San Diego Families In Geocaching

[+dbtracker]

All, I am preparing an article on geocaching as a family activity and I'd like to include some quotes from local families. If you can help just post onto this thread, I'll check it frequently. Some things I am looking for

 

Names, either geo-handle or real, or both, and any other bio info you care to share, such as general home location, occupation, etc.

Children's ages

how you got started Geocaching

Comments on family geocache adventures, fun times, caching on vacations, etc.

how your family benefits from its caching activities.

 

Thanks

 

DBTracker

[+pqcachers]

We are a family with 2 young girls, 7 and 3. We all love geocaching for different reasons. The girls like it for the treasure hunt aspect. We like it because it gets us out in the fresh air, spending time as a family, and it's not an expensive activity. It also takes you to places you might not ever know about otherwise.

[+The Dillon Gang]

Caching family with 2 daughters, 3 and 6 years old. Caching is a hobby for the rest of the family, as for Dad....its an obsession!!!!! we enjoy caching together and getting to places we haven't seen before....fun on vacation because you find places only the locals know about...hidden canyons, hidden waterfalls within 100ft of a major freeway...the list goes on.

[+Dan-oh]

On this summer's California road trip, I limited myself to about 10 caches over 6 days. Of course I brought along way more than 10 and discarded the ones that didn't fit the mood of the day. Several times we stopped at the beach and I realized there was a cache nearby. Its important on a family trip that the activity is something everyone wants to do. My other passion, mountain biking, stays at home during vacation because it isn't a shared passion.

 

I do over 1/2 my caching solo and and tend to cache on the weekends with the girls. They're at the age where adventure style caches are adored. If theres a tunnel, cave, cliff or water involved, they're first in line. They don't appreciate "log only micros" and I try and stay with standard sized caches that have swag.

 

My 8 year old seems to come up with elaborate ideas for cache hides. "Dad, I've got this totally hard idea for you. Take a container that looks like a spider and find a web..." They enjoy caching very much but they also make fun of me for being "addicted" to caching. I guess poking fun at dad is always good entertainment.

[+The Adams Family Circus]

All, I am preparing an article on geocaching as a family activity and I'd like to include some quotes from local families.  If you can help just post onto this thread, I'll check it frequently.  Some things I am looking for

 

Names, either geo-handle or real, or both, and any other bio info you care to share, such as general home location, occupation, etc.

Children's ages

how you got started Geocaching

Comments on family geocache adventures, fun times, caching on vacations, etc.

how your family benefits from its caching activities.

 

Thanks

 

DBTracker

Lessee - We're the Adams Family Circus; the handle comes from the first few times we got ready to go out, and it really seemed to be a Circus atmosphere trying to get everyone ready for anything and all the accoutrement loaded and us out the door.

 

For weekends caching, we're normally 5 - Earl & Nimmie (Ringmaster and LionTamer), Kyle and MacKenzie (ages 7 and 2, currently) and my Mom-in-Law Mary. Last Winter, MacKenzie reach a size where carrying wasn't an option (she kept standing up in the backpack and getting her head whacked on something) and she hates the big ol' jogging stroller I bought as an off-road stroller option, so our Caching has been curtailed somewhat. As long as you keep a close eye on her, we can do short hikes - too long, and we're carrying her (which isn't good for Nimmie (5'2") or me (bad back).

 

We live in Escondido; I'm in Tech Support/Help Desk/Customer Service/Technological disaster control, and Nimmie works in HR.

 

The start we got for GeoCaching had parents: specifically, a Mom and a Dad. For Mother's Day 2002, as is my wont, I told Nimmie we'd do anything she liked. She wanted to go for a little hike. Hiking in general holds little interest for me, and as we nearly collapsed on the 'little hike' I set up, my interest dropped further. We went for an easy mile or so hike in the Elfin Forest area....Mid-May, 95-100 degrees on the trail. The hike started fine, with my 7 month old daughter on my back. Then - the trail went up the hill. First .25 miles - 10 minutes. Next .25 - 40 minutes. I think we stopped to breath every 10 feet - even my son was miserable. We eventually made it back to the car (unassisted my paramedics - still a miracle in my opinion), and belatedly realized we needed to get out a bit more. 8-)

 

Jump ahead to Father's day (or thereabouts). I get a email from a Weird News author which mentioned his 'Get Out of Hell free' cards were appearing in GeoCaches, and he included a brief Summary and a weblink to the site. I had no idea what GeoCaching was, and so visited the site. And here I found an excellent family solution - we'd hike, making Nimmie happy; I'd have a goal to look for (making hiking worthwhile for more than the aerobic benefits); and my son (and daughter) would gain a better appreciation for nature.

 

While the Circus doesn't have the raw numbers of many local cachers (especially for being in the activity for 2+ years now), as a family we'd had opportunities to sweat and bleed a bit together, learn a bit, and enjoy each others company a bit more - as well as become part (if only on the fringe) of a great group of people with whom we share a love for caching and fun.

 

We've cached on Vacation several times - my parents live in Las Vegas, so we've done a fair amount of the High Desert caches between here and there. Caching usually makes a component of our travels anywhere now. We're camping in Big Bear over Labor day, and we're spending the evening tonight evaluating the caches in the area of the campground...

 

<Hey! You there! Wake up! It's over....>

 

-Earl, Ringmaster,

The Adams Family Circus

Edited August 27, 2004 by The Adams Family Circus