“As a longtime fan of Geocaching, it’s the perfect fit for ‘Tomb Raider,’ and to be able to create a series of worldwide geocaching treasure hunts for Tomb Raider is going to be a lot of fun,” -Karl Stewart, global brand director for Crystal Dynamics, says in a statement.

Source: JSOnline 

Mall of America Geocaching

One of the things about geocaching that makes it so enjoyable of a hobby is that it can be done just about anywhere, and can make any trip more interesting. Not that it wouldn’t be an interesting trip in itself, even for those that do not enjoy shopping, but a trip to the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota is a good example. While there are plenty of things to do for people with carrying interests, there is a challenge waiting to be had for those that know about geocaching.

One of the most popular geocaches in Minnesota lays in wait for the geocacher willing to take on the challenge.  The Mall of America III Cache is located inside the mall, where the cacher has to use clues given by the cache owner to locate the container. There is no GPS needed, all you need to do is find an entrance to the mall and start searching. Rather than solving the clues to get final coordinates like one would do with a regular Puzzle cache or multi-cache, the cacher is searching for the unique store address on the mall directory map. The cache owner did a wonderful job of using the Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park as well as other parts of the Mall.

This geocache can be done solo or with a group, making it perfect to suit many situations. Do it while the family shops or plays in the theme park, travel as a pack, or split up to find the various clues.  However you do it, you will be happy that you made it a part of your trip to the Mall of America!

GO GET IT! 

GC7B09: Mall of America Cache III

Like geocaching, each cache has a set of coordinates that are plugged into a GPS navigator and used by the explorer to search for the treasure. All the information needed, including the clues, coordinates and GPS rentals, can be found at www.VisitAlton.com/EagleCaching, or at the Alton Visitor’s Center.

Source: Postcresent.com

Additional Links:

Visit Alton Eagle Caching

Geocaching

Use stealth! One of the fun things about geocaching is finding the cache undetected by those not playing the game, who insiders call “muggles.”

When you find the geocache, open it and retrieve the log book or sheet. Sign and date with your username you created at geocaching.com. Trade items if you choose. Take pictures if you wish (this is fun to look back on). When you get home, visit the web page for the cache and log your visit.

Geocaching in the outdoors

Geocaching can happen anywhere. It can be in the great outdoors, or it can be cleverly hidden in what appears to be out in the open of a heavily traveled area. It is really up to you where you want to do it. Just go to the Hide and Seek page on geocaching.com and enter where you would like to search. It could be in your neighborhood, where you are going on vacation, or on your way to the store. Normally when people start out geocaching, we suggest searching from their home street address. People are usually surprised how close there are geocaches to their home. Usually, a geocache is hidden somewhere that the person hiding it finds interesting or has a memory tied to it.

What is Geocaching?

Geocaching is a game played around the world where the player searches for  a container called a geocache. Geocachers are all ages, shapes and sizes…anyone can be a geocacher!  You find a hidden container, or designated location,  using clues and a GPS (or these days a smart phone),  logging your visit with your name and date on a sheet of paper found in the container.

Where do I go Geocaching?

Geocaching can happen anywhere. It can be in the great outdoors, or it can be cleverly hidden in what appears to be out in the open of a heavily traveled area….(MORE)

What is a Geocache?

The geocache itself can be anything from a container that can hold a small piece of paper, to a virtual cache where the place you visit itself is the geocache…(MORE)

What is in a Geocache?

Inside a geocache you will find a log book or piece of paper to log your find. There will also be “tradable” items. The geocaching exchange rule is if you take something, leave something of equal value.

What do I get?

This is actually a very common question. It is a treasure hunt, right? With geocaching, the tresure depends on what is in the cache, and depends on how you define treasure. While geocaching usually begins sitting at a computer desk, one of the biggest benefits is that it gets you away from the computer, into the outdoors searching, discovering new places.

How do I go Geocaching?

The first thing you need to do is register for a free account at Geocaching.com. Geocaching is usually done using a GPS. Don’t let that scare you off, it is possible to go caching without a GPS…(MORE).

A small geocache container

The geocache itself can be anything from a container that can hold a small piece of paper, to a virtual cache where the place you visit itself is the geocache. Cache containers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some may be obvious when looking at them, but most are not. For the most part it just has to be big enough to hold a slip of paper, or log, that people can sign. It can be a homemade container, or something that was purchased in a store. The best are the caches that appear to be a fixture that blends in with the environment. Common geocache containers include tupperwear, bison tubes, ammo cans of varying sizes, hide-a-key boxes, and other water tight containers.

A tricky geocache

There are other types of geocaches that actually take you to a place, called a Virtual Cache or Earthcache. Usually, for these types of caches there will be some questions to answer so that you can prove that you visited the site. These are often educational and/ or landmarks. Great when traveling. These geocaches can often be found without a GPS since they are usually taking you to a specific area.

A geocacher who logged this cache writes, “To say this is the best geocache I’ve ever seen would be an understatement. This is mind-bogglingly fantastic! The creativity, work, money, craftsmanship, and awesomeness that has been put into this cache is just plain amazing… I’ve seen and made a few pretty darn cool caches, but this one takes the cake.”

Geocache Page GC202RG

The students who signed up for the course have done geocaching, an in-school treasure hunt using a GPS device, as well as orienteering with compasses. They learned to kayak in the swimming pool and played kayak polo and did a number of teambuilding activities leading up to the ropes.

From JournalStar.com