1 Day, 6 hours, 1 find - what a great cache!!!!

One of the main reasons Nana & I got hooked on geocaching was the places it takes you and the things you can learn.  Saturday, July 27th, we were part of a group of 11 cachers that had the opportunity not only to tour several historic locations, by the end of the day, we also found the cache!!!  The cache in question is GC44NEP - Colonial Treasure.

The CO (cache owner), Scottish Calvaryman, has several interesting caches in the area that have themes patterned after different Indiana Jones' movies.  This particular cache is patterned loosely on the movie National Treasure.

Without giving to much away, we started out on downtown historic Williamsburg at about 9:30 AM.  We quickly figured out which of the historic sites we needed to visit and then spent some time touring the grounds of the site trying to gather the information we needed to solve the puzzle for the next stage.  It took some help from one of the volunteers at the site but we eventually managed to finish our calculations and set off down the road to another historic site.

At this point in the story I will tell you that there is quite a lot of driving involved with the puzzle cache but the time spent going from one site to another was well worth the time.  This is explained in the hint on the cache page.

A short time later we were at another historic site and quickly confirmed we were at the right location.  That being said, knowing you are at the right location is quite different from figuring out the puzzle.  This stage took us the longest but once we stumbled our way to a solution we all gathered back into the vans and set off once again to another fantastic historic location.

The third location was full of history and some of our group got distracted by all the history as the rest of us finally wandered around until the solution presented itself.

Back into the vans and off to the final stage of this cache.  At the start of the day we figured we would have at quite a hike to the final location but we located a place to park far closer than we had even dreamed we would.   11 geocachers wandering through the woods, jumping small creeks and dodging the ever-present spider webs we have all grown to love.  The final cache revealed itself slowly but we did manage to make the find a mere 6 hours after starting out.  Now to be honest there was an hour lunch break in there along the way.

6 hours for one find may frustrate some cachers but his cache was well worth the time.  I can only imagine all the work that went into creating this cache.  Historic locations, fantastic scenery and a great chance to learn facts about history - - - what more could you ask for on a summer afternoon.

As always - State Safe & Keep Caching!!!

SNAP!!! - Suffolk Nana & Papa

31 Days of Geocaching in August

A few weeks ago Geocaching.com announced that August had been declared "31 Days of Geocaching".  For each day in August that you log a "Found It" or Attended" log you will receive a special souvenir for that day.  In preparation for this special month local cachers in the area have been publishing all sorts of events for each day in August.  All you have to do each day in August is find one geocache and/or attend one event and you earn your souvenir for that day.  To help you out I am listing all events (as of this date) in one location to help you earn your 31 day streak of souvenirs.

Note: for all the AACC events in August, I plan on being at (or near) GZ from about 5 (depending on traffic of course) till about 5:45.  If you are running late, call me - if you need my number, drop me an email at Suffolkpapa@gmail.com.

July 30th - Get an early start on August by attending the "5th Tuesday Burgers & Peanut Butter & Bacon Shakes" GC42N1X - hosted by Great Scott! - start time is 6:30 PM

August 1st - The 1st of many August Afternoon Commuting Club Events - "AACC - Thursday Aug 1" - GC4GBPD - hosted by SNAP!!! - start time is 5:00 PM. 

August 2nd - you have two events to choose from:

 - - - AMCC - Fri, Aug 2: The Handshake - GC4G9E1 - hosted by everplaid starting at 6:15AM on the peninsula

 - - - AACC - Friday Aug 2 - GC4GBQ8 - hosted by SNAP!!! starting at 5:15PM on the south side.

August 3rd - is a Saturday and so far you are on your own.

August 4th - Flashing Through August: A Fire Hydrant??? - GC4GTFV - hosted by GrandpaGene starting at 2PM on the peninsula

August 5th - again, two events to choose from

 - - - AMCC - Mon, Aug 5: Coffee Mondays - GC4GBQE - hosted by everplaid starting at 6:15AM on the peninsula

 - - - AACC - Monday Aug 5 - GC4GC9G - hosted by SNAP!!! starting about 5:15PM south side.

