This must be what the Amazon feels like, I say to myself as I wipe a stream of sweat rolling down my cheek. A chorus of insects shrills constantly as I slowly make my way down a spur trail in First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach. I wouldn’t say I’m lost; misplaced might be better description. I chose to try my hand at Geo-caching in July on one of the hottest days of the year. For those who don’t know, Geo-caching is a treasure hunting activity where you use a GPS device to seek out hidden containers of trinkets and goodies. At this moment, I wish my GPS would point me in the direction of a tall cold one and air-conditioned comfort. But alas, I’m a man on a mission and a little heat won’t deter me from my quest.
So how did I end up in First Landing State Park armed with GPS? Thank the Department of Defense, the Internet and Santa Claus. Here is the abbreviated story: Back in the day, the DOD created a satellite navigation system for the military that was made up of a network of 24 satellites. In the 90’s, the government made the system available for civilian use, and a new hobby was born. Then along comes the Internet and increasing numbers of everyday folks like me with handheld GPS units. (I got mine as a stocking stuffer.) As a result, sites like www.geocaching.com were born; a web portal that hosts more than one million active caches, close to 30 are in First Landing State Park. Free of charge, here’s a little history lesson: First Landing State Park got its name because it is the site where the English settlers “first landed” before sailing up upstream to Jamestown. Kudos to them for finding the new world, sans a GPS device.
Today, I’m in search of the Long Creek cache which is located at N 36° 54.641 W 076° 03.125. I plugged these coordinates into my GPS before venturing out, and now I find myself alone in the woods, peering down at the tiny screen of my Garmin E-Trex which is communicating with at least three satellites thousands of miles above my head. (What will they think of next?)
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