When the kids are on summer break they think it's all slacking and playing video games. Suckers. They're gonna learn even if they don't know they're learning.
Over the previous 10 days we've been visiting all manner of sites throughout the state of Oregon. Whether it was Crater Lake National Park, Oregon Caves National Monument, Newberry National Volcanic Monument, or John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, there's been one common theme: GEOLOGY.
Quite honestly, I don't think we realized this when we started planning the trip. But once we did, it was clear we had to stop in one last place: Richardson's Rock Ranch.
The Ranch epitomizes a family-run business in the west. The owners greet you and help get you set up with tools and tell you where to dig. Dig? The Ranch is basically a u-dig farm for rock hounds and those that will become rock hounds after spending an afternoon there. We followed their directions and hand-drawn map to the agate beds. The dirt road wasn't a hard drive and we parked within 50 feet of the digging site.
The site is pretty much a 30-foot wide ditch. The edges were partially collapsed, loose, and easy to dig through with the rock hammers our hosts provided. Within a few minutes we were finding thunder eggs. Think of a rock the size of a baseball with a distinctive texture. Inside the egg is the agate. They formed as gas pockets in lava, then water with dissolved silica seeped in and hardened.
Some of the eggs were already broken open. We skipped these except the one that had a void in it. (That was too cool to leave.) We collected about 30 pounds of rocks in an hour. Clara and Lilly were addicted. They wanted to take every rock we found. Amy was a little more selective, but dedicated to getting all the right rocks.
The minimum charge for driving onto the Ranch is $10. That includes the first 10 pounds of rocks. Then it's just a dollar for each additional pound of rocks. A five gallon bucket is about 30 pounds. For just a trivial amount more they'll cut your agates open. Although you can easily crack them open, cutting them results in a flat surface and shows the intricate details. Many are simply dark crystal. However, we found white streaks in one, pink and blue in another, and a void with crystals all around in one of Lilly's finds. Even if you don't dig yourself, there are plenty of amazing rocks to look at and purchase at the office.
When you go make sure the weather is good and bring water, snacks, sunscreen, and gardening gloves. And say, Hi, to the peacocks and dogs wandering around the office.
