In preparation for our week of camping and relaxation and family bonding, Kevin’s parents purchased a geocaching GPS and borrowed a few extras from camp for each of us to use. If you’ve never been geocaching, you should totally look into it. It’s fun, it’s free (after the initial purchase), it gives you a great activity to do as a family that requires little to no planning, and it can be leisurely or competitive.

We headed out Sunday afternoon, in search a few nearby caches. The second one we came to said it was a mile and a half down a two-track road. We all decided to give it a go, despite the surprisingly scorching temperatures. For the next hour we successfully avoided miles of 12-inch-deep puddles in search of the prize. It was a great excuse for exercise and good conversation.

We found the hidden item almost immediately upon arrival (well, the boys did anyway), and before heading back we realized we hadn’t seen the “breathtaking view” the cache’s creator has described. Hmm. Suddenly it occurred to us—there must have been another way back here.

Making the long hike back, we were parched, sun burnt, and quite sweaty, but determined to find the other entrance. Within a few minutes of driving in the opposite direction, we discovered a beautiful view of the lake, just a short walk from the cache. Awesome. We had just spent an hour or more in search of a treasure we could have found in minutes.

But we all agreed the benefits outweighed the embarrassing truth of our mistake. We all had fun, and happily relaxed in the air conditioned vehicle for the ride home.  

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