Geocaching 101: An Introduction to Caching with Terry and Mary Balek

Saturday, May 17, 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Shalom Spirituality Center

This program is an introduction to the hobby called geocaching, which is a great activity for families or friends to do together. Attendees will learn the history of geocaching, as well as the different types of geocaches. Also covered will be how to read the cache page and what you might encounter when searching for a particular geocache.

Attendees will learn how to add the free geocaching application to your phone and see the many geocaches that are available for you to find. You will also be shown how to become a “premium” member and what advantages this entails. We will also cover the etiquette involved with geocaching, how to write a log when you find a geocache, and what to do when you do not find the cache after searching. If time allows, we will put to use what we have learned. There are no geocaches in close proximity, but by using GPS coordinates, we will locate a few “virtual” caches nearby.

Families are welcome; children under 16 should be accompanied by an adult.

Terry and Mary Balek are a husband and wife team that have followed their daughters' geocaching adventures through the years. It was when they decided to go caching that their daughters came up with their caching name: Parentsof4ks. Many think it means parents of four kids (which is true) but it does not. Parentsof4ks stands for the names of their four daughters, Kimberly, Kerrill, Kathryn, and Krista. They have found nearly 14,000 geocaches in 32 states and 5 Canadian provinces. They have also placed over 550 caches of different types for others to find.

Free-will donation only but RSVP is required; please RSVP attendance online at shalomretreats.org or by calling 563.582.3592 by noon on Thursday, May 15.