What do you ENJOY MOST about geocaching? Your current top 5

[+boisestate]

It's great to meet new cachers and learn their take on the game.  Everyone seems to enjoy different aspects, what works for some may not work for others. Please share things you ENJOY the most about the game. I realize this could be an extensive list for some so please keep it to your top 5 favorite things.

Please save the criticism for a different thread...this is about what you ENJOY.

Our current top 5 (not in order of importance)...may change by tomorrow :

1  Finding a new location that we would have never seen had there not been a geocache placed there.

2. Including geocaching in our outdoor activities always adds a fun touch (i.e. camping, biking, hiking etc.)

3. Meet and greets, meeting new cachers and meeting cachers whose caches we've found.

4. Finding well placed and creative caches (both location and container)...something unexpected.

5. Reading friendly and original logs left on our caches.

 

Edited October 6, 2017 by boisestate
clarification and correct bullet point #s 1-5 ha

[+Mudfrog]

Sorry, you're disqualified. You listed 6 things you liked.

 

For me:

1. Exploring interesting places/areas that i've never been to or that i didn't know existed. .

2. Going for physically challenging caches, or ones that require me to use my head.

3. Attending events where everyone actually enjoys socializing.

4. Finding well placed and creative caches (both location and container)...something unexpected.

5. Reading good logs, both in a logbook and online.

 

[+GeoTrekker26]

6 hours ago, boisestate said:

I realize this could be an extensive list for some so please keep it to your top 5 favorite things.

(Snip)

Our current top 5 (not in order of importance)...may change by tomorrow :

1. Exploring a new city through urban geocaching - way fun.

2  Finding a new location in our own town that we would have never seen had there not been a geocache placed there.

2. Including geocaching in our outdoor activities always adds a fun touch (i.e. camping, biking, hiking etc.)

3. Meet and greets, meeting new cachers and meeting cachers whose caches we've found.

4. Finding well placed and creative caches (both location and container)...something unexpected.

5. Reading friendly and original logs left on our caches.

 

This is too funny to pass up. So it's okay to include more than 5 items as long as you reuse numbers? 

[+boisestate]

2 hours ago, GeoTrekker26 said:

This is too funny to pass up. So it's okay to include more than 5 items as long as you reuse numbers? 

Ha...way too funny.  I didn't even notice that when I posted (it was pretty late).  Hey maybe it's just too tough to narrow down to 5 likes about geocaching .  I'll edit the original post, again too funny.

Edited October 6, 2017 by boisestate

[+dprovan]

What I enjoy about geocaching is that it gives me a good reason to go for a walk, it gives me a good method to plan the walk and that method favors new places to walk since I've found the caches in places where I've walked before.

I also like puzzle caches.

While it's true geocaches often take me to places that are inherently interesting, that wouldn't make my top five because I'm interested in most places I haven't been before regardless of whether there's any particular reason to consider them special.

[+barefootjeff]

I've always enjoyed amateur radio hidden transmitter hunts and, in the 1990s, did quite a bit of orienteering and rogaining, so I was pleased some four years ago to discover geocaching which combined aspects of both in a non-competitive way that was available 24/7. I was hooked.

I'm fortunate to live in an area surrounded by natural waterways and mountains, so geocaching has led me to some amazing scenery and places I'd never have otherwise known about. In turn, when planning caches of my own, I've discovered other beautiful spots and woven stories around them for my multis and mysteries.

Geocaching has also pushed me out of my comfort zone. I've hiked long distances, gone climbing in places that have terrified me, acquired a kayak when those T5 water-based caches became too alluring, and just recently even bought a 4WD vehicle so I could get to some of the more remote hides.

Then there's the social side of caching, the good friendships formed after bumping into fellow cachers out on the hunt or at events, and the group caching trips that are always great fun.

To cap off the list, there's the enjoyment from reading the logs others have posted on the caches I've found and on my own hides, and the reflective enjoyment I get in composing my own logs at the end of a great day of hiking or paddling.

[+CAVinoGal]

18 hours ago, boisestate said:

Please share things you ENJOY the most about the game. I realize this could be an extensive list for some so please keep it to your top 5 favorite things.

OK, I'll try to narrow it down to 5...

