Once the Thanksgiving meal has settled some take the annual trip to the malls and shop. In the past few years, our family has tried our best to reduce the amount of consumer goods that enter the house.
So, instead of visiting the malls, Erik and I decided to go Geocaching at the new recreational facility that the county poured our tax monies into. The facility is huge and was built to be a storm water runoff. It houses several ball fields, tennis courts and bike paths. It is also home to a seven caches called the Chain Gang.
Geocaching is fairly simple. I joined Geocaching.com several years ago after listening to an NPR broadcast. All you need is a membership and a hand held GPS. I have an inexpensive Garmin eTrex that has served me very well for 5 years or so. One plugs in coordinates, latitude and longitude of various hidden caches listed on the web site.
Caches can be found all over the world and are listed by zip code or city. Once entered, follow the GPS and root around for the treasure. We found all four that we were looking for. The caches are all sizes and contain all types of trinkets. The rule is if you take something, then leave something.
Once found, log your visit into the logbook that accompanies the cache. Then replace it in the spot that it was found. That's it. This activity has been a great and inexpensive way to explore our area. We have downloaded caches hidden in places that we've traveled to by boat.
I find it a great activity that I can still enjoy doing with my 16 year old son.
We enjoy the hunt and the stealth involved. Check out the site and type I your address and see what's hidden in your neighborhood.
