Visiting Headquarters!1!1!1

Did you know that Geocaching headquarters are located RIGHT HERE in Seattle? It's insane to think something that I find so interesting/unique is so close to me! My original plan for this blog was to physically go to headquarters and take pictures to blog, however they had no available drop in times/ scheduled events before this upcoming Sunday. That is why I have decided to give a detailed rundown on headquarters to get you involved in visiting. There is only certain visiting drop-in times available, unless you want a walkthrough with a tour guide that you need to schedule. According to Geocaching.com, the open times are as follows:

During these hours, the doors are open to any cacher willing to stop by.

"No reservation required during drop in hours or other special events. Just swing in if you're interested in entertaining yourself here at HQ by finding the geocache of browsing the store," (The Editor's and Staff of Geocaching.com 53). The store as a geocache hidden right outside, my friend and I found it last year it was insanely fun. Inside, there is a HUGE gift shop of Geocaching galore, where you can buy supplies to build your own cache, or cool pieces of clothing for advertisement. The geocache found at headquarters is called "Geocaching Headquarters", and was made in 2004.

It is located in Fremont, Seattle:

"During these hour long visits, you’ll get the opportunity to enter our lobby, learn about Geocaching, meet some of the folks who work here, hear what new things we’re working on, discover rare and unique trackables, shop at the HQ store..." (The Editor's and Staff of Geocaching.com 54). I hope you guys are as interested in Geocaching as me because without you the blog would never run, thanks for tuning in!! Below is a picture of the headquarters, hopefully you stop by soon...

Question: What would you buy at the Geocaching store?? :)

Making Your Own Geocache

I am SO excited for this post because my dream has been to make a geocache of my own that random cachers can enjoy! This is one of the most important pieces of information you may gather from my blog, creating your own cache takes many steps to success. Responsibility is a required technique for owning your own cache. "As the owner of the geocache, you are ultimately responsible for it, so make sure you know the rules for the area where you place your cache," (The Editors and Staff of Geocaching.com 98).

The very first step in creating your geocache is highly needed, LOCATION!!!! You must go on to Geocaching.com and make sure your cache location meets the correct requirements list available. Consider these questions when deciding on a location, "Did you consider accessibility?" "Did you seek permission from the landowner or manager?" "Will the location placement cause unnecessary concern?". Also, make sure your cache is at least a mile away from other caches so that hunters don't get confused. For my cache I choose a medium sized box and hid it in my front yard behind the power box.

Once you have figured out the location you desire, "...save the coordinates as a waypoint. You will need to consult your GPS user manual before leaving home to learn how to save a waypoint," (The Editors and Staff of Geocaching.com 102). A waypoint is the coordinates of your cache to show fellow Geocacher where your cache is located when they are looking for it, and to tell them how close they are to the cache. Sadly, I don't have a GPS so I won't be making the geocache at this time, but I will still continue with the steps provided. Once you locate your waypoint and record them for later use, you are going to perform the next step in the process, which is recording all your information and sending it in to the Editor's and Staff of Geocaching.com so that they can approve/help you find improvements in your cache. Here is an example of my information:

You need to include all this information, and possibly more if needed in order for headquarters to judge your caching ability. After you send in this portion, it is time to wait! Geocaching.com will send you an email with proper instructions or suggestions for continuing.

"You will be notified by e-mail when your geocache is published; thereafter, you receive emails every time someone logs your geocache," (The Editor's and Staff of Geocaching.com 105).

Congrats!! You are an official Geocache owner once you have completed these steps. You only have one thing left to do, care and feeding of your geocache! I know right, feeding?? "Have a look when you can to make sure it is in good condition and stalked with trackable items," (The Editor's and Staff of Geocaching.com 106). As an owner you must check up on your cache keeping it updated and healthy for everyone available. Geocaching helps give back to the community and I hope you can enjoy making one of your own as much as I did.

Question: Where would you place your personal Geocache?

Blending In/ Big City Caching- Bellevue

Geocaching can be a very suspicious looking activity if done in largely populated areas. That's why when I went to Bellevue this week I had to be quick when searching and retrieving the cache. I decided to take on the cache called "What's for lunch? It's in the news...". This was located in Downtown Bellevue right outside a popular Wendy's Restaurant.

When you take part in Geocaching, you feel that you are partaking in an activity that is full of fun and freewill, however, you must be aware of the people around you that have no idea what Geocaching may be. "Curious onlookers may wonder why anyone would so intently look around the same area when nothing appears to be there," (The Editors and Staff of Geocaching.com 83). The cache I found in Bellevue was located inside of a news box, which may look interesting to a common spectator when my head is inside the box looking for the cache. Below are pictures of where I found the cache.

