Digging deeply for "miner" details about a prospecting adventure!
March 21, 2017 10:42 AM Subscribe
Hello, AskMeFi! Recently, I was given generous notice by my main client that my services will not be required from Friday, April 28th through Thursday, May 4th 2017; as they need travel out of state. This is significant news, as it will be the first I have had off in over two years of working ludicrous hours, seven days per week. As such, my boyfriend and I are seizing the chance to finally explore a destination that has been on our respective bucket lists since ever:
The Herkimer Diamond Mines, in Herkimer, New York. Lake effect snow within...
... Do you want to build a snowman? It doesn't have to be a snowman.
Our tentative plan is to immediately depart for Herkimer that Friday at 3:30pm when my boyfriend gets out of work, have a nice dinner somewhere in town on arrival, and then spend the night at the nearby KOA Resort. Saturday we will be up at sunrise, probably grab breakfast at one of the three eateries on site, and then head to the mines ready to excavate our little hearts out at 9:00am sharp. Dependent upon how far we get, the option is being kept open to possibly stay an additional night, for further digs and geode cracking (!!) on Sunday morning. Home by late Sunday evening, cos y'know, someone has work that Monday. Ahem.
The only hitch in our experience maximization, is my outdoor-enthusiast boyfriend's insistence that we could simply pitch a tent on the KOA campgrounds for shelter, in maximum "roughing it" flavor. He was all word salad after that, something about "grilling venison"... "late afternoon hiking"... "finding a fishing hole, can't mine allll day..." BLESS. He is a riot. Back off, ladies, he's mine. Errrrm, the last time *I* slept in a tent was at Girl Scout camp: the first day out, raccoons smelled the emergency snack stash in my rucksack*, summarily strewing my belongings everywhere. I found my socks by the latrine. The overall experience (instant pudding made in Ziplock bags! cooking pancakes over Sterno in freezing drizzle! bugs! mud!) put me off camping for life, in the end. Suffice to say, my slight preference is to stay HERE ((you know you'd want to, as well... 'fess!)) Or, even in one of the lower end cozy accomodations available, at very least. Good thing we have over a month to duke it out, eh? Hallllllllpp.
*- Ever since, I've referred to them as "ransacks". Unrepentant.
Aside from perspectives on that kerfuffle, if you've ever been to Herkimer/the mines/any restaurants/the KOA/whathaveyou; please please regale me with any and all information, advice, anecdotes, best excavation tools and practices beyond the FAQ, general recommendations, and/or creative uses of the heaps of gems we are sure to unearth and keep. Best answers could receive some Herkimer diamond appreciation in the post, if desired! Warmest thanks in advance, everyone, and gratitude for slogging through this Ask. Looking forward to all input.
... Do you want to build a snowman? It doesn't have to be a snowman.
Our tentative plan is to immediately depart for Herkimer that Friday at 3:30pm when my boyfriend gets out of work, have a nice dinner somewhere in town on arrival, and then spend the night at the nearby KOA Resort. Saturday we will be up at sunrise, probably grab breakfast at one of the three eateries on site, and then head to the mines ready to excavate our little hearts out at 9:00am sharp. Dependent upon how far we get, the option is being kept open to possibly stay an additional night, for further digs and geode cracking (!!) on Sunday morning. Home by late Sunday evening, cos y'know, someone has work that Monday. Ahem.
The only hitch in our experience maximization, is my outdoor-enthusiast boyfriend's insistence that we could simply pitch a tent on the KOA campgrounds for shelter, in maximum "roughing it" flavor. He was all word salad after that, something about "grilling venison"... "late afternoon hiking"... "finding a fishing hole, can't mine allll day..." BLESS. He is a riot. Back off, ladies, he's mine. Errrrm, the last time *I* slept in a tent was at Girl Scout camp: the first day out, raccoons smelled the emergency snack stash in my rucksack*, summarily strewing my belongings everywhere. I found my socks by the latrine. The overall experience (instant pudding made in Ziplock bags! cooking pancakes over Sterno in freezing drizzle! bugs! mud!) put me off camping for life, in the end. Suffice to say, my slight preference is to stay HERE ((you know you'd want to, as well... 'fess!)) Or, even in one of the lower end cozy accomodations available, at very least. Good thing we have over a month to duke it out, eh? Hallllllllpp.
