Rio Doce Gem Mine in Spruce Pine NC

Rio Doce Gem Mine is perched along Highway 226 almost in sight of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. We had visited Linville Caverns earlier in the day. I had read about this gem mine and it was open on Sundays, so we decided to try it out. The mine was easy for me to find with a tall sign and beautiful, colorful flowers inviting us to give it a try!

We visited on a Sunday afternoon in mid-July and were lucky enough to be the only visitors. We hear they can be quite busy any day of the week but are often busier when it is raining and after about 3 p.m. when many hikers are done exploring and ready for their next adventure. Their hours are posted on the web site.

Gem mines typically offer various sizes of buckets that are mostly filled with something like gravel with some uncut gems interspersed within the mix. This gem mine offered a variety of bucket sizes with several additional options. Those purchasing larger buckets could choose a mix of gems or buckets with specific gems or fossils. Those wishing to have a gem cut can select pricing for either one or two cut gems which are mailed to you within a few weeks. For an extra $5, you can choose a family bucket that has one small special pre-cut gem, but we didn't opt for that since I had three kids with me.

Gem mining is a popular family activity throughout North Carolina, but I don't recall ever having done so. My kids have had the opportunity to do gem mining several times, so I leaned heavily upon their opinions regarding how this gem mine compares to other ones they visited.

We selected the family-sized bucket with a mix of gems sourced locally and internationally. Kim picked out our bucket and showed us what to do. We scooped out the mix into boxes with wire bottoms for sifting. Water flows along a track that will wash the dirt off so you can pick out any gems. I recommend looking at the beautiful flowers below the sluice.

Some of the gems were pretty obvious with bright colors and larger sizes. We were not sure about a few of the rocks, so I told my crew if in doubt to include the rocks with their special finds just in case. With four of us working together, we sifted through the large bucket in about 15 or 20 minutes. It was a fun activity of searching for birth stones and special finds!

After we had separated our special finds, we were invited back into the store. Kim and Elain then separated the gems we saved and identified each one, showing us examples of cut stones of the same type. It was fun for me to just stand back and watch the excitement in the room as various stones were identified. Each of us had a sandwich-sized Ziplock bag filled with gems to take home.

Elaine and Kim both seemed quite knowledgeable about the stones. Some stones were easy to identify, but some were different shades from the ones on display and were a bit harder to identify. Their official web site has nice photos of various stones that folks may find in the buckets. They had boxes of prepared stones and showed us how our various stones could look if they were polished and cut. It was actually quite educational and interesting to learn about the various rocks.

Kim mentioned that she is an accountant who helps on Sundays. Elaine is one of the owners and has a delightful British account that she acquired growing up in London. They took the time to chat with us for quite a while as we talked about the rocks, jewelry, and more. We learned quite a bit about different markings on jewelry. Elaine and Kim were quick to answer questions and offer suggestions after learning about my kids' different interests.

My kids mentioned that this gem mine had a larger number of gems per bucket compared to other gem mines they had visited. They also mentioned that at the other mines, they were handed a card for identifying the gems but that nobody looked at their gems to help them to identify what they had found. I think the personalized experience set this gem mine above the rest for my crew.

Lapidary supplies are in the back of the store where the stones are cut. If you are interested in learning more about various techniques for cutting and setting stones, they offer weekly and daily classes by appointment only and also sell lapidary supplies.

The store has a nice variety of items for sale, from arrowheads and jewelry to stone sculptures and lights. We enjoyed looking at all the impressive stonework in the store. Prices seemed to be in line with other stores in the area.

We traveled along I-40 and then Highway 221 for the vast majority of our travel time. If you have children who are prone to get carsick, I recommend waiting to eat and considering sea bands to prepare because Highway 226 has quite a few steep curves and is on a moderate grade for the foothills/mountains area in North Carolina.

My crew thoroughly thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon we spent at Rio Doce Gem Mine. This was a great activity for a hot and humid day in July. Both Elaine and Kim suggested that we visit the Orchard at Altapass, but we opted not to go there after a torrential downpour hit just as we were reaching the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Visit Rio Doce's official web site for complete address, hours, online store, prices, and more.

