Geocache shenanigans

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Evan Longhi (left) gets some help setting up his GPS unit from Indiana Dunes State Park interpreter Brad Bumgardner during a geocaching event in this January 2008 file photo. | Sun~Times Media

Updated: February 20, 2012 9:04AM

The Indiana Dunes State Park in Chesterton is inviting all to “bust out of the cabin fever” and join their “Geocache Adventure 2012: Frozen Photo Shenanigans” on Saturday, Jan. 21.

“We have two geocaching events each year. This event is more tied into folks with different levels of experience. It’s a fun early season event that allows folks who may have just gotten a GPS device or a phone with a GPS as a gift to come and try it out and see how a geocaching event works,” explained Brad Bumgardner, interpretive naturalist at the Indiana Dunes State Park.

Geocaching is an outdoor, high-tech treasure hunt game using Global Positioning System devices. Participants use the GPS device to go to the location of specific latitude and longitude coordinates and then find a nearby object. The object is often a hidden water-tight container with something inside, but in this event clues will give hints to something at that location to be included in a team photo.

Bumgardner said that the coordinates for this event will be within the state park and the surrounding communities within about a 10-mile radius. He gave the example that if the coordinates led to a particular store parking lot in Chesterton and the clue was “giddyup,” then the group would take a photo including the coin-operated horse kiddy ride.

In addition to a GPS device and a digital camera with a memory card, participants should also bring beverages and a container of chili.

“Registration begins at 11:30, and you can dump your pot of chili into the big kettle that will be heating out over the fire all day. At noon there will be an introduction and instructions. Staff will be on hand in the auditorium if anyone needs help entering coordinates into their GPS device. Then everyone heads out, takes their photos and will hopefully be back by 4, when we’ll upload the photos and have some chili while we watch the slide show of the day’s adventure and award some prizes,” explained Bumgardner.

This is the Indiana Dunes State Park’s fifth annual geocaching event. The event is free after the regular gate admission of $5 per Indiana plated vehicle. The state park is at 1600 N. County Road 25E in Chesterton.

“When we first started this, we wanted snow and so we picked a date that was in the statistically coldest time of year to improve the likelihood of having snow. And even when we’ve had 50 inches of snow or temperatures of 18 below, we’ve still had at least 50 people show up, so it seems a lot of folks with cabin fever want to get outside regardless of the weather,” said Bumgardner.

‘Enchanted Island’

One more idea of how to have a little time away from the winter doldrums is to escape to an enchanted island, at least theatrically, for a few hours, through the Metropolitan Opera’s broadcast of its highly acclaimed new opera, “The Enchanted Island.”

The opera borrows many favorite Baroque melodies including Handel’s “Hallelujah” chorus and works by Vivaldi, and pairs those with new lyrics to fit the plot, which was borrowed from Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and “Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

The live broadcast begins at 11:55 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, shown locally at the Portage 16 IMAX, 6550 U.S. 6. There will be an encore broadcast at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8. Tickets cost $23 for adults and $20 for students or seniors age 63 and older. The broadcasts include behind-the-scenes views and interesting intermission interviews with people involved in the production.