Lindas Traveling Art Show Geocache Travelbug

For those of you not familiar with Geocaching, it is a treasure hunting game that people play all over the world. Geocaches are hidden and their location logged with latitude and longitude readings. They are filled with fun little treasures. People look these caches up on the internet at geocaching.com and hunt for them. When they find the cache, they sign the log and take what they want from the cache and leave something in its place. So the cache always remains filled with new surprises for the next treasure hunter. We use a gps (global positioning system) to find the hidden treasure. It is great exercise and loads of fun for the entire family. People of all ages and health conditions can geocache as they are rated as to their difficulty and terrain on the website.

Now a travel bug, has a trackable tag placed on it and is sent off on an adventure. You can attach that tag to most anything that is allowable in a cache and track it's travels along the way.

For my first travel bug, I wanted to make a traveling Art show. I found a cute little levi purse and placed a print of a watercolor and a small painting inside, along with blank canvas and a pencil to encourage others to add their own artwork and crafts to the travelbug to share with others along the way.

I didn't realize how special this little travel bug was until I started seeing the beautiful places it traveled, heard the comments left by fellow geocachers and artists along the way and saw the gorgeous photos and artwork they have been sharing as this travel bug makes it's way through the United States.

This is the adventures of Linda's Traveling Art Show that I just had to share with all of you.

To start this little travel bug on it's way on May 5th, 2009 we drove from our hometown of Payette, Idaho to a cache in Nevada that is called "Big Meadows". This Cache was located just outside of Lovelock, Nevada out in the middle of the desert and very near an old cemetery.

It didn't take long for this travel bug to get picked up by jinxed95 (that is what we call a Geocaching "handle". My husband and I are known as "Geo King and Mamma Cache".

Now jinxed95, the little angel, on July 5th, 2009 took LInda's Traveling Artshow on a it's longest trek right away. It traveling 813.68 miles and to South Dakota and was placed in a cache called. "Papa Bear".

The above photo was shared by jinxed95 with the comment of "'placed near Mount Rushmore".

Papa Bear cache is just outside of Keystone.

Above is a print of a watercolor that I painted that was placed in Linda's Traveling Art Show.

On July 5th, 2009 ladderzoo5 retrieved Linda's Traveling art show and moved it from South Dakota to North Dakota commenting that they thought this travel bug was an "interesting idea" and dipped it in "Are you lookn Lost :" cache in North Dakota. Traveling another 240.02 miles. Now sometimes geocachers will keep a travel bug for a while and bring it with them to help gather some miles and move it a farther distance, just stopping it by different caches along the way and pretty much giving the travelbug a little tour of the country as they travel along.

Have you ever been geocaching?

Above is an original painting that was placed in Linda's Traveling Art Show. It is an ACEO, a small painting that I call "A Boy and his Dog".

Ladderzoo5 took this little travelbug on quite an adventure, traveling all the way to Washington and dropping it (841.79 miles away in a cache called "Mill Creek TB Bed & Breakfast ".on August 11th, 2009

From there this is part of the log:

08/11/2009 wild ponies retrieved it from Mill Creek TB Bed & Breakfast Washington "Cute TB. "

09/01/2009 wild ponies placed it in Siesta Oregon - 3 miles

09/14/2009 wild ponies retrieved it from Siesta Oregon "Moving on. "

09/18/2009 wild ponies placed it in Pony Express Oregon - 4.25 miles

09/18/2009 Big_Ugly retrieved it from Pony Express Oregon "Will move along soon. "

10/11/2009 Big_Ugly placed it in Market Rock Utah - 669.64 miles

10/11/2009 Big_Ugly retrieved it from Market Rock Utah "Not quite done yet. Lets see if we can get the art show into another state. "

10/11/2009 Big_Ugly placed it in Virgin River Cache Arizona - 45.18 miles

10/11/2009 Big_Ugly retrieved it from Virgin River Cache Arizona "I had planned on leaving the art show in this cache, but it would not fit. I'll find a larger cache in the Vegas area to move it along. "

11/28/2009 Big_Ugly placed it in Avenger's Realm Cache #7 Nevada - 106.87 miles

12/19/2009 Red_Monkey_Gang retrieved it from Avenger's Realm Cache #7 Nevada "I saved the travel bug from a hard-to-find cache... okay hard for me to find... and will move it along it's way. "

I love how caring these people all are to move this little travel bug along, and soon people started sharing photos of places and artwork. Somehow this little Travel bug was working its way into the hearts of many geocachers.

