As children, tons of people watch movies, read books, and hear stories about legendary treasure hunters who go on wild adventures and bring home ridiculous souvenirs. Just imagine a life like Huckleberry Finn, Jack Sparrow, or Ben Gates from "National Treasure." As pessimistic as I might sound saying this, becoming a professional treasure hunter might not be the most realistic career choice in today's society. But despite that fact, anyone and everyone can now partake in one of the world's fastest growing trends: Geocaching.
Just over fifteen years ago, the creator of Geocache decided to create an online database that logs and updates every Geocache across the country. The way Geocaching works is to start by downloading the free app on your smart phone, or visiting the Geocaching website on your computer. After that, you simply click on one of the many available caches that you want to find and follow the GPS to its general location. The GPS won't show you exactly where the cache is, that would defeat the fun of hunting for the "treasure." After you get to the general location, you follow clues and hints left by the creator to locate the cache.
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I decided that I wanted to go ahead and try it for myself. My friend and I downloaded the app and believe it or not there was a cache within 500 feet of where we were. We took a short walk through the woods and my phone started going crazy with notifications that we were right on top of it! We then used the description and a few of the clues to find the exact spot of the cache.
The cache we found was a pretty small one that was hidden in the latch of a removable guardrail. We opened it up to find what things were hidden inside. Typically there is a logbook to keep track of who has found the cache, maybe a few knickknacks to trade that the hunters can swap out for if they want, and every now and then you might find a collectible that can be tracked form one cache to another.
All in all, this was an amazing experience. It wasn't super difficult (keep in mind we just tried some of the beginner caches) and it was really enjoyable. Once you actually find the cache it becomes a rewarding experience due to the simple fact that you succeeded on your mission.
Geocaching is something I would definitely recommend to people who are looking for something to do. With a growing supply of over two million caches, you'll never run out of things to look for!
