BE WARNED! Geocaching is challenging, fun, free and extremely addicting!
We didn’t really know what to expect. I dusted off a GPS unit that I had been given 2 years prior but had never turned on and stepped out into the late afternoon.
What is a geocache? What will it look like and how will we find it? Bridget and I didn’t know but we were going to find out.
Suddenly we weren’t strolling down the same old streets that we walked everyday, we were searching for elusive treasures. In place of a edge-worn map we had a GPS unit that tracked our location, leading us to the site of our first cache.
I was shocked to learn that there are 221 caches hidden within a 2 mile radius of downtown. The city I thought I knew grew into a mystery that begged to be solved. I watched as people strolled past, seemingly unaware that dozens of caches are nestled in every direction.
Sure, I hadn’t actually found a geocache yet, but I felt like I was a part of an exclusive society and had already began seeing Seattle as a inexhaustible treasure hunting playground.
As we filmed our vlog we grinned like children but searched like earnest, self-important explorers. A horse mounted cop shrugged his shoulders as we crawled on all fours scavenging under mailboxes and flower pots. The GPS said the cache we sought was right under our noses but after Bridget grabbed a grimy “Rodent Hotel” we retreated to scarf a sandwich and rethink our strategy.
The sun began to set behind the curtain of the Olympic mountains as we found our first cache. It was an elated moment of shared triumph. Who knew finding a film canister under a sculpture could lead to so much celebration? We whooped and hollered and by signing our names to the scroll inside the cache we joined the ranks of geocachers world wide and were for a moment the newest members in this awesome exploratory hobby.
There are so many things to love about geocaching; it’s omnipresent, fun, free and it can turn the dreariest afternoon into a quest.
But what I love most about my new hobby is that it has allowed me to view my city with new eyes; the eyes of a curious seeker who knows that around every corner is a new adventure and that everyday is a new treasure.
Start geocaching today by creating a free profile at geocaching.com and discover what treasures lay hidden in your neighborhood.
Tags: Bridget O'Neill, geocache, geocaching, Seattle, waterfront
“But what I love most about my new hobby is that it has allowed me to view my city with new eyes; the eyes of a curious seeker who knows that around every corner is a new adventure and that everyday is a new treasure.”
you nailed it, dude. fun and enlightening times for all.
Thanks Hal, come to Seattle and we can go treasure hunting together!
Hey, that’s a good idea for a tweet-up…hmmmm
REI had some free geocashing classes a few years back, but I never did anything with my unit. I’m going to take my GPS out of the junk drawer again! Thanks Josh for the inspiration.
no prob Scooter! REI is good like that, I have taken bike maintenance classes for free here in Seattle… bust out that unit and get caching!
Good times! The geocaching I’ve done involved taking items with us, getting something where we found the geocache (in our case, an expired coupon) and leaving something for the next person.
yeah, this is something I can get into. If you have an iPhone there is a $10 app that searches for caches around you and acts as a compass/GPS…i can’ wait till I am hiding my own “joshy-caches!”
Okay take me geocaching this week end if we come over–sounds like great fun!!
Wait!– that comment was before I watched the video –Now I really want to geocache in Seattle this weekend!
Participated in my first one just a few months ago with the Girl Guides, so much fun!