Arrowhead Hunting and Rock Collecting

We weren't planning to go rock and arrowhead hunting in Arizona. My wife and I just liked that hotspring in the desert. It was agood place to escape the Michigan winter for a while.

Then we met Felix, an old Mayan Indian living in an old RV. After sharing meals and campfires for a week, he took us into the desert to show us ancient metates (grain-grinding stones) and arrowheads. We also found hundreds of beautiful rocks of every type, including Apache Tears, Fire Agate, and various quartzes.

Irina, a nineteen-year-old "rainbow kid," who had been living in her van for months, rode with Felix in his old pickup. We took our van. We spent two hours at the first stop. The recent rain had made the rocks and artifacts stand out, washing them clean. We were mostly just rock collecting.

Irina and my wife Ana found odd pieces that may have been arrowheads. We found old pottery pieces too, and Felix came back with half of a pot painted with an intricate design. It was probably hundreds of years old. Felix had been in the desert for years, and kept seeing things we missed.

Pony Express Ruins

At our second stop, Felix showed us ruins of an old Pony Express station. Unmarked and forgotten, the grass-and-mud-block walls were still partially standing. I realized we still hadn't seen a single other car. There are some isolated areas in Arizona, and this is one of them. We started arrowhead hunting around the ruins, because Felix insisted the building would have been fired upon by arrows.

Up the hill behind the ruins, Felix showed us rocks with six-inch wide holes a foot deep or more, and perfectly round. They were filled with water - their purpose, according to Felix. We like water with fewer bugs, but he and Irina drank the water collected in them. It was a peaceful spot, overlooking the valley below.

Arrowhead Hunting Success

Over the hill, we had some luck searching for rocks and arrowheads, but not like Felix. We saw hundreds of pieces of pottery, but all very plain looking. He found pottery that had beautiful designs on it, and metates. He found a tiny clear quartz arrowhead, perfectly made, that had probably been used to hunt small birds two hundred years earlier.

Each of us wandered a bit. Ana and I made it back to the van first, and when Irina and Felix returned, we cooked beans with instant rice on our camp stove. After the meal, we said goodbyes, and traded addresses. They went back to the hotsprings, while we headed the other way with bags of rocks, an antelope antler, and two broken arrowheads.

Notes:

For interesting rocks, go out after a rain and you can see Fire-agate and Apache Teardrops laying on the sand. For the best rock collecting, visit the designated rockhound areas in southeastern Arizona. As for arrowhead hunting, and ancient pottery, enjoy yourself, but it may be illegal to keep any artifacts now. The BLM office in Safford can give you directions and more information.

Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and traveled the United States and Mexico alone at 17. Now 40, he travels with his wife Ana, whom he met in Ecuador. Read more stories, tips and travel information at: http://www.EverythingAboutTravel.com

---

A Review of Popular River Rafting Trips and Services

Organized river rafting trips are a good idea for novices... Read More

Creative Camp Cooking

For most people, outdoor cooking is synonymous with barbeque, but... Read More

How to Grab a Bite to Eat and Help the Planet

You CAN grab something to eat, enjoy every bite, AND... Read More

Hawaii Volcano Tour

A Hawaii volcano tour can be a most memorable experience,... Read More

San Francisco Beaches

When you are planning a vacation to Maui or Rio... Read More

RV Camping at Casinos

There's nothing that will quicken the interest of RVers like... Read More

Camping For Fun

Camping for fun is a great way to enjoy the... Read More

Santa Cruz Church ? the Portuguese Legacy in Bangkok

Santa Cruz Church, the church of the holy cross, was... Read More

Spanish Courses in Spain

Spain: sun, sea, sand and Spanish... discover us! Spain, a... Read More

Great Indian Holidays

Holidays in India, awesome in her size and diversity. This... Read More

Disneyland for Hikers: A Walk to Mt. Whitney

Base camp sits at 12,000 feet - stark, windy, unshaded... Read More

Canoe Trip with Nature

A canoe trip is a great way to appreciate Nature!A... Read More

New Technologies in Camping and Outdoor Clothing Enhance the Outdoor Experience

Camping is an excellent way to explore and experience the... Read More

Bird Watching Journals ? Preserve Your Bird Watching Experiences

Bird Watching is a great way to escape the rat... Read More

Bicycling Down The River

My river-rafting adventure started on a bicycle. The small daypack... Read More

Traveling To and Around Hawaii, A First-Time Visitors Primer

Six different islands in Hawaii are open to tourism. Most... Read More

Bird Watching Mecca ? 338 Species At Acadia National Park

When it comes to birding, Acadia National Park is a... Read More

Is There Such A Thing As A Romantic Camping Getaway In Minnesota?

Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of Sketchandtravel.com and Bookpleasures.com is pleased... Read More

Trekking in Jordan

1st day : Airport / Amman, O/N Our representative will... Read More

Mammoth Cave: One of the Most Beautiful in Our National Park System

Directly south of Louisville, just off Interstate 65 and not... Read More

Samoa, Heart of Polynesia

The islands of Samoa are emerging as an exciting new... Read More

The Price of Gas Really Doesnt Matter!

"The good news is that there is no reason to... Read More

Holidays in Goa

Sun, Sand and Surf ? an apt description for Goa?... Read More

Arrowhead Hunting and Rock Collecting

We weren't planning to go rock and arrowhead hunting in... Read More

Greek Food

A meal in Greece is highlighted with a selection of... Read More