Thanks so much for visiting my Travel NC With Kids blog! Check out my site map, topics tabs, or try my search bar to find additional travel ideas. Here are a few other places we have visiting nearby:

• Linville Caverns - Enjoy North Carolina's Only Show Cave
• Beautiful Butterfly Habitat and More at Catawba Science Center in Hickory NC
• South Mountains State Park in NC - Great Hike, Beautiful Scenery, and More

Downtown Salisbury Ghost Walk in Rowan County NC

My crew is always up for something that is off the beaten bath, a bit unusual, and perhaps even a bit quirky, so we all agreed that a ghost walk might offer something that each of us would enjoy. We have lived near Salisbury for many years, but we had never tried out the ghost walk, so our tour on May 28, 2022 was a new experience for us.

I had seen groups gathering for a walking tour in Salisbury several times over the years and eventually read about the Downtown Salisbury Ghost Walk at their official web site. We could either make reservations or walk up and hope for empty spots. Since this was a spur of the moment decision, we decided to wing it and hope for the best. We were in luck! Even with our group of five, the tour group totaled less than 20 people. I recommend that you make a reservation if you are traveling to this event from out of town or if everyone has their heart set on a particular date because numbers in the group are limited due to COVID. Some tours may be full, particularly in October and near a full moon, but the web site looks pretty easy to navigate for reservations.

The web site recommends packing flashlights, but John Tucker, our guide was well prepared with flashlights for anyone who did not bring one. Although you might consider using a flashlight on a smart phone, it will likely be easier to use a separate flashlight if you are trying to get photos and videos with your phone during the tour. Warmer weather beckons mosquitoes to the Tarheel State like a porch light attracts moths, so be prepared with bug spray if you go on any outdoor adventure in NC in warmer months. We have been blessed with some unseasonably cooler nights lately and the mosquitoes were not an issue when we did the tour in late May. Be prepared with gear appropriate for any weather conditions since this tour goes rain or shine except for perhaps a rain delay or the possibility of a cancelled tour due to lightening.

The weather was perfect for our tour. The evening temperatures were ideal for jeans and a short sleeved shirt. About 15-20 minutes prior to our scheduled tour, people in our group began to join John on the white marble steps of a county office building nestled at the corner of Innes and Church Streets. Similar to Spencer's famous storyteller Jackie Torrence, John told stories to many children when he worked for the public library years ago. The starting point of the tour is actually in sight of Rowan Public Library and also in sight of the original location of Fame, a confederate statue that stood in the middle of the intersection for 111 years. Before the tour was even scheduled to start, John was already sharing tidbits of information about several ghost sightings while also sharing research related to the architecture and history surrounding us.

Amidst a city boasting several buildings predating the Civil War and a large overcrowded Civil War prison just a few blocks away from the main square, it is no wonder that ghost tales abound in the area. One person in our tour mentioned that he was going on his sixth tour and said he learns something new and different each time. Another group brought a contraption that I think was supposed to pick up ghost-like activity. John offered a few people in the group some devices that had green lights that turn red if they pick up paranormal activity. Ours turned red numerous times when we tried it out. Hmmm....could it be for real?

Did we see or interact with ghosts? The jury might still be out on that one. One of my daughters tried sitting on a rope swing that was featured on the tour. She said it was moving on its own, which could indicate interaction with a ghost. Did she want to have the experience so badly that she unknowingly moved the swing with slight movements of her own body or did a spirit give her a few pushes? The photo above, taken by John, shows two orbs above her. Are these orbs actually spirits captured by the camera or are they accompanied by some sort of scientific explanation like reflections of other light sources? I'll let you be the judge on these questions!

John offered various additional evidence of ghosts, including pictures on film, photos and videos on his phone, and recordings of what might have been voices of ghosts answering questions. The web site has examples of several photos, but the tour offers quite a few additional pieces of evidence. As we walked around, we were invited to peer in certain windows and several lucky people had a few moments to sit on a swing to see if a ghost would push them. We walked into a studio at one point, but that opportunity is not guaranteed. Pictures and videos are encouraged throughout the tour. Several pictures that were taken during our tour had orbs in them. John mentioned that the spirits often become much more active the week before a full moon. Who knew?

