Treasure Hunting: The Thrills of Geocaching

Sometimes, taking a walk with my son Cameron and my dog Cola is just the best thing to do.

We're lucky in Davis to have a multitude of options for our journey -- from our place in central Davis we can really head in any direction and find something to see.  After discovering geocaching a few years ago, our walks have turned into moments of discovery. For those who don't know: 

Geocaching is a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices and then share their experiences online. 

It's kind of like treasure hunting, except typical cache treasures aren't worth much in monetary value -- it's all about the hunt.

"Cachers" find the thrill is in trying to solve the mystery and find the box, can, or whatever creative container has been hidden using coordinates from a GPS.  Personally, I like the geocaching app I downloaded on my iPhone-it has allowed us to hunt and seek for treasures everywhere we go, in any city or state.

As Cameron, Cola and I stroll along on our hunts we start to notice things we haven't seen before -- even in our own neighborhood.  We pay attention to the little details around us as we search for clues to the mystery.  We talk and walk, and when we think we're close, we check for "muggles" -- that's cache-speak for those of you who aren't part of the caching community. 

After we log our find, it's on to the next, and the next, and pretty soon it's dark, and we head home.  We've cached all over Davis -- the Arboretum, old North Davis, Community Park, Covell Park, Northstar and Stonegate.  We've climbed bridges, dug around in dirt and spiderwebs, and even stumbled across a large roosting bird of some sort out by the freeway. There have been moments when I was ready to give up, and suddenly Cameron would pop up with a huge grin on his face and the cache in his hand.

What I've learned is that stuff is hidden everywhere.  For me, geocaching isn't about finding the capsule, or logging the visit.  It's the journey we take to get there. 

It's the wild turkeys roosting in the trees, or the geese in the bird sanctuary.  It's the turtles and peacocks at the Arboretum and the yellow roses blooming along the Toomey Field fence.  And mostly, it's the stuff that my son and I discover about each other along the way.

What I'm still learning is that it's ok to get lost in the moment, and to slow down and notice the stuff.  The memories I log in my mind are the most valuable treasure of all.

For more life lessons, please visit my personal blog page.