Geocaching Events

[hoosier guy]

I never have gone to events or gatherings. Had thought about it, but the distances to events are usually pretty far and everytime I mention going caching to someone they hook me up with a friend or relative who caches so I meet plenty other folks interested in GC.

 

How may of y'all attend geocahing events or gatherings? How many don't? Why or why don't you go to such things?

[+DavetecsGirl]

I love going to events, its usually a great night out and i meet new cachers and hook up with cacher friends.

 

Other events like the Spring Fling in Ontario Canada is a great day away with caching and seminars, prizes good food and lots of laughs. Events to me are a big part of caching........ I love the EVENTS

[+Team Cotati]

Picture a meeting of your high school calculus club at Pizza Hut.

[+wimseyguy]

If you like meeting new people, and like geocaching, and like talking to people about it, you will probably like geocaching events.

 

If you only like geocaching, don't go to an event.

[+Pork King]

Picture a meeting of your high school calculus club at Pizza Hut.

 

I like events. Whenever I try to tell my wife a funny geocaching story, I am usually me with blank stares. It's nice to have someone to "talk shop" with.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Go to ONE, then decide if you like going to events.

 

For one thing, you all of a sudden can put faces to those logs you have read (am guessing that you have read some interesting logs).

It's fun to have somebody see your nametag and say "... Oh, you're the one that put out those <enter your choice of descriptions> caches near such-n-such town, or finally meet up with the one that provided you with that most challenging cache you really loved.

 

You always learn something new from a face-to-face contact.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

I love events!

 

I found my first 500 or so caches alone before a group of us formed a community (the Alabama Geocachers Association) and started caching together and having events. Now I rarely cache alone.

 

In fact I've seen enough geocaches that if it wasn't for the camaraderie of the caching community I wouldn't still be in the game. If I never saw another geocache I would be okay with that, but not caching with my geopals and not attending events would be a major loss!

 

I have hosted a lot of events, from dinner for 4 to 400+ for a 3-day weekend at the beach, and every one was a blast!

 

If there are no events close to you host some! List events and they will come.

 

It is amazingly easy and free to host a small local event to get started... reserve a picnic pavilion at a local park or a section of tables at a local restaurant, list it and that's all you need to do. Cachers will show up and interact, you won't have to do a thing; they'll make their own fun!

 

I am hosting the AGA Monthly Dinner in July, for example. This was an expensive month for me, having to unexpectedly buy some amateur radio gear and two new cars I don't have much anything to spend on geocaching events. That's cool... I just selected a restaurant that has plenty of room with no reservations required. We'll show up, have dinner, socialize and have a good time. Cost to me? My dinner.

 

I usually create what we call 'silly cacher games' such as hiding a couple of temporary (unlisted) caches around the edges of the restaurant parking lot and give out the coordinates to attendees after dinner, maybe with a geocoin in them for the FTF, or I let the FTFs keep the caches so they can hide them. More caches for me to find, hoo yeah! But, those 'extras' aren't required. For July I probably won't. The attendees will have fun just getting together.

Edited June 13, 2010 by TheAlabamaRambler

[+Team Cotati]

Picture a meeting of your high school calculus club at Pizza Hut.

 

I like events. Whenever I try to tell my wife a funny geocaching story, I am usually me with blank stares. It's nice to have someone to "talk shop" with.

 

Since my wife is the only living member of Team Cotati, other than yours truly of course, there are no stares, blank or otherwise.

 

Of the 1100+ cache finds on our account, all but a literal handful were found by The Team.

 

We really like geocaching too.

 

I still maintain that caching events are like calculus club get togethers. Only the subject is different.

[+Sioneva]

Had an idea once that throwing a pizza party event in December, between Thanksgiving and Christmas would be a good idea. I didn't expect many people to show up. We practically filled the place! Did a gift exchange, Caching Christmas Carols, door prizes, and everyone had fun.

 

That was three years ago. It's become an annual event - we had like 60+ people at the last one. Lots of fun, and I really only have to pay for the door prizes, since it's at a Valentinos restaurant.