*- Ever since, I've referred to them as "ransacks". Unrepentant.
Aside from perspectives on that kerfuffle, if you've ever been to Herkimer/the mines/any restaurants/the KOA/whathaveyou; please please regale me with any and all information, advice, anecdotes, best excavation tools and practices beyond the FAQ, general recommendations, and/or creative uses of the heaps of gems we are sure to unearth and keep. Best answers could receive some Herkimer diamond appreciation in the post, if desired! Warmest thanks in advance, everyone, and gratitude for slogging through this Ask. Looking forward to all input.
Best answer: This sounds like a really fun trip and it sounds like it's a chance for you to relax from your grueling job. I'd tell my boyfriend I preferred not camping this time. Personally I like to camp but I work really hard at my own job (not as hard as you do!) and would not want to camp on my first weekend off in years. Perfectly reasonable. Plan a camping trip some other time!
posted by sockermom at 11:33 AM on March 21, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by sockermom at 11:33 AM on March 21, 2017 [3 favorites]
Best answer: First, I think it's adorable that on your first week off in two years you want to go to Herkimer.
Second, camping really is likely to be unpleasantly cold then. Especially since you're not used to it, you are likely to be uncomfortable. Since this is such a special event for you, make it luxurious and save camping for a more pleasant time.
posted by metasarah at 12:21 PM on March 21, 2017 [2 favorites]
Second, camping really is likely to be unpleasantly cold then. Especially since you're not used to it, you are likely to be uncomfortable. Since this is such a special event for you, make it luxurious and save camping for a more pleasant time.
posted by metasarah at 12:21 PM on March 21, 2017 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Seconding metasarah. Adorable. Hi, I grew up in Herkimer and still have family there.
I agree that pitching a tent won't be worth it. It'll still be pretty chilly at night and the KOA site is not really "wildernessy" enough to be worth it IMHO.
I also don't want to damper any of your enthusiasm for heaps of gems. You sound devoted to the task, unlike many of us in school trips where it felt like prison labor. Seriously, it should be fun for you!
I don't know anything about the food options there although it's stunning to me that there are three eateries. Just down the road is the Heidelberg bakery. Be sure to grab a loaf of the French peasant bread. Also, PK's and Ruggerio's are well-liked by locals for lunch/dinner. Crazy Otto's diner is also decent, located in a neat 1950s structure.
And if you need any hardware, my extended family runs the store across the street from Otto's.
posted by stefnet at 3:23 PM on March 21, 2017 [2 favorites]
I agree that pitching a tent won't be worth it. It'll still be pretty chilly at night and the KOA site is not really "wildernessy" enough to be worth it IMHO.
I also don't want to damper any of your enthusiasm for heaps of gems. You sound devoted to the task, unlike many of us in school trips where it felt like prison labor. Seriously, it should be fun for you!
I don't know anything about the food options there although it's stunning to me that there are three eateries. Just down the road is the Heidelberg bakery. Be sure to grab a loaf of the French peasant bread. Also, PK's and Ruggerio's are well-liked by locals for lunch/dinner. Crazy Otto's diner is also decent, located in a neat 1950s structure.
And if you need any hardware, my extended family runs the store across the street from Otto's.
posted by stefnet at 3:23 PM on March 21, 2017 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Going on a tent-camping trip requires a few things.
- at least one person who knows what they're doing and can make an exhaustive packing list. Packing list much include not only necessities, but also contingencies (what if it pours rain, is super-cold, etc), special circumstances (are there raccoons or other wildlife concerns at this site), and niceties (eg while he has in the past shared his 2-man hiking tent with another human and neither of them had a thermarest pad, he is no longer a rugged teenager and you might reasonably demand enough space to not only lie down but also open a rucksack, and more padding under you than just a blanket and your own flesh)
- all the items (many of them specialty items) which appear on that packing list (he may have some of that, but almost guaranteed not all, and not at the level of ease that you'd request).
