Crater of Diamonds State Park & Clarksdale MS

[sunshinecruiserTN]

I have finally gotten around to updating my blog with information about the Crater of Diamonds State Park and the trip to Clarksdale MS. Sarah and I had a great time. I'm sure she will have more information to add from her perspective. I won't be surprised if at the next gtg Sarah doesn't have an RV. And I didn't even have her dump but she did take good notes. I highly recommend the diamond trip in much cooler weather.
http://sunshinecruisertn.blogspot.com/2 ... le-ms.html

[Liz]

Great pictures! I agree, the Diamond mine looks like it would be fun in cooler weather.

[sharon]

Great pictures..looks like you guys had a great time!

[BarbaraRose]

I would love to mine for diamonds someday! And lots of other things too! May try gold digging in California Need to get a metal detector for that in the desert.

[BirdbyBird]

Sorry that you didn't make your find but at least you have your technique down for next time.... So glad that you were able to explore the surrounds, casinos and the blues at the crossroads ......adventures around ever journey

[snowball]

I've always thought that it would be fun to go pan for gold or find a diamond or whatever is there...then at a family reunion in NV we found garnets!! yes until I realized it needed to be polished and where do I do that at...now that I know where I can do I know where the garnets are maybe I'll have to return to NV and find some more garnets
Enjoyed the blog thanks for the visit
sheila

[VickieP]

What a great time you two had! Even if it was HOT!

[bluepinecones]

Most of the photos I took were with Carolyn's camera so she would have them for her blog. Before we parted, she made a photo CD for me. When I tried to retrieve the photos, computer said it was blank. Sadly I have only a few to add that were on my camera. She has many more and promised to add a few of them on her next update.

Don't think she included any pics of us trying the dry sift diamond hunting method. Here she is on our first outing (note umbrella for shade)


I actually made it down on the ground for a short while with my nose next to the dirt. Position was so uncomfortable, I gave up and went back to rent bucket to sit on; not good but much better than flat on the ground. Carolyn demonstrates the bucket position


I enjoyed the diamond hunt and would try again but only when the weather was cooler. Another note, we used my van to go back and forth between the campground and the diamond field. They were a couple of miles apart so if you don't have a car I think it would be a tough walk back after spending a day on the field in any weather. There were several Class Bs in the park and they unhooked each morning to go to the field. Others had cars with their RVs.

This was my first time to actually stay in a camp ground. Liz, Carolyn and others had offered to let me stay in their RVs at other times but I had always managed to find a nearby place to stay. This time I took Carolyn up on her generous offer.

Lesson 1: Always ask your host if she has a coffee pot while you are still in a civilized area. I had taken food, coffee, etc to Petit Jean knowing the cabin there had a kitchen with coffee pot. Shopping near the Crater of Diamonds is very limited. There were no regular coffee makers around but I did manage to find a French Press. Never having used one and not having the right size grind, my morning coffee was a trial and error method for first couple of days. Think Carolyn captured some of that process on camera.

Carolyn was a very tolerant host and great teacher. I learned how to open drawers in an RV (had wondered how they stayed shut when driving), something about what things may or may not be operated at the same time, how one uses the shower (tho I did not use hers), how to met strangers in campground, how important that sunscreen she has can be, and much more. I watched her and several others hook up and unhook. How not to cook on grill (a nearby camper used a whole bottle of charcoal lighter on small grill and I'm sure it was all he could taste on his food - it was all we smelled for a good half hour).

Are any state campground bath houses heated or cooled? The one at Crater of Diamonds was not cooled; the one in FL was not heated. I was so looking forward to a cool shower after a hot day on the field. Not only was the bath house hot; it offered NO cold water. Impossible to dry off in the heat.

We arrived at Sam's Town about sunset


After settling in we dashed off to the casino. Not sure what I was expecting but it was different. Carolyn walked me thru to see the machines before we over indulged in dinner. Then we went back to gamble.
Carolyn demonstrated use of the electronic slots

After a short observation period, I fed my $20.00 to one of the machines. BTW, it is miss leading to call them penny slots as the least one can bet is $0.25. I got several hours entertainment out of it before all disappeared. The noise was very distracting; each machine had its own unique loud sounds and never quit.
The second night was a bit better except for the noise. I found a much more friendly machine. After about 3 hours, I had won the nights money back and what I had lost the night before. The machine was still paying off but I elected to leave while I was even. Hard to leave one under those circumstances.

Oh, here is a photo of the Big Pink House B&B in Clarksdale (think Carolyn covered everything else there)


Sure I will think of something else I should have included but it is getting late.

Just want to thank Carolyn again for letting me tag along and putting up with all my questions.

[Acadianmom]

I had wanted to take my son to look for diamonds when we use to camp but that looks like a lot of work. Thanks for information on the campground. I will know what to expect.

We have casinos around here but I seldom go and if I do it's to eat or go to a show. I think it's the noise that I don't like. That and loosing my money.

Martha

[Liz]

I think my back would start hurting pretty quickly in those diamond fields. The bucket seat is the way to go. Glad Carolyn was prepared with sunscreen and umbrella too.

[BirdbyBird]

So excited that you got the RV experience Sarah...now you know why we love it...or why we are a little crazy I'll be listening for your comments as you explore the possibilities for rigs I agree with everyone else...sounds like a great activity in cooler weather But the casino was AC so that was a good alternative>

[sunshinecruiserTN]

I left out some valuable pictures from my blog post and have now updated them. Please check it again to see the new pictures. Thanks Sarah for the reminder. Don't know what happened that I didn't get them the first time.
http://sunshinecruisertn.blogspot.com/2 ... -trip.html

[VickieP]

I love Sarah's face with her first taste of the coffee!!!

[Liz]

[mitch5252]

What a wonderful time you guys had!!!
What was wrong with the coffee?
Sarah, you need to get one of these to travel...make a great cup o' joe...