Mall of America Geocaching

One of the things about geocaching that makes it so enjoyable of a hobby is that it can be done just about anywhere, and can make any trip more interesting. Not that it wouldn’t be an interesting trip in itself, even for those that do not enjoy shopping, but a trip to the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota is a good example. While there are plenty of things to do for people with carrying interests, there is a challenge waiting to be had for those that know about geocaching.

One of the most popular geocaches in Minnesota lays in wait for the geocacher willing to take on the challenge.  The Mall of America III Cache is located inside the mall, where the cacher has to use clues given by the cache owner to locate the container. There is no GPS needed, all you need to do is find an entrance to the mall and start searching. Rather than solving the clues to get final coordinates like one would do with a regular Puzzle cache or multi-cache, the cacher is searching for the unique store address on the mall directory map. The cache owner did a wonderful job of using the Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park as well as other parts of the Mall.

This geocache can be done solo or with a group, making it perfect to suit many situations. Do it while the family shops or plays in the theme park, travel as a pack, or split up to find the various clues.  However you do it, you will be happy that you made it a part of your trip to the Mall of America!

GO GET IT! 

GC7B09: Mall of America Cache III

It’s the time of year when eagle watching is a popular outdoor activity along the Mississippi River. In Alton, Illinois, eagle watching is getting a technological upgrade with the incorporation of the Alton Eagle Watching Application for Android and iPhone. There is also something else new to the hobby called eagle caching at the designated hot spots.

Like geocaching, each cache has a set of coordinates that are plugged into a GPS navigator and used by the explorer to search for the treasure. All the information needed, including the clues, coordinates and GPS rentals, can be found at www.VisitAlton.com/EagleCaching, or at the Alton Visitor’s Center.

Source: Postcresent.com

Additional Links:

Visit Alton Eagle Caching

The official geocaching blog, Latitude 47, has identified a cache in Iowa as it’s geocache of the week. 49 and Holding the Cache, located in Pella, Iowa is centrally located in the Midwest for anyone who may be driving through, not far off course of Interstate 80. The cache holds the most favorite points in the state, and there is not a traditional geocache within almost sixty points.

A geocacher who logged this cache writes, “To say this is the best geocache I’ve ever seen would be an understatement. This is mind-bogglingly fantastic! The creativity, work, money, craftsmanship, and awesomeness that has been put into this cache is just plain amazing… I’ve seen and made a few pretty darn cool caches, but this one takes the cake.”

Geocache Page GC202RG

A Lincoln, Nebraska high school has added geocaching to the list of activities included in a new adventure class as a part of the Physical Education curriculum. This is a fantastic way to introduce kids to the sport, as well as livening up the P.E. classes that have seemed stagnant over the years. While geocaching is not the big heart pumper of physical activity, it does encourage being outdoors, and for the most part, walking to find one. That sounds like a winning formula in the days of kids comparing their XBox scores rather than how fast they can run or how far they can hit a ball.

The students who signed up for the course have done geocaching, an in-school treasure hunt using a GPS device, as well as orienteering with compasses. They learned to kayak in the swimming pool and played kayak polo and did a number of teambuilding activities leading up to the ropes.

From JournalStar.com

River Action, a non-profit organization along the Mississippi River in Iowa and Illinois has added Geocaching to it’s list of activities. The series of caches are tied in with a Riverway Audio tour, making the game more interactive and educational. There are currently five caches that have been hidden by the group, three in Iowa and two in Illinois. These could make for some fun targets for those traveling on I-80 or I-74. Each container is loaded with a First to find (FTF) coin.

More on River Action…

River Action is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering the environmental, economic and cultural vitality of the Mississippi River and its riverfront in the Quad Cities’ region.

Source: RiverAction.org