Million Dollar Hobby

I use multi-million dollar satellites to find Tupperware in the woods. 

What's your hobby?

You don't need a lot of things to go GEOCACHING, real world outdoor treasure hunting, but once you get hooked.... you can't help but obtain tools that make the event even more fun. 

We purchased the Premium Membership and an IPhone application for about $45 dollars.  That breaks down to about 0.12c a day... well, not including gas, then maybe a lunch or two while we're out hiking and then if had to figure in the cost of my IPhone and servicing etc... forget about all of that... any hobby that gets you outdoors and exploring is worth the time and money.

Week #18 LIFE'S simple pleasures - Geocaching

My husband and I started this new Hobby almost two years ago.  We thought that we would take basic walking around our neighborhood with the dogs, to the next level.  We now use satellite technology to direct us to the CACHE (container) at GROUND ZERO (the site that it is hidden).

I wont put out too many spoilers, I don't want to ruin the fun if somehow I've intrigued you to start Geocaching.  But the picture above equals frustration.  That's all I'm saying about that.

A typical P&G PARK and Grab can be easily found near convenient parking.  Thus the name.  You don't have to walk through the woods or along a steep path to find this cache. Some cachers like these type of hides because you can increase your number of FINDS quickly, but I honestly like the walks on park paths into the woods, bushwhacking (cut or push one's way in a specified direction through dense vegetation) along the way.

For us the challenge is to make it to GZ (ground zero) and actually find the container.  For others (especially those who Geocache with small children) if they find a little SWAG at the end, the treasure hunt was worth it!

There are some very clever Geocachers out there.  I couldn't help but take one of these cute guys.  SWAG.... stuff we all get (trade stuff, trinkets or treasures).  He was in an ammo box under a beautiful wooden deck perched out into one of the conservation parks water ways (pretty much like a swamp).  We were encouraged to enjoy the wildlife.  It was a beautiful day!!!

This guy we found in a ziploc bag in the ammo canister in the middle of the woods, in a hole, in a huge tree.  I couldn't resist the cute colors.  (He was pretty stinky though).

Depending on the size of the CACHE container you will find all kinds of things.  Because we are smack dab in the middle of nature they ask you not to leave anything persihable that would attract the varmints.  We have seen things like American Flags, funky pens, magnets, McD happy meal toys... you name it... I'm sure some kid would LOVE to have it.  I'm starting to put together my SWAG stash so I have some goodies to leave behind on some of our next adventures.

This is a TRAVEL BUG, an official GEOCACHING trackable metal dog tag.  There are some codes engraved on the back side.  I'm still pretty new to this type of find.  Not even sure if I should have taken it with me.  But, I'm doing research on this one.  If it's trackable... they want the bug to travel from cache to cache hoping that it will move along to different locations.  Then the owners can see where it's traveled to!  More research on that.... but heck, you can't know everything!

You are never asked to do anything illegal.  You need to keep on the posted trails and not trespass and they kindly ask that if you see trash pick it up and take it out with you. A little critical thinking in decrypting a clue never hurt anyone.  Geocache hiders have distinct personalities, our job is to try and figure out what they may have been thinking when they hid the cache.

Geocaching is an Adventure Hidden in Plain Sight.