Spotlight Cache: In Memory of Dr Tooth A Magical-Mystery Bird House

#NationalBrushYourTeethDay (November 1) November 1st is National Brush Your Teeth Day! This was not created to remind people to brush their teeth once a year (We at NoVAGO are hoping that everyone brushes their teeth more than this one day annually!) Ha hah! No, this holiday was actually created to encourage parents to make sure their kids brush their teeth twice a day for two minutes. To celebrate this holiday, we here at NoVAGO would like to spotlight a cache in Stafford called “In Memory of Dr Tooth A Magical-Mystery Bird House (GC89BKD).” This gadget cache was placed by robbitandpaul as tribute to their favorite gentile dentist. Since it was placed it has been found 92 times, earned 43 favorite points, and was awarded a coveted NoVAGO Cache Award for most creative geocache of 2019! So make sure your kids are brushing for a full two minutes, and if nearby, … Continue reading

Spotlight Cache: NoVAGO U: Chemistry 100 & 101

#NationalChemistryWeek (October 20–26, 2024) Today we’re celebrating #NationalChemistryWeek by spotlighting this fun puzzle in Leesburg. NoVAGO U: Chemistry 100 & 101 (GC9ZZH5) was placed by hrothroc in 2022 as part of NoVAGO’s annual cache series. In 2024, the cache now has a 74% favorite point rating. First you’ll need to check your periodic table to solve the coordinates for this cache. It should be pretty straightforward for anyone who has completed high school chemistry class. With that done, geocachers will find themselves standing in the lab (well actually the forest) trying to figure out what to do with the supplied equipment. The kit includes a 3D printed cryptex which contains the log paper. Can you figure out the key word to get inside? Be sure to check the old logs. As part of the series, contestants were encouraged to post silly photos related NoVAGO U: Chemistry 100 & 101. Here’s … Continue reading

Spotlight Cache: NoVAGO U: Geology 101

#NationalRockDay (July 13) Today we’re celebrating #NationalRockDay by spotlighting a wherigo cache from the 2022 NoVAGO annual series. Placed by kiisikwa, NoVAGO U: Geology 101 will take you on an adventure through different rock samples. You will be challenged on your knowledge before you can get the coordinates to where the cache is hidden. “I learned something at each of the stages. Thanks Dr for the lesson and placing this cache!” ~923Graham “This class rocks!” ~02Hooson “This was a unique wherigo experience. The lesson was enjoyable, and the geology examples where top notch.” ~Awesnap “This was a very enjoyable Wherigo! I not only learned something, but I admired how it was set up. I had never done a Wherigo where I had to find cache at each stage.” ~Team_Palazzo If you were making a geocache cocktail and threw in a little bit of multi-stage cache, a little earthcache, and a … Continue reading

Spotlighting DC Boundary Stones in Virginia

Spotlighting DC Boundary Stones in Virginia International Day For Monuments and Sites (April 18, 2024) #spotlightcache Today we are spotlighting geocaches placed along the DC Boundary Stones in Virginia. They are listed in this article from north to south. The country’s first federal monuments were stone markers placed in 1791 on the original boundary of the new capital city. These boundary stones were the brainchild of George Washington to mark out the border. There were originally 40 markers, one for each mile of the 10 x 10-mile diamond plat of land. As you go through these geocache pages, you’ll learn a little more about the unique history of these federal markers, as many of these cache owners have really done their homework. DC Cornerstone (GC6781) The most northern of Virginia’s boundary stones that is accessible to the public, “DC Cornerstone” is one of the four cornerstones. When you are in … Continue reading

Spotlight Cache: Jeopardy! Series

#NationalTriviaDay (January 4) Spotlight Cache Series: Jeopardy! Today we are celebrating National Trivia Day with a series of caches placed in honor of the late Alex Trebek, host of the long-running TV game show, Jeopardy. This Jeopardy! Cache Series by TheColdedge and his TrustyNavigator will reward your knowledge and sometimes out-of-the-box thinking with coordinates for twenty-one mystery type geocaches. Winter is a great time to solve these at home and wait for a fair weather day to head out to the Winchester, Virginia area (and slightly beyond) to make the finds. I asked TheColdege a little about what went into creating this series. Q: What inspired you to chose Jeopardy as a theme? A: Alex Trebeck had recently died and I enjoyed the show as a kid. I also wanted to fit some strange trivia categories into a mystery cache. Q: How did you come up with the questions/answers? A: … Continue reading

Spotlight Cache: OLYMPIAD2020: Rhythmic Gymnastics (Adv. Lab Bonus)

#NationalGymnasticsDay (September 19) Spotlight Cache: OLYMPIAD2020: Rhythmic Gymnastics (Adv. Lab Bonus) Today we are celebrating National Gymnastics Day with a cache that brought us out of pandemic hiding places and challenged us to to be our best gymnast. As one cacher said, “They rhythm is going to get you.” This cache by Serrabou and ZippyFinn, OLYMPIAD202: Rhythmic Gymnastics (Adv.Lab Bonus), is a mouthful to say so we’re just going to call it Rhythmic Gymnastics. It is the bonus to a fun Adventure Lab that you must complete first. It is located in Clifton, VA. Because the cache was part of NoVAGO’s annual series, OLYMPIAD2020, you will notice lots of fun photos in the early logs of competitors showing off their best Anna Bessonova. For those who don’t know, this cache series involved, among other things, participants submitting photos that would be judged in an effort to earn points for their … Continue reading

Spotlighting Accessible Caches

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

#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

Spotlight Cache: The Lorton Jazz Festival

#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

Spotlight Cache: “Name That Tune” Series

#WorldRadioDay (February 13) Spotlight Cache: “Name That Tune” Series I’d sit alone and watch your lightMy only friend through teenage nightsAnd everything I had to knowI heard it on my radio Radio Ga Ga by Queen, 1984 Nothing brings back the nostalgia of singing along with the radio than a musical quiz of some great pop hits. Today is World Radio Day and we are spotlighting the Wherigo geocache series, “Name That Tune” by MJBinski. This fun series of ten caches was the winner of 2021 Cache Awards for Best Series. The caches themselves are mostly easy finds, but in order to know where to look, you will have to challenge your knowledge of 80s & 90s radio favorites. The best part is that you can download the cartridges to your wherigo app and play them at home. “My wife and I enjoyed remembering all these old songs, so thanks … Continue reading