May 24-26, 2022

Dave at Bonita Lakes, Mississippi’s oldest geocache near Meridian.

The weather forecast included lots of rain for the days we were to be in Meridian so we headed for Bonita Lakes as soon as we got to town after our drive from Alexandria, Louisiana.

We were very surprised to find these cactus growing on our path to the cache.
Bonita Lakes geocache

Alabama’s oldest geocache lay on our route from Meridian to Chattanooga. Did we want to try to get it on the way, or should be make a trip from either Chattanooga or Meridian (about 150 miles from either direction?. We decided to drive from Meridian because 1) We didn’t want to make the drive to Chattanooga take any longer than necessary, 2) We didn’t want to try to find a parking place near the cache for the truck and trailer and we didn’t want to disconnect the trailer, and 3) it was raining more in Meridian than in Trussville (Birmingham area). Apparently we’ll drive quite a way to get a state’s oldest cache.

Dave with Alabama’s oldest cache

We claimed a couple of other interesting caches while we were out. One was an earth cache about black clay soils that stretch from Texas to Georgia, remnants of organic material left when the area was covered by a vast inland sea.

Black Belt geologic feature along the Tombigbee River
Detail of layers of clay and dark soil laid down about 50 million years ago
The Tombigbee River
Bridges over the Tombigbee River
Fossils near the earth cache

A second earth cache in the Trussville area took us behind a sports complex to examine an outcropping to sandstone created about 325 million years ago. The walk was pleasant plus Dave met a police officer giving his K-9 a lunch break.

Hartselle sandstone outcropping in Trussville, Alabama

Sometimes, like between Trussville and Meridian, we think “That interesting sight deserves a geocache”. Here’s an example.

There WAS a geocache near this colossal mailbox, but we didn’t stop for it. In this case, we were satisfied with a look from the truck.

Our last day in Meridian was sunny. Yay! We stopped near an exit ramp for an earth cache of boulders unearthed during the construction of Interstate 20. These boulders were concretions–accumulations of sand and minerals probably pressed together and then coated in more minerals like a snowball.

Dave gives perspective to the boulders
The outer layer of this boulder has worn away in places.
Fossil in one of the boulders

A series of caches in Rose Hill Cemetery took us to the grave of Emile Mitchell, who in 1884 was elected king of the five tribes of gypsies in the United States.

Graves of Emile Mitchell, King of the Gypsies and Kelly Mitchell, Queen of the Gypsies

We happened upon some interesting views as we logged geocaches.

Union Station in Meridian
Artists in Meridian have painted carousel horses.
Bonita Lake
Sunset at Bonita Lake
Categories: Travel

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