Basically it's a worldwide scavenger hunt and our family has been having a blast exploring the area where we live on the hunt for geocache trinkets.
My little brother actually told us about it because he and his friends would go out and do it all night. After doing some research I found tons of information about it and had no idea that it was so popular. There are actually 1,233,975 active geocaches around the world.
Now I cherish my sleep so you won't find me out geocaching overnight, but my family and I have enjoyed spending afternoons and evenings on the hunt. Some we have found in parking lots at Walmart and grocery stores while others we had to go hiking in some local state parks for. We have only found easy to some medium difficulty, but I am intrigued that some geocaches are under the sea and others at the top of a mountain and people spend days searching for them. We have kept most of our searches local except for a couple we found when we went to Hershey Park this summer.
There are also different sizes geocaches, some so small only a teeny tiny piece of paper is inside so you just sign your initials to show you have been there, then others are actual boxes full of little trinkets where you can take something to remember your find. Just remember to leave something behind too!
Dylan with one of our biggest geocaching finds in a local state park. |
The best thing about geocaching is that it is a FREE! A gps is handy to have, but since most peoples phones have one it probably won't be something you have to go out and invest in. Then all you have to pay for is the gas as you get out and explore your neighborhood. It's nice being able to spend a day with the family, being outdoors, and not breaking the budget.
If you were like me and haven't heard about geocaching you can find all the information you need to know by visiting www.geocaching.com. If you sign up, search for our family "beachnightcrawlers" so we can see what you find! Happy Hunting!
Do you and your family geocache?