Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Travel Topics > Road Trips
Reload this Page >

Arizona, New Mexico, to Colo., road trip with kids, need rockhounding ideas

Arizona, New Mexico, to Colo., road trip with kids, need rockhounding ideas

Old Jun 7th, 2007, 10:54 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Arizona, New Mexico, to Colo., road trip with kids, need rockhounding ideas

I am trying to plot a road trip with kids from Grand Canyon to Denver. They are rockhounds and like to pan for gold etc. would anyone have suggestions for fossil, meteorite, gem hunting along the way. We are doing the Grand Canyon, sedona, new mexico and ultimately Denver and would love to find some unique activities for them. Any and all suggestions appreciated.
Laura2 is offline  
Old Jun 8th, 2007, 07:42 AM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,189
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
It's been many years since we went rockhounding with our boys. I know you use to be able to collect petrified wood (not very pretty stuff) up on Gooseberry Mesa just outside of Springdale, Utah which is near Zion Naitonal Park. In Moab, Utah we bought a map to find fossils and petrified sand ripples. Only problem was it was always so HOT when we went hunting in the summer.

Here are some books that might be able to help.

http://www.desertusa.com/web_cart/db...rockhound.html

Happy Hunting!

Utahtea
utahtea is offline  
Old Jun 8th, 2007, 10:44 AM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
When I was a kid & we went to Arizona, I can't for the life of me remember where it was, but I do know it was somewhere hr or 2 outside Phoenix. My grandfather took me out some place & we went looking for Apache tears. They are a black stone. You look for them with your back to the sun, & then you can see the stones are a bit translucent when the sun hits the edges. After they are polished you can hold them up to the light & the whole stone is translucent. Again I don't know exactly where you find them, maybe somebody here knows, but I found quite a few that day, had them polished, & had a ring made out of 1 of them. Here are a couple sites that explain the legend behind them:
http://www.minehead-online.co.uk/apachetear.htm
http://www.worldssmallestmuseum.com/apachetearshdq.htm
http://pr.tennessee.edu/ut2kids/rocks/apaches.html
Bill_I is offline  
Old Jun 8th, 2007, 02:22 PM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 336
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Bill, your suggestion intrigued me, so I did some investigating... The town of Superior, AZ is located in the foothills of Apache Leap Mountain and sells the stones. I'm sure in that town a person would be able to find direction for where to search for them. The town of Superior is located along Route 60, looks like about 40 miles east of Phoenix. Cool. I might road trip there myself!
ceb1222 is offline  
Old Jun 9th, 2007, 11:22 PM
  #5  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Boy, this is sounding better and better. Thanks for the input and the links to some books. Based on what Bill I wrote, I started searching for apache tears and found a site that talked about Hot Wells Dunes Recreation area that might be the area he remembers.
http://www.everythingabouttravel.com...otsprings.html If I find any further info, I will post it, though I forgot to mention that I did read about the Holbrook Arizona strewnfield - an area that contains meteorite fragments (pea sized) that you can collect with a magnet if you are lucky enough to find any. Or at least that is what I read. I will let you know. Thanks for the responses.
Laura2 is offline  
Old Jun 10th, 2007, 04:06 AM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 23,138
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Strange as it sounds, when driving thru the desert, a guy at a gas station told my kids to look for big cacti with holes in them - and that they are used for target practice or just random shooting. My kids found this surprisingly amusing and it gave them something to do while we were driving.
gail is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
ronin
United States
10
Jun 29th, 2007 03:06 PM
myname
United States
6
Nov 20th, 2003 02:47 PM
Froggy
United States
11
Apr 5th, 2003 03:10 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -