Latest news with #Geocaching
American Press
11-07-2025
- American Press
Geocaching: Playing hide and seek in Sam Houston Jones State Park
Geocaches are hide-and-seek containers purposely hidden, eagerly sought, and enthusiastically found by hobbyists around the world. Geocachers use a geocaching app, found at to view maps of nearby geocaches and to log their finds. (Emily Burleigh / American Press) At the beginning of June, my best friend of 14 years, Wesley Jackson, and I embarked on a new adventure: geocaching. In a time where digital worlds dominate the day-to-day, geocaching offers a real-world adventure that uses the technology that keeps us indoors. A modern-day treasure hunt, geocaching invites people of all ages to get outside, engage with the environment and find hidden containers (geocaches) anywhere and everywhere. Geocaching was created in 2000 by Dave Ulmer after the United States Government fixed a GPS error called GPS signal degradation, making GPS devices significantly more accurate. It was originally called 'Great American GPS Stash Hunt,' and after a few passionate hobbyists with pencils, paper and a whole lot of creativity picked up the game, it spread like wildfire. The process is much simpler in 2025. You download the app – Geocaching – to your GPS-enabled mobile device, create an account and look for the caches. On June 6, I did just that before picking up Wesley and making our way to Sam Houston Jones State Park. Taking a hike in Sam Houston Jones State Park is one of our favorite Friday activities, so we were familiar with the trails. And a quick glance at the app showed us that there are dozens of geocaches throughout the park, especially on our favorite trail: the Orange Trail. The Orange Trail runs alongside the Calcasieu River. You'll often encounter animals – squirrels, rabbits, snakes – and boaters blasting Top 100 Hits as they ride the water. Friday was no exception, except instead of just walking the trail, Wesley and I were on the hunt. The 1.9-mile trail usually takes us about 30 minutes to traverse, but this time around, we were there for an hour and a half. That is because there are 12 geocaches on the Orange Trail. I did the math – we averaged about nine minutes per geocache. Then I did more math – we only found 66 percent of the nine geoaches we attempted. While these stats might be a bit embarrassing, it's certainly because we were not prepared. We quickly learned a few lessons. One: Bring. Bug. Spray. And if you can, wear pants. As park regulars, we were not expecting the trees to fight back, but we walked out of that trail with some battle scars. Two: Bring trinkets! I've never met someone who geocaches, but what we discovered is that the hobby has a thriving (and fun) community. All of the caches we did manage to find had papers with dozens of names of geocachers who have found them within just the past few months. Alongside them were chotskies left behind. After stalking a few forums, I learned that this is a common practice. Leave a doohickey. Take a doohickey. Three: Geocaching is a skill. The difficulty ranges from 'hidden behind a piece of bark on the ground,' or difficulty one, to 'I don't think this geocache actually exists,' difficulty five. They also range in size, typically from 'micro' to 'large.' We mostly found the micros, and never encountered anything bigger than 'small.' Wesley and I left the trail sweaty and scratched up, but filled with a deep sense of community that we've been longing for. There is a message board for each cache called 'past logs' where you can see messages from fellow geocachers who found (or didn't find) the loot like, 'Found! Too scared to touch at first' and 'Thanks for my first find! My 6 year old loved it!' In the end, the both of us found solace knowing that we would be back on their trail soon to find the caches that evaded us, excited to share our successes with our newfound treasure-hunting friends.
