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GeoVacation


golffox

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I know there's probably a topic about this somewhere, but the "search" isn't working for me. Anyway, I'm starting to think about where I want to go on vacation next year; however, I'd like to make it a geocaching vacation--a whole week of geocaching. Any suggestions on where to go? I want to stay in the U.S., and preferably in just one place for a week. No kids--it's just my spouse and me. Thanks for any input!

 

We like the outdoors so camping or staying in a lodge or cabin would be ideal. I'd like to find a lot during the week, and traditional caches are my favorite. Not into big cities....like the country.

Edited by golffox
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What type of hides your seeking would go a long ways in helping others make some suggestions.

 

Are you looking for:

 

A big number of finds

Hiking caches

Famous caches

Puzzle caches

Multi Central

Caches with a view

 

Also,

 

Your type of lodging would help.

 

Camping in campsites

Hotel in a big city

 

You get the jist.....

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I know there's probably a topic about this somewhere, but the "search" isn't working for me. Anyway, I'm starting to think about where I want to go on vacation next year; however, I'd like to make it a geocaching vacation--a whole week of geocaching. Any suggestions on where to go? I want to stay in the U.S., and preferably in just one place for a week. No kids--it's just my spouse and me. Thanks for any input!

 

We like the outdoors so camping or staying in a lodge or cabin would be ideal. I'd like to find a lot during the week, and traditional caches are my favorite. Not into big cities....like the country.

 

I started a similar thread awhile back but was looking for someplace to go for a long weekend (using frequent flyer miles). Some of the suggestions that I got that looked interesting were:

 

Pacific Northwest.

Las Vegas (apparently lots of interesting caches just out of town)

Birmingham, Alabama

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In the winter months, say mid December until mid May, you might enjoy Jonathan Dickerson State Park, in SE Florida.

 

You can rent a cabin there (reserve WELL IN ADVANCE)> There are ~ 200+ caches. Hiking, biking, and on the gorgeous Federally designated wild and scenic Loxahatchee river, many boat caches. Boats are available for rent in the park. There are a number of rather different environments in the park, coastal scrub on the Atlantic side, cypress hammocks, pine flatwoods, swamps, the river, which changes character sharply as you get into the tidal zone - unbelievable birds! otters, gators, turtles, just a fabulous paddle ... and some nice beaches outside the park. The home of Trapper John, "the wild man of Loxahatchee" is opened, a real Florida Cracker wilderness cabin, and ruins from the use of the area for WW2 training. An interesting place with a lot going on.

Very geocacher friendly.

At the moment, nearly all caches in the park are archived, pending a December event.

Here's a bookmarked list of caches - as I said, all archived, per the parks request that the caches move annually. A few older hides are left intact, including the locally famous Red Scorpion. The new crop will be out the first week in December.

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To my non-caching spouse's disappointment I have found that there are caches everywhere I want to go. I know people who did all 50 states in a short period of time and found caches wherever they went. Certainly there are some areas with power trails - the place where the people got over 400 in 24 hours comes to mind. But those types of spots can be found throughout the country. So I would start by looking at the area you want to visit and plan your caching from there.

 

You probably couldn't go wrong with a trip to geowoodstock and the NW - I did a whirlwind trip up there to get Ape and the original staches and had a great time with a few caching friends. There was a thread about a power trail in Louisiana and New Orleans has one of my all time favorite caches.

 

The SF Bay area (where I live) has a lot to offer - from the city to Angel Island and the Napa-Sonoma Wine Country, across to Lodi and the Sacramento, we could keep you busy. Yosemite is amazing, and the small towns in the Sierra Gold Country are fun to visit for the area as well as the caches. One of the pictures on my profile is from a week's vacation at Tahoe that included lots of caching around the lake, my first island cache when we rented a boat, side trips to the ghost town of Bodie and Mono Lake with some very nice caches.

 

At the other end of the state, Palm Springs out to Joshua Tree has a lot of opportunities should you like the desert.

 

We wanted to swing through Zion, Bryce, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon last summer as part of our annual trip to watch darts in Vegas - even bypassing most of the traditionals along the way there were a lot of caches to enjoy and some of the most amazing country I have seen. Red Rock Canyon and the Valley of Fire outside Vegas are also nice areas, but be careful if you go there in the summer (I have tried hiking through 115 degree heat and it can be difficult.)

 

In most of the national parks, you would be limited to earthcaches and virtuals, but there are usually plenty of traditional caches nearby. Yellowstone is on my short list for a vacation that includes caching, although it may be awhile before I get there given other family priorities. And there is a virtual cache at Toroweap (3000 feet above the Grand Canyon), One Giant Step, that I would give up a hundred traditionals to find.

Edited by Erickson
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We recently started caching here in Tn and were surprised to find that there are over 1000 geocaches within 25 miles of home. Based on that I would recommend the Tn side of the great smokey mountains national park you could stay in the park or in Gatlinburg or Sevierville/Pigeon Forge. We live about 20 miles from the park just one exit down. Keep in mind there are no traditional caches in the park however there are tons in the area as hiking is a major hobby here. Gorgeous spring and fall nice summer and winter.

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We've taken alot of road trips and love planning geo-Vacations. Our favorite places so far are:

 

Las Vegas- the parks and mountains just outside of town are amazing!

 

Seattle, WA- neat parks and hikes not far from town and lots of cool places in town as well

 

Spokane, WA- Great hikes in the hills and along the river plus Coeur D'Alene is right next door for even more hiking close to a town.

 

St Louis, Mo- Lots of little parks and some great areas to explore in the suburbs and just out of town. Neat history too and some cool cemeteries to visit for Waymarking.

 

Chicago, IL- The Des Plains River Trail system is great for caching along and I have enjoyed all the little parks and historical caches in the suburbs.

