No Such Luck, Day 71, Crater of Diamonds State Park, Murfreesboro, Ark.

Nope. Didn't find a diamond after 2 hours in 100°F heat. Not sure whether I'd have known it if I saw it.

The process was fun though. Dig. Put dirt in bucket. Sift. Examine. even though you don't know what your looking for. At the end the ranger looks at the rock collection and tells you what you got. We found and saved a bunch of Jasper.

Neat facts. The diamond mine was acquired by the State of Arkansas after Gov Bill Clinton commissioned a study of whether the mine was commercially viable. It wasn't. Instead it is a remarkable economic engine for this tiny town in nowhere Arkansas at the foot of the Ouchita (pronounced Ouseeta) Mountains.

People find on average 2 diamonds a day.

We saw cut Arkansas diamonds in town selling  $1,300.

Natives pronounce Murfreesboro like they have a pile of Diamonds in their mouths.


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