Rockhunting in Texas

Monday October 1st to Thursday October 11th 2007

10 nights for US$1090

No Further bookings

Prospect for gold, hunt for topaz, discover llanite, enjoy the mineral and geological diversity of the Llano Uplift in the Texas Hill Country.

Now the summer heat has faded and this is a good time to get out and about and explore. The Llano river should still be warm enough for swimming and playing and comfortable for gold panning. Bring lots of sunscreen (minimum 15 spf), river shorts, sandals and hat.

Monday, October 1st: our shuttle will pick up at Austin Bergstrom Airport (AUS) around 5:30 pm. We will be keeping track of flight times and will take into account flight delays. The drive to Llano takes just over an hour.

Tuesday, October 2nd: Orientation meeting and introductions. Spend the rest of the morning exploring Llano. In the afternoon we will drive down to the Kingsland low water crossing on the Llano river where you can pan for gold. This is also a great place to search amongst the rocks and pebbles in the riverbed to see what got washed out.

Wednesday, October 3rd: Morning - more gold panning below the Llano River bridge in Llano. This is a very short walk from the hotel so stay as long as you like. The river bottom here is a great place for the rock-hunter - see what you can find. In the afternoon we will drive out to the the site of an abandoned graphite mine/quarry for unguided rockhunting.

Thursday, October 4th: An outcrop of Llanite crosses State Highway 16 just north of Llano. Spend the morning finding the perfect piece to cut and polish. Afternoon -at the river. Check out some new low water crossings - swim, play, hunt for rocks.

Friday, October 5th: A major day out in San Antonio. A day to relax, have fun, do some shopping...

Saturday, October 6th: Out and about. We will visit some of the roadsite sites of geological interest and some new river crossings for panning and exploration. Packed lunch is provided but barbecue and refreshments will also be available at Castell General Store. Kayaks available to rent for the more adventurous.

Sunday, October 7th: Day long field trip to Mason to prospect for topaz. We will split into smaller teams whose members can work together digging, sieving the soil and sorting out the promising lumps of rock. Packed lunch.

Monday, October 8th: Day long field trip to Oxford Ranch. More team digging for haematite, quartz, gold and much more. Packed lunch.

Tuesday, October 9th: Morning - Hike around and over Enchanted Rock. Afternoon - visit Fredericksburg. An opportunity to explore this historic town built by German immigrants in the mid 1800's. Delightful shops, interesting museums, excellent food.

Wednesday, October 10th: Geological tour of Longhorn Caverns State Park. Packed lunch. Evening - traditional Texas cookout.

Thursday, October 11th: Breakfast at the hotel. Depart at noon for Austin Bergstrom Airport (AUS).

For booking or other information email me at minerals@texas.net. Include your phone number and I will be happy to call you back.

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