February 26, 2014 / Derek H /

This one is a shoe-in. — Tree of Soles (GC27XEW) — Geocache of the Week

The Tree of Soles. Photo by geocacher RebelGTP

Geocache Name:

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

1.5/1.5

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

In my opinion, one of the coolest parts of geocaching is finding places you never would’ve seen before. Whether it’s a scenic lookout, a city park, a landmark—or in this case, something a little stranger. One of the running themes in the Found It logs for Tree of Soles is that it never would have been visited had there not been a geocache there. Think about your neighborhood, is there a secret amazing place that people should know about? It doesn’t have to be elaborate, just a new discovery to add a little delight to their day. If there is, consider hiding a geocache there and share that place with the world.

# of Finds:

149

# of Favorite Points:

What geocachers are saying:

“Wow…we’ve been to a ‘mug tree’ and we’ve been to a ‘shoe corner’, but we’ve never been to a ‘shoe tree’ until today! Life is full of surprises…thanks for bringing us here!” — JustUsTwo

“We added two pairs!!! My mom says her friend has been tossing her shoes into this tree since she was a teenager!! Too funny! They also call this ‘Roller Coaster Road’. I wonder how many pairs are lying in the woods here?? TFTC!” – getn froggy

“Awesome sight. Threw some wayward shoes back up there where they belong. Once again geocaching takes me to another cool place I never knew about.” – Aiwendil67

Photos:

There's something special about this place, but I can't quite put my foot on it. Photo by geocacher madameyounger — There’s something special about this place, but I can’t quite put my foot on it. Photo by geocacher madameyounger

Sunset at the tree of soles. Photo by geocacher MASIE2012

Walking a mile in these shoes may prove to be difficult. Photo by geocacher TomEagle55

See More Photos

What’s your favorite thing you’ve seen that you never would’ve discovered without geocaching? Post your stories and photos 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.

February 26, 2014 / Derek H /

Picture This: A Geocaching Trackable Frames a Journey

Geocaching trackables travel far and wide—hopping from geocache to geocache in the hands of geocachers. If we could hear the stories they had to tell, we’d have an endless supply of tales that include action, adventure, love and maybe even some sci-fi. We haven’t developed talking trackables just yet (soon?), but they can still tell a story via the pictures you post on the trackable’s page. The next time you pick up a Travel Bug or Geocoin, make sure to add to the story and post a photo of its journey to the next geocache. You could help tell a story like Kelly Frazee (geocaching name: kelwin).

Kelly recently had the opportunity to take a picture perfect bike tour across Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand—and she brought along the perfect travel companion: a Geocaching trackable. The trackable, “Picture This” (TBKXCT), is an ornate wooden frame and has the mission to collect as many interesting photos as possible. So as she pedaled along the Silk Roads, she took photos of the trackable and posted them in a note on the trackable’s page. Here are a few photos of this amazing journey:

Wat Phra Si Sanphet Ayutthaya, Thailand Photo by Kelly Frazee

Bayon Temple Siem Reap, Cambodia Photo by Kelly Frazee

Downtown Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Photo by Kelly Frazee

Angkor Wat Temple Siem Reap, Cambodia Photo by Kelly Frazee

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Photo by Kelly Frazee

Have you taken any trackables to amazing locations? Tell the story and post the photos below.

February 24, 2014 / Derek H /

5 Geocaching Etiquette Tips

Keep your geocaching skills on the up-and-up.

There are two steps to any geocache: 1) it’s hidden and 2) others are challenged to find it. As easy as that is, it’s even easier to make sure you’re keeping your geocaching adventures on the up-and-up. Check out five helpful geocaching etiquette tips below or just watch the geocaching etiquette video.

Bring a Pen – It’s like the first day of school. You need to be prepared. Always pack a pen to make sure you’re ready to sign your Geocaching username and the date.
Leave No Trace – Be kind to the geocaching game board, which happens to be the entire world. Make sure to Cache In Trash Out (CITO) when you geocache: pick up litter along the way and don’t leave anything behind.
Write a Great “Found It” or “Didn’t find It” Log – When you find a geocache, or even when you don’t find a geocache, make sure to share the spirit of adventure with the geocache owner and for other geocachers. Write a log detailing your journey.
Put the Geocache Back Where and How You Found It – The geocache owner placed the geocache at a specific location for a reason. Make sure the owner can find it again later and that other geocachers have the same experience as you.
Move Trackables Along – If you remove a trackable, like a Travel Bug ®, from a geocache make sure to post a “retrieved” log and move it to another geocache as soon as possible.

