Trip West - Crater of Diamonds State Park, AR

Finally make it to Crater of Diamonds.  It has been on my bucket list for 10 years.  You can dig for diamonds and keep anything you find.

We got a nice site though a bit of a challenge getting in.

The Visitor's Center

The next morning I head to the mine

 

Off to the mines

 

It has been hot and dry for days.  The ground is like concrete.  I have read that it is best after a rain as that brings the diamonds to the surface.

They have troughs of water to wet sift

But I am just digging and sifting thru a sieve

It is $10 a day to dig.  You can spend upwards to $75 to rent equipment.  I brought a camp shovel, sieve and bucket

Many large diamonds have been uncovered here.  They plow the search area periodically to loosen the soil and promote natural erosion.  258 diamonds have been registered at Crater of Diamonds State Park in 2021, weighing more than 46 carats in total. Over 75,000 diamondsnin all have been found. 

We were here Sunday and Monday.  Hot and dry.  It rained Tuesday and Wednesday and on Thursday, a woman found a 4.38-carat yellow diamond sitting on top of the ground within an hour of searching. In October 2020 last October, when a visitor from Fayetteville, Ark. discovered  4.49 carat yellow diamond.

Better luck next time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trip West - Natchez Trace

Not a good day for motorcycles

 

 Had planned on a leisurely drive stopping at the various points of interest, but the skies would open up everytime we got near one

The rain did let up when we reached the Lewis Merriweather site so got a chance to eat our lunch and do a short walk.

We make it to our next stop - Piney Grove COE Park.

This is the fishing pier 2 sites down when we arrived.

 

 This it a couple days later - looks like the rain from Nashville found its way down here.

 

 

A beautiful spot

 

 

 

Gary gets to cook breakfast outside

There is a nice beach, closed but we came across a small fawn that took off when Tucson got excited to see it.

Spent time relaxing by the Lake

Until I ran into this guy next door.  Good thing he had a frog in his throat.

Maybe these guys turned and crossed back over the lake because of him and not Tucson.

 

We are not far from Tishomingo State Park so we do a day trip over for a hike

Looks like we go that a way

We decide on the Bear Creek trail.  It starts by crossing over a suspension bridge.

And goes uphill from there

Lots of rock outcroppings

 

The river is quite high

 

 Then back to the beginning

On our way out we stop at the historic cabin
 

The next day we head to Davis Lake our last stop on the Trace before heading to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas

Another great site on the water.  According to Facebook Memories, we stayed here 3 years ago, gotta love autobiographical amnesia!

Great spot to enjoy morning coffee

And enjoy the locals

Tucson got to go swimming

A great little park

Next stop Crater of Diamonds 

Laptop died so.posting new blogs may be delayed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trip West - On the road again

 Our time at Winngray in Maggie Valley is up and we continue our journey West.

Not long before we are in Tennessee

 

 

Some liquid sunshine

 and then no sunshine

 I managed to find a site at an Army Corp of Engineers Parkjust outside Nashville for Saturday night.  No hookups, but the gate attendant said it is the best site in the Park

 

 This duck seems to think so

 

 

 It is right on J. Percy Priest Lake

 

The site is huge and on a concrete pull thru

The weather holds for the evening and we are able to sit outside and enjoy

When we got all settled, (we didn't unhook just for 1 night) we found the water pump is not working.  Fortunately they have showers and we had jugs to fill.

This guy 7-8" was in the bathroom.  Must be a boy because it was in the men's room.

This morning we wake up to rain.  The plan was to get on the Natchez Trace Parkway today and overnight at the Merriweather Lewis Site campground, but it is 1st Come 1st serve for sites and don't want to take the chance a site is not available, so we book another night here.  Tomorrow we have another Army Corp site booked 10 miles off the Trace with Water and Electric.  There for 4 nights so hopefully and get pump repaired or replaced.

 It's a rainy start