December 25, 2014 / Eric Schudiske /

All I Got for Christmas was a DNF, but then…

Editor’s note: DNF’s or Did Not Finds are an important part of the geocaching experience, and maybe one of the most frustrating parts. The questions start to boil over, is it even here, why is the hint so vague, can’t anyone post a picture which offers a clue? WHY!?! But, as we learn through exploring, it’s not often the destination but the journey. Geocachers, Peanuts or Pretzels, show us that sometimes a DNF is the gift of a story, a voyage, a view and a sunset.

By:

Josh & Liz
Peanuts or Pretzels
www.peanutsorpretzels.com

Recently, we took to the roads of New Zealand in an RV and wanted to do some Geocaching. So during our drive toward the west coast of the south island of New Zealand, I pulled out my GPS and found just the cache for us. Located along the coast, it had a lot of favorite points and according to our watches, we had just enough time to get there before dusk. So off we went!

Upon arrival, we parked our RV near GZ and started walking along the rocky coast. Eventually we came to a grassy opening, with the ocean on our right and a steep hill on our left. The cache was located up on top of the hill, but there was no visible trail. We decided that our best option was to climb up a small wash-out ravine.

After a tricky climb, we arrived at the top, which was a flat plateau. The Geocache was only 183 feet away. But we quickly realized that we had a problem. The entire area leading to the cache were full of giant briar bushes. These bushes were thigh high, with thorns 2-5 inches long…seriously! We’ve done our share of “bushwacking” before, but we had never seen anything like this before.
We tried many ways to get to the geocache, even trying to use giant sticks to make bridges or push down the bushes. But nothing worked. We were getting stabbed by the thorns and tearing our clothes. Ultimately, we realized that there was no way for us to get to the geocache. Disappointed with the thought of admitting defeat, we turned back toward the ocean just as the sun was beginning to set.

“Wow, look at the sunset from up here!” Liz said. And you know, she was right. It was a gorgeous sunset, and we had the best view perched up on this hill. No one was around, and we had this entire sunset to ourselves. So in the end, we decided thatwe would accept this DNF proudly. Because even though we didn’t find the cache, we had a fun adventure, and we were taken to this place that we had no idea existed. I looked over at Liz and said “this might have to be the best Geocache we never found.”

Thanks to Geocaching for taking us to another great place on our world travels. Sometimes, you don’t have to find the cache to have a great memory. #DNFPride

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQdUtw9vgIw]

December 24, 2014 / Alex /

Go Geocaching Like a Local

We recently released 6 shiny new Geocaching Souvenirs for Greece, Mexico, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, and Italy.

In case any of these countries are still on your bucket list (or if you’re planning a return trip) check out this pocket dictionary of common phrases used in Geocaching. They’re perfect for starting or ending a fantastic log entry.

6 Souvenirs that could be added to your profile, if you’ve found geocaches in any of these countries.

Brazil (Portuguese)

This statue of Frederico Engel can be found at GC3FMPF

Take a virtual vacation and tour of some of Brazil’s best geocaches.

Obrigado pela Cache
(Thanks for the cache)

Encontrada
(Found)

Boa aventura
(Good adventure)

A minha primeira cache
(My first cache)

Belgium (Dutch, French, German)

Here you'll find GC1EG4C, also known as "Atomium". — Here you’ll find GC1EG4C, also known as “Atomium”.

Check out one of Belgium’s most-favorited geocaches.

Bedankt voor de cache
(Dutch – Thanks for the cache)

Merci pour la cache
(French – Thanks for the cache)

Danke für den Cache
(German – Thanks for the cache)

Trouvé notre première cache en Belgique
(French – Found our first cache in Belgium)

Greece (Greek)

Finding GC1X5VF is a vacation in and of itself.

If you’re heading to Greece, relax, soak up some sun, and check out this awesome multi-cache.

Ευχαριστώ για την κρυπτη
(Thanks for the cache)

Ευχαριστίες για τη μνήμη
(Thanks for the memory)

Ομορφο μερος
(Beautiful place)

Mexico (Spanish)

Gringo Gulch lighthouse is the site of GC3B5XW one of the most-favorited geocaches in Mexico.

Check out these five must-see geocaches from the birthplace of the sun.

Gracias por el cache
(Thanks for the cache)

Encontrado
(Found)

Muchos muggles
(Many muggles)

Excelente camuflaje
(Excellent camouflage)

Italy (Italian)

Geocache, geocache, wherefore art thou? The site of GC49T24.

What better way to celebrate geocaching love than featuring a geocache located at a (supposed) site of one of the greatest love stories ever told?

Grazie per la cache
(Thanks for the cache)

Trovato
(Found)

Decisamente merita un FP
(Definitely worth a favorite point)

Posto bellissimo
(Beautiful place)

Croatia (Croatian)

You'll see this stunning water fall (and many others) at GC1FNKR. — You’ll see this stunning water fall (and many others) at GC1FNKR.

Also known as the Land of a Thousand Islands, Croatia is home to these five unmissable geocaches.

Hvala za cache
(Thanks for the cache)

Pronađeno
(Found it)

Mjesto je prelijepo, a pogled fantastičan
(The location and view are fantastic)

Are you drooling yet? Maybe it’s time to book some around-the-world tickets…

Fun fact: “Thanks for the cache” in Klingon is ” Tlho’ vaD yoDjuH’a’So’ ”

December 23, 2014 / Eric Schudiske /

The 3 Things to Avoid While Geocaching with Kids

by Sonny and Sandy from PodCacher.com

Geocaching with kids can be an amazing experience…

They love the exploration, discovery, mystery, treasure and outdoor aspects of this fun hobby. As you plan your geocaching outing with kids, you’re probably thinking of the obvious things to take along like plenty of water, lots of snacks, extra changes of clothes, a first aid kit, etc. You are definitely a well-prepared geocacher.

Now, before you head out, here are 3 things to AVOID while geocaching with kids.

geocaching with kids 1 — Courtesy: Podcacher.com

1. Rushing

Kids love to take their time and explore. They aren’t in a hurry to get from point A to point B, especially when there is a lot to see, touch and experience between the points. We could learn a lot from them! Let the kids take the lead, and see what you can find to savor as you walk to the next geocache. Bring along a bag or bucket to gather nature “treasures” to take home. Take the time to jump from rock to rock (and don’t fall in the make-believe lava!). Don’t try to squeeze in too many caches. Take your cue from the kids regarding when it’s time to call it a day.

2. Micros

Some kids might love finding altoids tins under lamp-skirts or on guard rails, but they are in the minority. Kids love toys and swag. The smallest trinket can be the greatest treasure in the eyes of a young child. Don’t deprive them of the fun of swag by only going for the tiny containers. It may be a little more work to find an area to cache in that has larger containers, but if you’re going on an outing with kids, it’s definitely worth the extra effort. Be sure to encourage the kids to bring swag along to trade. You can all stop at the dollar store before heading out to geocache, or they can raid their toy bins at home. Take the time to teach them about “trading even or trading up”. It’s a great lesson to learn at a young age.

3. Controlling

Resist the urge to orchestrate every aspect of the experience for your kids. Hand over the GPS, or your smartphone (with a sturdy protective case) and let them learn from trial and error. Don’t be the one to find every geocache first. Give younger kids a “nudge” in the right direction so they can enjoy the fun of “finding” the geocache. Let go of your expectations of how the day “should” go, and just enjoy what happens. The kids might be excited to find even more geocaches than you expected OR they could be all done after just a couple. Be okay with heading to a playground to give everyone a break.

Help out new geocachers, share you advice for geocaching with kids in the comments below!