Geocache Treasures
Hundreds hunt city for clues that lead to Haunted House in Ridge Ferry Park
Ridge Ferry Park took on the form of a swap meet Saturday as geocachers from around the world either waited in a line to get into a Haunted House escape room to culminate their Haunted Mysteries geocaching event, or swapped coins and their memorabilia with other caching enthusiasts.
Jen Seva, with Geocaching headquarters in Seattle, said she was amazed at how well the local organizers had, “seamlessly intertwined with the business community and the convention and visitors bureau to make for really good tourism.” Seva said that geocaching as a hobby continues to grow around the world.
“This event is so multi-layered, it’s been carefully designed, and I’m so impressed by how all the details come together to make a really cohesive mega-event,” Seva said. It was her first trip to Rome but she has been to many others around the world. “This is the most successfully theme-implemented event, I’m just so impressed,” said Seva.
Jackie Laminack, from Belleville, Illinois, was at Ridge Ferry Park with her sons A.J. and Hunter Laminack.
“My mom made me,” Hunter said.
“It’s something that keeps us outside and it’s an activity we can all do together and have fun, travel and see some cool place,” his mother said. “We will be here next year.” She said the family is relatively new to geocaching, having started four years ago.
“Catlady Sue” Baker, from Minnesota, has been geocaching about five years. Geocachers have “handles” much like the CB enthusiasts in the ’70s. Baker said the event was well run and had a lot of variety. She and a couple of friends flew in from Minnesota Thursday.
“We’ve been all over Rome. I think it’s really been fun. We’ve been through a lot of the businesses and restaurants,” Baker said.
D.K. Hegler, from St. Paul, Minnesota, has been caching a little over a year.
“A friend of mine from work got me started and I got hooked right away,” Hegler said. “Safe Chris” Laurie Oleson, also from Minnesota, got started after she discovered a GPS device in a friend’s garage.
“I claimed it because I had heard about geocaching in a boy scouting magazine,” Oleson said. She called the Rome event, “the premiere mega-event you can go to.”
Andi Beyer and Jim Williamson are the lead organizers for the event in Rome, and have put together a crew of caching friends from across the Southeast who come in early to help stage the event each year. It has grown to become one of the three largest geocaching events in the U.S.