Spicoaster

Thanks for the additional suggestions, help and offers to help! We contacted 2 of the CO's and they provided some addition clues/info - never would have guessed what we were looking for and where we should have been looking for it (so the phrase look where you would hide something doesn't hold true, at least for us). Without their help we would not have gone back and taken an additional look (the log entries had nothing extra to help). And so far no two items have been in the same type of container, thus it is difficult to make the leap about what we should be looking for (maybe this will come in time). We have found 2 on our own now, but if it hadn't been for other finders log entries giving additional hints (one even with a picture) we wouldn't have found them either. Cheers SPICoaster

Hi K13 - Yes we did log our DNF's for the items not located. One we placed a note on because the coordinates took us to a location on a golf course behind private property. Turns out to be an issue with the Geocaching Intro App we obtained from the App Store (we've replaced this App with Geo Bucket and we are happy to say it is very reliable). The cache owner did send an e-mail telling us that he thought it was in a city park and not on the golf course (we stumbled across the location while looking for another cache). So far no cache owner has offered up hints or clues based on us listing the item as DNF. I did send a message to the owner of the above cache and ask if he was interested in providing any additional info which he did so today (maybe even to much). Cheers, SPICoaster

Again thanks to everyone for offering suggestions and replying to us. Chief301 - I had my wife and a few others read your replies regarding this post and they thought, as I did, that you were being arrogant and condescending in your tone. Again maybe this is just your way and we should over look it. Or maybe you really think you are so much better than us "Newbies" as you like to call us beginners in so many of your posts. Remember you were a "Newbie" once as well. Semper Questio - We never intended to slam anyone. We just stated how we felt after reading many a post that never answered a beginners questions. After reading posts that were along the lines of "tell the "Newbie" that they have to figure it out on their own" and stating that they should be told there is a "Code" to adhere by, we started getting the feeling this was a closed activity not wanting new folks to become active. I have to ask, is the fact that your nose, and Chief301's as well, got bent out of shape about the "Code" issue a testament to how you really feel about beginners? If so then please stop offering assistance to beginners since it is counterproductive. Please note that telling every beginner the same thing using cut and paste from previous posts isn't helpful. Most people that have found this site aren't dumb should have already searched and read the beginning 101 stuff, so please answer their questions out right. Rehashing the same stuff that they have already covered makes them feel like you're talking down to them and isn't helpful. Again I thank everyone who offered up suggestions and didn't just repost old stuff for us to reread - It was great that some folks even did some research on why we couldn't find one of the items. And yes there were a few good items from Chief301 and Semper Questio. Cheers, SPICoaster

Thanks for those that offered some insight into the process and offered suggestions. Per the info we had read here, we picked a few caches that were rated at 1.5 to 2.0 for both difficulty and terrain. The ammo box is suppose to be located behind a Home Depot store which has nothing behind it but a retaining wall (which is 12 feet tall and butts up against a fence which is owned by Oncor Electric), no hiding places against the building (its clear as can be) and is just a driveway between the building and the retaining wall - sorry no lamp posts etc. that could be used to hide something When we placed our comment that we couldn't find it we noticed others have stated it appears to no longer be there. Another item listed in the same shopping center directed us to a flower garden - but when we were looking around security chased us off the property. We looked at one of the green highlighted items and it was rated more difficult than the items we picked. Yes we did look at what the different containers could look like. Yes we understand that GPS devices will only get you close and no we didn't expect it to drop out thin air and say here it is!! Sorry that one replier back to us felt insulted by our comment about a "Code" - although it was reading other posts by you to others regarding the same types of beginner issues that made us feel that way. Maybe that is just your nature to be naturally condescending to others and if so I'll look past it. Cheers SPICoaster

So we saw an episode of Texas Parks and Wildlife on PBS regarding Geocaching. A father and his children were off promoting how easy this is to do. It showed them finding an ammo box right along side the trail exactly where the GPS said it would be! My wife and I, after watching this show, thought this would be fun to go and do. We joined this site, read the stuff about getting started, downloaded the FREE IOS app and went out last evening to find what was suppose to be, easy to locate items. Absolutely no luck! The app is pretty useless giving poor info on how to get to any of the locations. And when we stumbled upon the correct area (while looking for a different cache), while standing still, it would show, we were within 3 feet, the 15 feet, then 23 feet, then 32 feet all the while the compass pointer would move in different directions (all of this within seconds of each other - really?). We went to the shopping center where you are suppose to be able to hone your skills - there is suppose to be a ammo box there, should be easy to find - well it isn't there. Looked for 2 other items that are suppose to be there as well - and still no luck. That's when a security guard ask us what we're doing and then asked us to leave (I said we were on a scavenger hunt). So feeling dumber than a stump we went home, ate dinner and then tried again on a full stomach. No better luck, although this was the time that we stumbled across the Fenn's Park area where the Fish Fenn cache is supposedly located (see above note on app). Oh, and we didn't find the cache location we were looking for when we stumbled across the little park. Again feeling defeated we went back home and posted that we can't find the items and read more forum posts (seems like there is a code here that no one is suppose to help new folks get the hang of this - and telling me to look where I might hid something doesn't help). Our conclusion is that the TV show didn't promote reality and we came away with only frustration after 2 hours of getting no where. I also noticed that no one talks about there first time experiences unless they were happy ones - maybe because they give up and go away?. It would be interesting to know how many others have had our type of experience. Cheers SPICoaster