2025 NoVAGO Spring Picnic Photos

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2025 NoVAGO Spring Picnic Photos On May 10, 2025, we came together in Purcellville, Virginia, for the NoVAGO Spring Picnic and Awards event. Despite a breezy start, the sunshine and pleasantly mild temperatures set the stage for a perfect gathering of cachers. The event brought together a diverse crowd, spanning all experience levels and ages, from newcomers to seasoned veterans. Our masters of ceremonies, MrPsyduck and Schwandt put on their tuxes and hats to recognize the 2024 Cache Award Winners. DVC1 (Decoy Dave) provided pictures uploaded to the shared 2025 NoVAGO Spring Picnic and Awards Google Album. He took the time to rename the files with the cachers names, which may be viewed by selecting the information icon. Comments maybe added to the photos. Many dedicated volunteers helped make this event happen, but it was the attendees who truly made it a success. Thanks to all who participated! … Continue reading →

NOVAGO’s 2024 Geocache Award Winners

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Winners of NOVAGO’s 2024 Geocache Awards Thanks to all those who took the time to send in nominations and also to those who voted. MrPsyduck and Schwandt graciously formed an awards committee and together conducted behind the scenes technical magic to make the process fair. Our very own President, hrothroc, used her talent on the 3D printers and create medals for our winners to go along with the traditional trackable tags. We gathered in Franklin Park, Purcellville, Virginia on May 10th, 2025 to find out who would bring home the prizes as well as get to display the special winner’s SWAG on their cache pages. And the winners are… Best Traditional Cache GCAYDNR – NOVACON: Minifigure Mania! by sedor18 Best Mystery/Puzzle Cache GCAXWWH – NOVACON – Doctor Who by TheUnstealthy Monkey Best Multi-Cache GCAVXZ3 – NOVACON: Hogsmeade to Hogwarts  by Serrabou Best Letterbox GCAWFFF – NOVACON: Princess Peach Funland! by SP4FUN Best Other (Earthcache, Wherigo, or Virtual) … Continue reading →

25th anniversary Locationless cache available!

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25th anniversary Locationless cache available! @mcgmarauders, NoVAGO feature article writer Did you know that there are “Locationless” caches to be found? Here is the latest one which is available throughout this year. About 16,000 cachers have logged it so far! You just have to find the number 25 on display (anywhere!), advise where it is, and snap a photo of you and that “25” for your log. Have fun! Find “25” and celebrate the 25th anniversary with a new Locationless Cache!  … Continue reading →

The 2025 NoVAGO Pathtags are available for sale at the Spring Picnic.

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Pathtag contest winner: Awesnap Thanks to the cachers who participated in the 2025 NoVAGO Pathtag Survey! Given the high demand, we will initially limit purchases to 10 pathtags per cacher, ensuring everyone has a chance to buy and support NoVAGO. The pathtags will be available for purchase, on a first come first serve basis, at the NoVAGO Spring Picnic [GCAXFZX] in Franklin Park, Purcellville on May 10th. The price will be 2 for $5.00.  Payments can be made via cash or credit card. A processing fee will apply to credit card transactions to maximize the sale. Cash Sale: 2/$5, 4/$10, 6/$15, 8/$20, 10/$25 Credit Sale: 2/$5.45, 4/$10.60, 6/$15.75, 8/$20.90, 10/$26.05 Following the picnic, officers will have pathtags available for purchase, accepting cash payments exclusively. … Continue reading →

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How Far Will You Go for a Trackable?

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Trackables are fun to find in a geocache, or trade at events. But, did you know that there is a trackable on the surface of Mars? NASA scientists came up with the idea for including a trackable on the Mars Perseverance Rover. Printed on a glass disk, it is a calibration target for the rover’s WATSON camera to focus on. When you log the trackable, you’ll earn a souvenir. Lucky for us, we don’t need to leave home to get a glimpse of this trackable.

