Geocaching Is Fun and Healthy Activity

 

This morning my family participated in a geocaching hike at Piccetti Ranch in Cupertino, CA, organized and sponsored by the Mid Peninsula Open Space Preserve (Mid-Pen Open Space for short) and REI.  It was our first time ever doing geocaching of any types.  Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting activity using GPS devices (handheld GPS, iPhone, or Android Phone). The basic idea is to locate hidden containers that may include family-friendly or general trinkets to trade (if you want), called geocaches.  They can be hidden anywhere outdoors - trails, creeks, parks, shopping malls, along freeways, in the water, just to name a few.  Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.  There are over 1.3 million active geocaches and over 5 million geocachers worldwide according to Geocaching.com - the official geocaching website.

Aside from trading some trinkets, you can also sign in on the logbook that is usually tug inside each of the geacache.  Afterward, you can go to Geocaching.com and log your visit on that particular geocache to note that you have found it.  Once you create your account, it will keep track of your findings.  According to the REI guide, the #1 geocacher is from Bay Area and he has found 50,000 geocaches from all places as of today.  You can do geocaching while performing other activity, such as biking, kayaking, traveling, and so on.  Even the International Space Center has geocaches.  The sky is the limit!  You can either check the website to find out more information, talk to someone who is knowledgeable about it, like people in REI, or you can try one of the geocaching hikes available and free through Mid-Pen Open Space (check their website for the schedule, listed under "my favorite links" on the right bar here on the blog).

This is a very fun, engaging, healthy, and educational activity for children, especially.  Instead of watching TV or playing computer games, they can navigate through GPS devices to "hunt for treasures", in a sense it is high tech - like video game remote control and it gives them a sense of real/live adventure instead of virtual screen.  REI lent us their GPS devices today for the hike.  My son really enjoyed it!  He had so much fun searching for geocaches that he didn't even mind or complain about hiking up some steep hills.  We are ready for our next geocaching adventure.  Stay tuned ...