David Cowley asked:
Opals have been considered a magical precious stone for thousands of years. It is said to help the wearer’s psychic powers and to have better and more vivid dreams. Modern Witches and Pagans especially look for black opals, said to enhance any magic spell. But not are opals rich in myth and magic, they are also really nice to look at. In many ways, they are similar to pearls, but not nearly so expensive.
Opal
Although you can buy opals from jewelers, geological shows and “nature” stores and their website equivalents, it’s far more fun and magical to find the opal yourself. This is one of the many reasons why opal treasure hunting is becoming a popular activity, especially in Nevada and Oregon, where Bonanza Opal Mines and the Juniper Ridge Fire Opal Mines are.
Opal Rough
Finders Keepers
Bonanza Opal Mines have “finders’ keepers” days where the general public is allowed to come in, pay a daily fee of less than $50 and keep any and all opals that they find. You are not allowed to dig just anywhere in the mines, however. Some areas are reserved only for shareholders. But hunting for opals is still good in all of the other places of the mines.
Depending on where you choose to hunt for opal, the tools you should bring include Small Hand Rake, Shovel, Pick Axe, Hammer, Bucket, Gloves and Knee pads. You can use the hard rock mining technique which entails use of a pick axe, shovels, and a hammer or your could just rake through the tailing which are bulldozed piles of material removed from the mining area. Many of these mines are in extraordinarily remote areas so be prepared to camp and bring all necessary food, water and mining supplies.
Opal Armband
Modern day opal treasure hunters don’t need to travel a huge distance to and from the mines when they need to relax after an invigorating day searching. They are allowed to camp in certain places in Bonanza Opal Mines. There are also shower facilities and a naturally heated pond. Camping and use of the showers is included in your daily fee.
If you like the thrill of the hunt and the beauty of the shifting colors of opals, you may be interested to know that sometimes opportunities come where you can be a Bonanza Opal Mine shareholder. When you become one of only 100 shareholders, then you are allowed to dig in the “bank” – the places thought to be richest in opals. If you are interesting in a share, you need to contact Bonanza Opal Mines by email or phone.
Juniper Ridge Fire Opal Mine is another mine that allows the general public to search for opals on a fee bases. The digging fee is $200 per person per day which gives you the right to dig for opals at the mine area and you are allowed to fill a one gallon bucket with raw gemstones. The mine operators at the Juniper Ridge Fire Opal Mine believe that any reasonably health and active adult should be able to fill a one gallon bucked within a single day. If you have more than one gallon bucket worth of material you can pay an additional fee or simply keep only the highest grade of opals to take home.
Before booking your opal treasure hunting trip, be sure to contact your local treasure hunting club to find information on what tools to bring. You can find out the contact information of your local club through the Federation of Metal Detectors and Archeologist Clubs, Inc. Often, your local Wal-Mart will have a display table or pamphlets from your local treasure hunting club available. Sometimes, there even will be club members manning the table so you can ask questions about opal treasure hunting.
Happy treasure hunting.
Frank Johnson asked:
For some people, taking city tours, visiting breweries, and lying out on the beach just isn’t enough. These tourists want a trip filled with adventure; one that’s off the beaten path. Adventure travel is a specialized type of travel that isn’t filled with the typical tour buses and bed-and-breakfasts. Adventure travel engulfs a more exploratory sense of the word “travel”. Adventure travelers would rather hike up a mountain, trek through a jungle, or ride white water rapids than sit in an air conditioned bus and be chauffeured from place to place.
However, although adventure travelers don’t partake in all-inclusive resort stays, adventure travel can still be quite expensive. That’s because the destinations adventure travelers travel to (and the activities they do) often require special guides, groups, and sometimes equipment.
If you want a change of scenery and want to experience adventure travel, here are some tips on how to make it more affordable. Follow these tips and save a few bucks for when you’re in-country.
Adventure Travel Tips and Deals
Tip #1: Find Affordable Airfare to Your Adventure Travel Destination
Regardless of what you do when you arrive at your destination, getting there can be costly. Airfare will always be a factor in your travel budget, regardless of if you’re traveling to go on a safari, hike the Himalayas, or lay on a beach. Flying is an expensive way to travel; however, thanks to the Internet, it doesn’t have to be. The Internet is filled with deals on airfare to destinations all over the world. If you’re planning an adventure travel trip, search the web for airfare and budget travel deals. The web is jam packed with travel web sites offering amazing rates on airfare to many travel destinations. So if you’re planning an adventure travel trip, find airfare deals online.
