/ Derek H /

This hotel is full of bugs. — Travel Bug Plaza Hotel & Suites (GC3JQQ1) — Geocache of the Week

I think this qualifies as a Travel Bug Resort. Photo by geocacher CaptainObvious78
I think this qualifies as a Travel Bug Resort. Photo by geocacher CaptainObvious78

Geocache Name:

Travel Bug Plaza Hotel & Suites (GC3JQQ1)

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

1.5/1.5

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

I’ve seen quite a few Travel Bug hotels, but none have compared to this one. This is the sort of hotel I wouldn’t mind staying in—if I were a Travel Bug. There are quite a few things that make this hotel unique. To begin with, there are plenty of rooms. From large suites to efficiency rooms, there’s plenty of room for your trackable and all of its friends. And of course, no self-respecting hotel would be complete without a nice lobby to kick back and rest in. There’s even something for geocachers: the CacheMedics tour. This handy map will take geocachers on a nice journey through the area. So when you’re in Florida and in need of a place for your trackables to stay, there’s always room at this amazing hotel.

# of Finds:

374

# of Favorite Points:

245

What the geocache owners, CacheMedics, have to say:

Regarding the geocache inspiration: “One of our local geocaching friends challenged us to create a travel bug hotel…we thought it would be fun and interesting to make something that actually resembled a hotel.”

On construction: “…we hand-painted the scenes to give the appearance of the exterior of a hotel.  The lobby floor is real flooring tiles, the tiny chair-rail is real routered, stained, and lacquered wood trim, and the furniture items are securely glued in their places.”

Reactions to the logs and favorite points: “The comments are amazing and it just makes us feel great to know that people are enjoying our creation!  We appreciate and celebrate each and every favorite point our cache has received! …When we built this, we wanted it to be something unique but we never expected such wonderful reactions from so many visitors!”

And to the geocaching community: “…it’s okay to do something different, to think beyond pill bottles and tupperware and add some kind of twist that will surprise the people who find your cache.  We were nervous the first time we put out something different, thinking that the local geocachers wouldn’t like it, but we were happily surprised to find that they loved “different,” and wanted more! It doesn’t have to be something big and complicated, it can be silly or funny.  Bottom line:  Don’t be afraid to be yourself – Go for it!”

What geocachers are saying:

“The amount of creativity, ingenuity and effort you have put into your caches really shines through, and there is no doubt in our minds that you have brought a great many cachers an immense amount of pleasure…Thank you so much for providing us with such an enjoyable day of caching, and for giving so much to the geocaching community. The first cache of yours we did today was “What are you thankful for?” As we finish caching for the day here, we have to say, we are thankful that there are cachers like you, who are willing to put their all into creating awesome experiences for the rest of us!” – Zekester & Simon

“The amount of detail in the construction is amazing! TFTC!” – CPRTEAMSIX

“What tremendous amount of work went into making this cache. WOW! I’ve seen quite a few different cache types now – especially when I visited the Seattle area, but I haven’t seen a TB hotel like this!!! This should be called the travel bug RESORT!!!” – lilyfly

Read more logs

 

Photos:

A couple geocachers checking out the amenities. Photo by geocacher D&JC
A couple geocachers checking out the amenities. Photo by geocacher D&JC
Just lounging around in the lobby. Photo by geocacher Xensen
Just lounging around in the lobby. Photo by geocacher Xensen
Retiring to room 202. Photo by geocacher Xensen

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We love to watch our trackables move around the world. What’s the farthest one of your trackables has traveled and where did it go? 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 November Geocacher of the Month

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

This blog post is perhaps the perfect way to wrap up an amazing year in the world of geocaching. We’re announcing the featured Geocacher of the Month for November. Each of the nominees is already a winner, with a prize package headed their way. The nearly 800 comments from supporters of the three nominees are a must-read for anyone feeling a little bit down, or who doubts the impact one person might have on their community. The comments are a testament to the giving nature of geocachers.

All the nominees contributed to their local communities and inspired the worldwide community. Each will receive special recognition for their contribution to the global adventure of geocaching. Before naming the Geocacher of the Month, Geocaching HQ  reviews community input and blog comments. Each comment is read. This was one of the most difficult decisions for Geocacher of the Month in the history of the program.

A geocacher from an island with just 1,100 geocaches stood out. She’s found most of those geocaches on Puerto Rico and united a community to explore the world around them through geocaching, hosting Event Caches and leading by example.

Janizy has been named the 2013 November Geocacher of the Month. One geocacher who commented wrote, “Of all the events that have had the opportunity to participate, my favorite was the Geoweekend Camping in Adjuntas (GC4FPJC), organized by Janizy. She, along with her colleagues, saw to it that all who attended passed unforgettable moments. During that weekend I spent spectacular days. There was everything, varied activities for adult geocachers and for geocacher kids. They were days of doing interesting stuff and share what we like: Geocaching! My vote is for Janizy!”