1.  Sharing a hobby with my husband in his retirement...something that keeps us active, engaged, and a "thing" we can do together on the spur of the moment or as a planned outing, or just an evening stroll after dinner.  We each have our own geo name and account, and we cache separately, but we often cache together too.

2. Sharing a hobby with our son and his wife (who met through geocaching) who have been in this a lot longer than we have, and now we are meeting folks who have known them before they knew each other.  Mutual friends with your kids through an off-beat hobby like this is unique, and I enjoy the instant comraderie at events when we say we are xxx's parents...

3. Hiking and the outdoors, visiting places I might have bypassed had there not been caches there to find.  I completed a state park challenge while on vacation this summer, and I know I would not have visited many of those parks or hiked as many of the trails if there were not caches to find and a challenge to meet.  I was richer for the experience, and was able to share it with friends and relatives and enrich our time together.

4. Creating caches for others to find, writing the descriptions, coming up with hints, getting creative with hides, and bringing folks to some places that they may otherwise overlook.

4. Reading logs of other cachers on the few caches I have placed, and seeing them get some enjoyment from the work I (and hubby) put into creating the experience.

I've been at this less than a year (about 7 months) and it has been a lot of fun - it keeps me feeling young!  Never stop learning and trying new things....

 

[+WarNinjas]

Ok lets see.

 1.  My daughter likes it!  She didn't really like my fishing hobby but loves caching!

2.  I work all over and used to never take a lunch or a break.  Just work and go home.  Now I will take a break between jobs and grab a cache. Some days it is just a parking lot hide and sometimes I can take a hour and go for a hike and find some.

3. The streak is something I really enjoy.  Getting out to grab a cache everyday for over 5 years has really been fun for me.  I always work far away or have something I need to do far away so grabbing at least one a day has not been a big problem so far.

4.  On vacation and trips it has shown me some really cool locations!

5.  Hiding is also really cool.  Making hides and reading logs about cachers finding our hides is a great break during the day!

WOW!  I didn't think I would come up with 5 but am now thinking of more!

[+geodarts]

Location - to record visits to planned destinations, bring people to favorite locations, or sometimes discover new areas.

A destination or goal for kayaking, biking, or hiking

Earthcaches and virtuals

Friendships made through the game

[+TwistedCube]

1. Finding gadget caches and overall really clever hides

2. Brainstorming, researching and placing creative hides

3. Finding cool locations I never would have found without Geocaching

4. Finding difficult and adventurous caches

4.5. Reading logs and discovering that someone gave me a favorite point

5. Meeting great people that I never would have met without Geocaching, bringing friends caching.

As you can see, there are so many reasons why Geocaching is so enjoyable!

 

Edited October 7, 2017 by TwistedCube

[+simpjkee]

I enjoy the fact that Geocaching gives me something to do since I'm currently doing pretty much nothing with my life aside from working.

[+justintim1999]

1.  Discovering New places.

2.  As a cache owner,  bringing people to wonderful locations

3. Enjoying the outdoors while having some fun and getting a little excersise.

4. Events and meeting like minded people

5.The  fact that geocacing is always there,  and I can cache anytime the urge hits me.    

[+Isonzo Karst]

Currently, my #1  would be checking on any of my caches and finding them (many in floodplains heavily hit by hurricane Irma).   My other 4 look like the other lists:

2.  being outside 

3. going someplace new

4. cache logs, mostly logs on my caches, but I watch some others, and enjoy those logs too (some logs more than others of course)

5. Events

[+Harry Dolphin]

New and interesting trails to hike.

New and interesting parks to visit.

Great views.

Would never have found them without geocaching.

Doesn't mean that I don't also do the P&Gs.  

[rui_curado]

1 - The surprise of finding new places

2 - The surprise of finding the container and what's inside

3 - Being outside with a purpose

4 - Doing something fun, but relaxed

5 - All the above four

[anpefi]

1. People I know at an event.
2. People I know when I am in a cache.
3. People I know when they are signing a cache of mine
4. People I already knew and who come to do geocaching with me.
5. People I know about getting in touch with me via the message center or any social media about geocaching.

