Crater of Diamonds State Park, AR

2012 Mar 28

 We left Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas on Wednesday. It had been a really nice time, in spite of not finding any diamonds, even teeny ones. The park itself was very nice. The sites were spacious and nearly level, with full hook ups, including sewer, which surprised us. The sites also each have a huge fire ring, along with a camp grill, if you don't want to cook over your fire. There were trails, though they weren't extremely long. There were birds galore and clear, star filled skies most nights.

We arrived shortly after some extremely wet weather. In fact, we had a little rain when we first arrived. The day after our arrival we headed out to the digging fields, to dig for diamonds. Because of the wet conditions, it was necessary to water sift through the mud. What this means is that you rent a kit, which consists of a 5 gallon bucket, a folding army style shovel, and a wet sifting pair of screens. Then you dig mud, place it in your bucket, haul it to one of the pavilions where there are huge water holding tables into which you immerse your double screened sifter, filled with the mud from your bucket, in small batches. You then wash the mud, using a side to side motion. The heavier minerals, fall from the mud, through the first screen, into the smaller screen. After you have washed a reasonable amount of mud, you begin to accumulate minerals, in the smaller screen. At this time, you put the larger screen aside, and concentrate on washing the minerals in the smaller one. You get a bit wet and if you are doing this on a cool day when there are occasional gusts of wind, you find yourself chilled after a relatively short time. Keep repeating, "It's all about the experience." 

My "sexy" diamond diggers

On our first expedition into the diamond digging fields, we spent about 90 minutes, and we never even emptied our bucket of mud. First, I got cold. I should've worn my rain poncho. I am so glad I wore my new rain boots! The mud in the fields was the "sucking" kind that sticks. Second, mining is hard work! They make it sound like it's not, but trust me, it is! Thirdly, Raymond's heart really wasn't in it; he was simply along to keep me company. After all, this place wasn't on his bucket list! We did find some cool rocks. No diamonds, though. My stash included, barite, calcite, jasper, hematite and "volcanic rock". One the day we were digging, the latest diamond found had been on March 19. We were there digging on March 23.

After that, the weather improved tremendously and the idea of digging again was put on hold, while we waited for the fields to dry out some. Instead, we hiked, looked at wild flowers, spent time playing games in the sunshine, cooked steaks on the grill and generally just chilled. It was great! The only drawbacks were that we were running out of clean clothes and I was getting very low on medications. Otherwise we might still be in Arkansas!

Our location in SW Arkansas

Our "yard"

Raymond & Greyla relaxing

The view from my camp chair :)

Along the trail

Mayapples along the trail

Digging fields

We extended our stay to seven days total, planning on one more diamond digging experience, doing the dry sifting, before we'd leave. The morning we headed out to the digging fields, it was sunny and warm, with a very slight breeze. My plan had been to go as soon as the fields were open, but because Ray wanted to watch Mike & Mike on ESPN, we delayed our dig till after 10. This dig trip we only rented a screen for dry sifting, and brought our own trowel and small garden fork. Once again, we learned that diamond digging is hard work. Like we needed that lesson to be re enforced! At least we could sit for the dry sifting. And since there was no water involved, we managed to stay dry and boots were not required. 

Digging fields

We sifted, which means, scraping up some dirt with your trowel or fork, placing it into the screen and rubbing it through the screen, hopefully leaving the heavier minerals behind in the screen. It was a lot less messy than the water sifting. After two hours of sifting, our fortune in rocks consisted mainly of jasper, with a little bit of calcite thrown in. There was some one who found a diamond on the same day that we dug, March 27, but they found it before we ever showed up in the fields. Remember: "It's all about the experience ." :D

It was fun, but not really Raymond's cup of beer. I think I would enjoy doing it again, but with someone who was really into it, like maybe a couple of my brothers? In any case, the park itself is worth the time, even if you don't find any diamonds. Arkansas is beautiful, especially when spring comes earlier than normal. And I am learning so much about the geology of this country. Until now, I never knew that there had been volcanic action in places like Arkansas.

