The Ultimate Geocaching Lodge

Geocaching, the high-tech scavenger hunt that uses handheld Global Positioning System (GPS) units, has become so popular that one of the nation’s most well known parks is catering to followers of the relatively new craze. Whether you consider geocaching a hobby or an addiction, a hotel just outside Yosemite National Park has a package deal that is hard to resist. Tenaya Lodge is currently offering a geocaching program along with its nature hikes and horseback riding outings. The 244-room hotel consistently receives four diamonds from the AAA and is considered, “the grandest of Yosemite’s perimeter gateway hotels catering to the … Continue reading →

Intro to Geocaching 5: The Hunt

Now that you have found a local cache to search out and prepared for the trip, you are ready to head on out. You should be able to use your map or information from the cache clue to get you to the park, trail or general area of the hunt. Some cache clues provide specific details for parking so make sure you read the clue to see if there is a specific parking lot you should use. Once you get to your parking spot, fire up your GPS unit, if you haven’t already, and head on out. Continue to watch … Continue reading →

Intro to Geocaching 4: Preparing for the Hunt

Now that you have read the Overview, searched for a local cache, understand how to read the clue, you are ready to prepare to set out on your hunt! Preparation: There is just a little bit of pre-hunt preparation that needs to be done before you head out the door. Don’t worry, it won’t take long. First, check the weather. It is never fun to be caught out in bad weather in the middle of a long hike far from home! If the weather is questionable, double check that you have picked a hunt that does not have a long … Continue reading →

Intro to Geocaching 2: Understanding Your Search Results

So you’ve read ‘Intro to Geocaching 1: An Overview’ and are ready to start geocaching! How do you begin? You need to log on to Geocaching.com to find your clues. The easiest way to find a clue near you is to use the website’s search function. The Search: Once you bring up the geocaching.com website, click on “Hide and Seek a Cache” and search by zip code for those that are closest to you. The results of your search will show a listing of caches hidden with a variety of symbols and keys you will learn as you go along. … Continue reading →

Intro to Geocaching 1: An Overview

Have you heard of geocaching? It’s a fun and economical way for families to head outdoors, get some good exercise, face an exciting challenge that all kids and adults can meet equally and come away with some fun “stuff”. Geocaching is an adventure game, much like a real-life scavenger hunt, that uses a handheld global positioning system (GPS) and hints from a website to track down “caches” that are hidden within your community and the world, at large. The caches are hidden by regular people, like you and I, and also by parks and recreation workers, school groups and other … Continue reading →

Costs and Features of Detectors

If you were considering treasure hunting with a metal detector, you will find a large difference between costs and features. Many of the current magazines on treasure hunting will look at the cost of metal detectors based strictly on performance, not any of the enhancements that can be purchased. Next, the amount of hunting you will be doing is taken into consideration, which is where you can start adding some of the “bells and whistles”, if you want. Additionally, a non-motion, all-metal detector that has a fast cutoff and auto tune should be mandatory on your list regardless of the … Continue reading →

Choosing the Right Detector

More than likely, you have seen television commercials showing people with metal detectors pulling up rings, rare coins, watches, and so on and probably wondering if this really works. Well, metal detectors do work and knowing the right information can help improve your chance of finding those types of items. To start with, you need to use the right type of detector. In fact, choosing the detector is probably the most difficult part of the entire process. When you start looking, you will quickly discover numerous options, making the choice a little confusing. While you could check out advertisements in … Continue reading →

TYPES OF METAL DETECTORS

As you start your search for the perfect metal detector, you will quickly discover that there is a multitude of detectors from which to choose. The most important aspect of buying a metal detector is to purchase a detector that meets your specific needs. Remember that just because a particular model is a popular choice among treasure hunters that does not mean it is the right detector for you. You will hear a number of terms such as VLF, VLF/TR, TR, Pulse, PI, or RF. Before you go shopping, you need to know first what these and other terms mean. … Continue reading →

WHO HUNTS FOR TREASURE

Unfortunately, when we talk about treasure hunting, we envision old men after retirement walking around with their little metal detector, hoping to find some type of treasure to make their retirement more successful. Hunting for treasure is no longer associated with just the elderly. In fact, children as young as four to woman up to 95 are all enjoying the fun and benefits of using metal detectors to hunt for treasure. One of the most popular reasons people treasure hunt is to find rare coins. If you were to walk along the beaches of Malibu, you would spot entire families … Continue reading →

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TREASURE HUNTING

An interesting fact about treasure hunting is that 90% of all people that own a metal detector started out by hunting coins. Currently, numbers show that 60% of all people that treasure hunt still hunt for coins, although they do on occasion try other forms of hunting. Studies also show that 20% of people coin hunting become quite good at this and actually are considered as professionals in that they know all the right places for finding coins, spending the majority of their spare time hunting. Additionally, 30% of all coin hunters are female, with that number climbing. Another interesting … Continue reading →