If you’re seeing new nearby geocaches and nearby Event Caches listed in your weekly installment of the Geocaching Newsletter, you’re already a geocaching mastermind. You know that by pinpointing your location in your profile, the weekly newsletter becomes your personal geocaching assistant. If you’re not seeing new nearby geocaches or Event Caches, simply go to the Manage Location page and move the arrow to a nearby location or type in your home address. This will enter your “Home Coordinates.”
Each week Geocaching HQ will serve up the newest geocaches around your location. We’ll also tell you about nearby events, where you can put geocaching names to faces and meet the geocachers you’ve only seen on log sheets.
Dotting the United States are large concrete arrows. Some point East to West, others, North to South. Are these landing directions for UFOs? The answer has a little more history involved—all of which you can learn by finding geocaches in the “Who Turned Out the Lights?” series. Each geocache in the series is located at one of these abandoned beacons that were used to guide air mail pilots as they made their trans-continental journey. While many of the beacons are little more than ruins at this point, several still have light towers, concrete arrows and even small buildings. This series is another great example of how geocaches can be used as more than just a hobby—you can actually learn about the history of a location and earn a smiley at the same time!
# of Finds:
Varies by geocache
# of Favorite Points:
Varies by geocache
What geocachers are saying:
“We took off at the crack of dawn to get a few caches out east of our place today. This was the 2nd one we went for, and as usual with this series it did not disappoint. Us three agreed that it’s our favorite thus far. Another great description on the cache. Also, a great camo job on the container. We really want to get another in your series asap. Another favorite pt. from us to you. TFTH!!!” – BobbynAnjii Was Here
“OK. This was a committed drive but a fun adventure. I totally enjoyed both of these caches in this series and wish I had time to get them all. Bonus points for marking our Countries history!! Thank you for the adventure.” – Green Achers
“It is a very interesting series from our past and I am thankful that the geocache was placed to get me out here. Thanks again.” – macjohnnv
Photos:
Just follow the arrows. Photo by geocacher BobbynAnjii Was HereAnother arrow. Photo by geocacher LazytsOne of the remaining beacon towers. Photo by geocacher Waldo62This beacon was actually restored and is in use. Photo by geocacher Nitro929
What pieces of history have you discovered while geocaching? Tell us in the comments.
Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog.
If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, leave a comment below with the name of the geocache, the GC code, and why you think we should feature it.
Get ready to find some amazing geocaches this summer!
A Maker Madness event log!
When geocache makers go mad, you’re the real winner. Get this. From March 28 – April 7, over 21,000 geocachers in more than 50 countries took the Maker Pledge. By signing this pledge, geocachers around the world promised to “live and breathe by Favorite Points, obtain joy from long and in-depth logs, perform maintenance when it’s needed (and before), inspire geocachers with photos and stories of your hides, and most of all, hide innovative and creative geocaches.” When these new pledges hide a geocache, there will be thousands of mind-blowing, stunning, life-altering (too much?) new geocaches out in the wild, just waiting for you to discover them.
It’s true, the 11 days of Maker Madness have come to end, but that doesn’t mean we are done saying “hurrah” to great geocaches and their makers. Say thank you to a great geocache maker today, ask them to show you the geocache hiding ropes, and sign your own Maker Pledge. Here are a few resources to keep your creative juices flowing, get inspired, and share the Maker Madness all year long:
Attended by 5,000 or more geocachers, it’s like a Mega-Event of mega proportions. The geocache type shows a new level of appreciation to events that engage, entertain and inform geocachers on a massive scale.
While we know that the metric system prefix giga stands for 1,000,000,000, the name arose from inside the geocaching community and it stuck. So we co-opted the term to stay in line with our current system of events and Mega-Events. And of course, the name Five-Thousand-Event didn’t have the same ring to it.
The first Giga-Event will be held here
When is the first ever Giga-Event? Pack your bags, we’ll see you (and more than 5,000 others) at Project MUNICH2014 in August. There will be others, as Mega-Events continue to grow into Giga-Events. We’ve got your attention, huh? Want to know more about this new geocache type? Check out the Giga-Event FAQ.
You’re part of a worldwide geocaching clean-machine this weekend.
One weekend a year, geocachers around the world join together to help remove trash from geocaching-friendly locations. Cache In Trash Out is simple: you geocache in an area and then take trash out. There are hundreds of events to choose from around the globe, from Bahrain to Brazil, you have choices.
Each person who logs an “Attended” for a CITO event on April 26 or April 27 this year earns a 2014 CITO souvenir for their Geocaching profile. They also earn a sense of accomplishment and probably a few finds along the way. Find or host a CITO event near you and help make this year even more successful.
Last year, geocachers around the globe created the most successful CITO year ever. Over 640 CITO events helped clear more than 50 tons of trash from parks and wild places around the world. That’s a staggering 100,000 pounds (45359.2 kg). This year we hope to cleanup 50% more! Here’s the math.
Worldwide CITO Events: 776
Expected Attendance: ~ 15,000
Individual Geocacher Goal: 1 pound (.5 kilogram) of litter cleanup
Total Cleanup Goal: 75 tons (68,000 kilograms)
But CITO isn’t just removing trash. CITO is also about working together to clear invasive species from parks or plant native trees. And CITO is 365 days a year. Even after CITO weekend is over, it doesn’t mean that CITO has stopped. We encourage every geocacher to practice Cache In Trash Out every time they go geocaching. There are also plenty of CITO events that happen throughout the year. You can look for CITO events in your area or host your own.