- his understanding that he is 100% responsible for all the planning and orchestrating of this venture, since you have a job to do and don't actually care about this camping thing anyway.
Personally, I'd call it a bust. Point out to him that he can hike and fish and grill things outdoors, even while you're staying at the nice cozy cabin. Also, this is "your" vacation since it's your job stress, maybe you can negotiate going camping sometime on "his" vacation. One thing I've learned about camping is that it is at least 99% as fun when you're 5 miles from home as when you're in someplace spectacular. I bet you could go tent camping in your local state park if you just had a day off work, maybe this summer sometime when it's warmer - tell him that would be his chance to convince you camping is something you'd want to do again, but you're not risking it on your first big vacation in a while.
posted by aimedwander at 3:25 PM on March 21, 2017 [1 favorite]
- at least one person who knows what they're doing and can make an exhaustive packing list. Packing list much include not only necessities, but also contingencies (what if it pours rain, is super-cold, etc), special circumstances (are there raccoons or other wildlife concerns at this site), and niceties (eg while he has in the past shared his 2-man hiking tent with another human and neither of them had a thermarest pad, he is no longer a rugged teenager and you might reasonably demand enough space to not only lie down but also open a rucksack, and more padding under you than just a blanket and your own flesh)
- all the items (many of them specialty items) which appear on that packing list (he may have some of that, but almost guaranteed not all, and not at the level of ease that you'd request).
- his understanding that he is 100% responsible for all the planning and orchestrating of this venture, since you have a job to do and don't actually care about this camping thing anyway.
Personally, I'd call it a bust. Point out to him that he can hike and fish and grill things outdoors, even while you're staying at the nice cozy cabin. Also, this is "your" vacation since it's your job stress, maybe you can negotiate going camping sometime on "his" vacation. One thing I've learned about camping is that it is at least 99% as fun when you're 5 miles from home as when you're in someplace spectacular. I bet you could go tent camping in your local state park if you just had a day off work, maybe this summer sometime when it's warmer - tell him that would be his chance to convince you camping is something you'd want to do again, but you're not risking it on your first big vacation in a while.
posted by aimedwander at 3:25 PM on March 21, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I cannot believe that the day when my encyclopedic knowledge of Herkimer County is needed on Metafilter has finally arrived. I am so delighted I ran back to my desk to share all of my thoughts with you.
1. DON'T pitch a tent. Stay in a cabin. If this is your dream weekend, stay in the pretty Astronomy Lodge! They are also very proud of the Eco Cabins, which are now the "Solar Colony" although they sleep more than you need. Seriously, do not under any circumstances pitch a tent. It will be cold and uncomfortable. If it rains, it will flood. Book a cabin, probably this week, because a bunch are already gone. BOOK. A. CABIN.
1a. If you can't get a cabin at the KOA, try the nearby Portobello Inn, the Canal Side Inn in Little Falls, or the Inn at Stone Mill in Little Falls. They will all be rustic and charming and exciting. The Portobello is closest to the mines. The Canal Side and Stone Mill are further but in the same artsy-antique factory rehabilitation development with a bunch of art stores and a weird metal sculpture. They are also an easy walk to Moss Island to see the potholes. The Canal Side is attached to a French restaurant.
Food Recs:
Friday dinner: You will be tired and grumpy. Depending on where you stay, I recommend either the bar menu at the Canal Side in Little Falls, or...okay mostly the bar menu at the Canal Side in Little Falls. That's the one that will feel most like a Nice Dinner On Vacation. The rest are neighborhood restaurants that I'm always happy with: PK's, Yetty's, maybe Piccolo in Little Falls or Sorrento's in Ilion (Sorrento's does more take-out but could be good for lunch).
Lunch Places:
-Piggy Pat's in Washington Mills
-Heidelberg
Treats:
-I'm a sucker for the donuts at White Rose on the corner of Main St and Ann St in Little Falls, they make a thing they CALL bagels but which are not really bagels but whatever they are are quite good, Sundays only, go between 10 and 11 because that's when everyone is in church. It's like 6 for 3 dollars or some ridiculous thing.
