Going Caching 2024 - Geocaching Event
Going Caching XIV 2024 - A Geocaching Event:
Each year, for the last 14 years, there was a Mega-GeoCaching event that happened in Rome, Georgia. The event is called “Going Caching” and this year was the final year. From its humble beginning it has grown to be a world-class, globally-known event drawing thousands of geocachers from numerous countries and all walks of life.
We first heard of Going Caching in 2014 when Jim and Andi, the founders, approached us at another geocaching event and invited us to come out to experience what they have created. They wanted us to experience and promote the event on our podcast (https://www.podcacher.com/) After also hearing about Going Caching from other geocachers who raved about what they had seen and done, we had to go. Our first time out to Rome, Georgia was 2015 and what an experience it was! The theme that year (every year the theme changes) was a Renaissance faire style “kingdoms”. There were 5 kingdoms that both competed and cooperated to solve puzzles, discover mysteries, walk a parade, explore the Rome shops, learn about the city, watch a stage play, escape from an escape room, and attend a medieval ball complete with a real live wedding!
And that was only our first time there! Other themes on these multi-day events included a ghost / steampunk theme, pirates, vikings, time travel, spies, romans, Indiana Jones adventures and this year, the last year, Detectives. The title for this last Going Caching event was Where in Rome is Carmen Can de Ammo. As expected our trip was a memorable reunion with friends laced with a bittersweet ending. It leaves behind a geocaching event legacy that will be held with dear memories in the thousands who’ve been fortunate to attend a Going Caching event over the years.
Flying out to Rome, we knew it was going to be a bittersweet gathering.
Geocachers gather on the morning of the official start of the event.
There are SO many fun puzzles and activities to do. When you register, you get a packet of things: A booklet, a t-shirt, a special “coin”, a “bingo” sheet, a passport to stamp, puzzle cards, etc. The cards have things printed on them that are part of another puzzle. Here you had to find other people with cards to match up. Once you found matches, you still had to figure out what the symbols meant and how that information was to be applied.
One of our listeners handed us their phone and showed us a photo that he took of Sean at another geocaching event long ago. Many of our listeners have been listening to our show for years!
At any large event, we run into SO MANY listeners some of whom have only heard our voices on the podcast. Others, we have met several times and have become good friends all because of geocaching.
This year, one of the many puzzles led us to locked safes hidden behind pictures. These safes were hidden somewhere in the city of Rome in shops and businesses. First you had to solve puzzles to identify where they were hidden. Once inside the store you needed to find the “box” somewhere in the store. Once you found the box you had to access the safe behind the picture and figure out the combination to open it!
Remember I mentioned that you got a “Coin” with your registration package? That “Coin” is what you used to open the safes. You had to place a piece of the coin in a socket on the front side of the safe and use the information from another puzzle you solved as the combination for that safe.
Each safe was custom made and 3D printed.
People would collaborate and share both information, clues and game pieces to help each other out to solve these dastardly puzzles!
An entirely different and unrelated puzzle. You had to find geocaches that had special stamps. You stamped a sheet (see above) to collect all of them. Once you filled your passport with stamps, you brought it back to “headquarters” to get a Coin and Pathtag as a prize. See below.
The coins and pathtags are collectables and trackables. The US quarter is in the picture for scale.
The theme of this Going Caching was Detectives. There were two times when costumes were encouraged. A parade down the mainstreet of town and a party / ball held on another night. Geocachers were dressed as ALL sorts of detectives: Sherlock Holmes, Inspector Gadget, etc. Sandy was a very cute Daphne and I was Scooby Doo!
The guy next to me is Bryan Roth, the head honcho / President of Geocaching HQ.
This is Signal the Frog, mascot of Geocaching.
Charlie’s Angels, Bosley and “Charlie” (on the phone).
Once assembled, it was time to begin our march down main street in a traffic stopping parade.
Bryan Roth: President of Geocaching HQ, Craig McDaniel: the Mayor of Rome, Georgia and Jim Williamson: Founder of Going Caching make an announcement. He proclaimed September 30 - October 6th as Geocaching Week.
We watched a fantastic play put on by the local theater “The Play That Goes Wrong”.
The next day, the escape room was ready for us to come in and solve puzzles. Each year, on a permanent stage in a local park, a crew comes together to build a temporary set of escape rooms. Each year it is different. Solving the puzzles in one room gives you access to the next room to solve even more puzzles.
Our gang of escape room puzzle solvers.
One of our listeners with a very large geocaching dog!
We met MANY MANY of our listeners out on the trail.
The final play put on by the Going Caching crew. Again the story was aligned to the theme of the event: Detectives.
The Capitoline Wolf a gift to Rome, Georgia from Rome, Italy.
We recorded one of our shows on the steps of City Hall. You can listen to it here: https://www.podcacher.com/show-884-0-farewell-to-going-caching/
The next day Geocachers gathered at the park for a group photo. See if you can find us in the crowd.
After the group photo it was time for some prize giveaways and raffle drawing. In the background you can see the escape room and stage for the play that would soon be taken down.
Time to don the costumes once again for the Going Caching dance / party / ball.
Jim and Andi, founders of Going Caching with Daphne and Scoob.
Before
After teardown
These were the final closing ceremonies. It was a bittersweet, but mostly sad time. Raffle prizes were handed out and there was acknowledgement of the hard work and dedication of SO MANY people over the last 14 years. Jim, Andi, the CREW a tight knit family of skillful creative people who came together to create experiences for so many geocachers to delight, entertain and have FUN. Great memories and friendships. Many tears were shed.
Bryan Roth is given an artifact from the Going Caching event. The only known recording of Signal the Frog. Then the big announcement was made …
“The City of Rome, the Board of Tourism and the Parks and Rec Department have approved a bronze dedication plaque marker for Andi and Jim to be placed in this park”. Many MORE tears were shed. It was a wonderful tribute to all of the hard work that brought so much positive geocaching attention to Rome, Georgia. See a facsimile of the plaque below which will soon be cast in bronze.
Rome, Georgia will always hold a special place in our hearts. Our first time there was 9 years ago. Sean was 7 years old, he’s now 16, a different kid. We have fond memories of that time and are glad that we could be there to close out the final and last Going Caching event with our friends.
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