Everybody Loves a Treasure Hunt

Points of Interest

If you already use a GPS unit for playing or navigating urban areas, you know what a Point of Interest or a Waypoint is:  it is the location on earth (or in the air or on the water) that is determined by the satellites.  You 'mark' it with your GPS so that you can return there, look at it on a map or PC when you return home, or, in my case, come up with an interesting question that can only be answered by going to that spot.  It is the basic premise of most of my activities.  Can You Find It?  there is a really neat website that lists POIs all over the country.  If you want to travel somewhere and want to know if there are POIs already designated for you to visit, go to www.poi-factory.com and have a look.  Register for free.  What i found fascinating and maybe.....not quite what I would expect.....is a list of RED LIGHT CAMERAS!  That's right.  Use your GPS to determine where they are in the city you are visiting or living in, and avoid them or be sure to stop.  I guess.  I would think most of us would want to follow the stop light command and not run the red light.
Very interesting

How do blogs get found?

I have googled my own weblog, Navigation Games, because Everybody Loves a Treasure Hunt. I come up with lots of interesting sites, but not mine.  How did you find this blog? 

One of the many facets of my business is to make orienteering maps for schools, parks and businesses. 
Here is a part of the Boston Common Map
              created from this aerial photo
                        Oops! One of these pictures is upside down.
I go anywhere and everywhere to make maps, teach orienteering, or create fun GPS games for groups.  Visit Ultimate Treasure Hunts to see more.  I have mapped islands and restaurants and backyards and parks and schools and parking garages and museums. 
Oh, yeah, teaching orienteering at the Museum of science in Boston, MA is a rewarding experience for me.  Those kids and families have insatiable appetites for learning and understanding new things.  I am mapping all of the new parks created by The Big Dig project. 
I also compete in the Scandinavian sport of Orienteering in New England  in the US and far away in Sweden and Australia  This is a wonderful forest Treasure  Hunt.  People run or walk through any terrrain with a map and compass looking for flags.
I love facilitating treasure hunt birthday parties in the area around Boston, Massachusetts. Kids aged 5 to 55 have looked for my clues using my maps.  Older hunters can use my GPS units to locate hidden objects in the city or woods.  What you find will be part of the clues that you will need to finish the game.
Get a group together and I'll come to you.

GPS craze

Families, Corporate Groups, and Community Outreach Programs are all looking for ways to use this activity to have fun outside.  I recently played with an international finance company, in Houston, Texas.  Laminar Direct Capital had me come to 'map the city' with GPS units for their off site team building activity.  I roamed the city setting up Points of Interest that brought the teams to answer questions at the specific spot, or locate a hidden cache in the area the GPS told them to go.  While visiting Minute Maid Park at about 6:30 in the morning, to create a waypoint to visit, I realized that a marathon was just beginning.  I spent hours dodging their route to get to the places I needed to go.  That was the challenge, for me.
The corporate team building with GPS event went off without a hitch despite the freezing temperatures and flooding that was predicted. 
Team members were from all over the US and a an office in the U.K.  This event gave them opportunity to get to know each other, learn about Houston, and spend 4 hours locating the Points of Interest areas that I had created.  One of the favorite spots was the Beer House, but Cavender's Boot Store was the most photographed by the groups.
If you are interested in having me come to your company's fun day, just visit my website at www.can-you-find-it.com    and contact me.