As you can see, the cache was located in a very small container, magnetic to the inside top of the newspaper box. Be prepared to explain to spectators what activity you are enjoying and keep an open mind about how you look when searching for the cache. "Remain low-key. There is no reason to disturb anyone or make anyone wonder what you're doing," (The Editors and Staff of Geocaching.com 82). No one came up to me this time and asked, but it could happen and as a Geocacher you must be prepared for anything. I found it successfully and quick, a great day of caching!! Happy Caching and have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

If you were to Geocache in a city and someone were to approach you curiously, what would you say to explain the activity you are partaking in?

High Terrain Caches

When deciding what Geocache to pursue, looking at the amount of terrain is a MUST do. Terrain is the physical type of land you are going to be searching on, or what properties make up the land your cache can be found on. On the geocaching app, you can find out the amount of terrain just by a click of a button so you know what you are getting yourself in to. My mom and I went hiking the other day and decided it would be the perfect opportunity to check out a medium terrain cache. We decided to do a cache called, "Lost and Found".

This cache had a terrain of two stars. "Suitable for small children. Terrain is generally along marked trails, and there are no steep elevation changes or heavy overgrowth. Less than 2-mile hike is required," (Editors and Staff of Geocaching.com 48).

When embarking on this cache, my mom and I found that the terrain was very muddy and you had to be physically fit to maneuver around the thick branches when searching for the cache.

Knowing the terrain of your cache is very important for several reasons. "Knowing such factors as elevation and slope will make it easier to plan your trip. Determining how steep trails and roads are may make a difference in whether you can hike or drive there, or even help you determine whether you can bring children along for the hike", (The Editors and Staff of Geocaching.com 205). There are several types of terrain you may need to learn before experiencing.

1 star- "Handicapped accessible, likely to be paved, is relatively flat, and requires less than a half-mile hike," (48).

2 star is said above.

3 star- "Not suitable for small children. The average adult or older child should be okay," (48).

4 star- "Experienced Outdoor Enthusiast only. Terrain is possibly off-trail," (48).

5 star- "Requires specialized equipment, knowledge, or experience. May require a boat, rock climbing material, etc." (48).

For the cache, "Lost and Found" you could have definitely brought children along, although you would've had to keep a close eye on them because there were loose branches everywhere.

After 40 minutes of exhausted looking, we found the cache! It was in a very branchy area, hidden well.

We always must remember too take something/leave something for courtesy of finding the cache.

"The treasure can be almost anything you might feel is valuable, and be sure to "trade up" by replacing the item you found with something of equal or greater value," (The Editors and Staff of Geocaching.com 21).

We decided to take a ring and put in this interesting action figure we found in our drawer at home.

Terrain is something you should be watching out for every time you think about going Geocaching. My mom and I found that it was a bit of a higher terrain then expected, so always be prepared to work around the situation at hand.

Happy Caching!!!

What is the highest terrain level you have ever stepped foot on? What were the physical properties of the ground?

Geting Started On Your Very First Geocache (Beginning Rate)

Lost and confused on how to find your very first Geocache? Well you have come to the right place! After downloading the Geocaching app on your phone, you must place in your current location in order to find caches near you. Make sure you choose a rated cache between 1-2, for those are for beginners.

The very first thing you must do is, "Check out the distance so that you can plan how to best get there. Remember, GPS receivers return results as the crow flies (in a straight line) and it is up to you to determine the best navigational route," (The Editors and Staff of Geocaching.com 46).

Once you have located your desired cache, you can hit the start button and begin your journey toward where the compass leads you on the app.

Soon you will reach a point where you are within feet from the cache and the app will give you a hint on where it is located, "...you can click the Decrypt link to have the hint...," (The Editors of Geocaching.com 49).

You will now began the most important part of a Geocaching experience, looking for it! "After walking around the area, searching first with your eyes you narrow the location to a likely area for your search," (The Editors of Geocaching.com 62). Finding the cache is just the beginning because now you must complete several tasks in order to properly Geocache. You must, "Take something, leave something, and enter your name and experience into the logbook," (The Editors of Geocaching.com 62).

You must write your name in the logbook to show you have found the cache, you would usually use your Geocaching.com account name.

You also must take something and leave something.

Now you have officially found your first beginners Geocache! The last step to completing the task would be to record on the app, on your account, that you have found the Geocache successfully. "A Geocache log can be as detailed as you like. The cache owner is always happy to know about the condition of the cache and how well you enjoyed the experience," (The Editors of Geocaching.com 63).

You have now officially completed your first Geocache, congratulations!! Stop in soon to catch more Geocaching fun! :)


-Have you ever geocached? What do you think would be the most interesting part of the experience?

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching

My book is, 3rd Edition - The Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching, By the Editors and Staff of Geocaching.com. Geocaching is the activity of hunting for, and then finding a hidden “object”, and it can be done so all around the world. This book will show you the inside scoop on how/where/why to Geocache. I have been geocaching ever since 7^th grade, and from then I have found a total of 28, including some in Downtown Seattle and in my neighborhood. I want to read this book to show people that Geocaching is a fun activity, possibly getting it more popular and known in our area.











Editors and Staff of Geocaching.com. N.p.: Groundspeak.Inc, 2000. Print.