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BROWNWOOD STATE PARK, Nov. 13, 2021
     This will be a multi-club field trip exclusively for clubs who are members of the South Central Federation of Mineral Societies.  The Waco Gem and Mineral Club is a member of the SCFMS.  Members of these SCFMS clubs are asked to meet in the parking lot just outside the front gate of the Brownwood State Park.
     Date:  Saturday, Novembeer 13, 2021
     Time:  NO LATER THAN 10:00 am.
     Bring:  Bucket or adequate container; Rock hammer (or screwdriver, or any appropriate tool fro prying);  No digging required.
     Target:  Horn Coral and other fossils
FOR MORE INFORMATION: 
     CONTACT:  Bob Boyd  817-917-4877

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BAR M RANCH

At Bar M Ranch, guests are invited to search Honey Creek and its tributaries for topaz. Blue Topaz is the state gem of Texas—naturally occurring topaz of this variety is quite rare. Mason County, located in the heart of Texas, is the best place in the state for hunters to find the colorless and light blue varieties.

TOPAZ
As you explore the area, you may be fortunate enough to find Topaz, the official stone of Texas. The now famous “Texas Star Topaz” design features topaz found only in this area of Texas.

ROCK/GEM HUNTING
Bar M Ranch also offers some of the best rock hunting in the area, with stones such as granite, flint, limestone, and quartz.

Available for individual or group hunting.

Website: Bar M Ranch

Inner Space Cavern

Hidden for over 10,000 years, Inner Space Cavern is one of the best preserved caves in Texas.

Inner Space can entertain people of all ages! If the tour doesn't interest you, there is also a playground, a mining area, a gift shop, and several displays of fossils that were found right here in the cave.

No food, drink, candy, gum, backpacks, wheelchairs, strollers, or tripods allowed in the cave. 

Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring your camera!

Inner Space cavern was discovered by a Texas Highway Department core drilling team in the Spring of 1963. Six inch core samples were taken to determine if the ground was stable enough to support a large highway overpass. As they were drilling one of the test holes, the bit suddenly dropped 26ft. and the highway crew knew there was something down there besides rock.

Website: Inner Space Cavern

Lindsay Ranch

Rock hunting on the Lindsay Ranch is limited to those who are staying in one of their guest houses or the camping area.

Website: Lindsay Ranch

Mason Texas Topaz

The Seaquist family has called Mason its home ever since Oscar Seaquist left his native Sweden and settled in Mason in the early 1900's.  Oscar was a boot maker/entrepreneur who owned a shop in town that still bears the Seaquist name to this day.  He also purchased the home seen below in 1919, which along with the ranch is still owned by his two grandsons.

People have been enjoying rock hunting on the Seaquist Ranch since the 1970's. 

Topaz found in Texas is primarily white. Natural Blue Topaz is only found in one place in North America.  Mason Texas!!

Website: Mason Texas Topaz

Natural Bridge Caverns

Naturally cool things to do—for everyone!!

Like on the Discovery Tour, where you’ll see massive, otherworldly formations formed by single drops of water and the slow passage of time, Or, explore their Hidden Passages Tour, where shadows dance over delicate formations and mystery awaits in every shadow.  Take to the skies high above Texas, as you ascend the Canopy Challenge, or for a true test, try tackling one of their adventure tours.  Experience a sense of discovery finding your way through their AMAZEn’ Ranch Roundup, a 5,000 sq.ft outdoor maze! If you want some good old-fashioned fun, look no further than the Mining Company, where you mine and pan for gems, fossils and other treasures. 

Pricing varies with each of the fun filled adventures! 

Website: Natural Bridge Caverns

Petroleum Museum

A visit to the Petroleum Museum is an amazing journey through over 230 million years of history.  Located in the heart of the Permian Basin, the Petroleum Museum offers interactive education and entertainment for adventurers of all ages.

Website: Petroleum Museum

Museum of Nature and Science

So much to offer, you must check out their website!  They do offer some discounts during the year, so check to see what may apply to you and your family!

Permanent Exhibit Halls

Website: Perot Museum

Rock Hunting in the Big Bend of Texas

There are many locations in the Big Bend that have wonderful, collectible rocks.  But the Big Bend is all private land or National and State Park land, so you can only hunt at ranches that are open to the public for rockhunting, or with a private guide like me.  Currently, I have access to three ranches available for rockhunting field trips during cool weather (from around October 1 to around June 1). There is also a fourth ranch that is open occasionally for large groups.  Different ranches may become available in the future, and there is no guarantee that the ranches I currently have access to will remain open in the future.

Rollin’ Rock Club membership is required for all my field trips.  An alternative is membership in a club that has declared my field trips to be official field trips for their members.   Club membership is required because the South Central Federation of Mineralogical Societies has insurance that covers the landowner in case we damage a fence or something. The cost of the Rollin’ Rock Club is $10 per year for a single membership, or $16 per year for a dual membership. You can join when you go on your first field trip with me.

Website: Rock Hunting in the Big Bend of Texas

Waco Mammoth National Monument

Waco Mammoth National Monument sits within 100 acres of wooded parkland along the Bosque River. Surrounded by oak, mesquite and cedar trees, the site offers an escape from the modern world and provides a glimpse into the lives and habitat of Columbian mammoths and other Ice Age animals.

This paleontological site represents the nation’s only recorded discovery of a nursery herd of Columbian mammoths. Visitors can view "in situ" fossils including female mammoths, a bull mammoth, and a camel that lived approximately 67,000 years ago.

Website: Waco Mammoth National Monument