So on our return trip from Colonial Williamsburg, Jannie & I decided to take a different return route. I'd never been to North Carolina so we decided to make this our general direction. Our friend Jude, whose Pop lives in NC, had mentioned a gemstone mine where one can sluice, creek or dig for flashy rocks. Apparently this is the only mine of it's kind in the whole U.S. of A. We were game so we went in search of the Hiddenite Mines.
We located the place, parked on a steep, red clay drive and hiked down to the permit shop. A permit to mine cost $5 and a bucket full of sand and hopefully gems, an additional $5. We really wanted to get back on the road so we decided sluicing was for us. We trekked over to the sluicing shelter and checked in with this gruff old geezer who didn't appear too happy to deal with we tourists. He told us there would at least be an hour wait because this was the time of year when they accomodated class field trips. We were a bit perturbed to say the least because we'd already paid and weren't apprised of this little item. (Of course now I know why the old fella was cranky!) We wandered around in indecisive fashion and I overheard another tourist cranking about paying and not being told about the invasion of the kiddos. After a bit of back and forth, we decided we'd pay a few dollars more and pan in the creek. I wasn't exactly equipped for this venture but my excitement and curiosity wouldn't allow me to back out. I hiked back to the car, donned my tennies, rolled up my jeans and trudged back to Jannie. (She's always prepared. Had on hiking boots, a great hat and rugged jeans.) We rented a pan and tool and set out for the creek. We were not disappointed. The setting was beautiful, the weather gorgeous and there weren't too many people around. Three very Zen hours later, we'd pocketed quite a few awesome gems. I had a pocket full of adventurine, rose and white quartz, jasper, amethyst and a few yet to be identified stones. Though I'm still finding clay and sand in the weirdest spots, I love it because it reminds me of a fab adventure with a dearest friend.
