By Abby McAllister

Well, as we had hoped, our family came through with a new GPS unit for Christmas.  We decided to head outside today to try out this activity we've been wanting to do for awhile now...geocaching.  Think of it like a world-wide treasure hunt.  All you need is a GPS unit (some smart phones have this capability too) and access to a database of cache points (many online-some free, some at a minimal cost).  We downloaded a few cache points that are near our place and headed out into the cold, clear day to see how this thing works.

I am putting this in a category of its own (verses passes to other locales and events) because it is so much bigger than any of those.  This annual pass gives two adults and the people in their vehicle access to any and all national parks in the US.  If you’ve spent any time on our website you know the high value we put on our national parks (see…link to a few blogs etc).  On the years we didn’t buy or receive a pass as a gift, we found ourselves really debating any trip to a park.  Was it worth the cost?  On the years we have a pass we find ourselves going out of our way to hit parks-why not?!  It’s free after all!  You can purchase passes at the parks themselves but you can also do it online here. Depending on the parks you visit, you can pay off the pass in 3 visits.  This is a great gift for families planning to travel to parks in the coming year but also for families who live near a park.  Imagine being able to head on over to the park near your house in every season, for special events, or just when you need some time outside.  This is much more doable with an annual pass.  

Ok, here’s the one we are hoping for this year:  a new GPS so we can go geocaching as a family.  If you haven’t heard of geocaching yet you will soon.  It is a really exciting new way to explore the outdoors.  People have hidden “caches” all over the world and you can use a GPS unit to go find them!  Think global treasure hunt gone wild!  Our kids can’t wait to try this out.  We really wanted to do some geocaching this summer at some of the National Parks we visited but none of the ancient “technology” we currently own will work.  Hopefully we’ll be up and running after Christmas (hint, hint grandparents!).  There are lots of GPS units available at lots of prices.  I think my huntin’ fool husband wants one that he can also use when out “treasure hunting” wild game.  Garmin makes a great product in this category.  They have models like the eTrex110 that are in the $100 range and have more functionality and versatility.  However, if you are looking for a really affordable and kid focused gift, I love to look and price of the Geomate Jr. sold here.  This isn’t a gear review since I haven’t tried it myself but it looks like a great starter kit.  The main device is priced very reasonable and made to be user friendly.  If your outdoor family already has a GPS but wants to get started using it to geocache, this company also sells “starter kits.”  They have one for starting searching and one for starting hiding (once you get the drift of searching for caches you can learn how to hide and record your own!).  Their finding starter kit includes a 1 year membership!  (you need a membership in an organization like this in order to have access to a wider variety of caches and more information about them.  BTW, this annual membership would make a great gift all by itself!  There are some free caching groups too like this one  )  I digress.  Don’t worry if this seems overwhelming and you don’t understand how it all works.  Just make sure you understand how much the recipient family has done in the past and choose an appropriate gift