Post-Holiday Tip: What to Do With That New GPS Unit From Santa

                                
ASHEVILLE, N.C., Dec. 26 - Wondering what to do with
that GPS (Global Positioning System) unit that Santa left under the tree? 
Consider “geocaching,” the tech-savvy trend of GPS scavenger hunting to
uncover hidden treasure known as “caches.”  GPS device sellers recently
reported holiday sales up a whopping 488% over last year, according to market
research firm NPD Group (http://adage.com/article.php?article_id=122751).With
the popularity of GPS technology available in cell phones, vehicles and hand-
held devices, geocaching is growing with more than 490,000 hidden caches
worldwide (http://www.Geocaching.com).

Treasure is hidden in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Geocaching is an interactive way to explore beyond the typical tourist
attractions. Starting May 20, 2008, Asheville is calling visitors to pack
their GPS units and a spirit of adventure for The Ultimate AsheCache
(http://www.exploreasheville.com/geocaching/index.aspx), a geocache site-
seeing expedition with hidden treasure valuing more than $1,700.

With more than 7,600 active geocaches hidden within 100 miles of downtown, the
Asheville area is a mecca for the travel trend of high-tech scavenger hunting. 
Designed by world-class geocacher Graeme McGufficke–ranked second in the world
for hiding the most geocaches–The Ultimate AsheCache will amp up the adventure
as visitors explore the area Outside magazine recently named ““Best Southern
Town”.

-- Adventure travel is more than a trend–one-half of U.S. adults (98 million)
have taken an adventure trip in the past five years and they are taking their
children and grandchildren with them (Tourism Industry Association)
(http://www.tia.org/Travel/traveltrends.asp).
-- North Carolina is home to more than 9,900 active caches (registered on
http://www.Geocaching.com). More than 76% of those caches can be tracked
within 100 miles of downtown Asheville.

Additional resources available at http://www.AshevilleTreasureHunt.com:
-- The Ultimate AsheCache details (prizes, participating accommodations and
tips)
-- Geocaching facts and statistics
-- Geocaching 101 video
(http://www.exploreasheville.com/geocaching/geocaching-101-video/index.aspx )
-- Top Asheville area geocache hunts
-- High-res geocaching images (http://www.exploreasheville.com/press-
room/photo-gallery/index.aspx ) for immediate download





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