Above isn't in the Traveling art show but one of my oil northern light series that I painted on an ACEO.

02/06/2010 AZheat retrieved it from Dead Man's Curve Arizona

"Found this in Dead Man's Curve cache. Decided to take it since the cache container was really full. Will drop it off at the next suitable cache I find. "

03/11/2010 AZheat placed it in Little Boy Creek Arizona - 5.07 miles "

I had intended to drop this TB off in someplace other than Tucson but the trip the geo-hubby and I had planned had to be canceled. Since it is unlikely I will be going to any exotic locales anytime soon, I thought it best to place the TB in a cache asap so that someone else can pick it up. "

03/19/2010 2 Sonians discovered it

"Linda's Traveling Art Show is a cool TB. Thanks for sharing. "

03/25/2010 KBW discovered it "Too large to move to caches that I'm likely to find in next couple of weeks.., so left it for someone else "

04/09/2010 herberty discovered it "Interesting travel tag. Left it for others to enjoy. "

04/12/2010 2wareagles retrieved it from Little Boy Creek Arizona "Nice art. I will take this art to New Mexico next week. "

05/02/2010 2wareagles placed it in 10 Years! Albuquerque, New Mexico New Mexico - 322.45 miles

Above is an oil painting that I donated to an art auction, it is called "The Morning Call" and is painted by myself, Linda Hoxie.

06/11/2010 geowalkabout grabbed it "We were given this travel bug to hide by Enabler. We went and put a handmade ceramic coyote signature coin in it and went and hid it at Casa Del Oso Travel Bug Lodge in Taos. This was a nice TB. "

06/16/2010 hopengene retrieved it from Casa Del Oso Travel Bug Lodge New Mexico "May this TB travel far and wide!!"

06/22/2010 hopengene placed it in Taos Valley Overlook and Trail New Mexico - 12.12 miles

06/28/2010 Hands-On Cachers retrieved it from Taos Valley Overlook and Trail New Mexico

"Very neat TB! Not an artist, so I don't know that I can add to it, but I will move it along. "

Then Linda's Traveling Art Show took it's longest trek yet traveling 1,192.09 miles all the way to Michigan state!

08/01/2010 Hands-On Cachers placed it in I'm Tired Michigan - 1,192.09 miles

08/13/2010 DLJretirees retrieved it from I'm Tired Michigan "Will takes this Travel Bug to Tucson, AZ to hide. "

Then Linda's Traveling Art Show took an even longer trek traveling 1,577.64 miles

back to Arizona

08/25/2010 DLJretirees placed it in Mark's 1st Arizona - 1,577.64 miles

08/27/2010 alpinemm retrieved it from Mark's 1st Arizona

"Retrieved from Mark's 1st Cache. Interesting art enclosed. I didn't realize it had contents inside at first. I didn't keep it long because it didn't fit in my TB bag, but it's a nice trackable. "

08/27/2010 alpinemm placed it in Benson Bugport Arizona - 2.77 miles

and repaired the zipper and started a new trend -travel photos!

When this sweet person with the handle "backroads" picked up my traveling art show. They out of the kindness of their heart repaired the zipper which had quite working and started a wonderful trend of adding photos of all the different places that this travel bug ventured.

I have enjoyed this so much, it was when I decided I had to share "Linda's traveling Art Show's adventures with you!

Thank you backroads!

Backroads wrote and shared the following photos:

10/06/2010 backroads2010 retrieved it from Benson Bugport Arizona

"Picked this travel bug up at the Benson Bugport. The zipper is broken and looks like unrepairable. If the owner doesn't mind, I think I will glue in some velcro to help keep it sealed in its travels. The contents were strewn about in the cache container where I found it. I recognized the two art prints from the original photo of the TB. They were no longer in the bag, but I collected them and put them in and took them. The only other art I could find was a ceramic lady which was still in the bag. I will try and do some art work for the bag and move it along. I know just the place! "

10/06/2010 backroads2010 took it to Mark's 1st Arizona - 2.77 miles Dip on a long day of caches.

10/06/2010 backroads2010 took it to To the point Arizona - 9.73 miles

Last stop of the day before heading back to Tucson. The sunset was fabulous as I dipped Linda's Traveling Art Show TB at To The Point cache.

10/08/2010 backroads2010 took it to Sticks N' Stones Arizona - 13.98 miles

Dip in Sticks 'N Stones cache in southeast Tucson.

