Spring Break
Discover hidden treasures in Athens
BRIANA GERDEMAN
Issue date: 11/3/09 Section: Variety
Unbeknownst to many, the streets of downtown Athens, and even of the University itself, hold hidden treasures.
The reason these treasures - called geocaches - are hidden, and the way to find them, is called Geocaching - a sort of high-tech treasure hunt aided by GPSs.
6 to 9 p.m.
Trip: Nov. 8,
1 to 4 p.m.
Cost: $10 students, $15 faculty/staff,
$20 all others
"There are several in the Athens area, downtown area," said geocacher Jim Crouch. "Everybody walks by them every day … There's a dozen or more downtown that you can find. There are several on campus."
Geocachers begin their search for a cache on websites such as geocaching.com, which have registries of all the geocaches hidden throughout the world.
It was this aspect of geocaching that first caught Crouch's interest.
"... I found out that there were a million of these little treasures hidden all around the world - literally all around the world - there aren't any countries that I know of that you can't get to, that are banned, [or] that don't have geocaches," he said.
After learning about a cache, geocachers can embark on their search with a GPS or with more old-fashioned methods such as a map and compass.
The caches are usually filled with trinkets or small toys for those who find them. If they take a prize from a cache, geocachers are encouraged to leave something else in exchange.
Other caches hold geocoins, which are usually dog tags or commemorative coins that can be registered and tracked online.
"You put one in the geocache and then as people take it out and put it in, take it out and put it in, they can literally go anywhere they want to around the world that you can probably track," Crouch said. "I personally have a few running around in the upper northwest, in Washington and Idaho. Hopefully they'll get back to Georgia someday, but they're in no hurry to get back."
The reason these treasures - called geocaches - are hidden, and the way to find them, is called Geocaching - a sort of high-tech treasure hunt aided by GPSs.
GEOCACHING TREASURE HUNT
Meeting: Nov. 4,6 to 9 p.m.
Trip: Nov. 8,
1 to 4 p.m.
Cost: $10 students, $15 faculty/staff,
$20 all others
"There are several in the Athens area, downtown area," said geocacher Jim Crouch. "Everybody walks by them every day … There's a dozen or more downtown that you can find. There are several on campus."
Geocachers begin their search for a cache on websites such as geocaching.com, which have registries of all the geocaches hidden throughout the world.
It was this aspect of geocaching that first caught Crouch's interest.
"... I found out that there were a million of these little treasures hidden all around the world - literally all around the world - there aren't any countries that I know of that you can't get to, that are banned, [or] that don't have geocaches," he said.
After learning about a cache, geocachers can embark on their search with a GPS or with more old-fashioned methods such as a map and compass.
The caches are usually filled with trinkets or small toys for those who find them. If they take a prize from a cache, geocachers are encouraged to leave something else in exchange.
Other caches hold geocoins, which are usually dog tags or commemorative coins that can be registered and tracked online.
"You put one in the geocache and then as people take it out and put it in, take it out and put it in, they can literally go anywhere they want to around the world that you can probably track," Crouch said. "I personally have a few running around in the upper northwest, in Washington and Idaho. Hopefully they'll get back to Georgia someday, but they're in no hurry to get back."
