Geocaching is an outdoor activity where people use a GPS (Global Positioning System) to find hidden treasures. Now that GPS devices are smaller and more affordable, there seems to be more people participating in this activity around my house–the Munro House Bed and Breakfast in Jonesville, Michigan.
Just having the GPS is not enough. First you have to find out where the cache is hidden. That can be done by going on the internet to a website called Geocaching.com. From there, you can type in your location and a list of hidden treasure coordinates will come up. They boast about having over a million active geocaches listed around the world. You can then enter them into your GPS. A smart phone with a geocaching app can allow you to skip the logging on to the internet portion. Just call up your app and a list of caches near where you are will come up automatically.
Lately, I have noticed a lot of parents spending time with their kids looking for treasures during their Spring Break from school. Kids like to get involved because the geocache containers have trinkets inside that you are allowed to take and replace with something of equal value. It is also a good way to explore your hometown or a place you are visiting.
Back in 2005, a guest at the Munro House asked permission to place a geocache in my yard. At that time, I had no idea what he was talking about, but when he showed me, I knew it was a good idea. It is an opportunity for me to make sure local folks know about my business and to let people from out-of-town know that there is an alternative lodging facility should they need a place to stay. Either way, it is an opportunity to provide some good clean fun for adventurous spirits to occupy their time. I usually greet them when I notice they are milling around in my yard. When I have time, I also offer up a tour of my great old house.
Our cache is pretty easy to find (it’s in the bush closest to the light pole).
Mike Venturini – Innkeeper
“Life is good in Jonesville”