/ Adela B /

Occi – GCWGPH – GEOCACHE OF THE WEEK – December 20, 2012

Occi the village and Occi the Geocache

There are exactly three trails leading to the Geocache of the Week. One is from a camp site, the second is from a nearby chapel and the third is from a hotel. Whichever path you take, you will end up at a beautiful place called Occi (GCWGPH). Occi is not only a difficulty 1.5, terrain 2.5 traditional geocache, it is also an abandoned village with lots of history and beauty.

Occi, France is known for its beautiful ruins that overlook the deep, blue sea. In June 2006, it also became a fascinating an unique location for a highly “Favorited” geocache.  Tourists from all parts of the world visit this place to learn its history and embrace its beauty, but kardamom has given geocachers yet another reason to add this place to their “must see” list.

The village remains in ruins to this day. The nearby chapel was only recently restored for a number of local events and weddings. While no one owns the land, a local company is safeguarding the charming village but has no immediate plans to restore any of the buildings. Locals believe that reconstructing it may take away its charm and uniqueness, and prefers that the village remains untouched.

One of three paths leading to Occi
Even Smurfette visited Occi

Geocachers who made the trip to Occi have been enamored by the location and the existence of a geocache at this historically captivating place. Nearly 500 geocachers have claimed their smiley and awarded this great, secluded hide 67 Favorite Points. The 128 images that geocachers shared on the log say a thousand words, but the elaborate logs capture the overwhelming feelings they experienced when they visited the village and found the treasure.

A geocacher who recently embarked on an adventure to Occi writes, “We took the path least traveled (from the hotel) and all we can say is ‘magnifique!’ Not only the way to the village, but the breathtaking beauty when we arrived in the abandoned village. The ruins are old and beautiful… To think that there’s a cache here adds a whole new level of excitement for us. We honestly wouldn’t have known about this place if it weren’t for the cache… TFTC for an unforgettable visit!”

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Latitude 47 blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, send an email with your name, comments, the name of the geocache, and the GC code to pr@groundspeak.com.

Geocachers may even meet some locals
/ Eric Schudiske /

Police Officer uses Geocaching to Save a Lost Hiker

Officer Tom Wenzl came out of the woods recently with a story he never expected. He used geocaching to find more than a cache.

Officer Wenzl used his Geocaching iPhone app to locate a lost hiker. The police officer in Washington State, USA is an active geocacher along with his wife. They use the geocaching username VonDeets.

Officer Wenzl reportedly used his Geocaching App to plot a Waymark based on coordinates recorded by the lost hiker’s 911 call. Police could not have used traditional maps. The area where the hiker was lost had not been mapped. After a short search, the hiker and her dog were found safe.

Check out the article to the right in the Mount Vernon Police Department newsletter for more details.

The story of Officer Wenzl’s creativity and determination has also been picked up by local media, including this local newspaper. His geocaching partner and wife, tells Geocaching a local TV news station is also planning to interview Officer Wenzl.

Thanks Officer Wenzel for being an excellent officer and geocacher!

 

/ Eric Schudiske /

Global Geocaching on 12-12-12

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Join tens of thousands of geocachers on 12-12-12 as they tromp through snow,  brave chilling winds, or if they’re closer to equator or in the Southern Hemisphere – enjoy a nice sunny day on the beach. Geocachers united on 12-12-12 to celebrate caching, and record the last numerical alignment of day, month, and year this century. Geocaching.com and four geocaching vloggers recorded the day.

12-12-12 in Seattle, WA

Nearly 70,000 geocachers from around the world log a “Found it” or attended an event on 12-12-12. Every one of the geocachers, or geocaching teams earned a special digital souvenir for their efforts. Watch ‘Global Geocaching on 12-12-12’ to see the special sense of global community created by this geocaching event.

Subscribe to the Official Geocaching.com YouTube channel for the latest tips and tricks in geocaching. Watch the more than 50 videos produced by Geocaching.com on our video page.

/ Eric Schudiske /

Is that a Geocacher in Your Rear View Mirror?

By MissJenn and RCA777

Is that a geocacher in your rear view mirror?

Geocachers might be easier to spot in Ontario, Canada than anywhere else on earth. The province approved the world’s first official Geocaching.com branded license plate.

A Geocaching.com license plate was one of the attractions at the 2012 Geocaching Block Party. It was proudly showcased in the “Geocaching Museum.” It rested among other unique items from the history of geocaching. Exhibits included the world’s first geocoin, a log book from an original Project A.P.E. cache and a Travel Bug that spent some time on the International Space Station.

These unique license plates (which also feature a “GC” license plate number) are now available in Ontario, Canada. Local geocacher Roy  Alexander aka RCA777 spearheaded the initiative.

Geocaching Museum exhibit

Roy says, “The Ontario government have offered graphic license plates with logos of professional sports teams for a few years. The graphic license plate program expanded and other organizations were also beginning to offer graphic license plates. I was certain that geocachers in Ontario would appreciate their own geocaching license plate … and the Ontario Geocaching.com License Plate Project was born”.

After contacting Geocaching.com and the Ontario government to confirm the process and work through the details, Roy reached out to the Ontario geocaching community for their support.  Roy is also an active community member within his local Central Ontario Geocachers  group (COG). Through monthly events and their annual Mega-Event, COG spread the word of the project across the province. Other regional groups also helped to spread the word, echoing the message of the project within their community groups and discussion forums.

Living room full of license plates

To keep everyone informed, Roy created a Driven to Geocache website as well as an Ontario license plate Facebook group.

Roy explains “The Ontario government required a bulk order of 200 sets of plates before they could process our application to the graphic license plate program.  After a year of promoting the project, there were commitments for all 200 sets of plates. The government fee for the new plates was collected from everyone and the order was placed.  After the plates were manufactured, they were shipped to me for distribution. The living room floor was quite a sight for a few days!”

At the Geocaching Block Party, Geocaching.com received special delivery of their own license plate from Roy.  As the Lily Pad is located at Latitude 47 (hence the name of our blog), it seemed appropriate that our license plate would be 01GC47.

RCA777

Geocaching.com branded license plates are now available to all Ontario residents through the local Service Ontario offices, who handle driver and vehicle licensing.

Some tips for success:

  1. Make sure you understand  all the requirements from your official agency.
  2. Ask Geocaching.com for official permission to use the logo.
  3. Early on, agree on a foolproof way to allocate license plate numbers within your group.  The first numbers (01, 02, 03…) and the doubles (77, 99, etc.) will most likely be very popular.
  4. Create an easy way for group members to communicate with one another.
/ Eric Schudiske /

The Weekly Mailer: Working for You

Your Caching Concierge – Delivered

Each week Geocaching.com delivers a geocaching adventure starter kit to your inbox. It’s the Geocaching.com Weekly Mailer. You can opt into the Weekly Mailer by visiting your Geocaching.com Profile page. Go to Your Account Details and change email preferences.

When you receive the Weekly Mailer look to your left and you’ll discover a mega list of Mega-Events. You can map out a trip to meet hundreds (or thousands) of other geocachers near your home or across the globe. There will be more Mega-Events in 2013 than ever before, so keep watching that column on your left for updates.

Enter a location near your home on your Geocaching.com profile and the weekly mailer becomes a tailor-made caching service. New caches hidden close to your location will be listed each week below the article. You could be logging a first-to-find (FTF) in no time; think of all that room to write your username on the log! You’ll also receive a list of nearby events that will give you the opportunity to talk to local cachers about geocaching, connect with your growing caching community, and learn some cool caching tips and tricks.

Watch for your Geocaching.com Weekly Mailer each week and get the most out of caching!