Gray Line Wanderings Travel Blog

Part of the Author's Geocaching Team

Ok, I’d admit it. I was late to the Geocaching party. Fashionably late but still, I was late. I’d heard people talking about geocaching and didn’t understand the language they spoke. They wrote things like TNLN, TFTC and FTF? Their Facebook pages seemed alive with interesting activity. Intrigued, but still confused, I wondered if I too could be one of these treasure-seeking players?

The truth is anyone can go Geocaching. It’s great for travelers of all ages and it can be enjoyed almost everywhere.  It’s free and easy to figure out and requires very little in terms of knowledge or equipment. In other words, it’s perfect for my family! I recently took my 3 kiddos, my mom and my nephew geocaching in rural Iowa. It was a huge hit. Our first find was an easy one, which built confidence in our newly formed team. With a successful find under our belt, we headed near my childhood home where the website boasted 2 nearby caches. The terrain was too difficult (think no trail, waist high foliage and 4 kids) so we abandoned those finds. We were not to be discouraged and headed out again to a new destination.

Everyone had such a great time; we are planning our next adventure and have gained participants who want to join us and get in on the action too.

If you haven’t tried Geocaching, you should give it a try. Try it on a trip, try it in your own hometown, but definitely give it a try. If this entire post seems like a foreign language, start by checking out our recent post about Geocaching to get the basics of this fun-filled adventure game: Geocaching Fever.

Are you a Geocacher? How many finds do you have under your belt? Share your experiences in the comment section below or on the Gray Line Facebook page. (Click here if you can’t see comments: Catching the Cache)

Photo courtesy of Cachemania

Are you still a Muggle? Or have you caught the Geocaching bug yet?

Geocaching seems to be everywhere. Literally everywhere. Currently there are over 1.8 million locations worldwide and that number is growing daily. I kept hearing about geocaching but wasn’t sure what it was so I decided it was time to do some investigating into this new pastime.

In a nutshell, geocaching is a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game for adventure seekers of all ages around the world. Players have hidden millions of “caches” for you to find literally in every corner of the world. A cache is a small container (not always small – they do vary in size) which contains a log sheet for you to record your team’s arrival and the date that you found the cache.  If the cache is big enough it may contain a small treasure. You may take the treasure as long as you trade it for something that you have brought with you of equal or greater value.

Players find the hidden caches by using GPS coordinates and often additional clues to narrow the search further at the location. With a GPS unit or GPS enabled smart phone players navigate their “team” to the hidden spots and try to locate the cache. A team can be one or more people – it’s totally up to you.

Once you locate the cache in its secret hiding spot, you put it back exactly where you found it for the next team to discover and leave a note online for the cache owner detailing your visit for them and future visitors to read about. You can also leave notes indicating if you could not find it, if the cache needs maintenance or anything else that might help future players.

And the best part? It’s free. You can sign up for a free account on geocaching.com,  create a user name and start locating treasure near your current coordinates (there is also a premium service available for a fee).

Keep in mind that you definitely need a GPS enabled device. I also decided to download the Geocaching App for my phone and that made things super easy on the go but it’s not mandatory. As a novice player, I would also recommend tennis or hiking shoes (no flip flops!), bug spray, a pencil and maybe even a hat as you are definitely outside and some of the terrain may require you to tromp off trail. We have also learned to read the description of the cache you are seeking carefully as some are out in the open and easy to find making them great for younger seekers and others may require that you hike off trail or though difficult terrain which make them a better fit for those without small children.

You can also plan a trip using geocaching to break it up along the way. So far my family has found caches along a roadtrip we have taken though the middle of America to great success and new experiences. Kids and adults have both enjoyed the “game” as we have played it. It’s a nice way to see your own destination in a new way or experience a destination in a way you may not have expected. You may also meet other players along the way which is a great additional benefit we have discovered.

Have you tried Geocaching yet? What’s the most unique cache you have found so far? Share your experiences in the comments below or on the Gray Line Facebook page. (Click here if you can’t see comments: Geocaching Fever)

Watching what? The 2012 Summer Olympics, of course! As someone who is borderline obsessive about the Olympics, these fun facts absolutely made my day. Hopefully they make yours, and (bonus) you can impress your friends during those pesky commercial breaks!

1) 205 countries will take part in the summer games, and there will be over 140 countries representing at the Paralympics!

2) During the construction of Olympic Park in London, roughly 4,000 newts were relocated to a nature reserve–way to be eco-conscious, Londoners!

3) The city expects about 350,000 foreign visitors – busy busy busy!

4) After the games are finished, the Olympic committee donates all the equipment used to charities – love the philanthropy.

Happy Gold, Silver and Bronze, competitors!

Photo by John Cooke

If you happen to know the way to Sante Fe, New Mexico, you may want to head there. And I’m talking ASAP. An 80 year old Vietnam veteran and former art gallery owner named Forest Fenn has buried a hidden treasure chest near Sante Fe that is estimated to be worth between $1-2 Million USD.

Here’s the catch. You have to find the treasure. That’s the complicated part and it has proved elusive for many. There are entire blogs, facebook pages and social media groups dedicated to finding this treasure and so far no one has found it. The treasure,  rumored to contain gold, jewelry and artifacts, is buried in the mountains near Sante Fe and Mr. Fenn is not talking. Actually he IS talking, but the talking he is doing is more code filled clues. The clues are found in the form of a book he authored and poetry he has written. So, if you are a super detective, clever and an adventurer, this rich treasure trove could be yours. So what are you waiting for?

