Saturday, October 4, 2014

Our lastest hobby - Geocaching

Many years ago, I heard about a scavenger hunt type activity that I thought would be fun.  You downloaded coordinates from the internet and followed your GPS compass to the spot and found a small container with little trinkets and a paper in it.  This activity is call Geocaching.  I could so get into a game like that, but alas, nothing came of it.

In June of this year, a friend of mine mentioned her family had started geocaching in the local area.  I remembered what I had read years ago.  After questioning her like a criminal accused of a crime, I downloaded the app.  I researched a couple easy finds to insure success and we were off. On Monday, June 23, the boys and I hopped into the car and headed out for a day of treasure hunting.


We found our first cache in a little park near our house.  We hiked up hills and over rocks.  Once we neared the given coordinates, or Ground Zero (GZ), we had to leave the trail.  After much hope, a little dissappointment, and some frustration, the youngest made the find - an army ammo box wedged into a hollow stump of a tree about 6 feet off the ground.

Inside we found more than the treasure we bargained for!  This was an amazing cache with unusual swag.  This can held no McD toys or broken crayons.  There were brand new items with tags and packaging still attached.  There was also, a Travel Bug (TB).

Travel Bugs are items with a special tag on them.  You check the code from the tag on your app and find out what the goal is for this special traveller.  This bug was a small bust of George Washington and his goal was to visit all 50 states.  What a special treat for our very first cache! As we researched where George had been, we realized that he could tag along with us to our vacation to Virginia and add a new state to his list.  So that is where we dropped off George a month after we found him.

From that first find three months ago, the LittleMs and I were hooked. We spent the day wandering from spot to spot in the town and finding the "treasures" hidden from everyone but a few.  We searched behind businesses, in city parks, and along hiking trails.  There were even some in the middle of parking lots and tucked into guardrails.

It is a really fun activity that gets us out and moving.  We discover geographical wonders and learn lessons about earth science and each other.  We have cached with our friends who got us involved and have even passed the obsession on to other friends.

Whether is it geocaching or another activity, can I encourage you to find a hobby that you can share with your kids that gets you out and moving.  Wtih Geocaching, we are not tied to anyone else's timetable. We can spend five minutes or five hours on it at a time.  It costs us nothing. It draws us together in a way that homeschooling does not.  Out on the hunt, we are not teacher and students. We are on even ground with the same goal of find the treasure.  And we have found so much more than caches.

I have found my get moving hobby. Have you found yours? Let's do this!

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