 

North Jersey/East PA/South NY- outside of the big cities there are lots of forests and caches to explore. I loved hiking through the different parks and seeing the historical areas and old houses.

 

Huntsville, Alabama has some great parks and hikes plus the Monte Sano park sill rent cabins. I absolutely loved the weekend I spent hiking in their parks.

 

We just started looking at Hawaii, specifically the island of Oahu for a week in February. Lots of nice caches there that we are looking forward to finding.

 

In truth, pick any place you might be interested in visiting for non-caching reasons and you will find some amazing caches in the surrounding region. Buffalo, NY was a great surprise for us this year- Niagara Falls was awesome and the caches in the surrounding areas were pretty sweet. Especially the Eternal Flame Earthcache which had a nice hike to a natural flame appearing under a waterfall. Just plain cool.

 

Jen

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I know there's probably a topic about this somewhere, but the "search" isn't working for me. Anyway, I'm starting to think about where I want to go on vacation next year; however, I'd like to make it a geocaching vacation--a whole week of geocaching. Any suggestions on where to go? I want to stay in the U.S., and preferably in just one place for a week. No kids--it's just my spouse and me. Thanks for any input!

 

We like the outdoors so camping or staying in a lodge or cabin would be ideal. I'd like to find a lot during the week, and traditional caches are my favorite. Not into big cities....like the country.

 

I started a similar thread awhile back but was looking for someplace to go for a long weekend (using frequent flyer miles). Some of the suggestions that I got that looked interesting were:

 

Pacific Northwest.

Las Vegas (apparently lots of interesting caches just out of town)

Birmingham, Alabama

 

Red Rock Canyon and Mt Charleston just outside of Vegas are nice caching and adventure areas!!

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The Black Hills area of South Dakota in the Fall or Spring Months avoids all of the tourist crowds and is easily accessible and beautiful. Being off season means many of the area attractions are closed but the Geocaches are there.
I'm with StarBrand on the Black Hills. I've taken two fall geocaching trips there so far. In October it is MUCH less crowded and also much less expensive.

 

 

My favorite part of that area for its majestic beauty, so far, is Spearfish Canyon, but really that's like trying to say who your favorite child is. The only place to avoid that I've found so far, is the town of Keystone. I stayed there last fall and will never do so again (terribly touristy, with 50's music piped over intercoms all over town. Lame restaraunts, at least in October when many of them are closed for the season, too.

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I know there's probably a topic about this somewhere, but the "search" isn't working for me. Anyway, I'm starting to think about where I want to go on vacation next year; however, I'd like to make it a geocaching vacation--a whole week of geocaching. Any suggestions on where to go? I want to stay in the U.S., and preferably in just one place for a week. No kids--it's just my spouse and me. Thanks for any input!

 

We like the outdoors so camping or staying in a lodge or cabin would be ideal. I'd like to find a lot during the week, and traditional caches are my favorite. Not into big cities....like the country.

 

if you don't mind roughing it, i have a list of free legal campsites, mostly in the adirondacks and central NY, one in southern VT. i also have locations of available spring water and good pizza places.

 

a few of the sites have outhouses, but there are otherwise no amenities.

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Cooperstown, N.Y. -Are you a baseball fan?

Last year our group- stuck in the middle cachers- had an event at Glimmerglass State Park and put twenty one caches in the park. There's camping, boating on Otsego Lake, fishing, swimming or lying on the sandy beach and catching some rays... and oh yes there's baseball's holy shrine - the hall of fame.

You can also take a day to look for the caches in Vanhornsville not far from the state park and visit a fish farm or walk an historic trail with waterfalls and caves.

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I know there's probably a topic about this somewhere, but the "search" isn't working for me. Anyway, I'm starting to think about where I want to go on vacation next year; however, I'd like to make it a geocaching vacation--a whole week of geocaching. Any suggestions on where to go? I want to stay in the U.S., and preferably in just one place for a week. No kids--it's just my spouse and me. Thanks for any input!

 

We like the outdoors so camping or staying in a lodge or cabin would be ideal. I'd like to find a lot during the week, and traditional caches are my favorite. Not into big cities....like the country.

 

if you don't mind roughing it, i have a list of free legal campsites, mostly in the adirondacks and central NY, one in southern VT. i also have locations of available spring water and good pizza places.

 

a few of the sites have outhouses, but there are otherwise no amenities.

 

I am very interested if you'd be willing to share that info with me!! :laughing:

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Cooperstown, N.Y. -Are you a baseball fan?

Last year our group- stuck in the middle cachers- had an event at Glimmerglass State Park and put twenty one caches in the park. There's camping, boating on Otsego Lake, fishing, swimming or lying on the sandy beach and catching some rays... and oh yes there's baseball's holy shrine - the hall of fame.

You can also take a day to look for the caches in Vanhornsville not far from the state park and visit a fish farm or walk an historic trail with waterfalls and caves.

 

And don't forget Ommegang Brewery, producer of some of the best Belgian style beers you'll find in the U.S. I'll have to schedule a weekend trip to Cooperstown for some geocaching. I'm only a little over a couple of hours away. Last time I was in Cooperstown was on the 4th of July a few years ago. After starting the day at Ommegang, spending some time at the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the Farm Museum (which had some special events for the day), we went to Doubleday Field for a concert. Jerry Douglass (a favorite of mine) band opened up for Paul Simon. It was one of the most enjoyable days I've had that didn't include geocaching.

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I too would recommend Central NY. In addition to Glimmerglass there is a day or more of caching in nearby Syracuse at Green Lakes and you are within a days trip of the oldest cache in New York State. If you want to cache in multiple states it would be easy to do a 4 state day and possible to do 5.

Team Taran

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