/ Eric Schudiske /

The Newest Geocacher of the Month is….

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

Feel’n down? Feel’n like the world’s missing good people? Check out the comments in the North American Edition of Geocacher of the Month. All three nominees for Geocacher of the Month contribute to their local communities and inspire geocachers around the globe. They’re good-hearted, welcoming folks who are passionate about sharing the joys of geocaching.

Each of the geocachers will receive special recognition and a prize package 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.

hurleyanne – Geocacher of the Month

In a tough decision, the irrepressibly enthusiastic hurleyanne is named the Geocacher of the Month for April 2014. One comment reads, “She’s enthusiastic about teaching others and makes sure no one is excluded. She’s a superb asset to the geocaching community!”

Another read, “She is one of the most generous cachers around, always quick to offer assistance to newbie cachers online and in person, and has the experience to back it up. She has taken it upon herself to compile lists of caches in the area that need maintenance and organize maintenance for those geocaches by those willing to help, and other interesting ‘bucket lists’ of caches, that inspire people to get out of town and explore our beautiful province. Just to show how much she enjoys the friends she has made through geocaching, she made her own wedding into a geocaching event!”

Congratulations again to hurleyanne for earning the Geocacher of the Month for April.

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

/ Derek H /

Dive in and earn a smiley! – The Blue Hole – Half Moon Caye (GC2KFB8) — Geocache of the Week

A bird's eye view of the Great Blue Hole.
A bird’s eye view of the Great Blue Hole.

Geocache Name:

The Blue Hole – Half Moon Caye (GC2KFB8)

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

1.5/4.5

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

After receiving a little more rain in Seattle, I couldn’t help but daydream of somewhere sunny, warm and tropical. I remembered a place I’ve always wanted to go scuba diving and decided to see if there was a geocache nearby—and of course, there was! The Great Blue Hole in Belize was once named one of the top 10 scuba diving sites in the world by Jacques-Yves Cousteau. The Blue Hole was formed through thousands of years of geologic processes, including earthquakes and rises in sea level. The deep blue color comes from its depth: 480 feet (145 m). And now, in addition to enjoying the tropical paradise of Belize, you can also learn about the formation of this amazing geologic attraction while earning a smiley for this Earthcache.

What geocachers are saying:

“Awesome! This is my first EarthCache and my 5th cache of any kind. I was so thrilled to get one in such an out of the way spot!” – 1fish-2fish

“My husband had been waiting forever to dive the Blue Hole on our trip to Belize. How awesome to have a geocache too! We’ve done at least one cache in every country we’ve traveled to. This was the only one we could do since we were staying on the Turneffe atoll as opposed to the mainland. Thanks so much for placing it. One more EarthCache/new country to add to the list. ” – dadsgps

“Worked on this island for a tour company, so I know the area well. Got excited to see that there’s a smiley I can log because of my work! ;)” – tigerkity

 

Photos:

 

Geocacher Luninia smiling after earning her 500th smiley at this Earthcache.
Geocacher Luninia smiling after earning her 500th smiley at this Earthcache.
If you aren't a diver, I guess you'll just have to hang out here. Bummer! Photo by geocacher Free-bird
If you aren’t a diver, I guess you’ll just have to hang out here. Bummer! Photo by geocacher Free-bird
Exploring the Great Blue Hole from within. Photo by geocacher kinderarzt
Exploring the Great Blue Hole from within. Photo by geocacher kinderarzt

What has been your favorite geocache you’ve found while on vacation? 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.

/ Derek H

Share the Joy of Geocaching & See the Results

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It’s a fact: geocaching is better with friends. And another fact: geocachers love stats. Now you can bring your friends along, share the high-fives and earn a few more stats with the brand new Geocaching Refer-a-Friend page.

Many geocachers found out about their favorite hobby from a friend or family member. You can invite your friends, family, acquaintances, favorite pizza delivery person, hairstylist… You get the idea.

Share your personal invitation link on Facebook and Twitter, or with an email. And remember: as your friends find and hide geocaches, you can see a brand new set of stats start to climb. Invite your friends now and go geocaching!

/ Derek H /

Tick tock… — Times Up (GC161PW) — Geocache of the Week

Uh oh...did you bring any quarters? Photo courtesy of Tallahassee-Lassie
Uh oh…did you bring any quarters? Photo courtesy of Tallahassee-Lassie

Geocache Name:

Times Up (GC161PW)

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

1.5/2.5

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

Geocaches come in all shapes and sizes. One of my favorite parts of geocaching is discovering the creativity that cache hiders use to take seemingly ordinary objects and morph them into geocaches. From birdhouses to phone booths, the possibilities are nearly endless. In this instance, one geocacher took the downtown bane of my existence and turned it into something I’d be delighted to see. Hopefully they disabled the actual metering functionality, otherwise I hope your geocaching pack contains quite a bit of change.

