Meridell: The Town that Time Forgot

Day One: Arrivals and Departures

This adventurer suggests leaving on the first train out of town to make the most of your trip. Let day one be a lazy day, get settled and adjusted to the uh, giant time change. As I mentioned earlier, Meridell is a beautiful country town living in the way distant past. You’ll get to learn more about it later but for today just embrace it.

If you’re hungry from your travels stop by the food stall for some fresh local flair. There’s limited electricity used in town so don’t be surprised to see your lunch order skewered over a fire and toasted to perfection! I never miss a chance to grab some Blackened Gruel or the Giant Tomato Kebab, the perfect treat to carry around town.

What you will notice from this agrarian society is a plethora of street fair games spread all over town. They are complete money sinks but where else can you pay to gamble on exploding frogs, win big bucks from coin flipping, or spend hours watching Turdles race in a dirt pit? Go ahead and indulge in some fun and meet the very eclectic locals.

On the note of eclectic, should you find yourself in town during the month of March you will be treated to a very special cheese rolling competition up on a hill at the far eastern side of town. The rest of the year tourists are welcome to buy Cheese Roller souvenirs and indulge in some very unique local delicacies. This author is partial to the Furry Chocomint but whatever you find will surely be one of a kind.

As your first day winds down work off all those yummy treats with some rousing games of Bullseye or make some new friends at the nightly poker games, they start at 7 pm NST! When you are all tuckered out head up to Illusen’s Glade for lovely lodging accommodations nestled in a beautiful tree house setting. Sleep tight we have a big day planned perusing the local farming community.

Day Two: Fun on the Farm

Day two and three are interchangeable however, the local farming community tends to take Sunday off so it is best to visit the farms on day two assuming you are using this guide for an action packed weekend getaway.

Like any good farmer it would be best to rise early to make the most of your second day in town. Meri Acres Farm runs on sunlight so try to make the most of your daylight hours. The farm can be reached by a quiet hour walk or by friendly locals who are also willing to shuttle a few folks along with their goods as they spend the day going in and out of town.

If a day on the farm does not sound like a good time it is only because you have never seen the wonders of Meri Acres. The locals here are very proud of their produce production and they have every right to be. With soil as rich as their history, Meridell crops are known for their size, yield, and overall unusual nature. There is nowhere this is more evident than in the daily World’s Biggest Marrow display. Locals come by to marvel and guess the weight of the daily display. Go ahead and join in the fun or just wait until the competition is over and enjoy some delicious Marrow Cream Pie, no matter what time you stop by there is no worries of the marrow running dry.

Whether you decide to check out the Marrow or just read about the winner on the local bulletin board the berry farm in an absolute must. Run by a family of Gelerts for the past 90 years the 300-acre farm is a marvelous testament to the pay off of hard work. What started as a handful of berry bushes to feed a growing family the farm has expanded to a local treasure, people come from near and far for the opportunity to pick through the largest variety of berries on any one property. For a measly fee you can wander all day, pick a basket full of berries and other goodies and enjoy a wonder picnic along the sprawling fields.

If you have yet to get your fill of farming fun there is a wonderful little shack on the edge of town where a kacheek will gladly let you help him count his potato yield for the day. If work and vacation don’t go hand in hand for you go ahead and head back into town. Camp by the creek under the vast starry skies or head back to the Glade, however you choose, it is wind down this peaceful day.

Day Three: Stories of the Past

After two days wandering around you have certainly realized how rich in history this beautiful land is. For your last day in town lets take a day to become versed in the rich history that built this land. By now you have certainly seen that wondrous stone castle just over the moat, let us head in and see what we can uncover.

Meridell is unique in that it is one of the only lands in all of Neopia still ruled by the royal family the Skarls. A benevolent series of rulers, the Skarl family remains loved by all and parts of the kingdom are always open to locals and tourists alike. Here is your first bit of history, if you are wondering about the smashed up walls at the entrance, that was not a design oversight, look no further than that looming Citadel in the sky for an explanation. The history of the Invasion of Meridell and the war with Darigan can be learned from a moment on the middle of the grounds where a bronze Moehog stands as a testament to that long war and the bravery and valor of the local citizens.

While you are here be sure to check out a unique tourist attraction, Escape from Meridell Castle allows guests to explore a set of catacombs under the castle. The attraction offers guided tours or for the brave and adventurous folks you are free to walk around alone, they’ll even supply the torch! Just try not to get too lost, you’ve got to get home sometime!

Assuming you made it out of the castle before your weekend wrapped up hopefully you have enjoyed your time in the rich, beautiful land of Meridell. If you followed this guide I hope you have learned some things, enjoyed some local delicacies, and cannot wait to take a trip back to the past and enjoy a quieter pace for a few days.