A search for caches within a 10 mile radius of the Old Parkdale Inn, zip 97041, will show over 500 hides! Did you know that Geocaching started right here in Oregon? Celebrate Geocaching in Oregon – Blue Switch Day, May 2, 2000, is the day accurate GPS technology became available to everyone. It launched innovation and new technology that changed the world forever. It’s not a coincidence the first geocache was hidden the next day, and the game of geocaching was born!
Earn the Blue Switch Day Souvenir May 2 -5, 2024
All About Geocaching
“Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Once known as the “Great American GPS Stash Hunt’ there are now over 3 million hides world wide. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups. Geocaching.com is the headquarters for the activity” On this site you can read the history of Geocaching.
The day GPS technology changed forever
On May 2, 2000, at approximately midnight, eastern time, the great blue switch*, controlling selective availability was pressed. Twenty-four satellites around the globe processed their new orders, and instantly the accuracy of GPS technology improved tenfold. Tens of thousands of GPS receivers around the world had an instant upgrade. Now, anyone could “precisely pinpoint their location or the location of items (such as game) left behind for later recovery.”
‘Great American GPS Stash Hunt’ Begins
On May 3, 2000, a GPS enthusiast, Dave Ulmer, computer consultant, wanted to test the accuracy by hiding a navigational target in the woods. He called the idea the “Great American GPS Stash Hunt” and posted it in an internet GPS users’ group. The idea was simple: Hide a container out in the woods and note the coordinates with a GPS unit. On May 3rd he placed his own container, a black bucket, in the woods near Beavercreek, Oregon, near Portland.
Within three days, two different readers read about his stash on the Internet, used their own GPS receivers to find the container, and shared their experiences online. Like many new and innovative ideas on the Internet, the concept spread quickly – but this one required leaving your computer to participate.
Within the first month, Mike Teague, the first person to find Ulmer’s stash, began gathering the online posts of coordinates around the world and documenting them on his personal home page.
Geocaching.com was released to the stash-hunting community on September 2, 2000. At the time the site was launched there were 75 known caches in the world. There are now over 3 million caches around the world, in only 24 years.’
That original bucket was severely damaged by an Oregon road crew mower and is no longer around. The Un-Original Stash has been placed in it’s honor. The links will take you to their listing on Geocaching.com but if you aren’t logged as a member you may not be able to view. Concerned geocachers dedicated the Original Stash Tribute Plaque GCGV0P on behalf of cachers everywhere.
As a geocacher we love hosting other Cachers
We’ve hosted geocachers and it is always fun when, at breakfast the next morning, they share their adventures with us. We have three rooms at the Old Parkdale Inn so maybe bring another couple and set out on your own geocaching adventure.
We’re taking reservations with our promise of a safe and great escape. Thank you for trusting us to be your home away from home. We’ve posted our Hospitality and Health Update on our website. Purchase a gift certificate for yourself or a loved one.
We invite you to read online reviews for the Old Parkdale Inn. And then we encourage you to go directly to our website and Book Direct: for all the right reasons.
Reserve your Stay Now
We’re your home base for exploring and enjoying the Hood River Valley and beyond. After a full day, you’ll love the peace and tranquility of the Old Parkdale Inn. Relax in the gardens, perhaps with your favorite beverage, by the bonfire, roast some s’mores, weather permitting of course.
What’s to do
The Hood River Fruit Loop is located in the beautiful Hood River Valley at the foot of majestic Mt. Hood offering you a variety of wines, fruits, vegetables, flowers, ciders, and food. Many outdoor adventures, such as kayaking, windsurfing, skiing, snow boarding, and hiking, await. Mt. Hood Meadows, Cooper Spur Mountain Resort, and Timberline Ski areas are only a short drive away, as is the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood National Forest where trails and wildlife abound.
