A common experience with geocaching is the opportunity to visit someplace new, even if it is in your hometown. Rather than resign your memories to your ability to recall them, why not capture and share them? A great app to record your adventures on your smartphone is Trip Journal.

With Trip Journal, you just start a new trip and tracking. Along the way, you can add pictures, videos, notes and waypoints. You can note cool caches or sights. You can record notes for logging your caches. It’s always nice when geocachers post must-see or know advice about caches. Now you’ll remember what other cachers should know. Pics are also great, even if they were not at ground zero. The journey, after all, is sometimes more fun than reaching the destination.

One of the more appealing things for me about Trip Journal is its interface. You get the impression that you are writing in a worn leather journal. I’m a sucker for old maps, so the whole layout is something I really like about it. You can archive your trips and also share them on Facebook if you’d like. The developers respond promptly to posts, which adds to the fun of using the app.

There are a lot of fitness apps that will do the tracking and mapping. Trip Journal adds a bit of fun so you can share your adventures with your family and friends.

One of the reasons I really enjoy geocaching is that it gets me outdoors and exploring new places. I have such enormous respect for nature. Because of that, I decided to put my feelings onto paper with my environmental manifesto. When I do CITO geocaches, it’s a way I bring my feelings to what I’m doing.  This manifesto summarizes why it is important to me. I hope that it can inspire you too.

If you’re planning on spring geocaching, you had better prepare. You should take sunscreen, sunglasses and naturally, bug spray. Get ready, folks! Tick season has begun!

The mild winter made for some great winter geocaching without the hassle of buried treasures. Instead, all caches became winter-friendly in Minnesota. That also means that the ground didn’t get quite as cold as it normally would. In other words, there was not the usual die-off. They’ll be back–and with a vengeance. 

These parasites are nasty at its worse for you and your dog. There’s Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and anaplasmosis, all horrible and potentially dangerous. There’s one thing for it–a bug spray with DEET. My botany professor swore by wearing white, which I suppose could help you spot the blighters.

I usually wear the same hiking boots every time we go out. They have a nice residual coating that I hope helps keep the ticks at bay. This way, I avoid trashing my other shoes and benefit from the lingering spray. What happens if you find a tick?

Well, if there’s one, there may be more. A thorough check is imperative. You just can’t take the chance. My nephew got Lyme disease from fishing at a river shoreline. Even city parks can harbor ticks. Don’t risk it. The spray costs little. Your bug spray should have at least 20 percent DEET to be effective, recommends the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you experience any of these symptoms after being out, consult your doctor. This is one cache you don’t want to find.

• Fever and chills
• Unusual rash or bull’s eye rash
• Aches and pains like the flu