Our First Boondocking Experience

2012 Mar 24


Our first night in a boondocking situation was interesting. We had been driving, mostly in torrential rain, for about eight hours, off and on. It was getting dark. Our plan was to drive a bit past our destination, to a rest area on Interstate 30, in Arkansas. That way, we would be that much closer to the state park where we had reservations beginning the next day. What is it they say about the best laid plans?  As we approached the rest area, we found the entrance ramp barricaded with saw horses and sand bags and "closed" signs. It was still raining. It was full on dark out. I was tired and my night vision was giving me fits. I pulled up at the barriers feeling hopeless.


Raymond offered to go out and move the barrier, if I wanted to risk going into the closed rest area. Since I was exhausted, I said "Yes". Once on the other side of the barriers, with them back in place,we drove into the well lit, empty space. Raymond was willing to stay awake in case we got visited by a State Trooper, and encouraged me to go lay down in our bed to rest. I tried, but because I am at heart, law-abiding, I was unable to relax, or rest. We got out the map and tried to see where else we could go that was close by. According to our All Stays Camp and RV App, there was a truck stop at the next exit, about ten miles away. We decided to go to the next exit and check it out, since there was also a motel at that exit. Always good to have more than one option. We left the rest area and headed on up the road, in the rain, with tired eyes. 


At the exit, Ray and I saw both the truck stop and the motel, on opposite sides of the road. Nearly in unison,we said, "Truck stop, first". We drove around the large area where the 18 wheelers were parked in what seemed to me, a very haphazard manner. I wanted to be respectful of these folks who haul for a living, and not be in anybody's way, but I was having trouble discerning a pattern. After one trip around the site, we opted to park at an angle, near the corner of the restaurant, very near what looked like employee parking. Out of the way of the big trucks, and the car parking, but still relatively unobtrusive. I assured Raymond that we could get breakfast there in the morning, which seemed to limit his guilt about parking there.


The rain continued to fall. Sometimes, seemingly in buckets. I crawled into our bed and promptly fell asleep. It was the most restful night's sleep I'd had in awhile. Not only did I sleep straight through without waking even once, I felt completely safe. I'm not sure why either one of those things happened, but there you have it. Our first time staying in a truck stop, and it was all good.


In the morning we got coffee and rolls to go, along with a newspaper. The rains had finally diminished. We headed a little further up the road to the next town in search of a store. As we located the Walmart, we noted that there was an RV parked along the side of the lot. So, I suppose, if I could've driven an additional twelve miles the night before, we could've spent our first boondocking experience in a Walmart parking lot.  


Personally, I'm glad it worked out the way it did. I'm not sure I would've felt as safe surrounded by just a parking lot, as I did surrounded by all those truckers. 

Up the Road We Go

2012 March 20

Happy Spring! 

Seems odd to say that when we haven't experienced anything even close to winter this year. We have been in warm weather since we entered South Carolina, on December 18. Oh, there have been a few cool mornings that required a hoodie, or a fleece, but basically we have been warm all winter long. It changes my perspective somewhat. 

In northern Florida, it did smell like spring, though, and I love that smell. Here in Mississippi, it has been hot (to me) and humid, with mosquitoes that seem to be starving. A local guy, Mike, who was camped next to us, said they didn't have much of what usually passes for winter around here. He seemed to think that was the reason the mosquitoes were so ferocious already. 

Being very sensitive to hot weather, and humidity, I am uncertain I could visit Mississippi in the summer. That goes for Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and probably Arkansas, too.

Arkansas, that's where we're headed next. Today & tomorrow are basically travel days, with rest built in whenever we need it and stops as we desire. Life in the motor home is good, but would be easier with a tow vehicle. We get to see some sights and do some things, if they are close enough to where we camp, or if they have a place to park a 30 feet long motor home. 

We saw something on Sunday Morning (a TV show on CBS) while we still in Pittsburgh, about a new art museum, built by one of the Walmart heirs and we need to do some research to find out where it is and all the incidentals, since we would love to visit there.

Looking forward to Crater of Diamonds State Park, too. It's been on my "to visit" list for many years. Kind of wish my brothers, Vinny and David, were with us for that. The three of us love treasure hunting and we would have a blast together. Well, no reason we can't visit again someday with them, right?

Well, time to do the RV check and get on the road...