August Souvenir Challenge

[cezanne]

Gonna be hard for me to get a letterbox, since ours are the only ones within 50+ miles. That said, I imagine we'll get some good traffic on them next month.

 

But you do not need a letterbox and could instead also go for a virtual, web-cam or Wherigo where at least the virtual seems to be something that you visit relatively often.

It of course depends a lot on the area which cache types are easier to get. In Austria e.g. it is much easier to do a letterbox than a virtual (there exist only 2 in the whole country and one of them is mine and linked to a difficult

mystery-multi cache - so I'm very glad that letterboxes and Wherigos are in the same category as web-cams are rare too and I would not have liked visitors at my virtual which just come for an icon).

 

Cezanne

[+redsox_mark]

It shouldn't be surprising at all. Experienced or not, there is "bling" to be had. People like icons, souvenirs, and smiley faces and will grab them anytime they're available.

 

Yup, count me in that group of people. I'm a kid at heart and I like getting souvenirs. Yes this one is easy for me, and something I'm sure I've done in many previous months. But I'll still enjoy getting them.

 

I do think this particular set is good for encourage some who maybe focus on traditionals only to try some other types.

[+hzoi]

Gonna be hard for me to get a letterbox, since ours are the only ones within 50+ miles. That said, I imagine we'll get some good traffic on them next month.

 

But you do not need a letterbox and could instead also go for a virtual, web-cam or Wherigo where at least the virtual seems to be something that you visit relatively often.

It of course depends a lot on the area which cache types are easier to get. In Austria e.g. it is much easier to do a letterbox than a virtual (there exist only 2 in the whole country and one of them is mine and linked to a difficult mystery-multi cache - so I'm very glad that letterboxes and Wherigos are in the same category as web-cams are rare too and I would not have liked visitors at my virtual which just come for an icon).

 

Cezanne

Thankfully I have several virtuals in the wildlife refuge near our house that I've yet to find. Which is good, as there are very few wherigos around, and I got the only webcam in the state months ago.

 

I've enjoyed a few Austrian letterboxes. (There was a nice cluster near Eichkogel I especially enjoyed.) I was surprised when we started in Germany that there were not more virtuals in Europe. Though I've seen many a European virtual archived, or at least updated, because of armchair abuse, so that might be why. For example, I think I was one of only a handful of people (out of almost 900) to actually visit this one.

Edited July 11, 2014 by hzoi

[cezanne]

I was surprised when we started in Germany that there were not more virtuals in Europe. Though I've seen many a European virtual archived, or at least updated, because of armchair abuse, so that might be why. For example, I think I was one of only a handful of people (out of almost 900) to actually visit this one.

 

No, I do not think that the abuse of virtuals is the reason. By the way, I'm one of the few who have indeed visited the "Wo war ich nur" location and also the Langenstein virtual.

The main reason for the abuse in my opinion was that some Dutch and German reviewers published virtuals that were pure armchair caches which could only be attacked from home. So lots of cachers there started to

think that virtual caches are visited in a virtual manner. I have been against such virtuals already back then, but a few reviewers were big fans of them (including Germany's first national reviewer Laogai) and defended them heavily.

 

The small number of virtuals is however rather related to the later start of geocaching in Germany and Austria (where the development is at least one year behind Germany).

When I managed to get through my virtual in 2003, it has already been very hard to get through a virtual. Both myself and the owners of the only other virtual had to undergo a longer debate with Erik to get the caches through. There has been a TB graveyard virtual which got archived when they closed down TB graveyard virtuals, but this never has been a real virtual and finds were not possible for this cache. Apart from that there was a virtual in Innsbruck owned by someone from Germany that has created with arm chair visits in mind and has been archived several years ago.

 

 

Cezanne

[+Roman!]

Will the block party count as an event?

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Will the block party count as an event?

 

Of course. If you attend you'll also get a souvenir and a distinct icon for attending the block party.. There will probably some lab caches or other special events that will have souvenirs associated with them and for someone that has never been to Washington State, they could also get a souvenir for Washington State and a souvenir and icon for HQ.

 

I won't be there. I'll be in Costa Rica getting ready to fly home to NY.

