Summer is here – FINALLY! Time to let loose and have a little fun. When you were younger, did you ever pretend that you were a pirate, or a train robber, or any other adventurous figment of your imagination? As a kid, I had a wild and vivid imagination and went on many adventures in my backyard. I often dug holes in the yard, as I was positive there was some kind of treasure that would make me rich, and I could get that pony that I always wanted.  But, as fate is fickle, I never found Blackbeard‘s treasure in the middle of Indiana and I remained a dirt poor kid.

Fast forward a few decades and that thrill of seeking treasures is still alive and well.  Whether you are going on a roadtrip, or visiting an area for a limited time, there’s always some new and exciting things to discover or treasures to find.  In fact, recently 100 JetBlue crew members and volunteers not only cleaned up the beaches of South Boston, but they also hid 100 blue Save the Harbor/Save the Bay 25th Anniversary marbles.  Happy hunting if your vacation or weekend plans include visiting these beaches this summer.  Five winners will receive 40,000 TrueBlue points. How’s that for buried treasure?

But, if you aren’t planning to visit South Boston this year, there are other ways to find treasures.  Often when I am traveling, I go searching for geocaches.  Called the “outdoor treasure hunting game,” it is a very good way to spend an afternoon, go places you would not have ventured to before, hone your Blackbeard skills, and have fun all at the same time.  I’ve found geocaches in state parks, along roadsides, in hotel parking lots, city parks, just about anywhere imaginable.  There is a lot of information available at the official website.  It’s a relatively inexpensive hobby, as the only equipment you need is a GPS unit, or a smartphone with GPS capabilities.

Download the app on your cellphone, and you can located geocaches near your location.  You will be amazed how many there are hidden.  Ranging from virtual caches to buried containers, each cache is rated on it’s level of difficulty and it’s terrain.  All ages and fitness levels can participate, so it’s good from baby to Grandma.  The caches vary in sizes from microcaches to buried containers.

It’s quite a feeling when you follow the coordinates correctly and locate your quest.  Whether is it is a magnetic container attached to the bottom of a park bench or an ammo container in the middle of a dead tree, you truly feel as if you found the buried treasure.

But, I’m sure that digging around and poking for things may not be everyone’s idea of fun.  Plus, you may get a few looks from the “muggles” (The general public not keyed into geocaching fundamentals).  Have no fear, I have another treasure hunting game I play.  As I have stated before, our parents took us across the United States and back a few times in our young lives.  I always wanted to stop a thte oddest places featured along Route 66 and other roadside vendors.  Now, all these peculiarities have a dedicated website where you can plan your trip around these oddities.  Roadside America features many of these “tourist traps” and helps you locate these you may be traveling near.

I’ve been known to travel a few miles out of the way to catch a glimpse of some treasure that I’m sure will enhance my life forever. For example, when I found out I was only five miles from the largest bottle of ketchup, I had to go see it.  As we came around the bend and saw that the bottle was up in the sky, it was just as if I had found a treasure.  The town hosting the attraction is Collinsville, IL,  a quaint Midwestern town and we spent an hour or two exploring.

So, whether you are more of a hands-on treasure hunter, or like to view from afar, you can still get a thrill whether you are on a vacation or just roaming around your own town (You won’t believe the things I’ve discovered in my own little town).

You won’t need a treasure map when searching for a great airport hotel deal on ParkSleepFly.com.  We’ve already charted those for you. With the deals on ParkSleepFly.com, you receive a night’s stay at an airport hotel, parking for your trip, and transportation to and from the airport.  All for one low price.  You don’t need a shovel or GP to locate that deal.

So, start your trip off right and leave the hunting for deals to us.  You spend time looking for the World’s Largest Bottle Cap Collection or the microcache that is located in a tree.  You will be glad you did.

So, let me know if you are a geocacher.  We can compare stories.  Or, if you are a roadside oddity aficionado.  I’m always looking for the next gotta-go-see.