10/21/2010 backroads2010 took it to Greasewood Travel Bug Drop Arizona - 21.53 miles

Quick dip at Greasewood Travel Bug Drop.

10/28/2010 backroads2010 placed it in NIGHT EAGLE Arizona - 14.01 miles

Linda's Traveling Art Show dropped off at Night Eagle cache. Good travels!!

My 'art' added to Linda's Traveling Art Show TB

This is what I call a 'beaded hangy thing'! I string beads on a line with a crystal at the bottom. It looks cool in a window or doorway, reflecting the light. Not one of my best, and the photo doesn't do it justice, I was glad to be able to add an item to the travel bug!

Linda's Traveling Art Show at Night Eagle 10/28/10

Linda's Traveling Art Show with booty of the Night Eagle cache.

Hope it has good travels and gets some great art before heading home!

Who by the way is also named Linda!

10/29/2010 Raven Art Studio retrieved it from NIGHT EAGLE Arizona

A fellow cache told me about your travel bug and put it in one of my caches, so I could get it. I'm also a artist, I do photos, painting, ceramics, some beading and I build labyrinths. I have Raven Art Studio at my home in Tucson ,Arizona. I will be putting some art work in your bug soon and will take it to caches where I will post photos.

P.S. My name is also Linda

10/31/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to Gateway To The West Arizona - 17.45 miles

10/31/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to Downtown Views Arizona - .16 miles

I have a Canon Rebel EOS and I love it. They take wonderful photos.

The beautiful photos of Raven Art Studio on her travels with my TB

10/31/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to Just Hanging Out Arizona - 2.25 miles

10/31/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to Green Box Of Goods Arizona - .75 miles

11/06/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to Rita Ranch Loop #11 Arizona - 20.11 miles

11/06/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to Ugly Christmas Tree Ornament Cache

11/06/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to Rita Ranch Loop #10 Arizona - .55 miles

11/06/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to Rita Ranch Loop #9 Arizona - .12 miles

11/06/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to Rita Ranch Loop #8 Arizona - .12 miles

11/06/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to Rita Ranch Loop #7 Arizona - .23 miles

She shared some of her artwork with us as well as more photos

11/06/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to Rita Ranch Loop #5 Arizona - .14 miles then on to Rita Ranch Loop #6 Arizona - another.21 miles

11/06/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to The Tail Doesn't Bite. Arizona - 12.02 miles

I think this place looks so cool. I have to see it someday, but for now we can enjoy it through Linda's (Raven Art Studio)j photos:

11/18/2010 Raven Art Studio posted a note for it "I posted some of my painting and prints. "

Linda, your artwork is beautiful, thank you so much for sharing it with us and all your gorgeous photos. You don't know how wonderful this adventure has been traveiing through the united states with "Linda's Art show"!

11/21/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to Grand-Daddy Cactus Arizona - 3.7 miles

Amazing cactus, isn't it huge!

11/21/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to Sleepin with the fishes Arizona - .61 miles

Isn't this place gorgeous?

11/21/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to Miramist Arizona - .21 miles

of Arizona - What a beautiful state it is!

11/21/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to At Home With Trusty Arizona - .25 miles

11/21/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to Elizabeth's first cache Arizona - 1 miles

11/26/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to Quotes II Arizona - 3.42 miles

11/26/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to Dead Man's Curve Arizona - .42 miles

11/26/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to The Boot Arizona - 2.63 miles

11/27/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to T2's TB Exchange Portal Arizona - 3.08 miles

11/27/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to A Study of Tucson Architecture Arizona - 5.53 miles

12/04/2010 Raven Art Studio took it to Frog Vacation Arizona - 12.59 miles

12/04/2010 Raven Art Studio placed it in Frog Vacation Arizona

Thank you Raven/Linda for this beautiful journey!

Another Artist and her travels

12/05/2010 evasfolly retrieved it from Frog Vacation Arizona

Will put photos of some of my painting in travel bug.

12/05/2010 evasfolly took it to pink Arizona - 8.45 miles

12/05/2010 evasfolly took it to On My Honor Arizona - .31 miles

What a wonderful girl scout mural that is!

12/05/2010 evasfolly took it to The Green Machine Arizona - .55 miles

12/05/2010 evasfolly took it to 5th last for Supper Arizona - .44 miles

12/05/2010 evasfolly took it to First Kiss Arizona - .43 miles

I love that fountain, just beautiful!

