Geocaching Souvenirs
Geocaching Souvenirs are badges, or virtual swag, to reward cachers and add to the challenge and fun of the treasure hunt.
By Geocache Method
There is so much more to geocaching than just searching for physical cache containers in the woods. There are a variety of geocaching side games designed to add to the fun and challenge geocachers in a variety of ways. Some of these side games take a day to complete while others may take years to conquer. Geocaching souvenirs are one such game within the game which help to “gamify” the treasure hunt.
Souvenirs are badges or virtual swag and when earned are displayed on your profile and tell a story of when and where you have cached. The Boy Scout in me likens them to merit badges and in many ways they are.
There are several types of souvenirs that can be earned but a few of the most common include:
Destination Souvenirs – Are awarded for visiting new places: States, Provinces, and Countries.
Challenges and Games – Each year, typically in the summer, Geocaching HQ releases a challenging game and as you play the game you earn souvenirs for working your way through the game. The 2019 game was called Mystery at the Museum which required you to find certain types of caches to collect clues and work towards solving the biggest jewel heist in history!
February 2020 was a special month for geocachers because Geocaching HQ released two special souvenirs to commemorate two other special days that occurred within the month.
February 2, 2020 was Groundhogs Day, Superbowl Sunday, and it was also a palendium date. What a perfect reason to celebrate with a new souvenir! A palindrome is a word, phrase or number that reads the same frontwards and backwords. A popular palindrome is TacoCat. Souvenir: Fun in all directions on 02-02-2020
February 29. 2020 was Leap Day. A leap day is observed because the Earth’s period of orbital rotation around the Sun takes approximately six hours longer than 365 days. Therefore a Leap Day occurs every four years and provides an extra day of caching and also provides the rare opportunity to log a Feb 29 cache in your 365 or 366 day challenge (which is another geocaching side game). Souvenir: Leap Day 2020.
You can find a list of the 2020 geocaching souvenirs at Geocaching.com
Leap Day Memories – I had a memorable Leap Day adventure and was able to log twelve caches on the extra day of the year. I ventured about 35 minutes from home into a new caching area for me around Lake Bluff, Illinois. After logging some easy caches in a business park, I decided to grab just one more.
My cache of the day goes to Incident at Rondout. Classify this as an “I learned it while geocaching find”! This cache is placed at a historical marker which shares the story of the largest train robbery in U.S. History. The heist took place on June 12, 1924 and still holds the record. To learn more about this historic event and to log a great find, visit GCE6BD.
The runner up award for the day goes to Shipping and Receiving an interesting 4.5 D / 2.5 T find at GC4G1k5
What’s New with Geocache Method? Thanks for asking! I am in the process of launching an online store offering sweet cacher clothing and some serious swag. Geocachers love clever T-shirts and I am creating a line with unique artwork and designs.
Click Here to visit the shop and see our first design.
The Geocache Method blog will take you on fantastic geocaching journeys around my hometown of Chicago, around the Great Lakes, and around the world. Geocache Method features resources for beginners and advanced geocachers.
