Ever since putting together my list of 5ives last November, I’ve wanted to go geocaching. The only problem is that it involves some technical prowess, of which I have none. That made it easy for me to keep putting it off.
But when my friend Lora over at Tripping With Kids got an idea to host a geocaching blogger event this May, I realized it was time to give it a try.
A GEOCACHING PRIMER
Geocaching is a game of hiding and seeking treasure. To find a cache, you’ll need to pinpoint its location using a GPS.
If you need a primer, head over to the geocaching headquarters at geocaching.com. Here, you can read up on the basics and search for caches near you.
GETTING STARTED
I did plenty of homework before we headed out. After all, I wanted to make sure we were successful.
What exactly did my planning entail? I picked a place I thought would be fun to explore (and one close to nature, I hoped). Since we were visiting relatives in Temecula this weekend, I searched google maps for a local park in the area, then searched on geocaching.com for caches near that park.
Next, I scoured the listings of potential caches that resulted to find those that were designated as “easy” to find. I chose a few, in case we had trouble finding the first one. I also read the notes from recent attempts to find the caches to make sure the treasures were still there and didn’t appear to require any maintenance.
Lastly (and most importantly), I had to procure a handheld GPS device. Not wanting to buy one just for this adventure, we borrowed one from a friend instead.
OUR NOTES FROM THE FIELD
With our GPS and printouts of four potential caches to discover in hand, we set out on what turned out to be one hot day in Temecula. We found the park where I assumed we needed to begin our first hunt and got started.
Not sure which direction to head, we began walking and watching as the coordinates on our GPS got closer to those indicated for the first cache.
The park was lovely, albeit hot. There were wildflowers aplenty, unfamiliar bird sounds drawing us in, and even the far-off sound of a woodpecker hard at work. A little further on and we also spotted a jackrabbit (quite exciting for us city folk)!
Before we knew it, we’d wandered about a quarter of a mile and realized we weren’t anywhere near our target. Our GPS coordinates showed it was at least another half mile to the cache. Best to get back in the car and start driving.
Our hunt for the first cache wound up taking us to the front of a strip mall convenience store, not at all what I had envisioned. And even with good clues, we didn’t find the treasure and decided to move on to cache No. 2. Which took us right back to the park we’d just left.
We succeeded at finding the right coordinates this time, but could not find any cache. The big explorer was loving the hunt, though, rummaging through bushes with dad, determined to find something. After several minutes of searching (and much sweat on everyone’s brows), we decided to move on.
Cache No. 3 took us to another park nearby. We once again quickly found our coordinates but saw no cache anywhere. The kids enjoyed exploring the park, though and the big explorer was definitely enjoying the game, searching every imaginable hiding place he could think of.
One last cache to find. No way we could miss again, right? Wrong! Cache No. 4 was also located in a strip mall and the allure of searching high and low for however long it might take to find this “easy” cache wasn’t worth the effort. Two hours into this adventure and we were all hot, tired and hungry. Time to call it a day.
THE VERDICT
Turns out I was the only one frustrated about not finding any treasure! The hubby was more forgiving of our shortcomings, suggesting that perhaps one or more of the caches were gone/missing and that it might have taken more detective work to find the caches placed in the strip mall. True. That and the fact that we had no idea what we were even looking for.
When I asked the big explorer what he thought of geocaching, I assumed he’d be as frustrated as I was. Instead, he said that he’d had a lot of fun and wanted to try it again back home so we could finally find the illusive treasure. Turns out he’d found his own “treasure” at our first stop in the park, which he didn’t share until we got back home.
Bottom line: We had a great time adventuring together. We played outside, explored new places and went on a treasure hunt. In the end, it didn’t really matter whether we found anything; it was the hunt that made the day.
TAKE-HOME TIPS
I’ve got to admit that this is one activity that requires way too much prep work for my taste. But my hubby and the big explorer thoroughly enjoyed themselves, so I know we’ll be heading out on another geocaching adventure in the future. (I’m thinking of trying letterboxing, too, so who knows?)
