[Rockhounds] Southern Illinois - After Christmas

[Doug Bank]

It is shorter to drive to Cave in Rock / Rosiclare through Illinois, but if you go through Missouri you would pass only a few miles from Hamilton, IL / Keokuk, IA. / St. Francisville, MO. I’d stop and get some geodes… It’s probably too late for the ones that weather out in the spring, but digging might be OK if it isn’t too cold. I think a few places have good shops as well. 

http://www.keokukiowatourism.org/geodes/index.php <http://www.keokukiowatourism.org/geodes/index.php>
> On Nov 30, 2017, at 7:13 PM, Alan Goldstein <deepskyspy at outlook.com> wrote:
> 
> The American Fluorite Museum in Rosiclare has a huge collecting pile that I looked at before the eclipse and it looked very promising. They charge by the pound, but if you can get rid of matrix or dig of water handy to wash specimens, some interesting pieces might be found. The money supports museum operations, so it is a very good cause! 
> 
> The Griffith's on the west side of Hastie's property mine and sell fluorite specimens at reasonable prices. The specimens are near surface-source, so the larger crystals are not transparent, but some show purple-over-yellow and others show dark purple bands when backlit. 
> 
> The AFM has nice exhibits that are worth the $5 admission fee. Find out if they will be open before you go. It is a volunteer-run museum. And the bathroom doesn't work - no water line. 
> 
> That's about it for southern Illinois. 
> 
> The Clement Mineral Museum is so different than the AFM, it is also worth the $5 admission. They have a huge gift ship with a lot of minerals for sale, from a variety of locations local and regional. Although they haven't resolved the insurance issue for the digs, they never had digs in the late fall and winter.
> 
> Good luck!
> 
> Alan G.
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rockhounds [mailto:rockhounds-bounces at rockhounds.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of gary brown
> Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2017 11:11 AM
> To: 'Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors' <rockhounds at rockhounds.drizzle.com>
> Subject: [Rockhounds] Southern Illinois - After Christmas
> 
> The Beloved(tm) is going out east for a week to spend some Mom time with her daughter, so I'm think of heading south to bang on rocks.  I'm in Saint Paul, and I figure the southern Illinois fluorite area might be a possibility.  Any suggestions/ideas?  Museums nearby?  Folks interested in trading?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Gary Brown
> 
> 
> 
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