Friday Fun - Geocaching

Last Friday was a pretty day, so when Matthew got off the bus, I told him we were going on an adventure. He was game, so I explained to him what I had been reading about geocaching, and showed him the app on my phone. He is very interested in maps and geography, so he thought it looked like fun.

According to geocaching.com, "Geocaching is a free real-world outdoor treasure hunt. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using a smartphone or GPS and can then share their experiences online."

We selected a cache that was 2.5 miles from my home, and headed out in the car in search of our first cache.

It was located in a nearby cemetery, and we got out and consulted the compass and map, directing us to the exact spot.

We were looking for a small rectangle container containing a log to sign.

The description said it was in the area of this small maintenance shed, but not in it, nor near the stones around it. The hint directed us to the northwest corner tree. What had been a beautiful fall day suddenly turned cold and windy, and even after several passes, from different directions (and an unfortunate encounter between shoe and doggie doo), we gave up on this one. It was discouraging not to find the 'treasure' on our first attempt at geocaching, since I have heard good things about the fun involved.

(Looking at the recent logs online, there was one written the day after we were there that said it is not, in fact, a rectangle, but a small bottle, completely soaked. Maybe that's why we didn't find it!)

We cleaned our shoes and left the cemetery to try out another cache nearby. It was located near a historical marker by the side of the road. Matthew was good at consulting the compass for distance and direction between us and the cache.

After looking around the marker, and finally under a rock, we were successful! It was a small waterproof match container with a rolled up paper log inside.

We added the date and our initials, and put it back where we found it for the next geocacher to find. When we got back home, we logged our searches online. Matthew has another search selected already, and we hope to get a chance to try to find it this week.
He also wants to be sure I don't go geocaching without him. :)
I told him that was a deal!