BellsRUs

Sometimes I watch caches that I'm planning to look for while on vacation for a while so I can see if people are posting DNFs on them, or to find out what people finding them think of the hide. Sometimes I watch caches that I've left a neat item in to see when someone takes it. I left a cool transformable wire thingy in one cache and the person who eventually took it mentioned it in their post and also thought it was very cool. Patti

If you're looking for something fast and sweet, this recipe is the BEST! You may need to make several batches if you're headed to a large gathering, as these won't last long. Paradise Bars ------------------- saltine crackers 1 C. margarine 1 C. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 1-12 oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips Pecans, chopped Line a cookie sheet with foil, edges up. Line foil with saltine crackers, salt side up. In saucepan, melt the margarine and sugar. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Take off heat and stir in vanilla. Pour batter over saltines; spread evenly. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove from oven. Cover with chocolate chips. Let them melt for a minute, then spread evenly. Top with chopped nuts. Refrigerate. Break into pieces when cool. Patti

I have a question along the same lines. When you report a cache, do the maps automatically get included on your cache page, or does the person submitting the report need to somehow include the maps in html code? Also, once your cache is reported and you have a cache page, how easy is it to make changes to the way the page looks? Would I have direct access to change the page, or do I need to ask the reviewer to make the changes? Thanks! Patti

We are from the Pittsburgh area (NE suburbs). Patti

One of the things I've discovered is that the cache is often covered up with bark or leaves or twigs to help hide the container. If I stand and look around for natural material that looks "out of place" (as odd as it sounds that sticks/twigs/bark would look out of place in the outdoors! ) I can often see where a cacher has piled something over the cache container. The pile is just too "man-made" to have ended up that way naturally. I still have DNFs (did not find caches), but I make sure I log them. When my daughter and I first looked for a cache 2 years ago we couldn't find it and I logged it as a DNF. I was injured and unable to cache for a couple of years and have just started back up. I went back to that cache and was amazed at how simple it was to find! (Of course, this time around there wasn't any snow covering the hiding place so it was much easier to spot!). Have fun! Patti

I'm glad the OP posted this question - I was wondering the same things after seeing several listings say "look in the usual places" and not knowing what the usual places were. Thanks for all the tips! Patti

You might want to check out the Garage Sale forum on this site. There are usually some GPSr for sale at decent prices - I saw one advertised for $30.00. Patti

In 2004, right after daughter and I started geocaching, we went to a local hiking area and found a cache. It was a sunny 60 degree day in February, very unusual for Pittsburgh. After finding the first cache, decided to go for a second that was less than .5 mile away. Found the area, were looking for the cache when we realized it was starting to get dark and we were a ways from the car. Took off running through the woods, up and down over uneven terrain, slipping on snow. Injured my right foot, but I didn't know at the time what I had done. Decided we weren't going to make it if we stayed in the woods, so we left the woods when we neared the backyards of some houses. Out to the road and finally figured out where we were. Started walking back to the car via the roads, which was several miles - GPSr read 1 mile from car, but we were walking parallel to it. When it started to rain, with my foot hurting badly, and we still had another mile to go, I called my husband from my cell phone and asked him to come and get us. I was on crutches for a while - finally went to the doctor who diagnosed plantar fasciitis. I've had physical therapy and 3 shots of cortisone since then and just this past week we started geocaching again. Hoping I won't injure it again!

I will be going on a cruise this summer that stops in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. I found two caches that seem to be very easy and convenient for cruisers (ex. Dockside), however they are only listed under U.S. Virgin Islands, not the particular island. How do I figure out if they are on St. Thomas or one of the other islands?

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