Spring Break 2003  ========

      << See Crystals >>          << Oklahoma >>          << Back to TOP >>

The weather guys were predicting rain for the next 3 days in Kansas City.    It was just past the Ides of March and we had a few days to travel.  We wanted to go quartz crystal hunting for a long time and it looked like sunny weather in Arkansas the next day...

The following photo travel journal details our trip to Arkansas Quartz crystal mining and additional adventure near Talequah, Oklahoma and scenic trip to Natural Falls State Park.

    We packed the car with the bare necessities including our new KODAK EasyShare cx4300 digital camera and headed south down Hwy. 71...

Arkansas  

We arrived in Ft. Smith, Arkansas area about 6 hours later where we ate dinner and found a Motel 8 with a pool where we spent the next two nights

We stopped along the way at a Mill Creek recreation area .

We headed on down the road to the Ouichita National Forest

Scenic Overlook


Ouichita (wash-i-tah)

Good Hunting

Good Fishing

There were several places (mines) that charge to let you search (dig) for crystals.  We stopped at the Wegner mine, their driveway was just about graveled in quartz crystals and they had a large selection that you could outright buy off the tables...
for more info try... www.wegnercrystalmines.com

They will take a group up to their mine for $200  instead we went on up the road a few miles to an old mine that has become a state park where you can dig and search for free....

Crystal Vista Parking Area and Trailhead
(Ochita national Forest Tour stop)

It was a long walk up, to the top of the mountain

Maybe a mile...

Some of us took several rest breaks along the way...

It was an excellent day for a walk.

The trail opened up into a large flat area with a view

White crystal rocks were everywhere.  These were mostly very 'milky' white quartz crystals.  Most were not of superior gem quality that you would expect at a pay to dig mine.  It was alot of fun anyway, and every once in a while we could find a few small very clear points just laying around on the surface.

In the reddish brown clay were lots of crystal rocks, most were rather milky a few little ones were clear.  some were too big to carry...  Some rumors persist that any clothing that touches this rusty red clay will never be clean again.  We wore our extra old clothing and shoes.

The whole top of the mountain has been dug out into a large leveled area.  It seems that the park service must come thru with a dozer and help uncover new crystals from time to time...

It was a beautiful warm 75 degree day with a beautiful view

After about 3 hours of digging and searching the area we had a bucket full of crystal rocks and it was a long walk back to the car.

I heard that there is a phantom of the mountains.  I may have captured one with my KODAK digital Camera...

We stopped at a Mac Donalds for dinner in a small town on our way back to Ft. Smith.  We were very exhausted by the time we returned to the motel in VanBuren on the outskirts of Ft. Smith along highway 40.  

    The Hot tub was not working at the motel, that was OK cause the swimming pool was kept as warm as a bath tub, I just laughed when I jumped in.

Oklahoma

The next morning we headed west on Interstate 40 and then northward  through Tahlequah, Oklahoma

We stopped at  Sparrow Hawk Village home of Sancta Sophia Seminary.  They have a water tower in the shape of a giant white cross that can be seen for miles.  I did see a sparrow hawk circling nearby...

DARN... Can you imagine... literally out in the middle of nowhere and the car stopped...  Dead....



The fine people at Sparrow Hawk Village  helped me call  TNT wrecker service

They towed us into their shop.

Uh oh....

Somebody was supposed to be back at work in the morning...






    After several hours at the mechanics shop,  they gave up for the day, when a critical part could not be found in the middle of nowhere.. They loaned us a spare car and we headed back to Tahlequah to find dinner at the King's Chinese Restaurant and a motel with a heated pool for the night...

A lincoln continental and a free breakfast...


Life worked out...

As Luck would have it...

The people who owned the Tahlequah Motor Lodge had another business just east of town on scenic Hwy.10 right near where we had left our broken down car at TNT wrecker service....  (I cannot recommend a better place to have your car break down in the middle of nowhere!)  

They rented canoes and rubber rafts on the Illinois river

They inflated the raft and took us 7 miles upriver in the bus

we each received a paddle and life jacket.

There we go...  They called it an 8 man raft.  Perhaps 6 people would fit,  

4 of us worked out well...

The river was not too rough. Very little white water, only a few logs to dodge along the way.  It was a perfecty excellent day for a float.  We stayed dry the entire way.  I guess,  when it's hot during the summer, everybody gets wet.

We stopped a couple of times along the way to explore, skip a few flat stones on  the river, and have a cool refreshing Diet Coke...



You just cannot imagine a more perfect day to be out sitting beside the river...

It kinda teaches you that no matter what happens, water always tends to flow down hill...



We arrived back at the base camp after about 2 hours.  All along this part of the Illinois River there are canoe rental places and public access points.  I hear that from memorial day until the end of summer that the river is packed with canoes, rafts, and wall to wall people..  This turned out to be an excellent time to float...

Tahlequah is the Capitol for the Cherokee Nation.  This Building is located near the center of town.  We thought it was interesting to see political signs for Tribal Chief and Tribal Council members instead of the typical city mayor and city council people.
for more info try... www.CherokeeHeritage.org

We stayed in Tahlequah an extra night and enjoyed the heated swimming pool and sauna.  The next morning we headed back up scenic Hwy. 10 north along the Illinois river.

About 25 miles up the road near the city of Kansas, OK we visited the Natural Falls State Park.  Admission was $3 per car.

 When we got there the sign said 'Dripping Spring' and I guess during dry spells during the summer it might just drip.  The advertisement said that these falls were over 70 feet tall?  For more current info try...  www.oklahomaparks.com

The walkways were good going down to the water fall with concrete stairs and boardwalks.

A nice Photo Shoot at the end of a great adventure...

We went east on Hwy 412 then North on Hwy. 71 and arrived home in Kansas City about 5 hours later...

 

  << Listen to Waterfall>>

Pray for Peace

I know alot of you wished you could have been there with us and experienced this adventure directly.  We had a good time, and if any state, province, country, or nation would like to sponser another Road Trip Adventure, we're ready to go...

 The Crystals

When we returned home, I put the dirty crystal rocks into a bucket, washed them with water and soaked them over-nite.  I went looking for something that would remove the rusty color from them.  I tried soaking them in Slime away, the stuff that removes rust, hard water deposits, and skum from bathroom fixtures...

Well, after a few days it became apparent that this was not going to really clean up the crystals.  I knew Oxalic Acid was recommended.  It used to be found in radiator cleaner at the automotive store.  Not anymore.  However I called the rock and mineral shop (Aces) and they had plenty in stock at $3 / pound of dry powder.  

    The rocks were soaked in a solution of Oxalic Acid (1lb./gallon) for 4-5 days.  The red rusty color was replaced with yellow residue which mostly rinsed and brushed away.

Maynard Cat was glad to have us back.   There you have it.  The crystals were mostly milky white with a few small clear tips.  Not as good as you would expect at a pay to dig mine, but we had a great time digging them.  It would be fun to get a group together and pay the big bucks and get some really nice crystals in the future...


You can contact R. Shofstall  directly....

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