Other sites you might be interested in based on your apparent love of Herkimer diamonds:
-There is a rival diamond mine in West Canada Valley called Ace of Diamonds Mine and Campground. I have never been to that one but I assume the competition is fierce and what are you going to do, tromp all the way to Herkimer County and only visit half the county's diamond mines? Come on.
-Howe Caverns is like a 40-minute drive and includes a boat tour and a gift shop and sounds right up your alley. It's very close to the Iroquois Indian Museum.
- Gems Along the Mohawk offers Erie Canal cruises!
-If you call ahead, you can take a tour of the monastery in Jordanville.
-You're within a stone's throw of Cooperstown for the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Fenimore Art Museum and related attractions.
-If you are into historic reenactment, you can go the General Herkimer Home in Little Falls. They make waffles. Touring the grounds is free, going in the house is like $5 a head.
Tips on the diamond mining:
I am so chuffed by the fact that this is an item on your bucket list that I am almost sorry to tell you the mining is only going to be fun for about 45 minutes tops. It's basically a big sheet of rock in the middle of a field. Lots of people have done this before and they found lots of the nice diamonds. I tell you this so you are prepared when you reach minute 46. If you go into it expecting enough diamonds to make a tiara, you will be disappointed. If you go into it expecting a fun couple of hours "prospecting" along with a relaxing weekend of hiking, boating, eating and exploring, you will have a lovely, fun, silly time. They will have a bunch of nicer stones for sale in the gift shop if you want jewelry, salt lamps, etc.
Memail me if you have more questions! This is the most delightful question I have ever had the good fortune of answering on Metafilter.
posted by Snarl Furillo at 6:50 PM on March 21, 2017 [20 favorites]
1. DON'T pitch a tent. Stay in a cabin. If this is your dream weekend, stay in the pretty Astronomy Lodge! They are also very proud of the Eco Cabins, which are now the "Solar Colony" although they sleep more than you need. Seriously, do not under any circumstances pitch a tent. It will be cold and uncomfortable. If it rains, it will flood. Book a cabin, probably this week, because a bunch are already gone. BOOK. A. CABIN.
1a. If you can't get a cabin at the KOA, try the nearby Portobello Inn, the Canal Side Inn in Little Falls, or the Inn at Stone Mill in Little Falls. They will all be rustic and charming and exciting. The Portobello is closest to the mines. The Canal Side and Stone Mill are further but in the same artsy-antique factory rehabilitation development with a bunch of art stores and a weird metal sculpture. They are also an easy walk to Moss Island to see the potholes. The Canal Side is attached to a French restaurant.
Food Recs:
Friday dinner: You will be tired and grumpy. Depending on where you stay, I recommend either the bar menu at the Canal Side in Little Falls, or...okay mostly the bar menu at the Canal Side in Little Falls. That's the one that will feel most like a Nice Dinner On Vacation. The rest are neighborhood restaurants that I'm always happy with: PK's, Yetty's, maybe Piccolo in Little Falls or Sorrento's in Ilion (Sorrento's does more take-out but could be good for lunch).
Lunch Places:
-Piggy Pat's in Washington Mills
-Heidelberg
Treats:
-I'm a sucker for the donuts at White Rose on the corner of Main St and Ann St in Little Falls, they make a thing they CALL bagels but which are not really bagels but whatever they are are quite good, Sundays only, go between 10 and 11 because that's when everyone is in church. It's like 6 for 3 dollars or some ridiculous thing.
Other sites you might be interested in based on your apparent love of Herkimer diamonds:
-There is a rival diamond mine in West Canada Valley called Ace of Diamonds Mine and Campground. I have never been to that one but I assume the competition is fierce and what are you going to do, tromp all the way to Herkimer County and only visit half the county's diamond mines? Come on.
-Howe Caverns is like a 40-minute drive and includes a boat tour and a gift shop and sounds right up your alley. It's very close to the Iroquois Indian Museum.
- Gems Along the Mohawk offers Erie Canal cruises!