 

[+JL_HSTRE]

1. Going interesting places I might not otherwise go to see interesting things I might not otherwise see.

2. Learning things from some of the caches I visit, like Earthcaches or historic sites.

3. The encouragement to get outdoors.

4. Good tales in the logs - both written by others and that I am inspired to write.

5. I meet nice people through geocaching. The average geocacher seems to be a more pleasant person than the average football fan or gamer, to name two other pastimes of mine.

[GPS-Hermit]

1.  Learning to use the GPS for other hiking activities!

2. taking me to places I would not have otherwise ever known about!

3. Exercise - the hiking kind

4. taking some neat Pictures

5. love to read the logs!

 

[+LizzyRN]

1. Getting out onto new trails, or finding caches I didn't know existed on old trails. Basically.....hiking!

2. Tracking & Meeting the requirements for challenge caches.

3. EarthCaches for the things I learn and the amazing places they draw me to.

4. Seeing the creativity that some put into their gadget caches, cache pages, log entries, etc. 

5. Events - although I've only been to a few, I've enjoyed meeting new people at breweries, CITOs, hikes, etc.

 

PS aka #6: Perusing geocaching.com, finding caches and mapping out the best route. I LOVE MAPS!

[+christyotwisty]

1. I ENJOY MOST that I live in the same city as GCHQ (not the UK intelligence community, I shouldn't have to explain that here) so LOTS of caches where I live, and

2. I ENJOY SECONDMOST that it's easy for me to meet people who've logged a five-digit number of geocaches on my first Geocachers Association attendance.

3. I ENJOY THIRDMOST the mental health and well-being of getting some exercise exploring parks and open spaces close to me. Even when it's cooler outside. A special plus is getting a view of the mountains and water in one GZ.

4. I ENJOY the variety of containers and the cleverness of how some are concealed.

5. I ENJOY it when an observer watches me and gestures "getting warmer", "no you're getting colder." I happened upon two young gents smoking pot in one park and said "sorry to bother you, I'm looking for something" and they said "yeah, go to the other park entrance and follow that trail." I am a newbie, and am not yet so much into the stealth.

At some point one of those top five will be ENJOYing a group excursion, I hope.

Edited October 14, 2017 by christyotwisty
Mouse slipped, cursor went on frolic of its own, too tired to notice.

[+LizzyRN]

9 hours ago, christyotwisty said:

1. I ENJOY MOST that I live in the same city as GCHQ (not the UK intelligence community, I shouldn't have to explain that here) so LOTS of caches where I live, and

At some point one of those top five will be ENJOYing a group excursion, I hope.

I am just an hour north of said city and the abundance of caches is wonderful! 

PS I attended a great group caching hike to Monte Cristo. It was a lot of fun, until I slipped crossing a stream and broke and dislocated my hand/finger! I hope to get back out on another group adventure. 

[+mikemtn]

1. Remembering the old days of Geocaching

2. 

3.

4.

5.

[+christyotwisty]

2 hours ago, LizzyRN said:

I am just an hour north of said city and the abundance of caches is wonderful!

Aren't we lucky! A shorter drive to GIFF for you, if you're attending in November. What's that large thing in the background of your avatar photo?

[+LizzyRN]

On 10/14/2017 at 9:49 AM, christyotwisty said:

Aren't we lucky! A shorter drive to GIFF for you, if you're attending in November. What's that large thing in the background of your avatar photo?

Just a little something something built for the 1962 Worlds Fair.

[+Optimist on the run]

1. Unexpectedly meeting other cachers when looking for a cache.

2. Finding new hidden places I never new about, often in an area I thought I new well

3. CITOs - especially those which are something more than just a litter pick. A chance to meet up and give something back to the community

4. Stats. I'm a bit of a stats nerd, and like to find new ways of analysing my finds, etc.

5. Getting out and having fun!

[Minoes82]

1. Discovering some nice places where you never would have gone to.

2. Being out doors

3. Doing stuff together with my family

4. Having fun

5. The creative way caches are being hidden!

[+ladyleo191]

1) finding a reason to exercise

2) going places I've never been

3) discovering reasons to learn to SCUBA

4) seeing things I've never seen

5) meeting nice folks

[+TerraViators]

Events, earthcaches, virtuals, community and Project-GC.