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Janizy – November 2013 Geocacher of the Month

Janizy will receive the earned, never for sale, collector’s edition Geocacher of the Month Geocoin, along with a Geocacher of the Month hat and a certificate acknowledging his contribution, signed by two of the founders of Geocaching.com.

If you know an outstanding geocacher who should be considered for the honor, send an email to geocacherofthemonth@geocaching.com. 

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 Janizy  for being recognized as the Geocacher of the Month for October.

/ Eric Schudiske /

10th Anniversary of the EarthCache

 

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Click on the image to unlock an EarthCaching video 

 

Celebrate the 10th birthday for a geocache type that often takes you tens of millions of years into the Earth’s past. For a decade, EarthCaches have delivered adventurers to the tops of mountains, to strange and unusual rock formations and into the the steaming, bubbling processes that created the Earth—all without a geocache container. Instead, geocachers must use their geological detective skills to uncover the answers to specific questions about the location.

EarthCaching in 6 Bullet Points:

  • 16,600 active EarthCaches worldwide (there’s probably one near you)
  • The first EarthCache was published on January 10, 2004
  • Partnership with the Geological Society of America
  • Found more often and receive more favorite points than average geocaches
  • There are more than 100 events worldwide celebrating EarthCaching’s 10 years
  • Join the celebration! Watch this video for an EarthCaching experience, then go out and find one of your own.
/ Derek H /

Connecting the World With Geocaching — Köln-Seattle Exchange Multicaches (GC1GWEV and GC1H38J) — Geocache of the Week

Seattle – Köln
Seattle – Köln

Geocache Name:

Köln-Seattle Exchange Multicaches (GC1GWEV and GC1H38J)

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

Seattle: 2/3

Köln: 3/2

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

It’s often said that the best thing you find while geocaching isn’t the geocache, but the people you meet along the way. You can meet other geocachers at events, on the trail, or while coordinating your finds for this pair of geocaches. Completing the Köln-Seattle Exchange MultiCaches takes geocaching teamwork to the next level. To make the find, you’ll have to pair up with a geocacher across the world. Here’s how it works: you go to the first stage of the geocache. There you’ll find coordinates for the second stage of the other geocache. You send those coordinates to your international partner, and then bam! You can both go find the geocaches in your respective countries.

# of Finds:

Seattle: 107

Köln: 118

# of Favorite Points:

Seattle: 39

Köln: 52

What one of the geocache owners, Thoto, has to say:

“In 2005 we had a similar cache here in Cologne which inspired me to create this transatlantic cache. I just loved the idea to connect with people from the other side of the world and play the game together.”

“It is always a great feedback you get. I am very happy to see that a lot of cachers like the idea of a transatlantic cache as much as I do. Furthermore I am extremely proud when I look at the high number of cachers who have already visited and logged both “sites” of the cache. Someday I hope to find the Seattle cache as well.”

What geocachers are saying:

“This is the best Multicache I ever played! Together with Pico69 and Schwarzer Peter in Cologne we solved the challenges together. As a Cologne citizen working for a Seattle headquartered company, I was in town and had some time to go after this cache.” – Arnold1967

“It is actually an interesting place to visit and search, and very rewarding once you actually find the cache. Thanks for setting up another one of these “hands across the water” geocaches. They add a new dimension to the game.” – Scouting4Ever

“Great adventure between the two cities!!! Thanks to DieGroppis in Köln and Quigquay in Seattle! This idea it allowed me explore new areas and see how interesting and multi cultural Geocaching can be!!” – MedicineManOfSeattle

Read more logs

 

Photos:

A geocaching team in Seattle on the way to the find. Photo by geocacher SkyTrain
A geocaching team in Seattle on the way to the find. Photo by geocacher SkyTrain
One of the sites to see while you're in Köln: Kölner Dome! Photo by Geocaching HQ'er Prying Pandora
One of the sites to see while you’re in Köln: Kölner Dome! Photo by Geocaching HQ’er Prying Pandora
Found it! Photo by geocacher Aga & Deti
Found it! Photo by geocacher Aga & Deti

See more photos

This geocache is all about geocachers helping each other out. What’s your favorite way to help other geocachers? 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.

/ Annika

Geocaching Connections: Associations and Clubs

GeocacherTypeQuiz_Badges_vFINAL2_SocialButterflyFour eyes see more geocaches than two. Many hands fumbling under benches, in nooks, and crevices are more likely to make the grab. A difficult puzzle is solved more easily with combined brain power. If you took our Geocaching Quiz and learned you are a Social Butterfly, chances are that you know the advantages that come with geocaching in a group.

 But finding someone to go geocaching with can sometimes be difficult, especially when just starting out. Luckily, there are geocaching organizations and associations all around that world that connect geocachers to other local geocachers, strengthen the local and global geocaching community, help beginners get into the game, and so, so much more.

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