Two Awesome Places In Arkansas You Have to Visit

Arkansas is known for its natural, scenic beauty. It's also the home of the only diamond park in the world where for a nominal fee you dig for diamonds and what you find you get to keep. Arkansas is also home to several crystal mines where you can dig for quartz crystals, too. With cooler weather on the way diamond-hunting is a must thing to do for a family outing.

In the small town of Murfreesboro, Ark., just 68 miles from Texarkana, lies a dirt field that used to be home of the world's eighth largest diamond producing volcanic crater. Today, visitors can dig for diamonds and, if you're lucky, you may just find a big one you can keep from the Crater of Diamonds State Park. How's that for some personal bling bling? Park officials say diamonds come in all colors and sizes but the three most often ones found in the park are white, brown and yellow.

I remember going there when I was child. I had a blast digging through the dirt trying to find a diamond but I had no luck. However, diamonds are not the only rocks to be found. Garnet, jasper, quartz, agate and amethyst are just a few of the rocks and minerals you'll find at this one-of-a-kind park.  And if you want to stay for awhile, there are campsites, picnic sites, walking trails, restaurant and even a water park nearby.

And if you want to continue your outdoor quest Arkansas has several quartz mines that offer the same deal that for a small fee you can dig in the dirt and what you find you get to keep. For starters, the Ouachita Mountains has some of the clearest, most incredible quartz crystals in the entire world. Mount Ida, which is minutes from Hot Springs, Ark., is best known for its crystals and because of that, it's been given the title of the Quartz Capital of the World. Start digging.