Treasures on the Road
- Looking for some booty? Maybe some action on the road with hand-toys? Then you want to join the RV'ers on the road as they go geocaching (pronounced geo cashing).
RV'ers can geocache while on vacation or, by logging onto http://www.
geocaching.
com and typing in a zip code where they are going and locate waypoints for caches along their route.
"I feel like a kid again," says Kathy Sarafino, of Sebastian, known in her geocaching world as "Cacheka".
Sarafino is a retired Director of Imaging Services, who is not only an avid geocacher, but an RV'er.
She and husband Bob bought a Fifth Wheel (RV) from Giant Recreation World about three years ago and love to take long weekend excursions and are members of the Gold Club.
The Gold Club is an exclusive membership for RV owners who can participate in pre-planned activities from barbecues with hoedowns, crafts for kids, to boating and fishing, to special parties and even pet costume contests.
Sarafino has logged more than 785 caches to date.
"Geocaching is great for couples to enjoy or with a buddy.
My buddy and I usually go out three or four times per month, and usually for the whole day," says Sarafino.
She admits that her hand-held GPS unit is an extension of her arm now and she rarely goes anywhere without it.
"RV'ers make life long friendships, whether they're young children with their parents who have enjoyed camping growing up, or when they embark on their second life in retirement," says General Manager Dennis Charron, of the Orlando (Winter Garden) Giant Recreation World dealership.
"Families have the opportunity to spend quality time together that most families don't have.
They're making new friends, visiting interesting places and making RV memories.
" Geocaching is a high-tech version of a scavenger hunt.
There are traditional caches, cache containers of various sizes and even mystery caches.
Many are RV friendly.
Cachers can often locate treasures within a one-mile radius of their campground, in urban areas and at locations such as Cracker Barrel where caches are referred to Rocking Chair Caches.
Hunters put a waypoint (coordinates) into their GPS, which they can find on geocaching websites, where there are often clues, and the hunt begins.
"Most GPS units are accurate within a 10 foot radius of where a cache is buried," says Graeme McGufficke, geocache name, Ozguff.
Ozguff began caching in 2003, when he heard about it from his daughter's friend.
McGufficke lives in Jackson County, NC, and has had more than 240 people log in (online) to just one of his caches he placed back in 2003.
Visitors even upload a photo of themselves, and their RV, with the cache on logs.
There are more than 300 geocaches within a 20-mile radius of Sylva, NC.
McGufficke has strategically placed 10 caches on private property for a bed and breakfast in Sylva for their guests to enjoy.
Also worth noting, it is important to pay attention to not only the level of difficulty of the search for the booty, but also the challenge of the terrain.
Sarafino belongs to the Spacecoast Geocachers Association and has put a "travel bug" cache, Satin Lips, out there with a goal (dogtag) of "Kissing the Blarney Stone in Ireland".
She is able to track its progress via her webpage.
Geocachers have found her Satin Lips and help move it along the way, to another cache closer to its goal.
"It's already in Ireland," says Sarafino proudly.
"Geocaching takes you to wonderful places that usually only locals know about.
" Giant Recreation World's Gold Member club is an opportunity for RV'ers to have meet and greets, share hobbies, such as geocaching and outdoor activities but more importantly, people meeting people they might not have otherwise met and building lasting relationships that could take them around the world.
RV'ers can bring their bikes, kayaks, favorite coffee, favorite pillow and their own music and movies (even their family pet).
Many RV models allow a family of four save up to 74 percent on vacation costs over other forms of travel.
Click on geocaching.
com, you might be surprised at how many caches or treasures can be found in your backyard!
RV'ers can geocache while on vacation or, by logging onto http://www.
geocaching.
com and typing in a zip code where they are going and locate waypoints for caches along their route.
"I feel like a kid again," says Kathy Sarafino, of Sebastian, known in her geocaching world as "Cacheka".
Sarafino is a retired Director of Imaging Services, who is not only an avid geocacher, but an RV'er.
She and husband Bob bought a Fifth Wheel (RV) from Giant Recreation World about three years ago and love to take long weekend excursions and are members of the Gold Club.
The Gold Club is an exclusive membership for RV owners who can participate in pre-planned activities from barbecues with hoedowns, crafts for kids, to boating and fishing, to special parties and even pet costume contests.
Sarafino has logged more than 785 caches to date.
"Geocaching is great for couples to enjoy or with a buddy.
My buddy and I usually go out three or four times per month, and usually for the whole day," says Sarafino.
She admits that her hand-held GPS unit is an extension of her arm now and she rarely goes anywhere without it.
"RV'ers make life long friendships, whether they're young children with their parents who have enjoyed camping growing up, or when they embark on their second life in retirement," says General Manager Dennis Charron, of the Orlando (Winter Garden) Giant Recreation World dealership.
"Families have the opportunity to spend quality time together that most families don't have.
They're making new friends, visiting interesting places and making RV memories.
" Geocaching is a high-tech version of a scavenger hunt.
There are traditional caches, cache containers of various sizes and even mystery caches.
Many are RV friendly.
Cachers can often locate treasures within a one-mile radius of their campground, in urban areas and at locations such as Cracker Barrel where caches are referred to Rocking Chair Caches.
Hunters put a waypoint (coordinates) into their GPS, which they can find on geocaching websites, where there are often clues, and the hunt begins.
"Most GPS units are accurate within a 10 foot radius of where a cache is buried," says Graeme McGufficke, geocache name, Ozguff.
Ozguff began caching in 2003, when he heard about it from his daughter's friend.
McGufficke lives in Jackson County, NC, and has had more than 240 people log in (online) to just one of his caches he placed back in 2003.
Visitors even upload a photo of themselves, and their RV, with the cache on logs.
There are more than 300 geocaches within a 20-mile radius of Sylva, NC.
McGufficke has strategically placed 10 caches on private property for a bed and breakfast in Sylva for their guests to enjoy.
Also worth noting, it is important to pay attention to not only the level of difficulty of the search for the booty, but also the challenge of the terrain.
Sarafino belongs to the Spacecoast Geocachers Association and has put a "travel bug" cache, Satin Lips, out there with a goal (dogtag) of "Kissing the Blarney Stone in Ireland".
She is able to track its progress via her webpage.
Geocachers have found her Satin Lips and help move it along the way, to another cache closer to its goal.
"It's already in Ireland," says Sarafino proudly.
"Geocaching takes you to wonderful places that usually only locals know about.
" Giant Recreation World's Gold Member club is an opportunity for RV'ers to have meet and greets, share hobbies, such as geocaching and outdoor activities but more importantly, people meeting people they might not have otherwise met and building lasting relationships that could take them around the world.
RV'ers can bring their bikes, kayaks, favorite coffee, favorite pillow and their own music and movies (even their family pet).
Many RV models allow a family of four save up to 74 percent on vacation costs over other forms of travel.
Click on geocaching.
com, you might be surprised at how many caches or treasures can be found in your backyard!
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