-If you call ahead, you can take a tour of the monastery in Jordanville.
-You're within a stone's throw of Cooperstown for the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Fenimore Art Museum and related attractions.
-If you are into historic reenactment, you can go the General Herkimer Home in Little Falls. They make waffles. Touring the grounds is free, going in the house is like $5 a head.
Tips on the diamond mining:
I am so chuffed by the fact that this is an item on your bucket list that I am almost sorry to tell you the mining is only going to be fun for about 45 minutes tops. It's basically a big sheet of rock in the middle of a field. Lots of people have done this before and they found lots of the nice diamonds. I tell you this so you are prepared when you reach minute 46. If you go into it expecting enough diamonds to make a tiara, you will be disappointed. If you go into it expecting a fun couple of hours "prospecting" along with a relaxing weekend of hiking, boating, eating and exploring, you will have a lovely, fun, silly time. They will have a bunch of nicer stones for sale in the gift shop if you want jewelry, salt lamps, etc.
Memail me if you have more questions! This is the most delightful question I have ever had the good fortune of answering on Metafilter.
posted by Snarl Furillo at 6:50 PM on March 21, 2017 [20 favorites]
Best answer: To OP, I would say that camping is fun but winter camping is...you really gotta want it. I earned my Zero Hero patch in Boy Scouts but I would happily pay for a cabin in the future.
And to Snarl Furillo, this is a bucket list kind of thing for me, too: I have been toying with the idea of going out there with some of the kids. I would love to have done the prospecting trip, but I am a little less enthused about actually doing it. I'll save your notes for future reference, though -- thank you!!
posted by wenestvedt at 7:14 PM on March 21, 2017
And to Snarl Furillo, this is a bucket list kind of thing for me, too: I have been toying with the idea of going out there with some of the kids. I would love to have done the prospecting trip, but I am a little less enthused about actually doing it. I'll save your notes for future reference, though -- thank you!!
posted by wenestvedt at 7:14 PM on March 21, 2017
Best answer: I really enjoy camping and have camped in many different kinds of weather...and I would not camp in Herkimer in April. I was married to a lovely man who grew up in the next town over. We went up to visit his family once in April...and had to leave early in order to beat the snow. I don't think snow in April happens every year, but it's not uncommon. Rent a cabin.
posted by rednikki at 8:49 AM on March 22, 2017
posted by rednikki at 8:49 AM on March 22, 2017
Response by poster: Many thanks go out to beccaj, sockermom, metasarah, stefnet, aimedwander, Snarl Furillo (you've got MeMail :D ), wenestvedt, and rednikki for the wonderful feedback/information so thoughtfully provided!!
Best answers marked for each of you, because your unanimous vote to rent a cabin has been pivotal in changing my boyfriend's mind, since he'll listen to reason when it doesn't come from ME, ha ha ha. I am thrilled, and MUCH relieved to update that the Astronomy Lodge is in the process of being booked as I write this, pending the response to my availability inquiry. Herkimer diamonds for all ! Um, once I dig some up, of course. Heh.
You are all diamonds to me. Like, the actual carbon ones which refract light (Rihanna got that one way wrong). Much appreciation to every single one of you, thank you again! :)
posted by Amor Bellator at 4:12 PM on March 24, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answers marked for each of you, because your unanimous vote to rent a cabin has been pivotal in changing my boyfriend's mind, since he'll listen to reason when it doesn't come from ME, ha ha ha. I am thrilled, and MUCH relieved to update that the Astronomy Lodge is in the process of being booked as I write this, pending the response to my availability inquiry. Herkimer diamonds for all ! Um, once I dig some up, of course. Heh.
You are all diamonds to me. Like, the actual carbon ones which refract light (Rihanna got that one way wrong). Much appreciation to every single one of you, thank you again! :)
posted by Amor Bellator at 4:12 PM on March 24, 2017 [1 favorite]
Of course, all of us Herkimer-ites will want an update on this trip after it happens!
posted by stefnet at 11:57 AM on March 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by stefnet at 11:57 AM on March 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
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