These five steps will have you rocking the geocaching world in no time. What geocaching tips would you add? Post your thoughts on our Geocaching Facebook page. Oh, and don’t forget the sixth step: repeat steps 1 – 5 often!

[vsw id=”GXzIu7p82jg” source=”youtube” width=”560″ height=”315″ autoplay=”no”]

February 19, 2014 / Derek H /

Don’t let the cold keep you in! — Geta Hamn (GC2WH0F) — Geocache of the Week Winter Inspiration Edition

Ice skating to the geocache. Photo by geocacher Trang.

Geocache Name:

Geta Hamn (GC2WH0F)

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

2/3

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, we’re in the depths of a cold winter and it can be hard to convince yourself to get out and find a few geocaches. We don’t blame you. Leaving the cozy warmth of your home is a hard thing to do. But maybe instead of thinking of all the things that hold us back during winter, we should think of the new opportunities it provides. In the case of this geocache, during cold winters, geocachers can lace up their ice skates and make the geocaching journey on top of the frozen waterways. Cold? Of course it is. Amazing and only available in winter? Definitely. Worth it? We think so. Take a look at the photos and see for yourself.

# of Finds:

202

# of Favorite Points:

What the geocache creator, Maxitupla, to say:

“I placed this geocache here because I wanted to show this place to other geocachers. This is close to my summerhouse and one of my favorite places. I love sitting here late in the evening a warm summer night and it is absolutely quiet…When I placed this cache I expected it to be mainly a “summer tourist cache”, a bit of the beaten path to draw any hordes of cachers. There were few local cachers at that time and wintertime not so many visitors. I didn’t expect that anyone would come ice skating here…I like reading the logs and know that geocachers from many countries also enjoy this place. Some of them had time to sit down for a while and some rushed on to the next cache…I hope more geocachers would share their favorite places with fellow cachers by placing a cache there. There is so many more beautiful places to be found.”

What geocachers are saying:

[translated from Swedish] “First time here! Beautiful place. Worth seeing! Thanks for the interesting cache Maxitulpa.” – deciface

“The view was beautiful, and we had it all to ourselves on this snowy Saturday. Finely done cache was soon logged, one more look around to enjoy the view and on with the trip. TFTC!” – mandello

[translated from Swedish] “After a fantastic ice skate on sea ice off [Dånö Island] we took the opportunity to sign this nicely hidden cache before we went on to the hotel in Mariehamn.” – Trang

Photos:

Views like this make Winter worth it. Photo by geocacher Trang

Earn your hot cocoa! Photo by geocacher Trang

Nothing warms you up more than a skate and a find! Photo by geocacher Trang

See More Photos

Ice skating, skiing, sledding—how do you geocache in winter? Post your stories and photos 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.

Official Blog

Author: Derek H

This one is a shoe-in. — Tree of Soles (GC27XEW) — Geocache of the Week

Geocache Name:

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

# of Finds:

# of Favorite Points:

What geocachers are saying:

Photos:

See More Photos

What’s your favorite thing you’ve seen that you never would’ve discovered without geocaching? Post your stories and photos in the comments.

Picture This: A Geocaching Trackable Frames a Journey

Have you taken any trackables to amazing locations? Tell the story and post the photos below.

Don’t let the cold keep you in! — Geta Hamn (GC2WH0F) — Geocache of the Week Winter Inspiration Edition

Geocache Name:

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

# of Finds:

# of Favorite Points:

What the geocache creator, Maxitupla, to say:

What geocachers are saying:

Photos:

Ice skating, skiing, sledding—how do you geocache in winter? Post your stories and photos in the comments.

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Geocache Name:

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

# of Finds:

# of Favorite Points:

What geocachers are saying:

Photos:

See More Photos

What’s your favorite thing you’ve seen that you never would’ve discovered without geocaching? Post your stories and photos in the comments.

Have you taken any trackables to amazing locations? Tell the story and post the photos below.

Geocache Name:

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

# of Finds:

# of Favorite Points:

What the geocache creator, Maxitupla, to say:

What geocachers are saying:

Photos:

Ice skating, skiing, sledding—how do you geocache in winter? Post your stories and photos in the comments.

Post your favorite #geocaching photo in the comments below, and don’t forget to tag @gogeocaching and #geocaching in your Instagram and Pinterest posts.

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