/ Eric Schudiske /

Roadtrip? Just add Geocaching…

Lackeys and friends celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the "The Goonies" film and add geocaching to the fun

You can’t take it with you.  The adage is a common enough saying, but when it comes to geocaching, it’s an outright lie.  You can take it with you whether you’re road tripping for business or during a family holiday.

A group of Lackeys did just that this weekend.  They road tripped from Seattle, Washington USA, one state south to Oregon.

Why? The Lackeys revisited a movie at the heart of all things geocaching.  They took part in the celebration “Never Say Die – The Goonies 25th Anniversary Celebration”.

“The Goonies” is a classic location based treasure hunting film featuring a pack of outcast kids seeking a pirate’s hidden treasure with the mob in hot pursuit.  The movie based in Astoria, Oregon.  “The Goonies” is in a word, hilarious.

But what’s hilarity without sharing the fun with friends?  Enter the Lackeys.  In true geocaching tradition, they created an Event Cache.  More than 50 people showed up to share their own stories of hunting hidden treasure – though geocachers were not armed with a treasure map or chased by the mob (I hope), they were packing some serious GPS power.

Trackable t-shirts

There were also Trackables (like the t-shirts in the pictures.) trivia and trading at the Event Cache. Getting any ideas about hosting an Event Cache?

Right now, there are over four million of your geocaching friends out there in the wide world.  If your holiday travels take you to a fun and exciting destination, why not add geocaching to the equation?

You’ll be able to finally put faces to geocaching usernames and connect with local cachers.  It’s easy to create an Event Cache, just go to the Hide and Seek a Cache page.  Begin planning your Event Cache by reviewing how to Hide a Cache.

Your next road tripping adventure will multiply in fun.  Because with geocaching, you can take it with you.

Let us know, what has been your favorite Event Cache?  What’s your advice for a geocacher who’s thinking about attending their first Event Cache?

/ Eric Schudiske /

“Monkey’s Lament” GC23C94 GEOCACHE OF THE WEEK – June 10th 2010

View from near "Monkey's Lament"

This 2/2.5 cache hides in Central Park, New York City, NY.  GeoMiss placed “Monkey’s Lament” GC23C94 in January of this year.  This was the first geocache she ever placed. It’s already clocked more than 170 finds.  There’s a high muggle possibility so stay stealthy.  You’ll be rewarded, not just with a great find, but with a world class view and location GeoMiss says is perfect to “ponder… life, love, or the mysteries of the universe.”

She also said, “I started geocaching in June of 2009 in Michigan, and after my first find, I was hooked. In the fall, I moved to New York City to pursue my doctorate in Art History.”  She goes on, “I realized what a great hobby it really is, especially in an overwhelming place like NYC.  I am very proud of this cache, and hope others continue to enjoy it as much as I do.”

View from near "Monkey's Lament"

View more Geocaches of the Week here.

/ Eric Schudiske /

Geocaching Caption Contest 5 – Win a Barely Coveted Prize

Winning Caption, “I put the WAG in SWAG!!” – Sparknut

This is the fifth installment of our Geocaching Caption Contest. What caption would you write for this photo?  “Why is this swag barking at me?” You can do better. The photo you’re looking at now was submitted by a North Carolina, USA geocacher to the Geocaching.com Facebook page.  The geocacher who writes the winning caption receives these barely coveted 10 Years!  stickers.

You could win this Barely Coveted Prize

Please include your geocaching username in all entries.  The winner will be chosen by an ad hoc committee of Lackeys.

17 Lackeys voted in our last contest. It was our most popular Geocaching Caption Contest yet.  There were more than 200 entries.

See who won the barely coveted prize from last contest here.

/ Eric Schudiske /

That’s a Geocache?!? The Unending Evolution of Geocaches

Traditional geocache

For most, the evolution of the geocache container begins with a sturdy great-great-great-grandfather geocache.  It’s the iconic metal ammo can. But in one decade of geocaching, the geocache family tree branched off into dozens of directions.

Each branch embodies the spirit of evolution.  Geocaches now blend more and more into their natural environment.  Say you place a cache on the outskirts of an estuary?  There’s a bird geocache for that.  You’re considering an urban cache on a park bench?  We’ve heard of magnetic microcaches that resemble gum for that.

Take a quick look at the picture below on the left.  Guess how many geocaches are in that picture?  Ok, I know there are a few caveats. There can only be one geocache every tenth of a mile and none of these are activated, but how many possible geocaches do you see? The answer is… six. The bird, those pinecones, that rock, even two of the sticks are actually geocaches.

How many geocaches are hidden in this picture
Just enough room for a log

Geocaches are not the only part of the geocaching equation to evolve.  Geocachers developed a keener “geo-sense” over the past decade.  Say that you placed a corn cob shaped cache in field of corn… the cache will be found.

A cache like this one pictured at the bottom of the page is all in a days work for an average cacher.

I’d love to hear your most difficult find.  How many DNF’s did you log before uncovering the cache?  Let us know, just post a comment to this blog.

Thermometer reveals a geocache
/ Eric Schudiske /

Geocaching Caption Contest 4 – Win a Barely Coveted Prize

Winning Caption: Wise man say, “Man with one GPS knows exactly where he is. Man with twelve GPS is never sure…” – David Krug

This is the fourth installment of our Geocaching Caption Contest. What caption would you write for this photo from the Ten years! event GC26RQJ the U.K.?  “So… you’re saying twelve GPS receivers still tell us we’re completely lost?”  You can do better.  The winner receives these barely coveted Cache In Trash Out stickers.

Barely Coveted Prize
Please include your geocaching username in all entries.  The winner will be chosen by an ad hoc committee of Lackeys.

15 Lackeys voted last week to crown the winner of the third Geocaching Caption Contest.  The winning entry was decided by just one vote!

Take a look at the post to see who won.

Good luck!