Even if you are not a seasoned hiker , the great outdoors can offer a wide variety of activities this summer.  Geocaching offers a fun way to break up a hike.  Since 2000 when Geocaching became popular and GPS coordinates became public until today, more than 5 million people are joining in on this outdoor fun.  By those who participate, it is often described as treasure hunting even though what you find may be a plastic toy, coins, or other trinkets, it is the thrill of discovering something that was left behind, the adventure of going somewhere with a goal, and being part of a group that makes geocaching so appealing.  Using GPS coordinates recorded on various geocaching websites terracaching.com and geocaching.com  you follow directions to the hidden item which may be anywhere in parks, hiking trails, the middle of a lake, or in an office building.  Technology and the outdoors don’t seem to mix, but geocaching unites both worlds to make exploring the outdoors fun.  Once you find the hidden item, you record the finding in an enclosed logbook, take the treasure and replace it.  The trinkets can be anything from a pez dispenser, tourist shot glasses, old legos, or even mundane items.  People that love geocaching say it’s not about what they find but the exhilaration in the hunt to find it.  Families love it because instead of haranguing the kids to go outside, parents & kids can make it into a game to enjoy the outdoors bringing everyone together.  Next time you can’t decide what to do, try looking on the websites and head outside, you never know what you might find!

Exploring the outdoors this summer