Confederate Ghosts

While staying the night at the KOA Campground at Paris Landing, I took the opportunity to find the night cache Confederate Ghosts. I am a veteran of night caches, three in the LBL and one in Bartlett, TN. However, this was different, I was alone. Near the cache is a Tennessee Historical Marker which I waymarked which referenced the burial place of the Confederate soldiers who died in battle at Ft. Henry.

I found myself needing more up to date maps, I parked at the historical marked and hiked to the cache in the fading light. By the time I arrived at the starting coordinates, it was pitch black. Saw the cemetery and was in awe. A few patriotic Southerners have take the time to upkeep and mark this graves of these fallen soldiers. Being a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and a 20-year veteran of military service, I said a short prayer and thanked these men who stood their posts did their duty and did what they think was right in the War Against Northern Aggression.

Proceeded onto find the cache and quickly found a set of reflectors. Note this is a night cache where one normally has to follow small reflectors to find the prize. Went on and about 200 feet away, the reflectors end. I tried and tried again and nothing. Finally, when about to give up, I called Regnad and he told me of the problem. These small reflectors, sold in the archery supplies are used by bow hunters to find their stands in the pre-dawn darkness. That was the trail I was on. Not deer hunting tonight, I wanted a cache. Regnad told me to turn the opposite direction and I quickly found the other set of reflectors and found the cache very soon. Regnad also walked me to the access road and I went that way to my truck.

I was elated to find a night cache alone and also such a great spot. Next day, I took my family to the spot and took many pictures which I will share with my Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 323.

Caching in Germantown and Collierville

Having a business trip that would take me to Memphis and later to Henderson, I researched some of the caches, I wanted something interesting but not something hard terrain since I would not be dressed to hit the trails and be hot and sweaty. I was surprised to find a tucked away virtual called A Little History Lesson. It was a remarkable virtual and took some time to investigate the park and take many pictures. Many months ago, I created a topic on the GOWT forums to database all the Civil War caches in GOWT, the responses were few and seemed to be little interest. Maybe one of the reasons, this virtual slipped by me. I have been within a mile of this cache. But, it was found today and in the coming days will be waymarked.

Another interesting cache was Superman's Transition by bitbrain. With the reputation of this cacher and being the cache is a micro, I wondered a little bit. However, I also know this cacher will take me to an interesting place and that it did. I spent a good 20 minutes in the courtyard looking and the monuments, history and the battle history. I had recently read where Gen. Sherman arrived at this location when a Confederate raid was in process and escaped capture or death. That would have been something, Gen. Sherman was the best Union general in the West, after Gen. Grant took command of all Union forces. It was Sherman's tactics of avoiding a drawn out fight by outflanking CSA forces in Georgia that led to the fall of Atlanta.

Only had 6 finds on this run and was happy to include the two above caches in this journey.

Tunica, Mississippi

Made a recent trip to Tunica, MS. Not being much of a gambler or the night life, I took part of the family to visit the area and find a few caches. The reason we went was that cachestalker94, my oldest daughter had a flight to catch early Tuesday morning and we took a couple of days off to see the resort town and eat at the famous buffets.

We made a short break at the Welcome to Arlington cache, formerly owned by Spencersb. I didn't look up the cache page and cachestalker94 and I took cannotreadgps to find the cache and unable to find it where we saw it last. I assumed that it may have been archived. Looked up the cache and the hint indicates a different hiding place than were I found it and yet no log where the coordinates were moved. The stop was a planned break anyway, I normally use Exit 25 on I-40 as a bathroom break/rest stop since there are usually clean restrooms at the Welcome Center or the Horizon Travel Center nearby. Exit 25 is the last easy exit into Memphis.

Going around Memphis on I-240, I made a stop at The Grotto a virtual cache. The best virtual cache in West Tennessee and one of my all time favorite virtuals. I had found it last year and took cachestalker94 and cannotreadgps there to visit and they were in awe. Both grabbed cameras to record the visit. Got back on I-240 later to I-55 and into Mississippi.

I had already cached much along I-55 in Desoto County and didn't feel the need to grab caches along the way since cannotreadgps and cachestalker94 are not into the numbers. We headed into Tunica on I-69 a brand new Interstate. So new that my new Garmin software version 8 didn't show the Interstate and watched on the the icon (vessel) travel across the screen where there were no roads. I-69 ended and soon came up on an easy cache A Grand Treasure. Cache page has little information and since it was a regular size, I figure lets go after it. Arrived at the location, found the cache with ease and then noticed the surroundings. We were in an African-American cemetery. Many of the stones seemed to be homemade and with hand writing etchings. We stayed a while and took many pictures. Last cache for Sunday was at an earthcache The Mighty River. I needed another state for the next earthcache award and this cache had been watchlist for quite some time. We visited the Tunica River Museum and really enjoyed it. About that time, we were really hungry and the locals told use to visit the Paula Deen buffet at the Harrah's casino. It was pricey and possibly one of the best casino buffet I have visited, Paula Deen's and the buffet located in the Luxor in Las Vegas, NV are the two best I have experienced.

On Monday, we wanted to see some of the Mississippi country side and went after Old 304 Access, it was a good cache located in the swamps. We were able to drive to within 150 feet of the cache, didn't get wet or bitten by a snake or 'gator retrieving the cache. Later, we drove to Hernando, MS and saw some of the old home and historic downtown area. Grabbed a few caches in the town, visited the park and shopped at Wal-Mart.