[Rockhounds] Accommodations, Petrified Forest antics and other rock absurdities

[Ted Kowalski]

Hokay:
I guess I should start with the earlier story. A girlfriend and I did a
several month trip around the West in a VW bug oh so many years ago. We
loved our stop at the Petrified Forest and back then it was easier to get
out the car and romp around amongst the logs. Anyway, when we got back she
showed pictures of our trip to her grandfather and since he was taking a
road trip with several seniors in a few weeks, he decided to include the
Petrified Forest as a stop. Well, they didn't have such a great time; being
older and visiting the PF when it was blazing hot, they didn't leave the car
much. When they reached the exit gate and the Ranger asked if they were
carrying any petrified wood, her grandfather jerked his thumb towards the
back and said, yeah got a whole trunk full, to which his fellow seniors
snickered. They spent the rest of the afternoon taking everything out of the
car.

Every time I go to the PF, I get sidetracked and stare at the paved walking
paths... So much beautiful wood and it's now pavement. Sigh!

I've never taken any rocks into or out of the park. I do make every attempt
I can to circle the park looking for collecting opportunities though; just
after I go through the park.

Back when I and was younger, much younger, I married my wife, Diane
(different girlfriend) and for our honeymoon I planned one week on Ocracoke
island and another week in Arkansas. That is: three days in Murfreesboro
looking for her diamond and two days in Hot Springs so she could forget
three days in a giant sun baked lamproite/kimberlite field.

Well, the first week in Ocracoke North Carolina, was kinda interesting. The
town was small, so we restricted ourselves to one store per day and
apparently there was a hurricane approaching which I didn't know about.
Outside of our Hotel windows I could see the weather flag at the Coast Guard
Station. First day, hmmm two red triangular flags, I wonder what that is.
Day two, one red rectangular flag with a black square, now something was
nagging at me that I should remember what that flag means. Day three, two
red square flags with black square centers, Hey, isn't that a hurricane
warning? So, day three we paid the guard station a visit to learn about
flags. Turns out Hurricane Dean was passing nearby and oscillating a bit
trying to decide if we were the path. It wasn't too bad actually, the winds
knocked out power most days and when we ordered meals, the meals were huge
as the restaurants piled on crabmeat and scallops before it spoiled.

>From Ocracoke we headed to Murfreesboro, a three hour ferry ride, a lot of
driving, one flight and many hours later we pulled into the motel late at
night where I had reserved a room.. The room smelled must and of chemicals
plus the room had that telltale bleached ring around the room from frequent
insecticide spraying. We tried the other hotel in town and they were booked
full; so we decided to make the best of it. When we turned out the lights,
the party began, roaches roaches and more inquisitive roaches. That combined
with the cloying chemical smell finally drove us out of the room and we
slept the night in the car. Did I mention it was our honeymoon? Next
morning, we booked into the other hotel. As we checked out of the dive, the
elderly lady asked why and when I told her why, she responded that roaches
weren't all that bad and she didn't mind them.  Oh well.

We didn't find Diane's diamond, but after the baths in Hot Springs, she
didn't mind so much. I did pick up some large chunks of Jasper in the park
at the edge of the diamond field.

On the way out of Murfreesboro we stopped at a rock shop. I bought quite a
few pounds of novaculite (Arkansas stone) in translucent white and surgical
black. I stuffed maybe seventy pounds of rocks into my suitcase. When we
checked our luggage, I did my best to nonchalantly walk up and place the bag
down gently. The clerk, booked our tickets, labeled the bags and then went
to pick up the bag. After the first jerk and the bag barely moved, she
looked exasperated, grabbed the bag with both hands and dragged the bag to
the conveyer. Sure couldn't pull that off today. Sure wish I'd bought more
of that novaculite then. It was something like 15 or 25 cents a pound.

Ted Kowalski
Fredericksburg VA USA

-----Original Message-----
From: rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com
[mailto:rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of Carol
Carter-Wientjes
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 10:21 PM
To: Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors
Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] Accommodations

I'd love to hear your Pet. Forest story! This isn't an accomodation story, 
but earlier this year my husband Hans & I escorted his 2 Dutch tantes 
(aunts) who were visiting from Holland on a trip thru the southwest. One 
afternoon included a stop at the Petrified Forest (so awesome!!) and after 
we passed thru the park entrance Hans told us under no circumstances were 
any of us, looking at ME the rock freak in particular, to pick up any 
petrified souvenirs off the ground or we were all going to JAIL. Had a 
wonderful time ohhhing & ahhing at the colorful logs along the tour trail 
and then piled back into the car. Almost to the checkpoint to leave the park

and hubby jokes, Ok nobody picked up any rocks did they!? ha ha ha (eyeing 
me in the rear view mirror). Then a tiny voice from the back of the van, 
Yaaaahhhh..... followed by the sound of screeching brakes....

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeanette Wimpee" <geenet at centurytel.net>
To: "Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors" 
<rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com>
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 7:38 PM
Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] Accommodations


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