GCKZNQ: Paved Paradise

Took the girls out in the morning and went looking for GCKZNQ.

This was the first time I had used CacheMate on my phone (Motorola Q). I don't think I'll ever do anything differently. It is an awesome addition to the GPS.

We got to the parking lot in what used to be the Jefferson City Public Pool. If you scroll down on this page, you can see pictures of what the pool used to look like back in the day. Now, it's a parking lot... a parking lot I parked in.

We followed the GPS to a cement wall that was heavily overgrown with tubors, vines, bushes, weeds. We followed the wall and found an overgrown staircase, went up the staircase and followed the path left by other geocachers.

Back about 10 feet on the right was an old round picnic table. Back further was a an old firepit. We found the cache, an Ammo Box, and opened it up. Inside were two zip lock bags, one with a notebook and the other with cachetoys. Notebook was kinda damp... guess ammo containers aren't really that waterproof.

We didn't have anything to leave, but we took a sticker... rather Lily got excited and took a sticker before I could stop her. It was cool. There were lots of stickers.

We re-hid the cache and got out of there. Was very cool. Very excited about this one. First REAL geocache with an ammo container.

After a good day of geocaching, I always make sure to find a park so the kids can run around. Conviently, most geocaches in cities are somehow associated with a park.

Source for Film Canisters

Was looking around for Film Cansisters online.

B&H Photo Video has packs of 5.
TeacherSource has packs of 40 and 200!!!
Hollywood Mega Store has reel film canisters.

Enjoy!

GeoCaching: Why

One of my friends mentioned geocaching to me a year or so ago, but it didn't register and at the time gps' were unattainable... or I just wasn't interested.

My brother started chirping in my ear about it again and this time it grabbed hold. I am hooked. The concept got me to buy a GPS and sign up on geocaching.com before I had even received the GPS.

We found our first cache about 2 blocks from my house. It was pretty simple located on the street under a wasps nest. It was an altoids tin painted black. Inside was a strong magnet, a ziplock with a log and then there were some blue army men. I was back in my childhood of hiding crap out in the yard... secret stuff.

I'm also not one to just go on a hike or have a hobby. I don't golf, don't go to the gym much (although I'm trying to change that) and lack some imagination when I have the kids and need something to do.

The answer is now: GeoCaching. Wanna go on a hike? Screw that, we're going geocaching and if hiking is involved then so be it. When we're done, we're not going to talk about the hike though, we'll talk about searching all over the place and finding a fake rock that had a bunch of stuff in it... and it was cool.

Hell, this is all I've talked about for the past week or so... have needed something to focus on other than work :) I think I may have successfully sold a bunch of people at work on the concept.

Right now, I'm down visiting my inlaws. Know what I did? Busted out the computer, downloaded 200 of the closest geocaches and we went out. I've never had much of a reason to explore Jefferson City, Missouri. Today, I've been all over the place. We went to parks, strip malls and even a senior's center. Found 1 cache that was the smallest metal container I've ever seen. It had a little thin piece of paper rolled up inside with people's names on it. Later that day, we went back and I took pictures of the girls finding the cache. Someone else had been there and moved it. We found it cause it was only a few feet away. I was just excited cause we weren't the only ones there that day.

We did something though. We got out of the house and went somewhere. Me and my 2 little girls. It was awesome.

Anyway, I'm hooked.

Source for Cache Containers

I've been thinking more and more about making geocaches myself. When finding them, I'm always amazed at some of the containers. Today I started looking around online for places to buy small metal containers.


http://www.sks-bottle.com/
http://www.specialtybottle.com
http://www.oberk.com/

They all roughly carry the same stuff. Some of them allow you to order in smaller quantities than 500 :)

GC19WDN: May the Schwartz be with you

With a newly bought GPS, this was our first cache ever sought.
Found GC19WDN using the GPS. Went out with the two girls and Oscar while Julie took care of some business. Wasn't a difficult cache at all.

Drove to a parking lot next to a creek. Walked across the creek and started looking around the sign. The name of the cache, "May the Schwartz be with you", is a red herring and has nothing to do with the cache at all... kinda stupid actually. Good name, bad application.

After walking around the sign for Washington Park a couple times, found a piece of the screw that looked different. This was the smallest cache I'd ever seen. Only had a slip of paper in it, enough to sign a name and date too.

GCWZVW: They Don't Make Them Like That Anymore

Found GCWZVW before I even had a GPS. Basically, my brother had told me about geocaching and I was instantly hooked. The idea of looking for a treasure was very appealing. Also, I was in desperate need of a hobby.

SO, a couple days later, Julie, Lily, Violet and I had gone to the Saturday market in Downers Grove. We were on our way back and we stopped. I knew by the description on Geocaching.com where this one was.

I opened the container and there was a wasp nest. It took me a minute or so to notice it though. This is an old electrical junction box. I think it's still working. The city has left it there. After I saw the wasps, I closed the door and looked underneath. Sure enough there was a container that turned out to be an Altoids tin with a magnet.

Inside was a zip lock bag with a log and a pencil. There was a couple items in there like a toy soldier. We looked but didn't sign or take/leave anything.

All-in-all this pretty much hooked us. Went home and ordered the gps.