Would you go in search of buried treasure? Have you ever gone on an adventure of unknown outcome? Do tell! (If you can’t see the Facebook comments section, click here: Do You Know the Way to… Santa Fe?)

Forgetting for a moment the actual sport of football, the forthcoming Super Bowl 46  also happens to serve as (yet another…) battleground for the everlasting debate. Chicken or egg, yin or yang, Boston or New York?

Technically, the Patriots are in Foxborough and the Giants are in Jersey – however, who doesn’t love the chance to beat a dead horse (only figuratively, obviously) and discuss the merits of these two nor’east rivals. This blogger actually doesn’t have a whole lot of loyalty either way, so we’ll just present the facts, ma’am:

• Food: (because it’s my favorite topic) – New York, pizza…clearly. Boston, what? Boston cream pie? Boston baked beans?  Point NYC.

• Traffic: In a painstakingly nonscientific and randomly chosen study, Travel+Leisure told me that New York’s traffic is second in the world only to Mexico City. Although one could argue that the population differences should be factored in…but then I got bored, so point Boston.

• Average Hotel Cost:  NYC, $194 – Boston, $154. Some might call that negligible. I, on the other hand, like $40. So, point Boston.

• Libation-Friendly Culture: I mean, it’s the Super Bowl, right? As rated here, Boston didn’t even make the cut, so….point NYC.

If you, like me, are a math whiz, you’ve noticed that we’ve got ourselves a tie. How about this – visit both, and make up your own mind!

A common refrain you’re likely to hear from people lucky enough to make their home in ski resort towns — especially in spectacular Rocky Mountain states like Colorado and Utah — is that they came for the skiing, but stayed because of the summers. It seems the ski resorts themselves are set to catch up with that sentiment, and boost their summer tourist numbers in the process.

A new bill is sailing through the U.S. Legislature that will open ski areas on National Forest land to year-round recreation. Look for ski resorts to capitalize on the new window of opportunity by adding new adrenaline-pumping activities like zip lines, climbing walls, alpine slides and mountain biking trails. Most Western resorts operate on National Forest lands, and offer some of these types of adventure activities already through selective exemptions. For example, many resorts in Colorado already have developed extensive summer activities on their mountains. Breckenridge has built an alpine coaster and developed a peak area full of summer activities. On a sunny day in Vail, bikers heading up on the gondola nearly match the number of hikers. You can still go snow tubing at the top of Keystone Mountain, even in summer.

But the new legislation (which in early October breezed through the U.S. House without a single vote opposed) should open the floodgates for resort operators everywhere to expand their adventure activities. Ski season may be just around the corner, but a trip next summer to a ski resort should be even more on your radar now.

Brazil Soccer Match Macrana Stadium - Flick keetr

Soccer and Brazil. Brazil and soccer. The South American equivalent of peanut butter and jelly, you just can’t have one without the other. With a long history of famous players and heated rivalries, soccer is the life for many Brazilians. On game day the stadiums vibrate with competition as thousands of rowdy supporters gather to cheer on their favorite team as if their lives depended on it. Travelers looking for a Brazilian sporting experience should under no circumstances miss the chance to see a game live. The games can get pretty rowdy and here are some tips for travelers to make the most of the event:

Step 1: Find a Ticket: This can actually be tricky depending on the game. There are three big soccer teams in Rio de Janeiro (Botafogo, Flamengo and Vasco de Gama) and each team has a fan club that reserves a large portion of tickets for their members. If you happen to speak Portuguese, arrive early on game day and haggle with ‘representatives’ from the fan club or see if you can find a ticket window with seats still left. For big games, you may want to consider a Brazilian soccer tour which will give you the peace of mind of assured tickets without any unpleasant hassles.

Step 2: Yes, but do you have a Flag?: Ok, so you’ve got your ticket, now it’s time for the opening festivities. Before the game starts, fans do their best war dance, skipping and jumping into the stadium, waving their flags, and chanting at the top of their lungs to the beat of massive drums. The sound is deafening and it is the best sports anthem since Rocky. The flags are simple in their designs and messages (Our team rocks!) and fans wave these banners with all their might as their pride ripples in the wind. Serious rivalries will ultimately include a duel of who has the biggest flag, with teams displaying gyrating flags that cover large sections of the stadium and hundreds of fist pumping fans.

Step 3: Learn Inappropriate Hand Gesture: Brazilians are a notoriously passionate people and often curse words alone are insufficient to express the deep emotions buried within their souls. Once the game starts, you would be wise to join the crowd and show your disgust for the other team by crossing your forearms and giving the double middle finger. If positive reinforcement is more your thing, then flick your wrists while raising your arms towards the heavens as you beg whoever’s upstairs for a freakin’ goal. If you are any having trouble getting these moves down, the locals will be more than willing to help you out.

Step 4: Enjoy the Game: Whether you call it soccer or futebol, everyone can agree that this is a beautiful game, especially when played by the Brazilians. Controlling the ball with skill and balance while maintaining an unceasing desire to win, the players are memorizing. Attending a Brazilian soccer match is an affair to remember and anyone who wants to travel to Brazil should put this on their must see list.