August 6th - again, two events to choose from

 - - - AMCC - Tues, Aug 6: Best Office Building, 2009 - GC4GGYA - hosted by everplaid starting at 6:15AM on the peninsula

 - - - AACC - Tuesday Aug 6 - GC4GE09- hosted by SNAP!!! starting about 5:15PM south side.

August 7th - again, two events to choose from

 - - - AMCC - Wed, Aug 7: Benchmark with Reference Marks - GC4GH24- hosted by everplaid starting at 6:15AM on the peninsula

 - - - AACC - Wednesday Aug 7 - GC4GE0E- hosted by SNAP!!! starting about 5:15PM south side.

August 8th - again, two events to choose from

 - - - AMCC - Thurs, Aug 8: Breakfast - GC4GJZ4- hosted by everplaid starting at 6:15AM on the peninsula

 - - - AACC - Thursday Aug 8 - GC4GE0T- hosted by SNAP!!! starting about 5:15PM south side.

August 9th - AACC - Friday Aug 9 - GC4GE16- hosted by SNAP!!! starting about 5:15PM south side.

August 10th - two events to choose from for Saturday:

 - - - Rally Race Finish Line Picnic! - GC4GJ02 - hosted by TCsquared with a start time of 11AM in City View Park in Chesapeake

 - - - Tangier Island Meet and Greet - GC4GKYZ - hosted by nytepyre on tangier Island with a start time of 1:45 PM

August 11th - Meet and Greet at OBX! - GC4FM70 - hosted by Penguincacher.  Start time for this event is 11:30AM at Harvey Sound Access Park.

August 12th - three events to choose from for this Monday

 - - - AMCC - Mon, Aug 12: Coffee Mondays - GC4GKHP - hosted by everplaid starting at 6:15AM on the peninsula

 - - - Flashing Through August - Lest We Forget - GC4GE68 - hosted by GrandpaGene with a start time of 5:15PM on the peninsula

 - - - AACC - Monday Aug 12 - GC4GE21- hosted by SNAP!!! starting about 5:15PM south side.

August 13th - again, two events to choose from

 - - - AMCC - Tues, Aug 13: Best Public Building, 2011 - GC4GNC2 - hosted by everplaid starting at 6:15AM on the peninsula

 - - - AACC - Tuesday Aug 13 - hosted by SNAP!!! starting about 5:15PM south side.

August 14th - AACC - Wednesday Aug 14 - GC4GE2J - hosted by SNAP!!! starting about 5:15PM south side.

August 15th - AACC - Thursday Aug 15 - GC4GE36 - hosted by SNAP!!! starting about 5:15PM south side.

August 16th - AACC - Friday Aug 16 - GC4GE3E- hosted by SNAP!!! starting about 5:15PM south side.

August 17th - is a Saturday and so far you are on your own.

August 18th - Welcome to Elizabeth City #2 - GC4FAJK - hosted by pattycake3 down in Elizabeth City with a start time of 3PM

August 19th - AACC - Monday Aug 19 - GC4GE3T - hosted by SNAP!!! starting about 5:15PM south side.

August 20th - No events scheduled for this day as it is the 3rd Tuesday and I believe there should be an event published soon for this date.

August 21st - AACC - Wednesday Aug 21 - GC4GNM6 - hosted by SNAP!!! starting about 5:15PM south side.

August 22nd - AACC - Thursday - August 22 - GC4GNME - hosted by SNAP!!! starting about 5:15PM south side.

August 23rd - AACC - Friday August 23 - GC4GNMV- hosted by SNAP!!! starting about 5:15PM south side.

August 24th - AACC - Saturday Aug 24 (but without the commute!) - GC4GC9M - hosted by Wckd Soul with a scheduled start time of 11AM in southern Chesapeake

August 25th - Flashing Through August The Big Engine that Could - GC4GG7NA - hosted by GrandpaGene with a start time of 2PM on the peninsula

August 26th - there is an AACC event being submitted for this date with a start time of 5:15 on the south-side.

August 27th - there is an AACC event being submitted for this date with a start time of 5:15 on the south-side.  NOTE: This event will have a special theme - stand by for details

August 28th - there is an AACC event being submitted for this date with a start time of 5:15 on the south-side..

August 29th - there is an AACC event being submitted for this date with a start time of 5:15 on the south-side.

