Mocksville, North Carolina - Day 2
| View our photo album for this location! |
Lake Myers RV Resort - Gem Mining
Tuesday morning started off great with French Toast and coffee for breakfast; taking our time getting ready for the big day at the Hiddenite Mine. We stopped by the campground office for directions, then it was off in the Jeep west on I40 and then north on Route 90 to the mine. The two lane road abruptly turned into a dirt/gravel driveway into the woods, down a gully and up a small hill. Cars and pickup trucks were parked off the gravel and into the woods all the way to the front gate where Poppa was lucky enough to find a spot.
It was very hot outside with the sun shining, but we were able to find some shade while waiting in line for our mining permits. Yup, there was a line to get in, and people say it was because there was a television show recently on Cash and Treasure that really brought business in. We found out the mine was a simple open pit and not a real cave mine we were expecting. So ... we elected to not dig dirt in the sunshine, but rather sit in the shade at the sluice. We each got a complimentary bucket, and when they ran out, Poppa bought a 5 gallon bucket for $10. Counting our $5 entry fees, the entire day cost us $25; not bad for great entertainment.
Grandma wasn't farting, but she did something really funny; she stood up on a bench to take some pictures, and when getting down she fell and twisted her ankle, skinned her knees, scrapped her whole left side, bruised her left elbow, skinned her left pinky and ring finger, and also her forearm. Poppa and Jessie, as well as about a dozen other onlookers, showed real concern and asked "are you alright?" And ... without missing a beat at the sluiceway, kept on finding gems while Grandma picked herself back up. She took the embarrassment like a real trooper though and kept on sifting through the mud for gems. Poppa and Jessie were really proud of her.
After an early dinner at a local restaurant, it was back to the campsite to wash the remaining mud from our gems and let them dry off on the picnic table. Jessie and Grandma had combined their's in a bag, and those were the ones that
got washed first. As Jessie was bringing them around the coach to the picnic table, she tripped and fell on a slight ditch line. It seemed like today was bad luck for both of them. Poppa is usually the one who falls down and twists his ankles, but today he was as steady as a rock.
As the afternoon wore on, we met our neighbors from Arkansas (Allan and Debbie) and Doug who is a friend of theirs. Originally from Maine, Allan and Poppa talked about where to go in the state to get the best lobsters. Allan told us about a place called Lincolnville, and told us to make sure we go on the pier there to pick our own lobsters. He also invited us to his home in Arkansas when we get down that way. He has a place large enough for a guest RV'er with full hookups. We will definitely pay them a visit when we're in that part of the country.
Grandma, Jessica, Debbie and her granddaughter Dylan all played with Allan's dog Wagner in the field directly behind our campsites. Once Wagner got the tennis ball, he was reluctant to release it; opting instead to chew it silly. Have you ever chewed a piece of gum until the flavor went away? Well, that's apparently what happened to Wagner because he let the ball loose only to get it thrown again. I guess the grass gave it more flavor!
Showers and cleaning up were on the agenda before hitting the sack. Although today was cooler than Monday, it was still humid with very little wind. And ... because of our early dinner at the restaurant, none of us wanted anything to eat. So, Jessie and Grandma watched a television show and Poppa crashed.
Our Ratings (1=lowest, 10=highest)
| Campground / Resort | 8 |
| People | 8 |
| Roads | 9 |
| Traffic | 9 |
| Scenery | 9 |
| Things to Do | 10 |
| Weather | 10 |