In August 2017, we visited the mountains of North Carolina to see friends, be closer to the path of totality for the eclipse and to get a break from the Florida heat.
When traveling, I am always on the lookout for unique learning experiences. The kids were very interested in gem mining so I researched a couple of places and decided on Emerald Village. It was a longer drive for us but I was intrigued by the history of the site as well as the gem mining opportunity.
The mines at Emerald Village were started during the depression as a source for feldspar as the main ingredient in the Bon Ami cleaning product. Ironically, any other items found including gemstones were tossed away as worthless tailings. Today, customers can pay for a pass to glean precious metals and stones from those tailing piles. I would imagine that you really need to know what to look for.
We toured the lovely grounds and museum for a fee and payed to sift through a medium sized bucket.
One of the mines with old equipment about.
Visitors can walk back in the shallow cave and feed the trout in the pond
The Bon Ami Museum and Mine tour entrance at Emerald Village
Inside the mine museum at Emerald Village
An old post office on site at Emerald Village
The Discovery Mill at Emerald Village
Antiques in the Discovery Mill building at Emerald Village are numerous and diverse
My oldest turned 12 this month. It is hard to believe that I will soon have a teenager in the house!
Jonah has matured a lot this year in many ways. This momma is very proud of the young man he is fast becoming. May God continue to lead him and us, his parents, as he approaches adulthood. May God make his path straight, his faith strong and his future sure.
Jonah has taken up fencing this year. He is enjoying it and improving quickly. We are thankful to have found a sport that he is truly interested in and also challenges him, as well as the new friends God has brought to us through the sport.
He got braces this summer which has added to his mature look.
At this point, his upper body strength exceeds mine, so he was a big help prepping his room for painting over the summer.
On a recent hike in the notoriously steep Tallulah Gorge, he stayed ahead of the rest of our group the entire time. Here he stopped to wait on us. All that physical conditioning from fencing is paying off.
He may be maturing but he is still a bit of a clown at heart, who enjoys a good laugh and likes to entertain others.
I'm so thankful that God made me his mom. He may be my oldest and he may not be a baby, but I still can't help but call him that from time to time. Afterall, there was a time when he was my baby.
I discovered a science show called Horrible Science on Amazon. After watching the first episode, we read a couple of excerpts from books about the digestive system. I then tasked my 12 and 10 year old with drawing a diagram of their own digestive system. The results were pretty interesting!
