Neat Places to Go

I live near Little Rock, AR. I am planning a trip shortly after New Years, but haven’t decided on a destination. What neat things are there to do within about an 5-8 hour drive?

Also, who has gone to the Crater of Diamonds State Park and dug for diamonds? I plan on going in a week or two.

Has anyone ever dug for opals in Nevada? I’ve seen some advertisements and a program about it and it sounds neat.

I went to Crater of Diamonds a few years ago. You can rent everything you need there, it’s reasonable. Shovel, bucket, and sifting screen in a frame come in a rental package. You may be able to rent individual items, I can’t remember. You just pick a spot and start digging. Fill up a bucket, take it over to one of the water containers and sift. Inspect remains for diamonds or other gem stones. Repeat. They plow up the field every couple of weeks or so, I think that helps you on the digging part. It’s all luck AFAICT. You may find something just laying there on the surface, or you may dig all day and find nothing. It’s exciting and fun, even if you don’t strike it rich.

St. Louis is about 6 hours from LR. Lots of free and cheap stuff to do, too much to list here. This will get you started.

I don’t know what your physical abilities are, but if you’re going to dig for diamonds they must be ok. That being said, if you do come to STL, I highly recommend the city museum. It’s not free, hell it’s not even cheap, but there’s nowhere else on Earth like it. Link. Spring for the rooftop pass if you go.

Thanks. I haven’t been to St. Louis since I was maybe 5 and I didn’t even think about it being within range.

Oh, yes, the City Museum in St. Louis is fantastic, especially if you have kids.