Geocaching

So I'm super excited to share about one of our favorite pastimes. It's one that is best explored during the warmer months but not totally impossible during the winter. We just don't get out as much in the winter. 

I'm talking about Geocaching!! Many that I talk to have either never heard of it or are only vaguely familiar. We use the Geocaching app that is free. There is a premium subscription that gives you access to all caches but you can find plenty of free ones as well. 

So what is geocaching? Well it's essentially a worldwide treasure hunt! Here's a little video. A member (anyone) chooses a weatherproof container to hide a log that you sign. Some caches contain a pencil but always bring your own just in case. Sometimes you can find trackables which are little trinkets that can be tracked all over the world. Sometimes there are little gifts like stickers. We once found a tackle box size cache that was located at a beautiful lookout point and it contained a notebook and colored pencils for people to leave drawings. A fantastic idea!

So there are different types of caches as well. There are just the containers that you find with the traditional caches. There are puzzle or mystery caches where you need to solve a riddle, figure out the code, find an answer to a question. You have Multi-Caches which require you to go to several locations to find all the answers as well as the end cache. An Earthcache is a great way to learn something about the locale of that cache. I could be a history fact, geological fact or something else related to the specific area. A virtual cache is one where there has not been a physical object placed. You just need to go there. There are a few other types but these are the most common. 

So why is geocaching such a great activity? Well for starters, it gets you outside! They typically take you to places you may not have known to even exist. It's usually a family friendly activity. Check the difficulty of the cache to see if it's appropriate and it's usually a good idea to wear decent shoes!! Stomping through underbrush in sandals is not really ideal! Geocaching is also a great way to care for nature. Taking along garbage bags to pick up trash is an excellent opportunity to teach your kids about taking care of the natural resources around them! Often at rest stops while traveling we take quick breaks to find caches and break up some of the monotony. 

Below is one of the caches we found under a massive boulder. We had the help of some friends on this one. So if you're up for some adventure and exploring, try out your map reading & treasure hunting skills with Geocaching!