It’s Friday and you’ve made it through the week! You’re ready to have some fun, but what to do? So many people these days are tight on funds, and now even just getting someplace can cost you major cash (gas is $3.55 by me). It’s definitely time to stay local.
That’s where geocaching comes into play. Geocaching is a global-wide game of hide-and-seek. I first learned of geocaching about 12 years ago, and Mr. Sally J and I have dabbled with it ever since. All over the world, people have hidden “caches” — typically small boxes filled with random or themed-based items. The hider enters the cache’s GPS coordinates on a geocaching website like geocaching.com and then the game is on! Geocachers, using a GPS device, will seek the cache, and then record on the website when they find it.
That’s pretty much it, but it’s more fun than it sounds. Geocaching can give purpose to a neighborhood walk, a reason to explore a nearby park, or even parking lot. We’ve found caches in and around parks, apartment complexes and parking lots (it was hidden in the light pole). Once you’ve found the cache, there’s usually a log book so you can track your visit, and maybe instructions on taking or leaving a trinket.
Don’t have a GPS device? Well guess what, your iPhone can be used a GPS! The GPS device is really the only expense in this activity. It’s a fun way to get exercise, spend time with friends or family, and you just never know what you might find in a cache box!
2 replies on “Cheap Weekend Fun: Geocaching”
This sounds like so much fun! I’m always on the hunt for fun ways to explore my city, and it is hard to convince my exploring-partner to “just go for a walk”–if he’s going to walk, he wants a purpose, haha. Thanks for bringing this community to my attention!
Oh man. My uncle is really into geocaching and a huge part of its community. It can be so much fun, but the challenging caches are SUPER challenging–think climbing up on roofs and into trees and finding tiny film canisters buried in a forest. It’s pretty intense.
If you do find a cache, like this says, it’s considered good manners to leave a trinket for the next person (this can be a lot of things depending on the cache). I know my uncle leaves things like keychains, stickers, small toys, etc. for kids to find.