Category: Community

Geocaching is delightful because of the people who play it — adventure-seekers, makers, parents, astronauts and (sometimes) celebrities. Read their stories.

/ Derek H /

Cache in Concert — Schatzhüterin: AC/DC (GC4WY14) — Geocache of the Week

Enjoy a nice concert after you earn your smiley. Photo courtesy of Geoheimnisträger
Enjoy a nice concert after you earn your smiley. Photo courtesy of Geoheimnisträger

Geocache Name:

Schatzhüterin: AC/DC (GC4WY14)

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

2/1.5

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

For many of us, every time a new smiley is earned, there’s a celebration. Whether that’s with your geocaching partner, the new friend you brought along, or even just by yourself. With this geocache, the celebration becomes more than just a high-five and a happy dance: it’s a full-blown rock and roll festival, complete with tons of cheering fans. This geocache is located near the annual Rock am Deister festival in Germany and this emulates the sights and sounds. When you make it to this geocache, be sure to bring along a 9-volt battery to power the concert and enjoy the show as you sign the logbook.

# of Finds:

78

# of Favorite Points:

37

What the geocache owner, Geoheimnisträger, has to say:

“Every year the Sparkasse promotes and supports the small but awesome Rock Festival  “Rock im Deister“…To get a feel for the area, I explored the grounds with the festival organizer. A power distribution box caught my eye and I immediately thought of a large cache, which plays music when you open it (since this location is all about music). But where can you get such an item? A little research, a few emails and phone calls later… I was able to collaborate with 2korn, a geocacher based in Hannover, who not only was able to obtain the box, but also took significant part in developing the idea behind the cache.

Since this is public land, we quickly finalized the exact spot, where the box should go and met with the local government to receive written approval for this cache. This really was a great case study where local organizations, the geocaching community and the government worked together to make this happen.”

“Of course we love all the positive things people have to say. We hope this cache has a long life. With this cache and all the others in the Schatzhüterin GeoTour, we want to let our community know that it is possible to work together with local businesses to get sponsorship and enhance our sport in a positive way. That was our goal for this cache and the whole Tour.”

What geocachers are saying:

[translated from German]

“The highlight of the day, if you have the accessories needed here, you can enjoy the show into the night. Super great job.” – leonberger307

“Today during a little bike tour we found this great cache. When we got there it was literally swarmed by other cachers. Greetings to all. For the great idea we have a favorite point.” – tataonan

“And again a brilliant box from this series! The passing cyclists were amazed at the sound! Amazing craft work, as is the favorite point’s duty! TFTC” – sokosuche

Read More Logs

Photos:

 

A view of the whole apparatus. Photo courtesy of Geoheimnisträger.
A view of the whole apparatus. Photo courtesy of Geoheimnisträger.
To the untrained eye, the geocache is just another random electrical box. Photo courtesy of Geoheimnisträger.
To the untrained eye, the geocache is just another random electrical box. Photo courtesy of Geoheimnisträger.
A bird's eye view of the show. Photo courtesy of Geoheimnisträger.
A bird’s eye view of the show. Photo courtesy of Geoheimnisträger.

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What’s your favorite way to celebrate a find? 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.

/ Eric Schudiske /

Announcing the Newest Geocacher of the Month

he earned, never for sale, Geocacher of the Month geocoin (sun flare optional)
The earned, never for sale, Geocacher of the Month Geocoin

A geocacher from the plains of the United States joins the ranks of Geocachers of the Month around the world. Dozens of comments shined a light on a geocacher who reaches out to those who are new to the adventure and helps inspire those who’ve geocached for years. While there is only one Geocacher of the Month, each of the nominees is already a winner, with a prize package headed their way.

All the nominees add an important contribution to their local communities and inspire the global geocaching community. Each will receive special recognition for their contribution to the adventure of geocaching. Before naming the Geocacher of the Month, Geocaching HQ reviews community input and blog comments. Each comment is read and posts in native languages are encouraged.

bjmccacher has been part of the geocaching world since 2011. After cementing hundreds of new relationships fostering the joy of geocaching he’s being named Geocacher of the Month for February 2014.

One comment reads, “Bjmccacher has been a great geocaching collaborator and really helped raise the bar for geocaching in Lincoln, NE (and in the central US)! Many of his creative ideas have led to outstanding geocaching trails and series attracting folks from all over North America (see the numerous posts below). He is also incredibly inventive and is always coming up with new and interesting ways to geocache–it’s no surprise that many of his geocaches are some of the most favorited caches in Nebraska. Finally, as a host and ambassador to visiting geocachers, he is simply incredible. He goes the extra mile in every possible way! ”

If you know an outstanding geocacher who should be considered for the honor, simply fill out this webform.

Every nomination must include the following items and abide by the following guidelines:

  • Your name, the name of your nominee, their username
  • A picture of the nominee
  • Description (200 or more words) explaining why he or she deserves to be the Geocacher of the Month

Please inform your nominee that you have submitted them for the award. Nominations for Geocacher of the Month are accepted at any time.

Congratulations again to bjmccacher for being recognized as the Geocacher of the Month for February.

bjmccacher - Nominee for Geocacher of the Month
bjmccacher – Geocacher of the Month

 

 

 

/ Eric Schudiske /

2014 Geocaching International Film Festival Call for Entries

MailerImage_04142014_GIFFAnnouncement_vFINAL_Blog

Your vision of geocaching cannot be contained by a simple Facebook photo, Tweet or even a mighty blog post. Nay, we say, your vision deserves much more. You need to tell your geocaching story through the majesty of a short video. Ready your geocaching muse. The Geocaching International Film Festival (GIFF) wants your vision of the adventure of geocaching to take flight in video on the big screen this summer in Seattle. It all happens the night before the Geocaching Block Party, which you should also attend.

