Geocaching

Today, EB and I did some geocaching together, one of our favorite daddy-daughter activities.  If you don't know, geocaching is a world-wide treasure hunt where people hide containers for other people to find.  There are variations, but usually, you get the approximate GPS coordinates, a description of what you're looking for and maybe a hint or two.  Then you search.

Before we go any further, I should say that this post may contain a spoiler or two.  So, if you're a local cacher and don't want to have your search spoiled, then click away now!

Still with me?  OK.  The containers range from tiny little cylinders to large plastic food storage containers or ammo boxes:  

Inside each box is a paper log where you sign your name if you find the cache.  You also log your find online.

Some caches are big enough to hold other items that you can trade.  One memorable one had several Pez dispensers inside.  You can see EB sitting cross legged with it in the photo above.  

The holy grail item is a trackable.  These are items that have a unique number and move from cache to cache, sometimes traveling around the world!  You can watch them move from place to place.  We've been searching and searching for a trackable but we've come up empty-- even on the caches that show one or more trackables inside on their logs.  

You probably don't have to go far to find a geocache, there are currently about 250,000 of them hidden around the world.  EB and I spent this afternoon roaming through Riverside, Berwyn and Brookfield and snagged 10 finds! Our first target was this cache, honoring a beloved, lost pet.

It contained a few doggy treats for geocachers bringing their own pets along.  It also held a few treasures and EB eagerly traded.  It was about 90*, but we both wore long sleeves to protect against bugs and poison ivy!

Then, we spent some time enjoying the area.  This is one of the best parts of geocaching: a reason to just go out and enjoy places with my girl.

The grapevine made a tunnel just for EB.

You can't see this tire swing from the road-- it's a local treasure.

I searched high and low for this one, but EB spotted it right away:

Dad, it's right here...

Found it!

After finding a few more, we stopped for a cool cache along old Route 66, where there's a memorial to those who served in our our armed services.

Can you guess where?  Nope, not the barrel...

An eternal flame.

When at Route 66.... And yes, there's a cache hidden nearby.  I had to shoo away a spider : )

Points of interest along Route 66.

Did I mention how hot and humid it was?  Here's EB's fogged glasses.  She's all smiles, anyway.

There's a place just below the confluence of the Des Plaines River and Salt Creek where you can pull out a kayak and find a cache.

We had called it quits, but there was one more cache on the way home and this one had a promising log entry: travel bug dropped today.  We had to check it out, and are we ever glad we did.  This was the coolest cache we've found so far!  EB was just so excited!

But not just for the cool, cool cache and incredible amount of cool loot inside.  This cache contained a travel bug!  

EB and Notzo Zippy

Meet Notzo Zippy, our very first trackable and a cute little guy! He's been lots of fun places, like Arizona, Nebraska, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, South Carolina, Chicagoland and now, with us.   He also came with a description that suggested he might enjoy visiting Washington state.  Hmm, who do we know in Washington that likes to Geocache?  We're not going anytime soon but maybe we could put him on a flight out west just like we did our other little girl!  I can't wait to see where he goes from there!