Have You Ever Been Geocaching?

42 Replies

Geocaching is an outdoor activity in which people use a GPS device to hide and seek containers, called “geocaches” or “caches”, anywhere and everywhere in the world.  James found his first geocache in 2004.  There are log books within the caches to where you can write a message or just log your user name, saying “I was here.”  Some caches are even virtual.  There is also an online site to log your finds.

It was a fun “game” that got us out exploring different places where we wouldn’t otherwise visit. AJ was a baby back then, so I’d stay at home while James would go out traipsing in the Arizona desert, mostly to come home with cholla cactus needles stuck in his socks. Thinking back, I have to laugh because it amazes me that he would venture to some of the places he did and put his hands in “holes” where no one would otherwise dare put their hands (because you just don’t put your hands in unknown holes in Arizona).

The geocaching continued on while AJ was growing up.  This is AJ taking Flat Stanley geocaching (he’s holding Flat Stanley and a GPS):

2010 April 026

And this is AJ getting excited about finding a micro cache:

2010 April 046

Lots of caches also contain little treasures and toys, so it was usually rewarding for AJ to find one.

Fast forward to today and we now have the Pokemon Go phenomenon, not too dissimilar to geocaching, albeit totally different.  I say brilliant.  Okay, not so brilliant when someone is crashing their car into a tree or falling off a cliff due to extreme lack of intelligence (can’t blame an app for stupidity), but still, what a fun family activity when played responsibly!

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My name is Paula.  I run half-marathons.  And I, too, hunt Pokemon.

42 thoughts on “Have You Ever Been Geocaching?”

  1. Brian Lageose

    I’ve been avoiding the Pokemon Go phenom as much as possible, partly because of the backlash the game is receiving for some of the locations they selected, but mostly because I know if I start it, I will become obsessed. When I play video games (yes, I still do) my favorite games are always those that involve finding things to meet a quest. (“Find 50 cleverly-hidden special tokens somewhere in this huge map of 1947 Los Angeles?” I am SO on it.)

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    1. neveradullbling Post author

      Hahaha! You know what… I still play video games too (obviously), so I understand to the Nth degree what you’re saying! And yes, the Pokemon game is just as addicting as all the others… why just last night I caught one that was jumping on my bed while I was trying to go to sleep, can you imagine! I think you should cave to the phenom… go ahead, you know you want to! 😀

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  2. 50in50marathonquest

    what a fabulous recap, i love those pics of taking AJ out for his first geocaches…we’ll have to do that again one day, and the pokemon’s are a ton of fun too, if nothing else i get free-reign to make up loads of silly names!

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    1. neveradullbling Post author

      I actually don’t know what Ingress is… is it another hide and seek or search game? Now what do you mean you created some of the pokestops… are there actual pokestops around you that are using your photographs? Or are you talking figuratively? (haha, maybe I should have a cup of tea before I get on the computer, lol)

      I can’t actually mix my running with pokemon hunting. That would totally sabotage my training, :D! I can, however, search for “spotted” items!! ;D

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      1. SlowRunnerGirl

        Ingress is the game that came before Pokemon, made by Niantic. In Ingress for a long time you could create “portals” by submitting your own photos and naming the spot. When creating Pokemon, they just used those portals and they became Pokestops! So I am not talking figuratively, but I may sound completely nuts. If you think I sound too nuts, ask AJ what I mean rofl!

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      2. neveradullbling Post author

        Hahaha! (I’ve had a couple of sips of my tea now so I’m a bit more alert, lol)
        Nope, you don’t sound nuts at all! I now totally get how it’s all tied together, and I think that is super cool! I actually wondered how they got those pictures for all the millions of pokestops!! Because some are in places where Google maps just doesn’t go! That is so awesome! Wish I could do some hunting over there so I could visit your stops! 😀 (And how on earth did I miss Ingress?? I thought I was pretty up to date on ALL the games, lol)

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      3. SlowRunnerGirl

        Ingress is quite interesting as it has the community aspect Pokemon still lacks. Nothing over defending your territory because an evil enemy player has been up all night and messed with your portals.

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    1. neveradullbling Post author

      Geocaching, scavenger hunting, Pokemon Go… they’re all hide and seek or search and find games. But I think you have to enjoy actual video games to appreciate Pokemon Go as the game goes much deeper than just hunting the little characters. 😀

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  8. Tasha

    Ha!! Couldn’t help but smile seeing young pics of AJ. Whatta cutie pie! I wonder how many Pokeman Go blogs have been started since the release of this new game? And will there be a support system for those who have become so addicted that they have a hard time transitioning back to reality? lol…but surely you aren’t one of those people!! Right Paula? 😀

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    1. neveradullbling Post author

      Hahahaha, right!! I don’t mind playing for an hour or so, or here and there, but thankfully it’s not consuming my every waking hour… although sometimes those little buggers like to have tea with me in the morning and they jump around on my bed at night, but otherwise, I don’t need an intervention… yet, lol! And thanks about AJ! He was such a little sweetie pie! 😀

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  11. gigglingfattie

    My family is a big geocaching family! My dad, dog and brother LOVE it! My dad once took about 2 hours to find a peticular cache and then he took me out a few weeks later to see if I could find it. He stood me in one place and told me all the clues….I turned slowly a little bit, pointed to a tree stump and said “there?” and there it was! HAHA My brother then got into Inverse or something like that, it’s a GPS game like pokemon but you find caches? So like a middle ground connecting geocaching to pokemon go. Now he has tried all 3, and I think he’s still mostly in favour of regular geocaching lol

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    1. neveradullbling Post author

      Lol, I’ll bet your dad was none too pleased you found the cache that fast! Have you tried Pokémon yet? I haven’t tried that other game, but I love the treasure hunting/hide and seek games. They’re the best! 😀

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      1. gigglingfattie

        He was highly amused. Sometimes I will go out with my brother when we have some time together, but he does the looking and I just take my camera and take some pictures while we’re out, then stand there and pull out my very best “clueless girl” and fake whine at him haha. I haven’t tried any of the phone games, even pokemon. But my students keep asking me to send them the link so they can play haha

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  12. theturtle

    It all sounds like fun outdoor activities 🙂
    And look at how your boy has grown 🙂
    My name is Turtle , I don’t run (yet) , I don’t have a phone (so I don’t hunt Pokemon) , but Paula introduced me to squirtle (and I’m in l<3ve) 🙂

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    1. neveradullbling Post author

      Hahahaha! You’re funny! I’m glad you’re enjoying Squirtle! Soon they’ll be making stuffed toys out of them and you’ll need to get you a Squirtle!! And yes, my baby boy is growing up… I guess they all have to (sniff), but he’s only 11, so I’m happy to have another 7 years of him at home! 😀

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  13. hotmessmemoir

    I was wondering what geocaching was b/c someone brought it up on twitter after I posted something about Pokemon Go (which seems to have fizzled recently??). My son and I literally drove around a neighborhood looking for these stupid pokemon.

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    1. neveradullbling Post author

      Did you go Pokémon hunting? Too cool! Go to a nice big park and the Pokémon will be much better… and use your incense while you’re walking around… but you have to walk. They’ll come right to you. As for geocaching, they have an app nowadays for that too, 😀

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  14. The Happy Healthy Kiwi

    I haven’t played myself as it hit here when Raiden was only a day old but I think it’s a fantastic idea, getting people out and about and socializing.

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    1. neveradullbling Post author

      I agree!! It is too fun! So when you’re able, you should try it! Put Raiden in the pram and go hunt you some Pikachu, haha! I’m surprised Zombie hasn’t tried it yet! 😀

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