August 30th - Friday Night M&G - GC4FDA7 - hosted by Geocaching Hampton Roads - the night before the picnic!!!  Start time is 6PM

August 31st - two events this day

- - - Muffin A Go-Go II - GC4AF43 - hosted by Adventure Stones - starting at 8AM

And last but definitely not least - our very own MEGA event.......

- - - 11th Annual GCHR Picnic - GC42NJJ - hosted by Geocaching Hampton Roads - starting at 10AM

With all these events (and more) planned for the month of August - - - there is no reason not to have 31 new souvenirs by 1 September!!!

As Always - Stay Safe & Keep Caching!!!

SNAP!!! - Suffolk Nana & Papa

Cache Maintenance

Normally when Nana & I plan a out-of-town geocaching trip we take great care in preparing a list of potential finds.  We search an area for unfound caches and depending on the time of year, delete those caches off the list that are rated as 4 terrain or above to keep from taking long bush-wacking trips through thick forests.  Another quick tip when weeding gout potential caches for the list is to look at the last four finds for the caches on our list and make sure the cache is still in place based on those logs (this is really easy to do in GSAK).  We usually search an area for caches with favorite points, or in some cases, search specifically for caches owned by a certain cache owner.  Using our method, we have had many a productive day geocaching in areas considered outside our home area.

Last minute trips though are a little different.  Last weekend we decided on Saturday night to go to a city about 2 hours away from our home town.  There wasn't enough time to both 1) lay out a good list and 2) get enough sleep so the list we put together was lacking its usual above-average quality of caches.  We did have time though to restrict our list to less than 2 Terrain, less than 3 difficulty all within 10 miles of the city center.  This, hopefully , would have given a list of about 50 caches that should be mostly park n grabs (PnGs). 

Well you know what they say about the best laid plans!!!  We left the house just after 8AM and arrived near GZ of the first cache just after 10.  Now all we have to do is find the first 3 caches in the nearby park and then go from closest cache to next closet cache, etc, etc, etc.   Finds - all 3!!!  So far so good.  Unfortunately that's where our luck left us for the rest of the day.  Because we had had put this list together in a hurry, we had failed to purge the list of caches that had gone missing or had not been found in months.  Drat!!! 

We did end up with 13 finds (far less than what we wanted) at the end of the day but alas poor cache maintenance did us in.  Four out of the last five caches we attempted had not been found in over 6 months and most had logs reflecting the need for some TLC from the COs.

Cache maintenance is a necessary evil you assume once you put out your first cache.  One of the major things I count on when doing cache maintenance is the finder's logs.  It really helps to have logs that contain more than TFTH or TFTC or even the newest entry lately "Found".  When you log your finds, remember to help the CO out.  It doesn't take much in these modern times when some cachers are logging their finds almost instantly via phone to add one or two lines that state either "All is fine with this cache" or "Container is no longer watertight" .  I know it helps us tremendously!

All Cos that I know really appreciate those logs that state more than the obvious - FOUND IT.  While you are at it, do the CO one more favor - if you find a cache that you really like - give it a favorite point!!!  As a premium member of Geocaching.com, you earn one favorite point for every 10 caches you find.  Nana & I try to award as many favorite points as we can just to let those really great Cache Owners know just how much we appreciate their ingenuity and craftsmanship.

Don't forget the upcoming MEGA-event at the end of August - The 11th Annual GCHR Picnic in Newport News Virginia (see GC42NJJ).  Papa SNAP will be there and I look forward to meeting all of you.

As always - Stay Safe & Keep Caching!!!

SNAP!!! - Suffolk Nana & Papa

I have a secret to tell you!

Over the last few weeks I have talked with several local geocachers about the 11th Annual Picnic MEGA event on August 31st this year.  The thing that seemed to be a common topic of discussion among both new and veteran geocachers was the topic of cost.  "I can't afford to go", "I would go but it costs too much" and other similar phrases were common no matter who I was talking to.  It kind of amazed me how many people I talked to knew, or at least thought that there were massive costs associated with attending the picnic.  When talking with newer cachers I had to reflect back upon our first years of caching and I believe I found common ground to continue our conversation.  The first two years that Nana & I were caching, we never attended the picnic.  The first year we didn't even know about the event until after it had been held and the next year our schedules just did not allow us to attend.

