My first Geocache.....and never trust a stranger....

[Jamisjockey]

....so I loaded a bunch of caches into my GPS and headed out to at least find one, just one.....
Its a brisk 28ish in NoVA today.  The cache (this one) was hidden in a small local park near a river.  I headed up the trail, and felt like it was starting to make sense.  I met a fella coming the other way, walking with his dog.  He saw my GPS and got all excited.  He's seen the cache.  He doesn't cache, but thinks its really cool and wants a GPS.  He gives me some hints, so I go looking....but the area is about 400' short of the coordinates my GPS says....  <_< I find the "cache", its quite small and only contains a note...with another set of coordinates.... :unsure:
Being a noobie, I figure I just messed up.  I set the new set of coordinates, and find the second cache without much trouble.  I sign the log, TNLjewelry.  I'm all giddy, but pretty confused by the whole ordeal....until I look at my notes.  Pine Tree Cemetery is a traditional cache....I found a multi named Monty Python: Sir Bedevere.....
 
So, I've found my first cache.  However, the lesson is to not trust strangers, no matter how well intentioned....I gotta learn to trust the magic box!

[grislyatoms]

Geocaching is just so much fun...

Congrats on your first find, it can be quite addicting, especially when you get into travel bugs.

I love watching my GPS tick off the distance: 1/4 mile, 1000 feet, 500 feet, 250 feet, 100 feet, 15 feet...

then the real fun begins, particularly with a well hidden cache. There have been times I have walked right over or by a cache and not seen it. Several times.

Have fun!

[esheato]

Geocaching is lots of fun. I actually found a bunch on a base in Iraq a few years ago. Weird locations too...like on top of buildings and inside destroyed equipment.

In fact, I even took a travel bug from there and placed it in a cache back in the states. Who knows where it is now.

Ed

[Jamisjockey]

I got out today with my kid.....he's 3 1/2 and loved "treasure hunting".  He made off with 2 toy cars and an army guy, I left jewelry from my wife's past-line samples. 
We hunted and found 3 caches, all in the same park about 10 miles from here.  All in all we hiked about 2 miles, all on dirt or off trail.   Man he loved it!
 

[mgdavis]

Just wait till you look for caches under heavy tree cover, where your GPS won't get you closer than 45'  . I had to go back another day for that one. What GPS do you have? I've got a Vista CX with Mapsource loaded, one of these days I'll get topo's.

[Jamisjockey]

Just wait till you look for caches under heavy tree cover, where your GPS won't get you closer than 45'  . I had to go back another day for that one. What GPS do you have? I've got a Vista CX with Mapsource loaded, one of these days I'll get topo's.

I've got the same one!  I just got topo last week, which was kinda the thing that pushed me over the edge to actually go find some caches.  Get the topo, its worth it.  We were following some hiking trails today, it was nice that they were depicted so I could bushwack with impunity and know how to get back to the trail.....

[Manedwolf]

Careful where you place things. Someone just got arrested here, or at least questioned, because they put a cache in the form of an Altoids tin stuck to an electrical box behind a supermarket.

They were "wanted for questioning", after it apparently alarmed the store owners or such. 

So apparently geocaches are now SUSPICIOUS OBJECTS THAT MIGHT BE BOMBS...and you can get nailed as having planted a "hoax device" for leaving them.

[zahc]

So apparently geocaches are now SUSPICIOUS OBJECTS THAT MIGHT BE BOMBS...and you can get nailed as having planted a "hoax device" for leaving them.

I think it's pretty clear that recent case law has established that anything is by definition a hoax device and interacting with anything is by definition intent to cause panic.

[Jamisjockey]

Careful where you place things. Someone just got arrested here, or at least questioned, because they put a cache in the form of an Altoids tin stuck to an electrical box behind a supermarket.

They were "wanted for questioning", after it apparently alarmed the store owners or such. 

So apparently geocaches are now SUSPICIOUS OBJECTS THAT MIGHT BE BOMBS...and you can get nailed as having planted a "hoax device" for leaving them.

A) that's why I'm not too into "urban" micro caches.
B) I likely won't be placing any caches for awhile

[grislyatoms]

My daughter and I called it "treasure hunting" too when we first started. She can usually spot caches before I can, now!

As far as urban/suburban caches, I avoid them as well. Too many people milling about, scenery is, well, urban! Geocaching's main appeal to me is another excuse to get out and about in the boonies.

One of my favorite caching areas abounds with dirt bikers, Jeeps, ATV's, etc. Gotta be discreet approaching a cache there, I don't want to tip anyone off that there might be something there. We usually only go there now during the middle of the week.

Anyway, I am glad you and your kiddo are enjoying it!

P.S. FWIW, I use a plain vanilla Garmin Etrex.

P.P.S. Ed, do you remember the name of the travel bug?