We've come a long way since Hansel and Gretel's attempt to navigate through uncharted territory using bread crumbs. Ever since President Reagan made Department of Defense-developed GPS technology available for civilian use in the 1980's, that which was once used for military navigation has now become as common in this country as junk food and reality shows. And, in typical American fashion, some innovative soul figured out a way to use this really cool satellite tracking device for goofing off. We're good like that.

Enter geocaching, where GPS technology meets outdoor exploration and a virtual X marks the spot. Using a hand-held GPS - which stands for "global positioning system," by the way - participants in geocaching explore the outdoors, navigating through a series of directional clues to reach a "cache," a spot where someone has stashed a small trinket for their discovery. Once found, the treasure is replaced and hidden again for the next player. Sometimes finding the stash involves riddles or solving multi-part puzzles, and oftentimes the caches are fairly well hidden (in fact, one of my friends has horror stories about having to reach into dark, dank spaces that would make Indiana Jones squeamish, all in the name of recovering a cache.)

The worldwide popularity of this 21st-century version of treasure hunting has skyrocketed since the first documented geocache in 2000; you know something is kind of a big deal when there's an "Idiot's Guide" written about it. The latest exhibit at the Rochester Museum and Science Center, "GPS Adventures," allows everyone to get in on the action.

"GPS Adventures" promises an interactive experience that not only embodies the exploration of geocaching, but also emphasizes important lessons about outdoor stewardship and responsibility. Participants can learn about the various kinds of caches, use a GPS unit to navigate a life-sized maze, and discover hidden treasure using clues, solving riddles, and deciphering mysterious codes, all while learning how to safely navigate and prepare for the outdoors. Map geeks (like yours truly) can learn all about topography, and everyone can try out traditional navigational tools like compasses to see how people found their way around back in the dark ages before St. Gore blessed us with the Internet. One can even marvel at how GPS uses satellites to pinpoint locations on the globe (that is, if you mind don't becoming sufficiently creeped out at how much Big Brother can actually see).

On a related note, if the kids need something super cool and fun to do over February break, RMSC is offering special programming February 14-22 in conjunction with the GPS exhibit. The companion "Navigate the World with Stars and Satellites" activity will run 11 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays, and is free with museum admission.

"GPS Adventures" is at the RMSC through March 15. Admission is $11 adults, $10 students, $9 children 3-18. Children under 3 and RMSC members are free. GPS units are provided for use. See rmsc.org for more details. For more information on geocaching, check out geocaching.com.