a few days ago, my good friend Loyd told Jessie and I about Geocaching. we both lit up as he described the website, clues, GPS, and logbooks. over the weekend i registered for the website, and today we took some time in between selling (YES, we did work today) to do a little caching.
Our first adventure took us to a local spot in Milner. The hider of the cache, which can be anything from a pill bottle to a large bucket, registers the coordinates and clues on the website. they all have names and are rated by difficulty, so you know what you're getting into. in case you happen to be wearing dress clothes and sandals. ahem. this one was called I Can See The Light, and was rated a 1/5, so it's an easy one. BUT we were first timers, and this cache eluded us. quite the sight, us walking around the side of the road with our phones out, trying to match our steps to the exact coordinates. we poked around under bushes, in a hollow tree, behind a trash can. no luck. as we pulled away, defeated, Jessie said..."we should have checked back there near those trees." she was right....we later learned that it IS there, but we have yet to go back.
we still had a few minutes before my first appointment, so we read the next cache clue, titled Open House. as i read the description, Jessie let out a squeal. "i know where that is!!" off we go. we found the general spot, pulled over and got out. on the side of the highway. (yes, you must be very careful while treasure hunting!) it took just a few minutes, and i triumphantly pulled the cache from it's hiding spot. we were GIDDY. needless to say, i was hooked from that moment.
Jessie with our first find!
the rest of the day i had thoughts of bringing Adam out, how much Charlie would love it, about hiding our own and posting them to the site. this is something that we can do as a family, pack a cooler and go for the day. it's something different. a lot of people already know about this, but i had no "clue". harhar. ;)
next we pulled up The Big Red G, which instantly we knew was near the UGA campus in Griffin. the clues led us to a nearby bridge, and even though it was a little creepy, Jessie found the cache, again with the happy squeal. signing the log books is so much fun.
me signing in at The Big Red G cache:
throughout the day, we hit a couple more caches. Jessie is much more patient with it than me. at one point, while tramping through some wooded area and cursing the briers and mosquitoes, i was ready to give up on that one. i could tell that not finding it was going to drive her nuts. in fact, she may be back there as i type this.
one of my clients to see today was in Zebulon, so OF COURSE we went ahead and made a stop at one last cache. the clue led us to a place of business that was open. it also mentioned that the people there would know what you were up to, and not to be shy. after a few minutes of searching with no luck, we went inside and met a super nice man named Mike. Mike was very excited when we realized what we were up to, and immediately came outside with us for a little guidance. after signing his log, we talked about how it was our first time ever Geocaching, and that we both loved it. he said he's been at it for almost 5 years. :O where have i been??
there are over a million geocaches hidden all over the world. it can be something as simple as the thrill of the hunt, and signing your name alongside the treasure hunters there before you. to me, that was the best part. i am in love with this, and i can't wait to share it with my family! sign up if you haven't already, and go on your own adventure. just don't forget the GPS. this IS 2010, after all. ;)
jessie discovering treasure at Birdie Clubhouse:
the fun starts here:
http://www.geocaching.com/
i hope some more new people discover this and love it as much as i already do.
3 comments:
We went on our first one the morning of the Mehaber; the cache was next to an Ethiopian coffee shop. And there is at least one in Addis Ababa, no? But question: how do you use your phone to do it?! I assumed you had to have fancy schmancy GPS gear...
Well, you've gotten us hooked! Apparently we're either really terrible at it, or the caches around here are super crafty (most of them are either micros or nanos, and can be shockingly tiny). We've found 8 so far, but have tried and failed a whole bunch more. I get frustrated pretty easily, but the thrill of the find is so, so worth it!
One of my (many) favorite things about geocaching is seeking a few out when you find yourself in a new town. It's a free tour of the town, and usually some pretty interesting places you might not have found on your own.
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