12/05/2010 evasfolly took it to TNL's 1K Arizona - .73 miles

12/05/2010 evasfolly took it to Tourney Park Cache Arizona - .98 miles

12/05/2010 evasfolly took it to Mike's Trade'n cache Arizona - 1.27 miles

12/05/2010 evasfolly took it to Cache's Dog Park Cache #3 Arizona - .59 miles

12/05/2010 evasfolly took it to Little Boy Creek Arizona - .47 miles

12/05/2010 evasfolly took it to Nameless Bust Arizona - .39 miles

What a talented artist!

12/05/2010 evasfolly took it to New and old Arizona - .9 miles Visit Log

These are some of my painting. I put photos of these in the bug. This wasn't in the cache.

Eva your paintings are just beautiful!

12/22/2010 evasfolly took it to Birthday Breakfast Cache Arizona - 1.51 miles

12/22/2010 evasfolly took it to Roundabout #10 Arizona - .25 miles

12/22/2010 evasfolly took it to Yar's Revenge Arizona - .27 miles

12/22/2010 evasfolly took it to Chassis' Smile Arizona - .87 miles

12/22/2010 evasfolly took it to Cache's Piknik Arizona - 1.13 miles

12/22/2010 evasfolly took it to NPC Picnik Arizona - .11 miles

12/22/2010 evasfolly took it to Dog Park Series 1 Arizona - .17 miles

12/22/2010 evasfolly took it to Grandma's House Renter Arizona - .91 miles

12/22/2010 evasfolly took it to Ven Transformed Arizona - .62 miles

12/22/2010 evasfolly took it to Locally Grown Arizona - .17 miles

12/22/2010 evasfolly took it to SUM 1 Arizona - .61 miles

12/22/2010 evasfolly took it to Roundabout #1 Arizona - 1.6 miles

02/11/2011 evasfolly placed it in RAVEN LABYRINTH BUG SPA & EXCHANGE Arizona - 7.7 miles

Thank you Evasfolly for sharing your beautiful artwork and photographs with us, what a pretty area.

Where will Linda's Traveling Art Show go next?

02/11/2011 Sneaker4 retrieved it from RAVEN LABYRINTH BUG SPA & EXCHANGE Arizona

02/16/2011 Sneaker4 took it to Cache-A-Day: Oct. 08 Colorado - 570.9 miles

02/16/2011 Sneaker4 took it to Scout's Stash Colorado - .13 miles

02/16/2011 Sneaker4 took it to Frontier Travel Bug Motel Colorado - .34 miles

03/30/2011 Sneaker4 took it to The Rat Pack Colorado - .62 miles

04/02/2011 Sneaker4 placed it in S-Kimo's Matchbox Mayhem Colorado - 7.56 miles

04/03/2011 titocache retrieved it from S-Kimo's Matchbox Mayhem Colorado

"Welcome to Colorado! Very unique TB; will keep it moving... "

04/06/2011 titocache placed it in Road 318 Adventure #6 Colorado - 8.8 miles

5/4/2011 lesslost2 discovered it. Discovered in Road 318 Adventure #6.

5/6/2011 Buzz Lightyear I retrieved it from Road 318 Adventure #6 Colorado Will move the Art show on down the road

5/6/2011 Bhob discovered it Encountered this bug at GC2JEVG

9/4/2011 Buzz Lightyear I placed it in Million Dollar Walking Path Indiana - it has traveled 1,021 miles from Colorado.

9/28/2011 jeannecr retrieved it from Million Dollar Walking Path Indiana, they wrote "this is soooo cool. will move on soon. "

10/3/2011 jeannecr placed it in Beatlemania Indiana - 22.69 miles from the last one.

10/3/2011 Cache-On-Hand discovered it They said "Thanks to Jeannecr for placing the TB to one of our cache. We have attached a polymer-clay creation of baby C-O-H, a hotdog, similar to TB3EA2B (Sweets by Jessica). "

As of October 3rd, 2011 Linda's little traveling Art Show has traveled 8,141 miles across the United States of America. Where will it go next?

That is what I love about Geocaching, as you can see from the beautiful photos that people have shared above, hunting for Geocaches is not about the treasures you find within the cache, but the beauty you see along the way and the time you spend with your family and friends in looking for a cache. There has been so many places that I would have missed had it not been for Geocaching.

I hope you enjoyed reading the adventures and travels of Linda's Traveling Art Show travel bug. Please check back often as I will continue to update this as it moves across the US.

Thank you so much to those geocachers and artists that have helped move this TB across the country, making it special by sharing your comments, artwork, photo and crafts with us.

Linda