Geocaching in Joplin
Geocaching is basically an outdoor scavenger hunt that combines adventure with technology. It involves searching for an object that is hidden outside by using GPS coordinates which are posted online.
My husband Travis and I both work at home. Somehow, our marriage has survived 7 years of this arrangement.
Maybe it’s because every day I sequester myself in my daughter’s bedroom with my laptop to write while she’s at school, and her room is on the opposite side of the house from where my husband is talking on the phone with his clients.
And that’s how my husband and I are able to both work at home together and still enjoy wedded bliss.
Each of us also makes sure to take sanity breaks during the day. Travis and I love to be outdoors, so we make sure to leave our house/office at least once during the workday and take a walk, even if it’s just for 10 minutes.
We generally take our sanity breaks in solitude because, hey, that’s the point. But sometimes we take our breaks together.
Gasp!
Like we need more togetherness, right?
![](https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-couple.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=4441cc7fba5962034d4310fec15720d1 320w, https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-couple.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=303297cdd2e061d1d1d947c0146e3d31 540w, https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-couple.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=1795ca8ac3e0ade013925cb3cbaba61a 550w)
But there’s a lot of value in disconnecting from work and home responsibilities in order to reconnect with your partner. Sometimes, Travis and I will pack a picnic lunch and dine al fresco at a local park. Sometimes we’ll grab our hiking boots and hit some nearby trails.
Sometimes we’ll play games.
Specifically, I’m talking about a game that can be played outdoors – anywhere, anytime.
It’s called geocaching.
Geocaching is basically an outdoor scavenger hunt that combines adventure with technology. It involves searching for an object that is hidden outside by using GPS coordinates which are posted online.
You’d be surprised at how many caches are hidden all over the Joplin area – or anywhere, for that matter, as geocaching is a game that’s played all over the world.
On a recent lunch break, Travis and I decided to combine a short hike at Wildcat Park with a game of geocaching.
Before we left our house, I checked for local caches on my smartphone’s geocaching app. Cachebot offers a free app which allows you to view nearby caches on a map, as well as detailed descriptions of, and coordinates for, up to three caches per day; if you want to research more, then you’ll need to upgrade to the paid version.
Travis has the classic version of the Groundspeak Navigation app on his phone, which he downloaded several years ago. When I recently signed up for the free version of the app, I found it to be very limited; I could see nearby caches, but had to upgrade to a monthly or yearly membership in order to retrieve the details and coordinates of the caches.
Regardless of which app you choose, you’ll need to create an account on a cache listing site (geocaching.com) and link it to your app. This sounds like a complicated process, but it’s a one-time deal that will allow you to track your finds forever. And it’s free!
If you want to go old-school, you can use a handheld GPS navigator, such as those made by Garmin. But since most people have smartphones on them these days, it’s more convenient to use a phone app.
After looking for nearby caches on my app, I selected one located on Bluff Trail at Wildcat Park. The cache is called Love Hollow at Mother Nature’s Crack, which sounds both romantic and crass at the same time.
But knowing that Mother Nature’s Crack refers to a fissure in a particular rock outcropping on the trail rather than a part of the human anatomy, I focused on the enticing “Love Hollow” part of the cache name instead. The person who hid the cache did so as a gift for his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day to mark the spot where they and their friends had gathered for years and created happy memories.
I thought that sounded sweet when I first read it, but then I thought how disappointed I would be if my guy got me a Valentine’s Day gift and then immediately hid it.
Forever.
It’s a romantic gesture, nonetheless, and it made for a nice backstory for my geocaching lunch date adventure with Travis.
When Travis and I reached Mother Nature’s Crack on the hiking trail, he pulled out his phone and read the hint that was given about where to find the cache: Look for the dead trees.
Hmm. There were several dead trees lying on the forest floor on the hill above us, but my attention was drawn to a group of them several feet up from the cliff. As I circled around them, I saw what I thought was a piece of trash tucked between the tree and a pile of leaves.
Upon closer inspection, I saw that there was writing on this “trash” which indicated that it was, indeed, the Love Hollow cache.
![](https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-bag.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=0725508b4bad5f8aacc7cea776f7f4aa 320w, https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-bag.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=5d32aecfdae69b650a1a6f9edf6c831d 540w, https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-bag.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=00bfd981d5c6ba94e87003a3a1cd4e3f 550w)
I felt giddy that I found the treasure on our scavenger hunt, but also a bit disappointed at the state of the cache itself. This weathered plastic Ziploc bag with a hole in one end was not was I was expecting.
