soilsqueezer

My family and I completed the "Explore the Block" series today at the Block Party and really enjoyed the adventure. We liked having an activity to do during the event and really enjoyed the puzzle pieces last year and the 4 activities to complete. So this year we were looking for something similar. (My kids don't really like it when I just stand around and talk with other adults.) This year we had two activities to choose from: the Lab Cache Explore the Block and the Geotour. We started out with the intention to do both, but quickly shed the notion of completing the GeoTour caches. Those were typical caches that were well done, but always had a crowd and a line to sign the log book and get the stamp. No real search and discover today with the masses, so they kind of lost their appeal. On the other hand, the event specific activities were better suited for the masses: no log books, fun locations, and simple to identify keywords. The coords on the paper in the balloon weren't the greatest, but the phone app worked well when it worked. We were able to move around quite easily without standing in a line. So while I was glad to get a smiley for the event, I also enjoyed getting a few additional smileys with the associated activities. I love the concept, but the name has to change.

Is the-app-that-shalln't-be-named really the only one? I used to use GPXSpinner and iSilo for my ancient palm, but felt silly using an old decrepit PDA along side my phone that I take with me anyway.

It may seem old school, but I am looking for an application for my HTC Droid phone that doesn't require a connection to the internet. I am using GeoBeagle currently, but that doesn't seem to give me the opportunity to search the file that I have uploaded directly to the phone by cache name. This weekend I was in an area with spotty cell-phone coverage and had to turn on the GPS feature on my phone (battery drain) just to find the cache in the nearby cache list. The map feature took forever to load. So even though I had my local/special PQ in the phone, I still had difficulty navigating through the caches that were there. Any advice? Thanks.

I totally agree, when I hid my "skirt lifter" micro I had never seen a hide like that before and thought I was being quite clever. Now that I have found a few more caches (including the inevitable LPC), I see that I am not as original or as clever as I thought. At least I attached a metal plate to the skirt so the magnetic cache stays up in the skirt. Don't worry, I won't even hide another micro!

Hat pins, Lapel pins, whatever you want to call them that have the pin that sticks out straight from the back and a separate cover for the pointy part. He is not interested in the safety pin type (including buttons unless they are a signature item and we grab them) because they don't stick in the cork board where the collection is displayed. He has everything from a McD's employee of the month to a British Columbia PTA group to an Air Force set of wings. It would be great if they were geocaching related, but we don't let him be picky. The collection actually started as a requirement for cub scouts. Have fun and remember the joy of caching is the adventure of exploring new places. BTW, I am the dad in the group, my wife is Da Mom.

I cache with 4 small children whose ages range from 2 to 8. (and yes it is frequently difficult to be discreet while searching with that crowd) They love the McToys in caches and we have a box into which we recycle the stuff they don't play with any more for our next outing. The kid stuff in the caches is how I entice my kids to come and if we hit too many micros my kids let me know. So please keep the toys in the caches! I have adapted to what is available. I look for and collect signature items. I would prefer to find an item that says "howlingwind" on it or one of totemlake's key chains than a bracelet that says "I love geocaching." I have my own wooden nickel that I leave in exchange. My oldest son is tired of the McToys and has started a collection of straight back pins. I think he is up to about 20 that he has pulled from caches. Those are his gems and they are available. If we ever found a geocoin in a cache that wasn't on the move . . .

I have set up two bookmark lists: I-5: Bellingham to Portland This list is not complete by any means, it started as a to do list on a Thanksgiving trip. Whatcom Spirit Quest Caches This list should be complete as of 1/11/06. This is a series I haven't completed -Soilsqueezer-

A cache in Indiana , Shelter II, currently has 107 watchers, but topped out at 155 (I think). -Soilsqueezer-