Now I am not sure if the local officers/volunteers of Geocaching Hampton Roads will be upset with me or not but I am going to let you in on a little secret.   You can show up and attend the 11th Annual Picnic - and it won't cost you a dime!!!!  

It's TRUE!!!  With a very few exceptions - all geocaching events are free!  You can actually bring your entire family, show up at 10AM (or later) the morning (or afternoon) of the 31st of August, sign in on the log, take part in most of the games/activities, enjoy trading stories with both seasoned and new geocachers, some of which traveled from all parts of the country.  You can also browse through the tables set up by the vendors that will be coming to the event, take part in the discussion with the Groundspeak Lackey and geocache in and around Newport News Park without spending any money at all.

While it is true that you can do all the above for free, there are things and activities that you can spend money on if you choose to do so.  The vendors will have a variety of geocaching related items for sale, there are lunch tickets which you may choose to purchase and there are always auctions going on during which you may elect to bid on items.  There will also be a store for GCHR merchandise.  But all of that is optional.

Groundspeak is sending a lackey to attend our event so the first question that comes to mind is....  What's a Lackey????  A "Groundspeak Lackey" is a term used to refer to the employees and founders of Groundspeak who do the most basic tasks to support the overall needs of the community. This willingness to serve each other and provide recreation for a worldwide community is a core value of our company.  We accept the term Lackey with pride since we are beholden to the community for our success.

Amy (theworldisfun) is the Events Production Manager with geocaching.com.  She is super excited to return to Virginia as she moved to Seattle from Richmond a few years ago.  Details are being worked out with her visit, but she will host a "Meet the Lackey" session during the event.  Make sure to see her during the event and say hi!

And speaking of saying "HI"!!!  I, of course, will be there and will have a table set up to answer questions about GSAK and any other questions that may arise.  Please make sure to stop by and say HI!

As Always - Stay Safe & Keep Caching!!!

SNAP!!! - Suffolk Nana & Papa

TOP GeoCaching Series in the Hampton Roads area

Planning your caching around the picnic?  Coming in from out of town, and want to make sure you don’t miss some of the best caches?  Over the next few weeks, we’ll be generating several lists to help with this.

Each list will detail the best geocaches in each city in the Hampton Roads and surrounding areas based on the number of favorite points these caches have earned.

 

Here are some of the GeoCaching Series in and around the Hampton Roads Area

(by distance from Newport News Park to closest cache in the series):

1.      Indiana Jones Series – 4 individual caches located in Newport News Park (various parts of the park).  GC Codes are GC37QBC (Temple of Doom), GC34RA8 (Raiders of the Lost Ark), GC3GM5W (Kingdon of the Lost Skull) and GC3A5X2 (Last Crusade).  Raiders of the Lost Ark and Temple of Doom can easily be completed in less than 2 hours each.  I understand that Lost Skull and Last Crusade will take you longer.  The total favorite points for these four caches is 89.

2.      Christmas Lights Series #1 – 25 – hidden by Chip’n’Lori – located in Newport News – GC41YYY is #1.  A cute little series that are mostly park n grabs and can be completed in one day.  41 total favorite points for the series.  Distance from Newport News Park = 1 mile to closest cache in the series.

3.      GCHR Battleship Series – This series was put together by several local cachers and is the board game converted to a geocaching series.  The caches are spread all over the GCHR area but it cannot be completed in one or two days.  See GC3DX0F.  Distance from Newport News Park = 4 miles to closest cache in the series.

4.      Tom Hanks Series – Four very well put together caches, all on the peninsula and the closest is about 4 miles from the park.  See GC2NETC, GC2NEV0, GC2NPQV or GC2NQZ3.  Total favorite points for these four caches is 82.  These can easily be completed in a couple of hours.

5.      Captain John Smith Series – there are several CJS caches in the area although the entire series is spread out over Maryland, Virginia and Delaware.  See GC2F409.  Distance from Newport News Park = 5 miles to closest cache in series.

6.      Relections Series – a 7 cache series that is meant to be a night caching series but can be accomplished during the day.  This series is located in Gloucester County so there is a small toll to get over the bridge.    Distance from Newport News Park = 7 miles to closest cache in the series.

