As luck would have it, the granddaddy of all geocaching events happened right in our backyard this weekend. The sixth anniversary of GeoWoodstock, an event that draws thousands of Geocachers from around the world, took place in Wheatland CA. We have never attended a Geocaching mega event and had no idea what we were in for. We found that it was well planned, family friendly, and loaded with fun.
Kid Friendly Activities
We discovered geocaching while we were doing research for Trailmix.Net and have always found the sport to be well suited for children. The largest Geocaching community event in the world was no different. After spending five minutes at GeoWoodstock VI it was obvious that great care and an enormous amount of planning had gone into making sure that there were activities that would appeal to younger age groups.
Our kids spent much of the day panning for gold, petting farm animals, riding a train, exploring barns and playhouses, and listening to music. In fact, we were having so much fun we missed the magic show.
Seminars and Demonstrations
For parents and older kids there were a set of seminars and demonstrations. This alone was worth the trip in and cost of admission (free). Topics included compass and map navigation, using GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife), tips and tricks for using Google maps, GPS basics, and managing risk on hikes.
One really interesting display was of an original can of beans that was included in the first geocache. To me, the reverence during the unveiling of the OCB is a perfect snapshot of the fun and usually quirky atmosphere you will find in the Geocaching Community.
<![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/bhAXAmTwnx4">http://www.youtube.com/v/bhAXAmTwnx4</a></p>]]>
View original media here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=bhAXAmTwnx4
Youtube video of the revealing of the OCB (Original Can of Beans)
Geocaching Online has a great post with more about the seminars and demonstrations.
Geocaching
Obviously, no world class Geocaching convention would be complete without a healthy dose of geocaching. A number of cache runs were coordinated through the event and there were countless informal cache runs. People were caching 24/7. We actually met a group from Denmark that found over 300 caches in a marathon midnight-to-midnight caching extravaganza. They weren't the only ones geocaching into the late evening. One of our in Roseville caches was found 1-3 times an hour all night long until the event started.
GeoCoins, and Travelbugs
Near the entrance was the largest gathering of travelbugs that I have ever seen. There were trackable bugs, trackable dogs, even trackable people. A tent and several tables were dedicated just to managing the drop off and pick up area. We were able to log a new favorite: "Jenny", the green Volkswagen bus the Old Hippy and Granny drive from event to event.
Once the main event was wrapped up, a secondary event broke out in a nearby hotel. I was amazed by the number of travelbugs at Geowoodstock VI, but the number of geocoins at the Geocoin Swap Meet event after Geowoodstock VI really blew me away. People came out of the woodwork and completely took over the conference area, lobby, and patio. It was amazing. About 150 people brought their own collections in boxes, albums, and fishing tackle boxes. Several custom coins were also on display. Geocaching mayhem.
GeoWoodstock VII, Bell Buckle Tennessee
Next year, Geowoodstock will be held in Bell Buckle Tennessee. We are going to make every effort to attend. If you are a geocacher, have kids, and have the opportunity, we highly recommend a GeoWoodstock event. This was an adventure that our kids will remember for a long time.