Lawrence County's 4th Annual Geocaching Challenge, Feb. 6th

Now that GPS is becoming so easy, cheap, and accurate, geocaching is becoming more and more popular. I can actually use my HTC Droid Eris to find my location to within 8 meters (excuse me, metres. It’s still a European measurement, so we have to spell it that way).

Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game. Basically, you use your GPS device to find hidden containers — geocaches — somewhere outside, and then share your experience online. It’s the online community that only works if you actually go out into the real world. (A quick check at Geocaching.com showed that there were 96 geocaches within my own ZIP code.)

I mention all this, because Lawrence County is having their 4th annual multi-stage geocache challenge at Spring Mill State Park. They’ll give you the clues, and you’ll decipher them to figure out each set of coordinates. They’re even giving a special prize to the first person or team who completes the entire challenge.

Just come to the Spring Mill Nature Center between 11 am and 4 pm to receive the coordinates to the first cache. Go to Geocaching.com to access the coordinates to Geocache Codes GC1H78R and GC1H7GP, then bring your portable GPS.

But don’t feel like you have to stay just for the competition. The Spring Mill Inn is offering a 2-for-1 deal on all their rooms from now to February 25. The Inn boasts an indoor pool, newly remodeled guest rooms, a game room, and free wi-fi. Call (877) LODGES-1, or visit the Spring Mill website.

I’ve had several friends who have been geocaching for years, and they say it’s a great family time. And if you’ve never tried it, give it a shot. If nothing else, it’s a great way to see the world, one tiny container at a time.