Parks and Paths

Back in 2015 Emma and Alexa sluicing, or at least having fun playing in the muddy water at the wash station at Crater of Diamonds State Park.

Crater of Diamond's State Park is near Murfreesboro, AR.  It is a fun place to go and, I would imagine, more fun if you found a diamond!  We were here with our boys when they were little,  Eric's family and his in-laws in 2015, and now with Krikkit.  We arrived Sun. afternoon and, after paying $10 each, went in search of our fortune Monday afternoon.  We were not successful today, but maybe tomorrow???  

Lilah and Alexa (in pink) in 2015 with the sifters made by Eric in.

Eric sluicing.  Eric came with equipment prepared to find some diamonds!

T-shirt tie-dye at the campsite.  We came from Kansas, Eric's family from South Texas, and Toni's parents from Illinois to hunt for diamonds.

Eric, Josh, and Chris at Crater of Diamonds a long time ago.  Maybe around 1992?

So far this year someone found a 4.49 karat and a 9 karat diamond.  In 1924 someone found a 40 karat white diamond, the largest found in the U. S.  They say about 600 diamonds are found each year.  It's amazing how many diamonds are just found on the surface.

In 1906 the first diamond was found on the land.  Apparently it never became a successful diamond mining venture and was sold in the 1950's to a private company that charged for people to come mining.  In 1972 the state acquired the land.

We took Krikkit's stroller (for her and our supplies), sifters, shovels, buckets, etc. and headed out to the diamond field.  During non-covid times you can rent supplies, including wagons, and they have supplies you can purchase.  You find what you hope is your "lucky" spot and you dig, or you walk along looking on the top for diamonds.  You are supposed to fill in any holes you dig.  They have troughs with water where you can clean your treasures? and there are employees as you leave who will identify the rocks, and if you're lucky, diamonds that you found.  It's fun to watch people.  Looking at families I think  parents are the most serious.  It's heaven for kids with dirt, rocks, and water!

Krikkit had fun, and did lots of smiling and wagging.  The field has long rows of mounds, with valleys between, and it's pretty rough terrain with all of the digging and the occasional plowing the state park does.  With her bad rear legs Krik had to work pretty hard at walking around and because of that, we could take her off leash as she was slow moving.  She would follow us  or just walk from one of us to the other.  We just had to keep her from falling into the occasional hole that hadn't been filled in, and some holes were pretty deep!  She should sleep well tonight and will probably be happy to have her arthritis meds in the morning.

A small water park outside the entrance.

Instead of taking our treasures to the wash station we brought water to us.

We were tired at the end of Mon.

Park staff identified your findings.  Basically we found 6 different kinds of rock--no diamonds!

One of our favorites, Enchiladas, after a hard days work.

We stayed about 2 1/2 hours but a lot of people were there for the day.  They were in the parking lot eating lunch when we arrived. 

The campground is very nice.  The price is great at $36 a night for full hook-ups, 50 amp, plus we got 20% off I think with the senior discount.  The sites are big and wooded. Each site has a paved RV pad, at least one large tent pad, nice picnic table, lantern hook, and a fire ring.   The only thing missing?  We have little cell service and internet. 

In order to stay 3 nights we had to move to a different site our last night.

We had two tent pads with our site.

On Tues. we gathered our tools and headed back to the diamond field.  We went to the left instead of the right today.  The soil was sandier, which someone heard was more lucrative, but it was hard!  Success eluded us, unless you consider fun and passing the time on election day, successful.

Overlooking the diamond field.

A happy dog!

I think Krikkit is supervising.  She's not much of a digger, and when she does it's with her nose--ouch!

Some groups had canopies set up.

Ann's tools

It was just too much work for Krikkit.

Sluicing

Finally, I have some internet on the roadway! Today, Weds.,  we will be at Brookeland/Lake Sam Rayburn KOA in Brookeland, TX, half way to our final destination for the next 3 weeks.