Enter your four minute video in any family-friendly genre: narrative, documentary, music video, animation, experimental, etc… Hurry up, the deadline for submissions is July 1, 2014. To show you what it takes, and to enter, we have just what you need: A short film.

[youtube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcOmdGWLD6Y&feature=youtu.be]

/ Paige Edmiston /

Geocaching HQ joins in the Maker Madness

MM group of HQ staff
Celebrating Maker Madness – Geocaching HQ style.

By: Maria McDonald

The Seattle geocaching community came through strong with over  100 attendees at the recent Maker Madness event hosted by Geocaching HQ. This HQ sponsored event added to the 970 other Maker events spanning more than 50 countries around the world to celebrate something truly special – the amazing ingenuity of our geocache makers! Here’s a quick re-cap on the HQ Maker Madness event in Seattle.

MM fascinated
A geocacher admires one of Goblindust’s many mysterious creations.

The event kicked off with a quick hello and welcome from Geocaching.com Founders Jeremy Irish and Bryan Roth, who were then followed by nine enthusiastic speakers (including six of our very own HQ staff!) covering a wide range of hider and maker related topics. The presentations included a little something for everyone so that attendees, ranging from potential first time hiders to experienced (and seriously creative!) makers, all got a little taste of the maker magic. We learned about the importance of good coordinates, DIY camouflage (blending yogurt and moss gets you a natural looking fake rock moss coverage… who knew?), how to silence your inner creative critic so your making senses can burst forth and create, and more.

Following the presentations geocachers explored an exhibition highlighting local makers and their most creative caches. Geocachers were able to ask the makers questions and examine all the moving parts on some very unique cache containers.

MM proud Bill
Geocaching HQ’er and geocache (and swag!) creator Captain “Wrong Way” Bill of the SalemPirates shows off his Maker Madness pride.

Curiosity reigned and the enthusiasm was palpable. When I asked how specific caches were chosen for today’s exhibition, Mr. Gadget#2’s wife responded, “He ended up bringing them all. Asking him to chose between his caches would be like asking him to choose which child he likes best.” It is this type of dedication and pride in making great geocaches that elevates the game for us all and makes getting to know other geocachers so much fun.

At the end of the afternoon, happy geocachers and  HQ’ers had done what we all do best at events – joined together for a great afternoon of creating memories, sharing stories and inspiring our beloved game to new heights.

My fellow HQ’ers and I all hope that, no matter where or how you celebrated Maker Madness, you now feel a renewed sense of curiosity and creativity, and that you’ve seen the geocache maker inside of you…  now go forth and create!

Editor’s Note: Maria McDonald is Geocaching HQ’s Office Manager. She’s also an avid geocacher, and geocaches under the username AKprincesswarrior.

 

MM kens daughter with saw
Go Forth and Create!

How did you celebrate Maker Madness? Tell us about the event you attended in the comments below.

/ Derek H /

Come on in, the water’s fine. — Blue Lagoon (GC25643) — Geocache of the Week

Party like it's 1999 in the Blue Lagoon. Photo by geocacher Purple Rain
Party like it’s 1999 in the Blue Lagoon. Photo by geocacher Purple Rain

Geocache Name:

Bláa lónið – Blue lagoon – Blaue Lagune (GC25643)

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

1.5/1.5

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

After a long day of earning smileys for epic T5 caches, racking your brain on D5 puzzles and battling through each stage of a long multi-cache, you have to have a way to relax. For many, it’s kicking back and enjoying a nice cold beverage. If you happen to be in Iceland, you can actually relax and earn a smiley at the same time—not to mention learn something about the Earth. The Blue Lagoon in Iceland has long been a retreat for locals and tourists alike. The mineral-rich water is heated by geothermal vents and is said to cure a variety of ailments. We can’t comment on its healing properties, but one thing we do know: a dip in here is a perfect way to relax.

# of Finds:

1,257

# of Favorite Points:

183

What geocachers are saying:

“Beautiful spot. It turned out to be a pretty chilly day and so the steam rising off the lagoon was being blown about. Almost ethereal. Thanks for the earth cache. The landscape is fascinating and I suspect Iceland could provide a lot of earth caches.” – taylormd

“We spend about two hours in the water; delicious! Due to the mud, our faces looked 10 years younger afterwards. Unfortunately, it only lasted for a few minutes. Thanks for the earth cache!” – peterenzo

“I have had a wonderful Icelandic Adventure and this was the topping on a great vacation. The Blue Lagoon was wonderfully relaxibg and very beautiful. I really enjoyed the silica scrub and everything about this place. Thanks for the earthcache!” – Tracymegan

Read More Logs

Photos:

You could earn another find from here. Photo by geocacher Ugly_Pheebs
You could earn another find from here. Photo by geocacher Ugly_Pheebs
It's like a big baby blue hot tub. Photo by geocacher patch-sooty
It’s like a big baby blue hot tub. Photo by geocacher patch-sooty
Ahhh...it looks so relaxing from here. Photo by the appropriately named geocacher ilovevacation
Ahhh…it looks so relaxing from here. Photo by the appropriately named geocacher ilovevacation

 

See More Photos

What’s your favorite way to relax after a long day of 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.