7.      Benchmark Series – two very well put together caches dealing with Benchmarks.  See GC42ZM8 and GC4567K.  Distance from Newport News Park = 9 miles to closest cache in the series.

8.      D/T Grid Series – this series has one cache in each Terrain/Difficulty Level and is spread all over the southern Hampton Roads area.  This series cannot be completed in one or two days.  Distance from Newport News Park = 10 miles to closest cache in the series.

9.      VSP Series – There are numerous Virginia State Park caches located around the area.  See GC46QE8.  Distance from Newport News Park = 10 miles to closest cache in the series.

10.  ECUSA Welcomes You series.  A nice little series of 10 caches each at a different Episcopal Church in the area.  These caches are spread throughout all the Hampton Roads Cities.  I believe this cache could be completed in one day.  See GCV22G.  Distance from Newport News Park = 11 miles to closest cache in the series.

11.  You See UMC Series – All located in Isle of Wight County, this series takes you to numerous United Methodist Churches around the county.  See GC2XVG8.  Distance from Newport News Park = 13 miles to closest cache in the series.

12.  Get A Clue Series – a “Clue” type geocaching series spread throughout the southern Hampton Roads area.  See GC3EWX3.  I do not believe this series can be completed in one day.  Distance from Newport News Park = 23 miles to closest cache in the series.

13.  The Amazing Geo-Race (First Leg) GC34QA0 – just like the TV show – located in Chesapeake.  Not really sure it can be completed in one day.  Distance from Newport News Park = 32 miles to closest cache in the series.

14.  The Greek Olympians – a series of puzzle caches that aren’t too hard to complete.  All are located in Virginia Beach.  Distance from Newport News Park = 32 miles to closest cache in the series.

15.  Superbowl Series – 7 different caches located in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake dedicated to the Superbowls that the Steelers played in.  See GC3WFMF.  This series can easily be completed in one day.  Distance from Newport News Park = 32 miles to closest cache in the series.

16.  The Enneagram  - a series of 10 Caches all located in Virginia Beach.  Can easily be completed in one day.  See GC2CZKJ.  Distance from Newport News Park = 33 miles to closest cache in the series.

17.  Battlefield Series – a series of 10 caches long Battlefield Blvd in Chesapeake.  This series can easily be completed in a couple of hours.  Distance from Newport News Park = 33 miles to closest cache in series.

18.  Presents for Daddy Series – a great series for kids.  6 puzzle caches, all in Virginia Beach.  The puzzles are very easy and the caches are fun.  See GC431M4.  Distance from Newport News Park = 34 miles to closest cache in the series.

19.  ROCK BAND Series.  There are quite a few nicknames (some humorous, some not) for this series in Virginia Beach.  I recommend using a bike to complete this series (DO NOT WALK IT!).  See GC3FRH9.  Distance from Newport News Park = 37 miles to closest cache in the series.

Note: If you see a series I have missed or one that you want added please contact me.

Suffolk Top Caches by Favorite Points

Planning your caching around the picnic?  Coming in from out of town, and want to make sure you don’t miss some of the best caches?  Over the next few weeks, we’ll be generating several lists to help with this.

Each list will detail the best geocaches in each city in the Hampton Roads and surrounding areas based on the number of favorite points these caches have earned.

Here is the list for Suffolk – top 13 caches based on favorite points earned:

1.    GC1DMYR – Lone Star Cache and Key – 37 favorite points - hidden by XTERRR2000.  This a terrific cache located at Lone Star Lakes Park in Suffolk.

2.    GC3611F – Log It! – 34 favorite points - hidden by toystory2.  A nice cache located in Sleepy Hole Park of Suffolk. 

3.    GC10VAK - Just Slide – 30 favorite points – hidden by Dkbekbmrb.  Another nice cache located in Lone Star Lakes Park.

4.    GC1JQMP – Constantia Site – 25 favorite points – hidden by landru1701.  A very nice multi cache located in downtown Suffolk.

5.    GC3WVK3 – SNAP 84 – The Winner of the Race – 25 favorite points – hidden by SNAP!!!  Another nice cache located in Lone Star Lakes Park.

