We track our geocaching Travel Bugs (TB) online and even have an email "watch" (we're emailed every time someone posts a note on the TB's page) on TBs that aren't ours that we previously hosted (Dora and Goddard were the kids' favorites). A while back, when I wrote my first column about geocaching, a geocacher emailed me and suggested I pick up the Boothbay Register TB. A reporter had launched that TB and hoped other reporters would pick it up and write a follow-up story about it.

At the time the TB was too far away for me to grab so I signed up to "watch" it and thought when it moved closer to southern Maine, I'd pick it up.

It went MIA before I could get it but yesterday someone posted a note on the TB's page about a radio interview with geocachers in the Lewiston/Auburn area. They didn't have the TB but they wanted others to know about the radio program. It was a fun piece.

As for our family TBs, they all still seem to be active and moving. Recently we even released a couple of new ones.

Reading Dog was released at the Mt. A event last month after the family sat down and brainstormed "mission" ideas (most TBs have a mission - something they want to do during their travels). I thought the kids' mission was great for this TB, "...want other kids to read and share their favorite books with him." So far we've had one geocacher give us book recommendations and even took a photo of their favorite children's books.

Photo from "Team Moxiepup"

The two TBs we have in New Zealand are still moving around quite a bit. Annika The Hiker even had a new photo uploaded recently hanging out in some Hydrangea.

Photo from "Samy!" who by the way, has a fun screen photo

Hiking Doggie has the most photos of all our TBs (17) but Annika has traveled the most miles (1,200 - which obviously doesn't include the air post flight to the island nation, just mileage within NZ).

Photo also by "Samy!"

So not only is geocaching a great way to teach kids about mapping and geography, there's a whole bunch of statics we can compile about our six TBs. Nothing like making some traditionally "dry" school subjects a whole lot more interesting for them - well, for me too.