Axios
11-07-2025
- Axios
Geocaching celebrates 25 years of treasure hunting
Brian Klinger has dug under bushes, climbed up trees and waded through swamps to find hidden treasure. The reward? Usually just the chance to sign his name in a logbook. The Columbus teacher is a geocacher, and for millions like him, the hobby is more about the journey than the destination. Why it matters: Geocaching, a global treasure hunting game, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The free game encourages people to explore places familiar and new. State of play: The first cache was placed in Oregon by a GPS enthusiast in 2000, and now there are over 3 million around the world. That includes nearly 700 located within 10 miles of downtown Columbus, per Chris Ronan, spokesperson for the official Geocaching website. 👀 They're all around you: tucked inside tree hollows, under park benches or hanging on chain-link fences. The locations are just sneaky enough that non-players (known as "muggles," like in Harry Potter) are unlikely to discover and take them. How it works: Anyone can post caches to the Geocaching site with coordinates guiding seekers to an approximate spot. Clues sometimes offer help. It's an accessible game for all ages and abilities — caches range in difficulty, from quick grabs to requiring all-day hikes or lengthy puzzles to solve. Flashback: Klinger, the Columbus teacher, had never heard of geocaching when his daughter brought home a toy found inside a cache near their home in 2008. He set out to find others across town and was quickly hooked. Then came whole geocaching trips all over the country, and Klinger became the leader of the Central Ohio GeoCachers group. Stunning stat: Klinger logged his 10,000th cache last year in Oklahoma City, a milestone involving a horror-themed escape room. He especially loves group outings and "experience" caches like that one. The other side: Others find joy in simply locating as many as possible. One friend has racked up nearly 50,000 over the years. "That's what I love about geocaching," Klinger tells Axios. "Everyone makes it what they want it to be." Klinger's advice for getting started
Scottish Sun
27-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
20 days out for under a tenner as Scots schools break up for summer holidays
The holidays don't need to pull on the old purse strings SCHOOL'S OUT 20 days out for under a tenner as Scots schools break up for summer holidays WITH the schools finishing up for summer, keeping the youngsters entertained without breaking the bank can feel like a monumental task. But fear not - Scotland is brimming with great budget-friendly activities for the kiddos. Advertisement 1 Here are 20 of the best activities to do this summer for less than £10 Credit: Alamy To help make the most of the long break, we've rounded up 20 of the best activities to do across Scotland all for under a tenner that promise to keep the boredom at bay. GET ACTIVE SMASH IT: Kids can enjoy free tennis camps. Visit RUNNING ON EMPTY: Junior Parkruns offer free 2km jogs across the country for ages four to 14. WHEELY FUN: Find safe family bike rides at 50-family-friendly-cycle-routes-uk. Advertisement SPLASH HAPPY: Cool off at a local splash park with water jets on a sunny day. IN THE SWIM: Some councils offer free swimming sessions during the holidays. Check your local pool, for example: CATCH OF THE DAY: For a quieter sporting day out, consider fishing. See EXPLORE AND DISCOVER MUSEUM FUN: Many museums offer free entry (check booking requirements). The National Museum in Edinburgh has free entry and interactive kids' activities. FIND A FOSSIL: Unearth ancient animal or dinosaur remains. Find locations at Advertisement FIND TREASURE: Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunt. Use the Geocaching app or visit Cheapest family holiday destinations for summer 2025 revealed FEELING TWITCHY: Spread your wings and try some birdwatching. Download a spotter sheet and build a bird feeder. A pair of binoculars wouldn't go amiss either. A NATIONAL TREASURE: Discover free-entry historic houses and gardens like Callendar House and Park in Falkirk. DOWN ON THE FARM: Visit your nearest farm for cheap or free entry. Kids under five go free at the National Museum of Rural Life in East Kilbride or it's £9 for an annual pass for youngsters. Dalscone Farm in Dumfries is also a hotspot - with entry fees starting at a tenner. TRAIL GRAIL: Look for family trails in your local town or spot statues or sculptures. Advertisement CREATIVE AND EDUCATIONAL PLANT A SEED: Check for free events at your local garden centre. Dobbies Garden Centres are offering free sensory workshops and families can enjoy low prices on soft play and kids can eat for just £1. BOOKWORM BONUS: Visit your local library for the annual Summer Reading Challenge. This year's theme is Story Garden which focuses on nature and the great outdoors. Kids earn rewards and a certificate for reading during the holidays. FIND FREE FOOD: Introduce youngsters to foraging. Look for wild strawberries in July and blackberries in August. GOING POTTY: has free fun, Harry Potter resources for rainy days. EVENTS AND FESTIVALS FREE FESTIVALS: Check out local event sites or your council website for free festivals. Find more options at Advertisement FLOAT YOUR BOAT: Look out for carnival parades and save money by bringing a picnic. UP, UP AND AWAY: The Strathaven Balloon Festival is a free, three-day event in Strathaven Park with hot air balloons, live music, a funfair and stalls. This year it runs from Auust 22-24.
