I love rocks. 200 years from now someone will be excavating my yard and be totally baffled how rocks that shouldn’t be found in Michigan — lava from Guatemala or Iceland or New Zealand, sandstone from the Southwest, limestone from Kentucky, and now, jasper from the Ozarks — ended up there.
First stop today was the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. Recommended to me by Eric in LA, I had no idea of the immensity of this crater field and that I could spend 3 hours meandering, finding huge chunks of agates and jasper. It was a little muddy due to recent rain, so rather than rent a shovel and dirt sifter, I bought a trowel and poked around the surface when something caught my eye. The folks parked in the car next to mine drove away with 20 gallons of sifted dirt, with plans to go thru it more carefully, maybe finding a diamond. Almost every day, someone does. But, not me. But I was really happy with the treasures I did find. An extra plus were 2 gorgeous rocks from elsewhere in Arkansas that the ranger gave me. Someone had put them in the rock display, and she was adamant that they did not belong there.
Next stop was Hot Springs National Park. The water in the springs is 143 degrees — too hot for me. But it’s a fun town and the visitor exhibit had some interesting exhibits. The old bath houses are beautifully restored, some still offering services. Not really my thing, so I continued on to Little Rock.
I ended up at a lovely Wyngate Hotel in North Little Rock. Dinner was at the Golden Corral. I don’t really like buffets, but it’s next to the motel, so was an easy choice. The grilled-to-order steak was great. The rest not so much. The cotton candy for dessert was just right.
What I learned today: 1. what I’ve always called puddingstone is a conglomerate of different kinds of rocks; and 2. its best to avoid the cooked vegetables on a buffet.