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Caching in the DMV – a Discord “forum”

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The NoVAGO Board has launched a Discord server, Caching in the DMV, to foster community engagement. We deeply appreciate spaberspark77 (Zack) for his role as an administrator, guiding us through its core features. This platform offers enhanced security and operates like a forum, increasing visibility and interaction within NoVAGO. Our goal is to evaluate its potential for a broader audience. While it’s not intended to replace Facebook or WhatsApp groups, it provides an alternative for those who prefer non-Meta apps. We plan to utilize this server for Geowoodstock XXI communications, ensuring everyone knows when and where to meet for a group photo. If successful, we envision it evolving into a space for sharing caching tips, collaborating on caching adventures, and recognizing standout log entries and creative cache pages. Interested in joining? Reach out to me, TrexM8s (Monica Lynch), via Geocaching or Facebook apps, and I’ll provide a private link. Feel … Continue reading →

The 2025 NoVAGO Pathtags have arrived!

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Pathtag contest winner: Awesnap Last year we had a Pathtag contest and several designs were submitted. The community voted for Awesnap’s cardinal design as the winner. NoVAGO is excited to announce the sale of these exclusive pathtags as a fundraiser to support our picnics, awards, and other group activities. With two highly anticipated events on the horizon—GeoWoodstock on May 24 and the DMV Block Party on September 20—we expect demand to be higher than usual. These events feature pathtag trading, making them a perfect opportunity for cachers to use the NoVAGO tags as a trading option. Please fill out this survey to help us fairly share and boost participation at these big events. You’ll see that we’ve capped it at 10 path tags per person to keep things fair. There’s also a question about your plans for using the NoVAGO pathtags at GeoWoodstock, which will help us understand how many … Continue reading →

Are pathtags works of art?

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It’s true—Pathtags are tiny, tangible masterpieces that merge personal stories with artistic flair, adding another element to the geocaching hobby. Geocachers often use pathtags as personal signature items, leaving them as swag in favorite caches or trading them with fellow cachers. Unlike geocoins or travel bugs, pathtags do not travel; instead, their imaginative designs make them an enjoyable side-activity. Pathtags, roughly the size of a U.S. nickel, feature custom-designed artwork reflecting the cacher’s interests or personality. Pathtags include a serial number on the back, allowing them to be logged, traded, and tracked on the online platform [pathtags.com]. Additionally, at no extra charge, you can include a NoVAGO logo on the back of your pathtag. They are especially popular at large events, where they often commemorate the gathering. These events typically have pathtags available for purchase or include them in event packages. Sometimes, pathtags are earned by finding a series of … Continue reading →

The origins of Geocaching.

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@mcgmarauders, NoVAGO feature article writer Most of us know that modern-day geocaching started on May 2, 2000, when the great blue switch was activated. Twenty-four satellites around the globe were suddenly accessible, making GPS technology available to the general public. However, did you know that the origins of geocaching actual date back to 1854 when the “game” of letterboxing was invented? It all began in Dartmoor, Devon, England when a well-known Dartmoor guide (James Perrott) placed a container for visiting cards at Cranmere Pool on the northern moor in 1854. Hikers on the moors began to leave a letter or postcard inside a box along the trail (sometimes addressed to themselves, sometimes a friend or relative)—hence the name “letterboxing”. Interest in letterboxing in the US is generally considered to have started with a feature article in the Smithsonian magazine in April 1998. Geocaching.com added Letterbox Hybrid caches on May 7, … Continue reading →

Nominees for NOVAGO’s 2024 Geocache Awards

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Nominees for NOVAGO’s 2024 Geocache Awards Thanks to all those who took the time to send in nominations. While not all nominations were able to make the final cut, we were impressed with every suggestion. The hardworking awards committee have compiled the caches on this list from the very best of 2024. We invite all geocachers to go out and find as many of these wonderful caches as possible. For a geocaching friendly list, CLICK HERE. Voting has closed for the NoVAGO 2024 Geocache Awards. If you would like to change your ballot before the April 15th, deadline, email: awards@novago.org and a special link to your ballot will be provided. Winners will be announced at our NoVAGO’s 2025 Spring Picnic & Cache Awards Event on May 10th in Purcellville. Without further ado, here are the nominees: Best Traditional Cache GCAK199  – Arlington FLAG by TheUnstealthy Monkey GCAPFVZ – LPC: Inception … Continue reading →