Category Archives: General

General Announcements

Don’t be afraid to reach out to a cache owner.

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When and how to reach out to a CO and how it benefits the greater geocaching community.  Many years ago when I was training as an engineer, it was commonplace to see technical drawings stamped ‘If In Doubt Ask!‘. Most seasoned cachers believe in this adage and will message Cache Owners (CO’s) for advice and guidance when stuck on a puzzle or at a particularly evil cache hide. CO’s are usually very willing to provide a “nudge” and it isn’t uncommon for them to be so eager to help that they will jump in their car and race out to meet a cacher in distress! To contact the CO, go to the top of the caching page for that GC number and click “message this owner”. The Message Center page will open automatically and will start your message by showing the Title and GC number for that cache. Don’t forget … Continue reading →

DNF versus Needs Maintenance

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(Originally published August 13, 2013) So what do you do when you are out in the field and cannot find a cache ?? Well, if you are out on your own or with others who have not found the cache, you should be logging the attempt as a DNF (Did not Find). The DNF is a tool that is used by the cache owner (CO) to help them to maintain their caches. Several DNFs in a row are a strong indicator that there is something amiss with a cache. Of course, the other possibility is that the cache is very well hidden and is just not being found. In either case, it is the cache owner’s responsibility to check on it and verify it is in place or fix it if it is not. So how does a Needs Maintenance Log fit into the picture ?? The requirement for a … Continue reading →

Geocaching 101 Class in Winchester, September 23, 2023

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Want to learn more about geocaching? Join NoVAGO at the Handley Regional Library in Winchester on Saturday, September 23, 2023. There will be a “Geocaching 101” presentation at 11am hosted by NoVAGO’s president, Gina Thompson. The presentation will also be an official geocaching event (GCACYZZ) so be sure to sign the log book! There will be a scavenger hunt inside the library to get you in the mood. Local geocachers will be on hand from 10am-4:30pm to answer questions. All geocachers are invited to attend the event, whether this is your first “find” or you have thousands under your belt. We look forward to meeting you! Visit the Handley Regional Library website for more info. To go to directly to the event page, CLICK HERE. … Continue reading →

Spotlighting Accessible Caches

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Spotlighting Accessible Caches Henderson House and Meister’s Mystifying Box National Disability Independence Day #NationalDisabilityIndependenceDay (July 26, 2023) #spotlightcache Today we are spotlighting two caches that are great examples of placing caches with accessibility in mind; in Falls Church, Henderson House – FCCRH (GC3EFEQ) and in Winchester, Meister’s Mystifying Box @ Jim Barnett Park (GC5115R). Read on, to find out what makes these caches great. Henderson House – FCCRH (GC3EFEQ) According to Atlas Obscura, the Henderson House is a Sears Catalog kit home built in 1913. Its owners, Dr. E.B. Henderson and his wife, Mary Ellen Meriwether, were both notable civil rights activists. In front of the little house is a marker noting the historic significance of Henderson’s contributions. The cache page tells more history than can fit on a marker. What makes this cache by cacher zgrav special is the unique way that a regular size container is hidden in … Continue reading →

Spotlight Cache: “Animal Crossing” Series

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#NationalVideoGameDay (July 8) Spotlight Cache: “Animal Crossing” Series Today we are celebrating America’s love of video games by spotlighting three caches by CWillyPngn. The Animal Crossing Series is three caches. Together they have been nominated in eight categories for the NoVAGO annual cache awards for 2020. One cache, Nook’s Valley, stood above the rest and was voted as Best Kids Cache of 2020. The vilebooty crew finished the series in December, 2020 Animal Crossing: Nook’s Valley – cache award winner, Best Kids Cache Animal Crossing received the following nominations: Animal Crossing – Best Series Animal Crossing: Fossil Hunt – Best Multi-Stage Cache Animal Crossing: Hidden Pond Island – Best Letterbox Cache Animal Crossing: Nook’s Valley – Best Mystery/Puzzle Cache Animal Crossing: Nook’s Valley – Most Outstanding Location/Scenery Animal Crossing: Nook’s Valley – Most Creative Cache Animal Crossing: Nook’s Valley – Cache of the Year … Continue reading →

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Get the 2023 Hider Souvenir

2023 Hider Souvenir

We are about half-way through the year now. Time to consider how you’re doing on your geocaching goals. Did you want to hide a new cache this year? If you hide a cache before December 31st, you’ll get the 2023 Hider Souvenir.


Geocaching ABCs – A Guide for Beginners

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A – Attributes – know what to expect before you look for a cache. Full list of attributes on geocaching.com. B – Bison Tube – the ubiquitous little pill holder used in many micro hides. The log should be rolled up and placed in the cap, not in the bottom. C – Cache-in-Trash-Out (CITO) – this follows the geocacher’s creed of leaving a place cleaner than when you found it. Join an official CITO event for group clean ups. You can find this special kind of event on your geocaching map or by checking out the local listings on NoVAGO.org D – DNF – this means ‘Did Not Find.’ It is appropriate to log a DNF after you’ve made a good effort to find a cache. It might feel like a defeat, but it can be helpful to other geocachers and the owner to know that it might be missing. … Continue reading →

Spotlight Cache: The Lorton Jazz Festival

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#InternationalJazzDay (April 30, 2023) Nation’s Most Unusual Jazz Fesival Did you know that for over a decade, some of the greatest names in jazz performed for free right here in Northern Virginia? Even more amazing is that these performances were inside the gates of a federal prison. The names of jazz legends who performed at this festival include Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Charlie Byrd, Oscar Peterson Trio, Count Basie Band, Nancy Wilson, Duke Ellington, Bobby Timmons, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, and many more. An unusual aspect of the festival was that little was pre-arranged or pre-staged. Although Father Breitfeller, the Catholic chaplain of the District of Columbia Department of Corrections, was the chief organizer of the event, he was more like a talent scout. Father Breitfeller was highly esteemed among the inmates for his years of selfless service. The festival is not … Continue reading →

We’ve Been Featured!

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We’ve been featured! As seen on the official Geocaching.com blog Right before Christmas last year, I logged into my Facebook account and noticed a message. J: Hi Heather. Geocaching HQ wants to make contact with some local, and very active caching groups. I think they may be doing some spotlights. I was introduced to YetAnotherReviewer at a NoVAGO event and afterwards connected on social media. I didn’t think it was weird getting a message from Jon this way. But, the request excited me. J: They asked for organizations to spotlight and both GeoawareUSA9 (our awesome earthcache reviewer) and I mentioned NoVAGO. Christian said that of all the places that he’s lived, NoVAGO is the most organized and active. H: That’s a compliment. But, I feel I’m just carrying the torch forward from the early days of the club. Please send them our officers e-mail. Our other Virginia reviewer, CardinalReviewer, attended … Continue reading →