High tech treasure hunt - Holland, MI
N 42° 46.853 W 086° 04.820
16T E 575226 N 4736892
Geocaching comes to area historic trail.
Waymark Code: WM6HB8
Location: Michigan, United States
Date Posted: 06/05/2009
Views: 18
By JIM HAYDEN
The Holland Sentinel
Posted May 29, 2009 @ 09:18 PM
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Allegan County, MI — When James Sullivan Hudson established his farm in Ganges Township in 1854, he saw the agricultural future of Allegan County.
What he didn’t see was a satellite-fueled, global positioning system-driven, Web-based hobby called geocaching that could bring hundreds more tourists to the site of one of the county’s earliest farms.
Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunt. Participants put an item — a cache — anywhere in the world and then put the coordinates in longitude and latitude into a Web site so others can try to find it.
John Sexton, an avid geocacher for about three years, linked the technology-based hobby with the Allegan County Heritage Trail, a 122-mile route that highlights 28 historically significant Allegan County sites, including the Hudson farm.
About geocaching:
• Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game that started in 2000 and is played throughout the world with global positioning system devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online.
• 810,795: The number of active geocaches around the world as of May 28.
• 1,854: The number of active geocaches in the Holland ZIP codes 49423 and 49424 as of May 28.
• Learn more: geocaching.com
Sexton said he was asking permission to put a cache at the Old Jail Museum, 113 Walnut St., in Allegan, and found the county’s booklet on the Heritage Trail.
“I wondered how more people could find out about it,” he said of the historical sites. “A neat way to do it is geocaching.”
The treasure can be a small item, a tag with a number to enter on the Web site, or just the thrill of finding what is hidden.
“It’s a great family activity,” said Sexton, a member of the Michigan Geocaching Organization. He and his wife have traveled around the country on geocache treks. He said it’s a great way to learn new things.
“It brings hidden history out to the people,” he said.
Paul Kleinheksel of Holland said the thrill of discovery has kept him involved in the hobby for more than a year.
“You find things you didn’t know existed,” he said, noting coordinates took him to a local park he didn’t know about — Pine Creek Trail, a 37-acre park in Park Township between Ottawa Beach Road and Lakewood Boulevard.
Geocache containers range from film canisters, often called “microcaches,” too small to hold anything more than a tiny paper log, to five-gallon buckets.
On Thursday, May 28, Sexton pointed out a microcache at the site of the Hudson farm in Ganges Township.
In the shadow of the 9-foot-tall steel Pioneers statue, Sexton showed off the paper log signed by people who have found the treasure with their GPS devices.
The statue marks the Hudson Heritage Farm Vista on 66th Street south of M-89, stop No. 13 on the Heritage Trail.
“The Allegan County Heritage Trail is a great way to experience the best that Allegan County has to offer,” said Kevin Ricco, director of parks and tourism for Allegan County. “The addition of geocaching to each of the sites on the trail adds yet another level of fun and interest to the tour.”
Sexton has put caches at all 28 sites along the trail.
Typical cache treasures are not high in monetary value but may hold personal value to the finder. Aside from the logbook, common cache contents can include coins, small toys, ornamental buttons or other trinkets.
Kleinheksel has put Hope College key chains and buttons in the caches.
The geocachers respect the environment, both Sexton and Kleinheksel said. They do not leave litter behind at the sites, do not damage the area and do not put their caches on private property.
About the Allegan County Heritage Trail
• 28 locations
• 122 miles long
• Sites noted in booklet called “Allegan County Heritage Trail” that sells for $3; the CD set is $12. They are available at area libraries and the Allegan County Parks and Tourism Office, 3255 122nd Ave., Suite 102
• The tour is a loop from Saugatuck east across the farmlands of northern Allegan County and on through the towns of Hopkins, Wayland and Martin, down to Plainwell. From there, the trail heads back along the Kalamazoo River through Otsego and Allegan, then past Lake Allegan and through the Allegan State Game Area. The tour continues past orchards and vineyards to Lake Michigan, and then up the lakefront back to Saugatuck.
• The self-guided tour is designed to be driven in a clockwise direction. Figure on taking a full day if you plan to tour the entire route, stopping to view the various sites. Driving non-stop, it would take four to five hours to travel.
• For more information, visit www.allegancounty.org/heritagetrail
I didn't know about the heritage trail until I read this article featured in the Groundspeak Weekly Notification. However we did find this wonderfull old sign in the shape of a wooden shoe while we made our way through Holland on our way to Saugatuck. One more resaon to go back!
Maybe there's a cache near it. I don't know as we prefer finding things like this sign over what one might find in a film canister, but that's just us.
Type of publication: Newspaper
When was the article reported?: 05/09/2009
Publication: The Holland Sentinel
Article Url: [Web Link]
Is Registration Required?: no
How widespread was the article reported?: local
News Category: Society/People
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