travel bugs move from cache to cache and can be tracked online to see how far they have traveled across the globe. Then place the cache back exactly where you found it. Yes you may get strange glares from on-lookers as you causally remove the bird from the tree, open it, shake it and see what’s inside, but they are just missing out.
Geocaching will take you on beautiful hikes and force you to see things even in your urban setting a new way. Happy Hunting.
The Deets:
What you need?
- Smartphone or GPS System
Application?
- “Intro to Geocaching”, free download
How far?
- Geocaches can range from under a 1 mile to 50 miles in most US States.
Difficulty?
- Easy-Moderate
Features?
- Hiking, Exploring, Scenic Drives, Photo-OP
Extra goodies?
- Online Tracking, Online Community, Global Exploration