By Calie Joy Herbst Special to OnMilwaukee.com Published May 18, 2013 at 3:02 PM

Don’t be scared away by the high-tech sounding name. Geocaching is just one big scavenger hunt, and it’s easy enough for all ages to partake. Already attracting more than 5 million participants around the world, this treasure-hunt meets hide-and-go-seek pastime just got more interesting and more accessible for Milwaukeeans.

VISIT Milwaukee, Milwaukee’s premier tourist bureau, recently launched their Discover Milwaukee Neighborhoods GeoTour, leading treasure-hunters on a journey through 15 of Milwaukee’s best neighborhoods. Participants will be taken along the shores of Lake Michigan, through local parks, past impressive skyscrapers, and into the most historic, chic and distinct neighborhoods our city has to offer.

The game is simple. You use a GPS-enabled device (you can download an application on your phone) to locate specific locations that you can find on VISIT Milwaukee’s website. Once you’re there, you look around for the geocache, which is just a fancy name for the plastic container that holds your prize.

You don’t have to be a tourist to enjoy the ride. Locals will be impressed with the information they find in their treasure– tips for fun things to do and little-known facts about the area, for example. Families with kids will appreciate the suspenseful, real-world, outdoor hunt and the educational information they find within each container.

Ambitious participants who complete the entire GeoTour can earn a custom "Discover Milwaukee’s Neighborhoods" GeoCoin, which are popular in the geocaching world.

Who knows? Maybe this will become a new hobby for you and your family. At the very least, this program provides a fun-filled, active and educational day for all ages.

To find out more about "Discover Milwaukee’s’ Neighborhoods" GeoTour, including information about the neighborhoods in the program, go to VISIT Milwaukee’s Geocache webpage.

Calie Joy Herbst Special to OnMilwaukee.com
Calie Herbst is a teacher in Milwaukee Public Schools and editor of MiltownMoms.com. She received a Bachelors in Spanish and Sociology from UW-Madison and a Masters of Teaching Spanish from Marquette.

She has travelled extensively through the Spanish-speaking world, but her favorite place in the world is Milwaukee. She lives in Bay View with her husband, two year old son, Hudson and her two dogs. She and her family love to check out the latest events in Milwaukee and spend time at their cabin in Winter, Wis.

In her free time, her ideal self enjoys doing yoga, reading one book a week, and cooking with organic, local foods. Her real self just ends up watching terrible reality television.