[+Roman!]

Will the block party count as an event?

 

Of course. If you attend you'll also get a souvenir and a distinct icon for attending the block party.. There will probably some lab caches or other special events that will have souvenirs associated with them and for someone that has never been to Washington State, they could also get a souvenir for Washington State and a souvenir and icon for HQ.

 

I won't be there. I'll be in Costa Rica getting ready to fly home to NY.

 

I hope you're right, they don't list the block party as one eligible for that souvenir.

[+wimseyguy]

There are 52 Virtuals within 50 miles. After ten years of geocaching we have found 30 of them. Two are cemetery caches, and we don't do those.

 

Why don't you do cemetery virtuals specifically? I can understand not wanting physical caches in a cemetery (they aren't generally allowed here anyway), but quite often the virtuals in cemeteries have some historical significance.

 

To be honest, I don't really get much enjoyment out of virtuals - especially having to send emails separately from the log...but I don't really exclude them from my searches.

 

Just my personal opinion, since so many cachers seem to enjoy wandering about cemeteries, even having picnics. I find it disrespectful. And I don't do them. "What year did this person die?" "How old was this person when she died?" Nope. Cemeteries are for paying respect to the deceased. And, IMHO, caches are disrespectful.

 

I have the utmost respect for your opinions regarding cemetery behavior. You do know that cemetery picnics are nothing new, and not limited to geocachers? It was quite common in Victorian Time for loved ones to spend time in a cemetery enjoying a meal with the deceased.

[+Harry Dolphin]

There are 52 Virtuals within 50 miles. After ten years of geocaching we have found 30 of them. Two are cemetery caches, and we don't do those.

 

Why don't you do cemetery virtuals specifically? I can understand not wanting physical caches in a cemetery (they aren't generally allowed here anyway), but quite often the virtuals in cemeteries have some historical significance.

 

To be honest, I don't really get much enjoyment out of virtuals - especially having to send emails separately from the log...but I don't really exclude them from my searches.

 

Just my personal opinion, since so many cachers seem to enjoy wandering about cemeteries, even having picnics. I find it disrespectful. And I don't do them. "What year did this person die?" "How old was this person when she died?" Nope. Cemeteries are for paying respect to the deceased. And, IMHO, caches are disrespectful.

 

I have the utmost respect for your opinions regarding cemetery behavior. You do know that cemetery picnics are nothing new, and not limited to geocachers? It was quite common in Victorian Time for loved ones to spend time in a cemetery enjoying a meal with the deceased.

 

Yes. I am well aware that in certain ethnic groups/religious groups/societies some things are encouraged, whilst in other groups they are discouraged and even sanctioned. In my upbringing, visiting cemeteries was only to pay respects to the deceased. Each to his own. I put them on my Ignore List. That is my prerogative. Some cachers ignore parking lot micros. That is their prerogative, though many enjoy them.

I will admit, that doing historical research, I did come across the burial site of Samuel J. Tilden, who probably should have been elected president in 1876. Great historical interest, but I would not put a virtual there, even if they were still permitted.

On the other fin, I am working on my vacation plans to find my 5000th cache, as well as fulfilling the August Souvenir Challenge . There are a few interesting Letterbox Hybrids that will fulfill my Collector Souvenir requirements. And I can let the dead rest in peace.

Tough one will still be the Socializer Souvenir.

[+hzoi]

By the way, I'm one of the few who have indeed visited the "Wo war ich nur" location and also the Langenstein virtual.

 

Very cool! I like that we have that in common.

[+elrojo14]

The Seven Souvenirs of August has motivated me to try and make a 10 icon day (I am currently at 7). The Kern County Cachers are going to try and plant some new earthcaches, letterboxes, and whereigos since our area is sadly lacking these cache types so we can try and accomplish this along with some appropriately planned CITO and events.

 

Geocaching is what you make it and this just gives us an excuse to try something new. I like it.

 

I liked the 31 days of August too even though I had to make different event caches for the whole thing since there is nothing within 15 miles of my house that I haven't found. Some of the events went well, some of them it was just my son and I. Oh well. Again, Geocaching is what you make it.