Typically, caches are protected in metal boxes which can withstand the elements, like these that my kids have found on previous geocaching outings:
![](https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-shoal.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=f8f71996be7c06aa48f09a13887a7913 320w, https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-shoal.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=e9183d5aa4af0d0f8affb864f5fd67ff 540w, https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-shoal.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=7a7e7470f3896f8549af133e95e4a946 576w)
![](https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-big-box.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=27499bee1c6ee5fb9852571056983c29 320w, https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-big-box.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=8123c885a57abad6c958472f84bef441 540w, https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-big-box.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=6566721c1e9a74a617a2518c2d079b7b 600w)
But there was nothing inside of the partially disintegrated baggie at Love Hollow.
Usually, there’s a log to sign when you find a cache. I like to glance through these logs to see who else has found them, and when they found them. Granted, I can read cache logs online (plus add our own find to the log), but it’s more personal to see different people’s writing on a piece of paper.
Also, there weren’t any trackables in the bag. Trackables are items that move from one cache to another, and you can follow their movements online, which is another fun part of the geocaching experience.
Although there were no trackables or log entries for me to read about, I was still satisfied because I had found the cache (as you can tell from my smug posture).
![](https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-lounge.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=d93983e4a29538f8df5265a7c23cacc6 320w, https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-lounge.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=8140c827d1c0af06dc97834d45ee4db2 540w, https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-lounge.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=a3c9c2d603b647e40ca5c14727dabeec 550w)
What did Travis find?
![](https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-glove.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=0c2d7bcf029f647f11ca67dee3499c15 320w, https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-glove.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=dead4b4b4ecfc31cf1e0a224d8459970 540w, https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-glove.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=e6eeef3e83f3d85a4ec5e0628b7f5ff8 550w)
Well, he found a glove on the ground. It was totally unrelated to our mission, but he seemed pleased with himself. Considering the glove blended in with the rocks on the ground like an object in an I Spy book, finding it was definitely an accomplishment.
The best part of hunting for the Love Hollow cache was its location. I know you have been curious about this since the beginning of the post, so here you go: This is Mother Nature’s Crack.
![](https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-crack-view.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=214154ee4f76969ad8f21eca5dec6081 320w, https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-crack-view.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=63fcd735dd955d17eb335adf14ff8342 540w, https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-crack-view.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=5a9568abe039299096c79667d825b3ba 550w)
![](https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-standing-on-crack.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=a326e48a76ac361a957d9322c92902b9 320w, https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-standing-on-crack.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=9f0442a97631187c133e60dc4365d712 540w, https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-standing-on-crack.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=70db83f77267b9c21c56b5a89026d723 550w)
Travis and I decided to take a selfie to commemorate our Love Hollow lunch date. As I was struggling to position my smartphone to take the photo, Travis showed me how to use the photo timer for the selfie.
The what?
This was a game-changer for me.
Up to this point, the few selfies that I’ve taken have been blurry, a result of me trying to look into the lens while simultaneously looking for the camera button.
I’m sure this timer thing is common knowledge to the majority of smartphone wielding population, but I’ve arrived a bit late to the selfie culture.
![](https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-selfie.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=24cc627650976238864a5ee2b65cc7eb 320w, https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-selfie.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=3b1f830e1e151963a20899aa327d6b73 540w, https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-selfie.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=0bc4af385202c85538ec6eb06a9afb04 550w)
We left Mother Nature’s Crack behind us and hiked back to the car. I had seen another cache that I wanted to stop at before our lunch break was over. This cache is called Winged Cross, and it marks the edge of the area where an EF5 tornado touched down on May 22, 2011.
Unlike traditional caches, which are hidden, this cache is in the open, and is considered a landmark cache. Located on a corner in a residential area, the Winged Cross stands over 5 feet tall and was carved from a tree that was several hundred years old.
![](https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-cross.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=30fa468fe94eaac61332a38d0402ab5f 320w, https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-cross.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=75c5ff27ad7b4170d09afe8686a57b98 540w, https://visit-joplin.imgix.net/images/geo-cross.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=7e1e972316b5dea8bf298ca4ba1201dd 550w)
I thought I’d seen all of the commemorative works that have popped up in Joplin after the tornado, but I had never seen this – nor had I heard about it until Travis and I decided to go geocaching.
So here you have it, the secret to being able to work at home with your spouse: Be sure to take sanity breaks during the day, and make sure you add a little adventure together every now and then.
To learn more about geocaching, click here.
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