If you’d like to try geocaching, I highly encourage it. Here are a few tips to increase your likelihood of success:
- Do your homework. Spend time on geocaching.com to find the right fit for your treasure hunting needs. Familiarize yourself with the precise location of the cache so you won’t be frustrated if you wind up in a strip mall when you wanted to be in a park!
- Take along treasures to place in the cache. Some have items you can take if you leave one of your own. Small items work best, so think stickers, temporary tattoos, marbles and the like.
- Enjoy the hunt. Focus less on the treasure and more on the game. Sure, I wish I had pictures to show of our loot, but I don’t. Not today. But we had a great time just the same.
Debi says
Glad to hear you enjoyed letterboxing, Urszula. We haven't had a chance to try it yet. Searching for gnomes sounds like a lot of fun for the little ones and you alike.
Urszula says
Debi,<br />Did you menage to try a letterboxing? I was wondering about geocatching for quite a long time now but my kids are still too small for that (5, 3, 1.5). Then, I heard about letterboxing. I gave it a try and it was oh so nice experience – we were at visitig a garden and I told my children that we will search for gnomes 😉 And we did 🙂
Debi says
Carolina, I think my persistence comes because I hate failing! Thank God for the kids who are a constant reminder that our time together is never about failing. Still … I look forward to trying letterboxing!<br /><br />Gabriele, glad to hear letterboxing is a hit with your son. Hope to try it soon & will be sure to share!
Gabriele says
You will LOVE letterboxing! My son is a huge fan and it's so much more of a 'treasure hunt' for sure!! We've been at it for nearly a year and can't say enough great things about it!! Can't wait to hear how your first time goes!!
Carolina says
So now I'm wondering about Letterboxing. It sounds like something we did at a National Park once, they called it a quest (which I need to get to writing about soon).<br />You guys were troopers, I would have given up after #2 and headed for lunch. I haven't tried the geocaching thing but am enjoying reading about family's experiences to see if we are ever organized enough to take it
Debi says
MamaJ & Gwynneth, glad to be able to provide some useful tips from our first geocaching experience. I'll look forward to hearing about yours!<br /><br />Beth, we don't have an iPhone, though we did have clues & instructions in hand during our hunt. Love the idea of hiding your own cache to start with!<br /><br />Mel, I'm looking forward to letterboxing. May be more my speed,
Lora says
Debi,<br />Thanks for the valiant effort! I really get how disappointing it is to put so much work into an activity, and still feel like you have no idea how to get it to turn out right. You are a real trooper, and I hope to learn more about letterboxing from you. Thank you for sharing your adventures!
Mel says
That's what would happen to me! That's why we stick to Letterboxing–no technical saavy required and very little prep work. Glad the boys had fun!
Beth says
Do you have an iPhone? There's a great app from geocaching.com that works really well. Did you have the hints and the instructions for each cache? Also, you could hide your own cache to start yourselves out.
Gwynneth Beasley says
Love your tips – I am bookmarking this post for our first geocache!
MamaJ says
Hi Debi,<br />Thanks so much for sharing about this, I never knew about the concept til I read this post! I'm going to file this away in my list of things to do with the boy when he's older!
Debi says
Juliet, I appreciate your understanding! :)<br /><br />Cat, I'd love to hear how your geocaching experience turns out. I'm guessing both the kiddo & hubby will enjoy the hunt! <br /><br />Crystal, I am definitely going to try letterboxing now! Thanks for offering to help! 🙂
Crystal @ Semi-Crunchy Mama says
I love that Big Explorer found his own treasure during your adventures! Isn't it amazing, and eye-opening, how children take different things from certain experiences than we would have expected!<br /><br />I'd still suggest giving letterboxing with your boys a try. I remember you commented on my post the time I wrote about it, but if you ever want to try it out and have any questions,
CatWay says
Thanks for the good advice – especially about having a few caches to look for. A bit disappointing for you all, but I'm glad that your children (and husband had fun). I have found a cache located at our local playground and hope to have a trip to find it soon (need hubbie with his iPhone).
Juliet Robertson says
Hi Debbi<br /><br />A very informative post. Having the attention span of a gnat I share your frustrations with geocaching, but you've explained the process really well. And after all children do see things differently. <br /><br />Best wishes<br />Juliet