6.    GC38X48 – SNAP 58 – Nana & Papa’s Final Resting Spot – 23 favorite points – hidden by SNAP!!!  This puzzle cache is located at a very historical location in downtown Suffolk.

7.    GC3D9DZ – SNAP Bling Trail #006 – 23 favorite points – hidden by SNAP!!!.  This fun little cache is located on the Suffolk Seaboard Coastline Trail near downtown Suffolk.

8.    GC275BR – Skippy’s Pushed Me To The Edge – 17 favorite points – hidden by Juniorbug.  A nice little cache located in northern Suffolk.

9.    GC35X09 – Thick and Thin – 17 favorite points – hidden by cadavis0609.  A tricky little cache located in Bennetts Creek Park.

10.  GC37775 – SNAP 56 – Nana’s Favorite Nest – 17 favorite points – hidden by SNAP!!!.  A nice little cache located in downtown Suffolk.

11.  GC302K3 – Usta B #13 – No Dumping Allowed – 17 favorite points – hidden by kan1stv.  A very nice multi-cache located in southern Suffolk.

12.  GC2WYYE – Roadside Nano – 17 favorite points – hidden by kan1stv.  A clever little cache located near downtown Suffolk.

13.  GC3BBQ9 – Rambo and the Peanut Gallery – hidden by Katherinez.  Another very cute cache located in Lone Star Lakes Park.

Isle of Wight County Top Caches by Favorite Points

Planning your caching around the picnic?  Coming in from out of town, and want to make sure you don’t miss some of the best caches?  Over the next few weeks, we’ll be generating several lists to help with this.

Each list will detail the best geocaches in each city in the Hampton Roads and surrounding areas based on the number of favorite points these caches have earned.

Here is the list for Isle of Wight County (this includes Smithfield) – top 10 caches based on favorite points earned:

1.    GC3PTB0 – Smithfield’s Porcine Parade – 30 favorite points - hidden by chihuahuak94me.  This a terrific puzzle cache located at downtown Smithfield.

2.    GC1WQAD – Bronze Statues Hold the Key – 28 favorite points - hidden by chihuahuak94me.  Another great puzzle cache in downtown Smithfield. 

3.    GC18G9M – Woodland Correspondence – 26 favorite points – hidden by chihuahuak94me.  A great cache located in Carrolton Nike Park.

4.    GC2NYVE – Off the beaten path – 24 favorite points – hidden by muskrat1337.  A very nice cache located in Windsor Castle Park.

5.    GC21GWW – Cache on a stick – 19 favorite points – hidden by chihuahuak94me.  Another nice cache located in Windsor Castle Park.

6.    GCH51T – Smithfield’s Other Claim to Fame – 17 favorite points – hidden by Golfhaus.  This is a nice virtual cache is located near Smithfield.

7.    GC21H59 – Brick Chimney – 17 favorite points – hidden by chihuahuak94me.  This is a fun little cache is located in Windsor Castle Park.

8.    GC22AJF – SSB – Fort Boykins Historic Park – 16 favorite points – hidden by Star-Spangled Banner.  A great little multi-cache located in a historic park north of Smithfield.

9.    GC316FH – schoolhouse museum – 12 favorite points – hidden by chihuahuak94me.  A nice little cache located at a historic schoolhouse in Smithfield.

10.  GC3ENCD – You See UMC #6 – Benns Anew – 10 favorite points – hidden by bdramatic.  A nice little cache south of Smithfield.

Portsmouth Top Caches by Favorite Points

Planning your caching around the picnic?  Coming in from out of town, and want to make sure you don’t miss some of the best caches?  Over the next few weeks, we’ll be generating several lists to help with this.

Each list will detail the best geocaches in each city in the Hampton Roads and surrounding areas based on the number of favorite points these caches have earned.

 Here is the list for Portsmouth – top 12 caches based on favorite points earned:

1.    GCH83K – Cannon of the Presbyterian Church – 23 favorite points - hidden by ATLAS Carya.  This virtual cache is located in the downtown area of Portsmouth just over 27 miles from Newport News Park.

2.    GC2Z3RY – The Meatless Steak – 19 favorite points - hidden by Carole & Tucky.  This neat little cache is located about 27 miles from Newport News Park. 