 

The moral of this story is: wear a blue bow! If you throw it, they will come!

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

The moral of this story is: wear a blue bow! If you throw it, they will come!

If not a blue bow, wear a blue bowl. You bet people will show up.

[+Team Cotati]

Lots of people like pizza.

[+t4e]

events are great for a night out with lots of people that enjoy the same hobby, you get to exchange stories and experiences, you discover new things, we attend all the bi-monthly events in our community

[+roziecakes]

I LOVE events. When we lived in Colorado, we only went to two, and didn't really talk to that many people, and didn't get much out of them, but when we moved to Oregon we decided to try events again and got friendlier and met some WONDERFUL people. It's the best place to learn the tricks of the trade I think. We've learned an immense amount about caching from events and talking to other cachers. Plus, everyone does stuff like share where their favorite hides are.

 

An especially fun experience was the 10 year event we went to in California, where we made friends with some other cachers who took us out on the lake in their boat. We just had a great time!

 

I love how there are so many different types of people and ages of people who are cachers. It's really cool.

 

I highly recommend events.

[+JL_HSTRE]

I've been to one event: the nearest 10th anniversary celebration.

 

I enjoyed putting names to faces and there were some fun games and giveaways for fully-stocked ammo cans (sadly I did not win any). All the people were pleasant and friendly, though I wish more were my age (I'm 28).

 

It was a positive experience and I'll attend more in the future, including the local Cachepalooza.

[+terrkan78]

I think events are an extrovert sort of thing. If you like parties, you'll like events. If you shudder with horror at the thought of going to a party and only attend one when forced (like me), well, yeah, then events are right up there with root canals. To be fair, I've only been to one - a CITO - it was good to have something to do other than stand around feeling awkward.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

I think events are an extrovert sort of thing. If you like parties, you'll like events. If you shudder with horror at the thought of going to a party and only attend one when forced (like me), well, yeah, then events are right up there with root canals. To be fair, I've only been to one - a CITO - it was good to have something to do other than stand around feeling awkward.

Quite right. If you don't enjoy people events would not be your thing.

 

My wife and I could not be more opposite in this area. She says she gets quite enough of people at work so when she's not working she's a total homebody with zero interest in socializing with anyone.

 

Everyone has to decide what is comfortable for themselves.

 

Me, I am looking forward to our AGA Monthly dinner tomorrow night!

[+simpjkee]

I try to get to at least 1 event a month. I enjoy hanging out with everyone. It's good times all around.

[JohnX]

I have attended several events and prefer the outdoors type. The "Let's all meet at a restaurant and swap stories!" type does nothing for me so I don't go to them.

 

I co-hosted an event that started out as a near disaster and ended up a great success. My co-host is a very social person and took care of getting people to come. I think her name on the event helped increase attendance. I took care of a lot of the logistics. I don't know how we came up with the idea for the event but I am really glad we held it. Thanks Boot Group!

 

If anyone is interested, look up GCPRN2. The near disaster part was we had to switch the event location less than 24 hours before the event.

[+roziecakes]

I think events are an extrovert sort of thing. If you like parties, you'll like events. If you shudder with horror at the thought of going to a party and only attend one when forced (like me), well, yeah, then events are right up there with root canals. To be fair, I've only been to one - a CITO - it was good to have something to do other than stand around feeling awkward.

 

I can understand that. Not everyone likes to be social. If you ever get the hankering though, send me an email, you'd at least know us (sort of) at some of the local events!

 

By the way, we definitely want to go down and do your Fern Ridge Recon cache, we've heard great things

[+hallycat]

I LOVE events! Wish I had time to attend them all, unfortunately a lot of them are a 2-3 hour drive. Sometimes I do go though. The NNJC and Tri State crew put on all kinds of fun and themed events. Treasure hunts, Easter Egg hunts, Pirate events, Rock climbing/rapelling, CITO, Trail cleanups, Geocaching University etc etc. One of the local teams here did a scavenger hunt that was a blast. The only ones I usually pass on are the flash mobs.

They are all fun and well worth it. I also like the meet in a restaurant type. Like I said though, time stands in the way.