It’s spring and I wanted to share a favorite activity of my family. I’m not sure Charlotte could have ever imagined it, but I suspect she might have found it fun anyway! It’s called geocaching, and it is a terrific fun activity for families who love to be outdoors. All over America (and in many foreign places too!) there are containers hidden–some big, some tiny, with little logbooks in them. You use coordinates from an internet site like http://www.geocaching.com , a small GPS (global positioning system) device, and go find the hidden caches. You sign a logbook, sometimes you can leave a small gift item and take a small item from the cache, and you go home and log it. It wouldn’t suprise me to find that many members on this list might have hundreds of caches hidden within a few hours of their homes–maybe even on your street! This sport gets families outside hiking. We’ve been to some beautiful areas that we might not have known to find on our own, seen some beautiful animals, birds, flowers, streams, waterfalls . . . We’ve learned more about geography and orienteering.
This sport is totally free with the purchase of only a GPS unit. These CAN be expensive, but several members of my family have purchased them reconditioned for modest amounts of money. It has afforded us hours and hours of outdoor pleasure, challenged our hiking and climbing skills, our wits, our eyes and ingenuity. . .
Many county extension agencies and conservation areas/parks in my state (Iowa) have free demonstrations where you can show up, borrow a GPS unit, and participate in an introduction to this activity.
There are a variety of get-togethers in every state in America. We are heading to a competition event this Saturday in Iowa. Ask around, find out some information, and see if this idea might be fun for your family! I’ve found that husbands especially get enthusiastic! 🙂
At any rate, GET OUTDOORS! It’s finally above 60 degrees here and I’m starving for the sunshine and fresh air. Happy outdoor adventuring!
Michelle D
