Over fall break, my family developed a new obsession. We began geocaching and now that we've started we can't stop! I wanted to share our new hobby with all of you.
What is geocaching?
Basically, it's a real live treasure hunt happening all over the world. Containers ranging in size from a large bucket to a tiny test tube are hidden by geocachers in every possible geographic area. (Over two million of them!) You sign up online or download geocaching.com's app, get the GPS coordinates, and go find the treasure!
What do you do once you find them?
Well, every cache - no matter how small - has a log so you always sign your name in the log and record your find online or on the app. However, the bigger caches have "treasures" inside - usually cheap plastic toys that my kids get VERY excited about. You take a toy. You leave a toy. Then, you put the cache back where you found it.
Why would I want to do this?
Because it's FUN!!! Seriously, I wasn't sold at first either. My brother-in-law has been geocaching for a while and I never quite got it. Then, over fall break, the national parks were shut down and I wanted something do outside with the boys. You can only take so many walks so I thought I'd give it a try.
We actually didn't find the first one we were looking for but I decided to give it one more try and I can't describe the rush of finding our first cache. Griffin was SO excited. (Seriously, you cannot fake the look of glee in the photo above!) We went on to find three more that day and found one every day for a straight week.
It truly is the best of free family fun. You're outside. You're working together. You're exploring places you haven't been before or might not have gone otherwise. You're spending good quality time together as a family. What more could you possibly ask for?
Is that all there is to it?
Ummmm.... NO. Holy mess, there is like an entire universe of geocaching knowledge. You've got geocoins and caching puzzles and pocket queries. Trust me, it gets intense. However, this post is for beginners and to begin you need not get overwhelmed. You only need the app or a few GPS coordinates from the website to be on your way to some serious family fun!
