Our First Geocache

We did our first geo cache on Thursday. A geo cache is a "treasure" hidden by a GPS user who then logs the GPS coordinates on the web site www.geocaching.com.
You then use your gps and the coordinates to find the treasure, usually in a plastic container. You then sign the log, and record your find on the web site's log for that specific geo cache. The rule is if you take something, that you replace it, and also record what you took and left.

For our first geo cache, we tried the bensalem community park cache (Click here: (GCX4BC) Bensalem Community Park Cache by scifiguy), which is in the local park near our house. It was in the hiking trail in part of the park. The neat thing is we never even knew there was a hiking trail there! this is the park we go to frequently to take the kids to the playground, and also where Shayna did cheerleading a few years ago for the Bucks County Bears. Also, near the site of the geo cache was a cute little brook. The cache was cleverly hidden under a fallen tree, and I foudn out later by reading the online log that the previous visitors had made it even harder to find by hiding it much better.

Here is where it was hidden. Where would you have looked??? A ha! You have to move the tree bark away to find the secret hiding area beneath the fallen tree!
Shayna is pointing to the cache:
Checking out what is inside the box. there was a LOT of stuff in there! Even a baby toy- the star Skyler is holding:
The lid of the box:
The log book:
All of the cool stuff inside the box:

Skyler checking out the stuff: What we took- a mini alien toy (not pictured) and the Intel bunnyman TRAVEL BUG!!!

A travel bug has his own site on the geocaching site. he comes with a tag and number. if you go to this site, you can see his history, the stories about where he has traveled and what he has done, including photos:

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?tracker=526628

This travel bug, the Bunnyman, is named "Son of a sailorman." His mission is to visit every state of the US that has a working light house. he has a dog tag on him with the web site www.groundspeak.com and his serial # is 526628. We plan on taking him with us on vacation in November, taking lots of photos of him at various locales (including his mission, to see lighthouses), and then dropping him off at a geo cache in Florida so he can continue his mission.

How appropriate we found the "sailor man" one, being that Manny loves boating so much and we all love the water. We are the perfect family for him.

One thing I love about the travel bug concept is it reminds me of the gnome in the movie "Amelie" which I LOVED.

To read about what a travel bug is go here:

http://www.geocaching.com/track/faq.aspx

*By the way- we are hooked on geo caching and can't wait to do another one!