Crater of Diamonds State Park

If you EVER get the chance, go check out Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro Arkansas. It is the worlds 8th largest diamond mine and the only one that will let you keep the diamonds you find! It costs $6.50 to mine all day! You can bring your own tools, or rent them there. A claw type hand tool, a small hand spade, a bucket is all you really need! Chuck and I dug around in the dirt for 2 days! Chuck found a nice jasper and I found a few new places for muscles to ache but we had so much fun! http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com/ Besides the usual great campgrounds that you find at Arkansas State Parks, thus one had great hiking trails.........paved or wild! The last day we were there, Chuck and I took the trail you see here and then kept on following it after the trail turned wild at the river! I was a bit nervous because I still don't trust these new knees as much as I should! Chuck encouraged me and helped me up or down some of the steep areas, and we all had a great hike. The dogs, Midget, Scottie and Bobbie, loved it! Back to the diamond mine........... the first day we were there 6 diamonds were unearthed! One was a fine quality 3/4 carat! In several area of the park mining area, you will see sings with shovels hanging from them. The one in the photo shows where the Uncle Sam Diamond was found. The shovels show where all the big diamonds first saw light. A lot of people cluster around those areas hoping to find another big one! We really enjoyed ourselves here. Now for a commercial! hahaha! While there, we discovered a great little Mexican Restaurant in Murfreesboro... Rico Habaneros and it was amazing! Great service, excellent food! About 1/2 mile north of the courthouse! It was so good, we went back the second day, not even wanting to try any of the other restaurants the town had to offer! Rico's was great. This is our favorite Arkansas State Park so far.......... I hope you get a chance to visit! This is a great time of the year to go, the weather was perfect for digging in the dirt! Next week, we leave for California! I'll keep you posted! Happy Trails!