First Geocache!
I have known about geocaching for some time, but I kept forgetting about it. So, after being reminded of it again, I decided to try it out. I went to geocaching.com and was amazed at the number of caches in our area. There are even some in our neighborhood. So, I decided to try to find one with the kids Thursday on our way to the library. I downloaded the demo of a geocache app for my Android phone and headed to a cache near our home. After following a narrow path into woods by a cypress swamp, we came out empty-handed.
So, we headed to another one near an office building. Unfortunately, we couldn't find that one either. However, we did see plenty of wildlife, including a five foot black rat snake.
So, that night I went back to the website and watched some of the videos for beginners and studied more of the caches in the area. I finally found one with a shoebox size cammo box hidden in the National Cemetery a couple miles away.
On Friday morning my husband reluctantly agreed to come with us and after he used the compass to get us within 7 feet, we began the search. Who should end up spotting the container? My husband. We had found our first treasure and it was a great feeling.
I think geocaching is an attractive hobby for so many people because many of us love the idea of hunting for treasure. We like the idea of having an adventure and having the reward of a treasure at the end of it. You never know what might be in the container and you are allowed to take an item as long as you leave one of equal or greater value.
It's also a great way to discover places in your area that you may not even think to visit. It was a nice drive through the cemetery and a chance to explain to the children about who was buried there. People often hide caches in areas that have a special significance for them or for the history of the area.
Though we are new at geocaching and need more experience in spotting the cache, I encourage you to try it out. Another educational benefit is teaching your children how to follow the compass and use the map on the GPS device.
So, we headed to another one near an office building. Unfortunately, we couldn't find that one either. However, we did see plenty of wildlife, including a five foot black rat snake.
So, that night I went back to the website and watched some of the videos for beginners and studied more of the caches in the area. I finally found one with a shoebox size cammo box hidden in the National Cemetery a couple miles away.
On Friday morning my husband reluctantly agreed to come with us and after he used the compass to get us within 7 feet, we began the search. Who should end up spotting the container? My husband. We had found our first treasure and it was a great feeling.
I think geocaching is an attractive hobby for so many people because many of us love the idea of hunting for treasure. We like the idea of having an adventure and having the reward of a treasure at the end of it. You never know what might be in the container and you are allowed to take an item as long as you leave one of equal or greater value.
It's also a great way to discover places in your area that you may not even think to visit. It was a nice drive through the cemetery and a chance to explain to the children about who was buried there. People often hide caches in areas that have a special significance for them or for the history of the area.
Though we are new at geocaching and need more experience in spotting the cache, I encourage you to try it out. Another educational benefit is teaching your children how to follow the compass and use the map on the GPS device.
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