3.    GC36JHM – Are you kidding? – 13 favorite points – hidden by ny311fan.  A tricky little cache located about 27 miles from Newport News Park.

4.    GC8880 – Cradock Cache – 11 favorite points – hidden by Seth!.  A puzzle cache located in an area with a lot of history.  Located almost 29 miles from Newport News Park.

5.    GC36J27 – Revenge for 302 – 11 favorite points – hidden by HuffinPuff.  This nice little cache is located about 27 miles from Newport News Park.

6.    GC3MC3F – B8 – GCHR Battleship – 7 favorite points – hidden by GCHR Fleet Command.  This cache about 25 miles from Newport News Park.

7.    GC35N4K – I Will Cache With You – 5 favorite points – hidden by litechs_wife.  This is a puzzle cache in the downtown area of Portsmouth.

8.    GC1YCF1 – Spoils of War Revived – 5 favorite points – hidden by JDGood1.  Annother cache located in the downtown area of Portsmouth.

9.    GC1JVHB – HR History #5 – High St – 4 favorite points – hidden by DMB4Life.  A puzzle cache located somewhere in Portsmouth.

10.  GC1JT94 – HR History #4 – Frederick – 4 favorite points – hidden by DMB4Life.  Another puzzle cache located somewhere in Portsmouth.

11.  GC22AQX – SSB – Hoffler Creek Wildlife Foundation & Preserve – 4 favorite points – hidden by Star-Spangled Banner.  Located in a very scenic wildlife preserve near the James River.

12.  GC2NCRZ – what a gun – 4 favorite points – hidden by turnersrugs.  A micro cache located in a very historic area of Portsmouth.

Chesapeake Top Caches by Favorite Points

Planning your caching around the picnic?  Coming in from out of town, and want to make sure you don’t miss some of the best caches?  Over the next few weeks, we’ll be generating several lists to help with this.

Each list will detail the best geocaches in each city in the Hampton Roads and surrounding areas based on the number of favorite points these caches have earned.

Here is the list for Chesapeake – top 10 caches based on favorite points earned:

1.    GC2C7GF – A Cryptex Trading Cache – 58 favorite points - hidden by ARONK76.  This puzzle cache is hidden somewhere in Oak Grove Lake Park.

2.    GC190EK – EVIL – 48 favorite points - hidden by Frogmen83.  The name says it all for this 5/5 rated cache. 

3.    GC37AQ2 – The Dark Side – 43 favorite points – hidden by southtexas.  A very nice cache located near the Chesapeake Arboretum.

4.    GC2MQE6 – I’m Not Poisonous – 41 favorite points – hidden by ARONK76.  A nice cache located in Indian River Park.

5.    GC1T5BD – HR Alphabet Soup: K is for Mr. Krabs & Krusty Krew –32 favorite points – hidden by Geocaching Hampton Roads.  This tricky little cache is actually a memorial to a cacher.  Located in Northwest River Park.

6.    GC3DHPH – Universal Joint Cache – 26 favorite points – hidden by southtexas  This tricky little cache is located in the Greenbriar section of Chesapeake.

7.    GC1H5QX – You Might Die Trying – 21 favorite points – hidden by DMB4Life.  You have been warned – located near the Churchland section of Chesapeake.

8.    GC1EN4K – DMB TB Hotel – 19 favorite points – hidden by DMB4Life.  A very nice cache near the southern part of Chesapeake.

9.    GC368N2 – An Irishman’s Philosophy – 18 favorite points – hidden by Adventure Stones.  A tricky little cache located in Battlefield area of Chesapeake.

10.  GC43Y0J – Stumped By Beauregard’s Booty! – 18 favorite points – hidden by trtllvrs.  A nice cache located in Chesapeake City Park.

Virginia Beach Top Caches by Favorite Points

Planning your caching around the picnic?  Coming in from out of town, and want to make sure you don’t miss some of the best caches?  Over the next few weeks, we’ll be generating several lists to help with this.

Each list will detail the best geocaches in each city in the Hampton Roads and surrounding areas based on the number of favorite points these caches have earned.

