Geocaching with Woo

Twenty years ago, the switch was flipped, and selective availability was turned off. This allowed anyone to get accurate GPS readings and brought about the birth of our hobby. We normally celebrate Blue Switch Day by finding a geocache on the anniversary of that date, May 2, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have until December 31 to earn the souvenir.

Today we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. In this time of uncertainty, with the Coronavirus, social distancing and stay-at-home orders, we may not be able to get out and about in order to enjoy this hobby. Geocaching has come up with a few ideas on how to celebrate, and still stay safe. Share a photo of your favorite EarthCache along with something you learned on social media using the hashtags #WaybackWednesday and #EarthDay2020. Perform some Cache In/Trash Out in your own backyard. Do some spring cleaning, and instead of taking your trash to the dump, recycle and reuse some of the items as cache containers, swag or even trackables (write a tracking code on it). Don't forget to share your pictures on social media with the #EarthDay2020 hashtag. The National Park Service also has some great ideas on how to celebrate Earth Day virtually and if you'd like to go the Junior Ranger route, there are even virtual passport cancellations and explorations.

Today, I was saddened to learn that both the Geocaching 20th Anniversary Celebration and GeoWoodstock XVIII have been cancelled and rescheduled for next year. I'd made huge plans for this. I checked airline ticket prices for weeks to find something that was affordable. I'd found an Air BnB with phenomenally good prices for that time frame. Our time was jam packed with activities, mostly geocaching, of course, mixed in with visiting family and friends. I only hope that I can reschedule it all for next year. Looking on the bright side, as I am apt to do, I'll have time to make this trip even more epic.

Corona Virus got you down? Me, too. I've been trapped at home for almost a month now, "working from home" with a daily teleconference that keeps me from going anywhere. Sure, I could go out geocaching, but with the Stay-at-Home order in my state and trying my best to be a law-abiding citizen, I feel like it's wrong. So, I've been staying in with my husband, the television tuned in to the news, and not feeling motivated to do much of anything. Luckily, I just got an e-mail from FTF Geocacher magazine with a virtual walk across Spain utilizing Google Street View. Along the way, we'll collect clues to answer questions that will yield virtual stamps (like souvenirs), and potentially prizes. So far, it's been fun. I earned three stamps last night, and am anxiously awaiting the next stage in the journey. Would you like to join in the fun? Start the virtual journey here . Follow the link to learn more about the Camino de Santiago .