Geocaching: Guest Post from Jessica!

I've been a LITTLE busy lately (nah...throwing together a full show in this short of time is no big deal. Who am I kidding? I've got LOADS of free time! =P), so I asked my host mama to write a guest post for me! She loves reading my blog and LOVES geocaching, so I figured she was the perfect person to ask! She jumped at the chance to write for me! =) So, without further ado, here is Jessica's post explaining her favorite pasttime...Geocaching! Thanks for writing, Jessica! =)

From Jessica:

"Chances are, you've been within feet of a geocache in the past and didn't know it!"

Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunting game using a GPS-enabled device. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (also called a cache) hidden at that location.

Geocaches can be found all over the world (currently there are 1,986,244). It is common for geocachers to hide caches in locations that are important to them, reflecting a special interest or skill of the cache owner. These locations can be quite diverse. They may be at your local park, at the end of a long hike, on the side of a city street, even the local Wal-Mart parking lot.

The great thing about Geocaching is the adventure on the way to the cache. Because of Geocaching my husband and I have traveled down roads and ventured to places we might not have otherwise gone. We have made friends and created memories that will last a lifetime.

Minimal to no investment is required to enjoy this hobby. Most people already have the tools needed for participation. Access to the internet, a GPS enabled smartphone, and a pen (to sign the log in the cache) and you are ready to go Geocaching!

Geocaches come in many shapes and sizes. The traditional caching container is “the ammo can”. But of course it is hard to hide larger sized containers like that in heavily populated public places, so a common hide is “the micro or nano”. Larger containers have SWAG (Stuff We All Get) like small toys, tradeable items, and travel bugs (visit the geocaching website for more information on TB’s). Micros & Nanos generally require you “bring your own pen” (BYOP).

Proper geocaching etiquette requests that if you take something from a cache you leave something of equal or greater value. But generally the trade items are for kid-cachers. Also when you post your find on the Geocaching website, please share your adventure, what did you see or do along the way? Did something funny happen? Share your story so the cache owner will know how you enjoyed the adventure.

My first cache!

A happy lil' froggy we found one night while night caching!

Edward and Jessica's favorite cache! In Oklahoma!

A nano cache. It's SOOOOO tiny!

You've got to get creative when looking for the cache hiding places

A steep, STEEP path made out of roofing shingles

The name of this cache? "First Finger" - the finger was on the back of a tree, and the log is in that Bison tube dangling off the finger. Some caches are VERY creative.

Some of Jessica's favorites! Slugbugs and geocaching!