 Here is the list for Virginia Beach – top 11 caches based on favorite points earned:

1.    GC23MCF – ONE MILLION GEOCACHES – 98 favorite points - hidden by Frogmen83.  This a terrific cache located at the southern end of Virginia Beach.

2.    GC6DC2 – Miles From Land – 93 favorite points - hidden by StevesFamily.  This virtual cache is actually located on one of the islands for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. 

3.    GC29A2T – GOOD KING NEPTUNE – 86 favorite points – hidden by theCachounds.  A nice cache located almost on the beach.  The cache is not that hard to find but getting it with all the muggles around is another thing.

4.    GC27RFB – A “Reel” Fishing Tale – 54 favorite points – hidden by Frogmen83.  Another cache near the actual “Beach”.  Located near Rudee’s Inlet at the southern end of Virginia Beach.

5.    GC18YZ6 – Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Travel Bug Museum  – 52 favorite points – hidden by Frogmen83.  This nice little cache is located at a museum right on the beach.  May be difficult to retrieve due to muggles.

6.    GC2CKD1 – Chesapeake Bay Watershed – 48 favorite points – hidden by drdan01.  This is an Earthcache located on one of the islands for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.

7.    GC2V6HX – Sweet as Honey – 47 favorite points – hidden by SpikeCurtis.  This fun little cache is located near one of the many golf courses in Virginia Beach.

8.    GC464E – Norwegian Lady – 42 favorite points – hidden by Sea_Dog.  A virtual cache located right on the beach.

9.    GC13MN5 – Hugh Mongus II – 40 favorite points – hidden by Frogmen83.  A very cute cache located at Ocean Breeze Waterpark.

10.  GC2V38W – I’M NOT A NUT – 37 favorite points – hidden by SpikeCurtis.  A great little cache in the middle of Virginia Beach.

11.  GC389YR – Twinkle Twinkle Little Star– 37 favorite points – hidden by southtexas.  This is a multi-cache meant to be a night time only cache.

Norfolk Top Caches by Favorite Points

Planning your caching around the picnic?  Coming in from out of town, and want to make sure you don’t miss some of the best caches?  Over the next few weeks, we’ll be generating several lists to help with this.

Each list will detail the best geocaches in each city in the Hampton Roads and surrounding areas based on the number of favorite points these caches have earned.

 

Here is the list for Norfolk – top 10 caches based on favorite points earned:

1.    GCJAQH – Love Letter – 48 favorite points - hidden by Penguincacher.  This nice little cache is located in on the downtown Norfolk Waterfront.  The scenery here is great.  Located less than 27 miles from Newport News Park.

2.    GCJK56 – City Limits – 37 favorite points - hidden by PA Ladi.  This virtual cache is located in downtown Norfolk about 27 miles from Newport News Park. 

3.    GC1CB0 – Douglas’s 5 Star Cache – 27 favorite points – hidden by Pote.  Another virtual cache in the downtown area.  Located about 27 miles from Newport News Park.

4.    GC11MVV – Where’s the Log Book? – 27 favorite points – hidden by Frogmen83.  A tricky cache located almost 30 miles from Newport News Park.

5.    GCH735 – Parade of Mermaids – 26 favorite points – hidden by The Foederer’s.  This cache will take you on a tour of the Norfolk area looking for mermaids!

6.    GC3956P - Solar Wind– 24 favorite points – hidden by SpikeCurtis.  This cache is located near the Ocean View section of Norfolk about 22 miles from Newport News Park.

7.    GC38WDK – We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat – 24 favorite points – hidden by SpikeCurtis.  Another cache located in the Ocean View section of Norfolk.  This cache is almost 22 miles from Newport News Park.

8.    GC14JXV – A Cache for Jay Before He Croaks – 22 favorite points – hidden by seymorechase.  Located less than 24 miles from Newport News Park, this is a puzzle cache that is rated 5/5.

9.    GC3Y1B4 – MEGAsaurus DUMP – 20 favorite points – hidden by Mom&Dad2L&L.  Located almost 30 miles from Newport News Park, this cute cache could be a park n grab.

10.  GC2WRG1 – Dollar Cache – 19 favorite points – hidden by David&Patty.  A clever cache located almost 30 miles from Newport News Park.