Welcome, forney72! Did you see the article in the Post Standard, or somewhere else? Geocaching is an EXCELLENT way to learn an area. I grew up in the Syracuse area and have learned so much more about the places I have lived!
Your second cache was a sort of tricky hide, and you were good to have found it. You have found some LPCs (Lamp Post Caches) -- once you find one of those, you will easily find many caches in the area
You've got 9 finds so far, which is a good start. Once you get more, you will develop "geosense" and get a good idea of where to look. One nice method to finding caches is there "where would I hide it?" approach.
I encourage you to post here, get to know some people online, and keep an eye out for
events. We just had a few events over the summer, but now the only ones scheduled are in Ithaca, Rochester, Binghamton, and farther out. They are a great chance to meet other geocachers, share stories, and learn more about geocaching.
