Did you know you can hunt for "buried treasure"
almost anywhere in the state?
All you need is a GPS device or GPS on your cell phone.
It's really fun!
Back in 2000 some of the first consumer Global Positioning
System or GPS devices became available.
And along with those devices a fun,
new outdoor activity was born...
Geocaching.
Today I'm in a beautiful city park in Bedford in Southwest, Iowa.
And I've got an expert who's going to give me a few tips,
Tonya Wilmes.
Tonya?
It is like a scavenger hunt, a worldwide scavenger hunt is how
I would explain it.
Dan:Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunting game where
participants search for caches, or containers,
that hold small items like trinkets, toys, or log books.
One time we found little Christmas ornaments.
They were old antique ornaments someone just put in there.
Some of them are t-shirts.
They put t-shirts in, and you take a t-shirt and leave a
t-shirt, t-shirt trading thing.
Instead of using an old map and searching for x, you use a GPS,
with a set of coordinates and sometimes a few clues.
That's it.
With those tools, you're well on your way to finding treasure...
just don't expect your find to be worth millions.
What's inside the cache is really secondary.
The fun is in the search.
I understand that for you, a lot of the fun is getting other
people turned on to this.
Yes, I do.
it's just fun, something to do.
Starting out is as simple as logging onto a geocaching
website like geocaching.com and typing in your address or the
name of a local park or trail.
You may be surprised to see how many caches are in your neighborhood.
When we go, we're gone all day.
We leave at 8 and come home at midnight.
And do you do it along the way while you're traveling otherwise.
Yes, if we go anywhere new, if there's a cache there,
we get it.
Dan: There are a few rules you need to know if you start geocaching.
First and foremost, anyone can play.
It's a treasure hunting game meant for the whole family.
Rule number two:
If you take something out of the cache,
you need to leave something behind.
A lot of people go with their kids.
And the kids like finding that stuff.
And if you take it out, and there's nothing there,
that's not fun for the kids.
Dan: And always put the cache back where you found it,
so others can enjoy searching for it again and again...
You can also go online to find different groups in the state,
including IGO (The Iowa Geocacher's Organization).
Tonya showed me how participants normally find their way to a set
of specific GPS coordinates and then attempt to find a geocache
hidden in that location.
And this isn't one you hid.
Someone else did, correct?
Tonya: Yes.
Dan: Even with a seasoned geocacher like Tonya,
my first attempt took quite a while to find.
Hmmm...
Do you see something?
No.
We searched...and searched...and searched.
It seemed like all hope was lost.
Tonya, I think we're stumped here.
Does anyone ever walk off with them.
Sometimes they do...
Then you get all muddy.
You don't have any way of knowing if it's not there anymore?
Correct?
Dan: But as Tonya relates, sometimes patience and diligence
are the biggest keys to success.
You don't quit.
Dan: In fact, sometimes the best hidden geocaches are in plain sight.
Oh you found it!
Where was it?
Right there on that corner.
It's just so green it just mixes in.
Just little things like that.
Well I guess the lesson here, is to never give up.
You try, until you can't really find it.
Tonya, that was so much fun.
And there it was right in front of our noses.
I think I'm ready to go solo now.
You've been such a good teacher.
So show me on my gps device.
I see City Park...
And it's an olive jar with black tape on it,
and the hint is under.
Under?
Okay time to follow the arrows.
This is kind of like an Easter egg hunt,
or finding a needle in a haystack.
Now I'm taking a right up here.
And I've got a clue here.
Under.
I think I'm getting closer.
Under...
[laughs] Ho Ho!
Here it is.
My olive jar with black tape.
Now let's see what we've found...kids would love this!
Put it right back where I found it.
Dan: Geocaching is a fun and entertaining activity anyone can enjoy.
Just take a GPS device, a good pair of shoes,
and an adventurous attitude, and you will be well on your way to
becoming a seasoned treasure hunter.