Geocaching

Geocaching is a sport that combines the thrill of treasure hunts with the enjoyment of physical exercise. Following are four ways that your family, Sunday School Class, church small group, business, school group, or athletic team can enjoy this fast growing sport.

Geocaching Vacation Weekends
The Geocaching package would be offered to people who have been coming to Maplewood in the past as an additional activity. Most people come to Maplewood to relax, enjoy nature, go shopping, and enjoy the Big Valley amenities.
Following are some ideas that will be offered to returning renters as well as be publicized to attract new rentals.
• Develop a Nature trail and indicate the location via a GPS of specific plants, rock formations, trees, historical landmarks on the Maplewood property.
• Develop a Kishacoquillas Valley History Tour via a GPS indicating the special places in the Valley.
• Develop a Tour Guide of the Valley telling the story and history of various locations in the Valley.
• Develop a Geocaching course where there are six hidden caches. Within each cache, there is a clue to a riddle that needs to be solved. The prize for solving a riddle is a 10% discount on a future stay at Maplewood.
Cost will take into account the existing rate structure for Maplewood with additional cost for the guided geocaching activity.
Links:
Allegheny GeoTrail This is a new trail located in north central PA.
Geocaching Birthday Parties
The cost of the parties will be based upon the going rate for local area birthday party venues such as pool party at the Y, bowling parties at Lewistown Lanes and Holiday Bowl in Huntingdon, and roller skating at Carousel Roller Rink in Lewistown. These costs were detailed in the Comparable Business examples. People will be able to design the party as they want it. Any expenses incurred in the party will be covered in the cost of the birthday party.
Here are some options:
Option 1) Simple Geocaching Party with providing hidden caches, GPS handhelds enough for one GPS for three children. Prizes in the caches. Three hours.
Option 2) The above with birthday cake and ice cream. Four hours
Option 3) The above with a sleep over at Maplewood, either inside or outside. Up to 15 hours
Geocaching Teambuilding Events
This would be targeted to the following:
• Construction crews
• Small Businesses
• Sport teams
• Church Leadership Teams
• Faculty at a school
• IU Department Staff
• Christian agencies
• Boy Scouts
• Extended family outings like family reunions
The focus would be:
• Teamwork
• Leadership
• Problem solving skills
For multiple teams, like for a sports team, each team will hide a geocache for the other teams to find. They will also develop a clue that will guide the other teams in locating the cache. Teams will also need to work together using two-way radios in order to solve clues and to bring out the need for inter-departmental communication.
Teams would meet for a four hour training experience. Instead of actual prizes in the caches, there will be activities to be done. Each team will find three caches. They will be distributed far enough from each other in the woods that they will not interfere. Upon finding the cache, they will have an activity to work on. They will also need to report to the other teams a clue to a riddle that the teams will be trying to solve. Before moving on to the next clue, all teams need to have find their cache and report their clue using two way radios.
Geocaching Educational Field Trips
School groups from grades 4 to 12 will be offered the following field trips:
- Longitude and Latitude
- Mapping skills
- Applied technology
Field trips offered will be half day and whole day. One chaperone will be required for every four students for Grades 4-8.
URL Reference - http://education.usgs.gov/common/lessons/geocaching.html
Cost will be comparable to comparative educational field trip offerings.

For more information, please contact bob@familyencounter.org. ( Email)