# of Finds:

213

# of Favorite Points:

33

What geocachers are saying:

“One of my favorites! This was such a cool cache. It was also our final find to get the Tallahassee Parks and Recreation Geocoin! What a way to complete our quest! It’s not over, though, because there will always be more caches to find. Thanks for the fun! ” — Nelson BoneDogz

“WOW!!!!! What a cache! Signed log, replaced as found and called it a day!” — dogcop1us

“This was an awesome adventure! Without fully reading the description, others’ logs, or the hint, we jogged here and climbed down into the creek. Taking in the surroundings we immediately noticed an object that was out of place and had to climb up to explore more! TFTH!” — R3DH3ADS

What one of the the Geocaching Liaisons for the City of Tallahassee Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Affairs, Tallahassee-Lassie, has to say:

“While geocaching was not new to the area, two PRNA employees were instrumental in getting the City to add geocaching to the Parks program back in March 2007.  Bob (Creekhunter) & Vernon (HBunch-Tallahassee) were extremely clever in their containers and hides…In 2009 I was meeting with the then Superintendent of Parks (he’s now retired) about hosting a CITO for one of the parks.  In our discussion I told him the local geocachers group, Tallahassee Area Geocachers aka TAG, would be happy to help out maintaining the caches.  He immediately said yes and our collaboration took off…
When I report to the City about the positive logs and how far people have traveled to find the caches, they are very proud and extremely positive.  I enjoy working with them.  I will be retiring in a year & look forward to having more time to volunteer.”

Photos:

Oh good, no ticket for us! Photo courtesy of Tallahassee-Lassie
Oh good, no ticket for us! Photo courtesy of Tallahassee-Lassie
Walking up to this in the middle of the woods may be a bit confusing. Photo courtesy of Tallahassee-Lassie
Walking up to this in the middle of the woods may be a bit confusing. Photo courtesy of Tallahassee-Lassie
Can you see it? Photo courtesy of Tallahassee-Lassie
Can you see it? Photo courtesy of Tallahassee-Lassie

This geocache features a repurposed parking meter for a container. What’s your favorite repurposed container you’ve ever found or hidden? 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.

/ Alex /

Beware the Tall Grasses! Or, Death of a Battery

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This geocacher reached GZ happy, healthy, and totally tick-free.

 

MailerImage_06022014_SafetyTips_vFINAL_BLOG“Hey there Southern Hemisphere! This is the Northern Hemisphere calling. How’re things? It’s about the third week of May, and…well, we’d like our summer back.”  Depending on what part of the world you’re in, the latitudinal phone call that happens around the fifth month of the year signals the start to another summer of geocaching. The longer days, the warmer air, the leafier hiding spots…It’s a season so ideal for geocaching it’s hard to imagine spending your time doing anything else.

Though not to the degree of winter, even summer can have the pesky habit of preventing you from getting to GZ and finding a cache safely, effectively, and enjoyably. We’ve got some tips that will get you from working at cross-purposes with summer to working in tandem with it. (Assuming that is a thing.)

1) Make peace with your battery

Remember how we mentioned those longer summer days? They’re very good for longer sojourns into the wild, increasing your per-day find count…and draining your phone battery. Consider borrowing or purchasing a portable charger similar to this one available in Geocaching Shop, or this one on Amazon, to keep your phone from puttering to a halt at exactly the wrong moment. Compatibility with several types of devices is an especially useful trait when you’re geocaching with a group.

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” -John Steinbeck
“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” -John Steinbeck

2) Ticks are not your friends

Bees, mosquitoes, thistles, and poison ivy are common culprits of summertime discomfort, but ticks should equally be on your radar. Although only a few of the many species of ticks found around the world can bite and transmit diseases to humans, those that do can really ruin your day. Here are some tips to avoid them:

    • Check out a tick distribution map for your area, like this one for Europe and this one for the United States.
    • To be extra vigilant, invest in a bottle of tick repellent.
    • Since it’s not always possible to avoid the high grass or bushes when you’re searching for that cache, dress with ticks in mind. Geocaching HQ’er Heather suggests, “Tuck your pants into your socks to keep the ticks from crawling up your legs. You’ll look really cool, and you’ll be tick-safe.”
    • Conduct a tick-check of yourself, your gear, and your pets after coming back inside.
    • Tick-removal is an art. Know the correct technique.

3) Sunscreen is king

The sun’s rays may have a pleasing effect on the hue of your skin or the shade of your hair, but don’t make that a reason to forget the sunscreen on your geocaching adventure. Even if in the end you DNF, always protect yourself with SPF, preferably 15 or higher.

What tips do you have for ensuring an excellent summer geocaching experience?