treasure hunting

Have you ever dreamed of treasure hunting? Well, using some amazing modern technology, you can do just that! I want to encourage you to consider joining me in my newest hobby, which is great family fun. It is called geocaching.

I first heard of geocaching from a friend of mine named Steve, and as he described it, I became intrigued. Here is what it involves, in brief.

Thousands of people all over the world, and probably some in your immediate neighborhood, have hidden treasures (caches) in a wide variety of places, mostly state and local parks. And, using a GPS (Global Positioning System), they have given a precise address (latitude and longitude) to the location of their cache. If you have the coordinates, your GPS can take you very close to the hidden treasure - within 6-20 feet. Then, you have to find it, using a little ingenuity.

Here’s how I got started. First, I borrowed my dad’s GPS. Then, I went to http://www.geocaching.com and opened a free account. I typed in my zip code and the coordinates of my home, which I was able to get off of the GPS. The website then showed me to a list of caches in my neighborhood, and I typed in the coordinates of the nearest one. I was ready to go!

I enlisted the help of my lovely daughter, Audrey. I drove, and from the back seat she read the GPS, which showed her which direction to go, and let us know how close we were getting. As she continually advised me where to go and whether I was getting closer or farther away, our excitement was building. Finally, we knew we were there - close enough to park the car and walk around, searching. After a few minutes, we found it! It was a mini-cache; a film canister which contained only a logbook. We signed the logbook, and put it back for the next seeker. We are hooked!

Another excursion brought the whole family to a park within a few miles of our home, where we found a well-hidden cache; a camouflage weatherproof bag wired under the branch of an evergreen tree. This one contained trinkets. Each of our kids took one, and under the geocaching honor system, each kid left something for future cache seekers.

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog. I hope this new hobby of mine intrigues you. If you ever give geocaching a chance, shoot me a quick email, and let me know what you think!

God Bless!

For more detailed information on geocaching, here is a great link - http://www.geocaching.com/faq/