Tip #2: Book Your Adventure Travel Adventures When You Get There
Since adventure travel takes you off the beaten path, it’s fairly simple to find great deals on rooms, materials, and tours in the outskirts of town. However, if you try to book a room or find a tour guide before you leave, you’ll probably have to deal with a middleman to book your accommodations; and anytime you deal with a middleman, the more it’s going to cost you. The middleman will most likely charge you some sort of service or finders fee. By waiting until you are in-country to book your accommodations and materials, you’ll be able to cut out the middleman and save some money on your adventure travel.
However, before you jump on the plane, it’s a good idea to check out adventure travel blogs and websites online. They’ll help you get in touch with other adventure travelers who can give you advice on who you should contact when in-country to make the necessary arrangements. You don’t want to journey to a foreign land completely blind.
Tip #3: Find an Adventure Travel Group to Travel With
Believe it or not, there are travel groups out there that specialize in adventure travel. These groups are experienced in adventure travel and have the right connections to get you deals on your trip. Adventure travel groups normally travel as a group and benefit from group rates. They also have connections with people in other countries to plan the best and most affordable activities. Planning an adventure travel trip on your own can be complicated and very costly. By finding an adventure travel group and going with them on their adventures, you’ll be able to cut down the cost of your trip and also meet some new people along the way.
Top Adventure Travel Destinations
Africa
Africa is referred to as the cradle of human life as we know it, being the oldest inhabited territory in the world. Travel through Africa will reveal the modern dilemma of a region pushing forward with globalization and technology at the same time that many cultures and tribes are striving to protect their traditional way of life. In addition to human life, Africa supports the world’s most spectacular collection of rare species and biodiversity. Encountering Africa’s wilderness firsthand is not only a radically unique experience, but also a once-in-a-lifetime privilege that future generations may not have the opportunity to share. For more information on adventure travel to Africa, visit http://www.cfares.com/africa.
Thailand
Thailand offers the diversity of a society running in parallel: booming city life and leisurely beach escapes, thickly canopied jungles and white sand islands, indulgent cuisine, clubs and cocktails and the sanctuary of Buddhist lifestyle. Thailand has come of age as a traveler’s dream destination, an affordable gateway to paradise with adventure at your fingertips. For more information on adventure travel to Thailand, visit http://www.cfares.com/thailand.
Randy Swanston asked:
For some people, the perfect vacation is to find a five star hotel or beach where you can every whim catered to and every indulgence fulfilled. Others may seek a more family style excursion with amusement parks and theme parks. And yet others may opt for a cruise or other entertainment vacation. However there are those who desire to go “where no man has gone before”. There are those who enjoy walking on the wild side. For these people, there exists adventure travel.
Adventure travel may take you kayaking in Glacier Bay, Alaska. You may choose to go canoeing and camping in the boundary waters of Northern Minnesota. You may choose to travel the world always seeking the path less traveled. You may travel to the rainforests of the Amazon or the Sahara Desert. You may go on an African Safari or mountain climbing in Tibet.
Beginners can get started in adventure travel easily. Many places offer guided and equipped tours into adventure areas. Experienced outfitters can provide you with all the equipment and the guide you need to start in adventure travel. More experienced adventures may plan their own trips and use their own equipment.
Adventure travel may also include ecotravel or travel with a purpose. Perhaps your adventure travel vacation could include a visit to an African refugee camp or helping to feed the hungry in a third world nation.
Perhaps your adventure travel will take to you to South America visiting ruins of the ancient Aztec civilization. Maybe your adventure travel will take you to the pyramids of Egypt.
Adventure travel is about discovering something new. Perhaps the adventure is the sport and the activity such as kayaking, canoeing, camping, mountain climbing, hiking and more. But adventure travel is not limited to sport. Adventure travel includes adventures in science visiting the Antarctic or the Amazon rainforest. Adventure travel includes discovering history in the Middle East or South America. Adventure travel can take you into the depths of winter or into the heat of summer.
No matter where you go or what you do, adventure travel is all about traveling on the road less traveled, learning about the world, learning about other people and other cultures. Adventure travel can take you to the extremes. You can go to the most extreme and remote parts of the world. You can engage in extreme sports. You can visit extreme history.
There are many travel agents available to help you plan your next adventure travel vacation.
