The Center of the Trackable Universe

Trackable Week presents a new story Monday through Friday this week about creative ways to experience Trackables. Geocaching.com Trackables allow people to tag and track an item from location to location. Trackables typically come in three varieties, Geocoins, Travel Bugs® or Promotional Trackables like the “Find the Gecko,” Geico campaign. (Watch a video on Travel Bugs)

See the bottom of this article for a place a share your Trackable stories, links to other Trackable stories and a limited time special offer for 30% of individual orders of Travel Bugs this week only (US costumers only).

Here’s Thursday installment for Trackable Week:

The Center of the Trackable Universe

 

Groundspeak Headquarters cache

Groundspeak Headquarters, known as the Lily Pad, can be found in an eclectic Seattle, Washington neighborhood known as Fremont. The Fremont neighborhood is the self-described, “Center of the Universe.” While astrologically speaking, this is up for debate, Fremont may be the Center of the Universe for Trackables.

Green Travel Bug

Those that walk into the new Headquarters (and we invite all geocachers to visit) see a large treasure chest. The treasure chest could just be the epicenter of the Travel Bug world. Currently, the cache is holding 192 Trackables. You can see the whole list here.

Some have traveled just a few hundred miles and passed through the hands of two or three geocachers.

There’s one Travel Bug that’s put on enough miles to circle the globe and then some. Green Traveling Bug was released in 2005. The goal for the Travel Bug was simple, “Place in big enough caches that are the closest to any VW dealership across the nation.” Soon though the Travel Bug did what Travel Bugs do. It traveled cache to cache, and then traveled some more. It currently has more than 33,000 miles on its four little tires.

Green Travel Bug travels

The Headquarters cache is so extensive there’s even large Tupperware containers, inside the cache. One is where Travel Bugs with mission inside the United States rest between stops. There’s another Tupperware container Travel Bugs with international missions, and yet a third container for geocoins.

Groundspeak Headquarters cache

In the course of a year, thousands of Travel Bugs move in and out of the Groundspeak HQ cache. Here’s a quick list of what Lackeys have seen as Trackables: a giant bear poster, multiple bowling balls, a hand crocheted Signal doll, a hand crocheted hat and beard, a cinder block, a cane and an iron. They’re all Trackable. Each tells a story. Each person who touches and moves that Travel Bug adds to that story. Thank you for helping Trackables move and continue sharing their story.

What story does your Travel Bug tell? Have you ever had a Travel Bug pass through Headquarters?

ADDITIONAL TRACKABLE STORIES:

Go on a mission to take the first geocoin in the world to another country and back

Check out a Travel Bug race with do-it-yourself tips

Watch a soldier receive a Travel Bug tattoo.

Click on the image for 30% off Travel Bugs (US customers only)

Read about a Travel Bug Rescue program.

Share your Trackable stories for a chance to win Trackables.

Review and forward Trackable Etiquette