Even if you are not particularly interested in ghost sightings, if you are a history buff or would like for your kid(s) to learn some memorable information about the history of downtown Salisbury, this tour is likely to be a hit with your group. My daughter who is finishing the eighth grade lit up as she heard about famous battles and people who were featured in her social studies class. Tidbits that I particularly remember from out tour include a famous pre-Civil War era African American barber, a Lindbergh flyover, an elevator tragedy, card game clues, secrets under some of Salisbury's shops, famous postcards, the significance of the train depot, soldiers being buried alive, a haunted hotel and theater, Salisbury's ties to a former President of the United States, a lookout, a love triangle, a ghost cat, the bell tower, and a family cemetery in a basement that also offers a final resting place for a young student from an all-girls school. Yes, I'm being vague, but I wouldn't want to ruin the plethora of information that you'll glean from this tour. John certainly put a significant number of hours into researching his topics and also shared his personal experience of participating in the quest to find hauntings in quite a few buildings. He also mentioned that PBS was doing a special on the topic that will air soon.

The ghost walk web site mentioned to expect the tour to last about an hour, but our tour lasted about two hours - and nobody in our group seemed bored. No, you won't be walking for the entire time. The tour encompasses a total of about six blocks. John would stop often and offer interesting details of stories while mentioning names and details of various people whose spirits might still be near. We looked at some images of these people from the past and then compared them with photos that were said to be their ghosts. Our group actively asked questions and the weather was gorgeous, so I'm sure that contributed to our longer tour length.

Two of my kids are teenagers while one has surpassed the two decade mark, so it's challenging to find something to appeal to everyone. This was one of those rare activities that appealed to my whole group! I appreciate the obvious effort that went into researching the history and people of the area. John has been offering these tours since 2010, so he is well-prepared with a variety of stories and interesting opportunities and also knows about other ghost tales in other parts of the Piedmont. John carried a microphone, which was very helpful since we were walking along some busy streets. If you have small children who are frightened easily, you might want to consider how they might react if they hear about ghosts and such, but the atmosphere of this tour was one of learning and being inquisitive rather than attempting to surprise or scare people. "Family friendly" tours are also available that leave out information about drinking and such with a sole emphasis on history and haunted tales. I would suggest calling or emailing John if you wish to customize the experience.

Visit the official Downtown Salisbury Ghost Tour web site where you can see some pictures of the ghosts featured on the tour, find helpful tips about preparing for the tour, make reservations, find the address for starting the tour, and more. If you have a larger group, private tours can be arranged outside of the listed days.

Thanks so much for visiting my Travel with Kids blog! Feel free to check out other articles through my site map, topic area, or try typing in specific information in my search bar. Here are a few additional articles featuring additional activities nearby:

• NC Museum of Dolls, Toys, and Miniatures in Spencer NC Boasts and Amazing Variety
• Dunn's Mountain Park in Salisbury, NC - Beautiful View!
• Looking for Fun and Free Family Activities This Summer? Check Out Your Local Library

NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures in Spencer NC Boasts an Amazing Variety

The NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures, currently located at 108 Fourth Street in Spencer, NC, is in sight of the NC Transportation Museum and would be a great compliment to a fun double outing for the family. If you have all boys, don't worry. And if you only have older kids, I think they would like it too.

I had noticed that Spencer had a doll museum one day and thought my youngest would particularly enjoy this museum because she has loved dolls for many years. Her dad took her to the museum. After they returned, they both insisted that the whole family would absolutely fall in love with this museum, so I packed my camera and loaded up the crew to check it out.

Although the parking area immediately in front of the museum is quite small, it is just across the street from a shopping center with plenty of parking. This museum plans to move to a larger location in that shopping center soon, so the above address will be changed.

At this time, the museum is only open Thursday through Saturday, but they also offer parties and other group activities for people who would like to experience a wider array of activities. My family visited during normal business hours just to look around and enjoy the exhibits. We were the only patrons during our visit.

The museum was created to memorialize Amy Dawn Morris, who died in her early 20's. She collected many dolls, and some of her dolls were on display when we visited. We asked lots of questions about the museum and exhibits and learned quite a bit while we were there. I'm sure Amy would be proud to see all the exhibits in her memory.

When we first entered the museum, we immediately noticed a large dollhouse that was an exact replica of Angela Peterson's home in West Virginia. Her father was Senator Harvey Marsh. It was interesting to look at this 15-room house that included some fabric on the drapes that were in the original home. We noticed it had only one bathroom and wondered how many people lived in that large home and how long everyone had to wait to use the restroom!

The museum has several isles with multiple cases of dolls. We learned that many of the dolls, toys, miniatures, and stuffed animals have been donated over the years. Displays are rotated, so what you see in these pictures might be different if you visit the museum in the future.

Several dolls were from the 1800s. It was easy to imagine how these much loved dolls must have been carried around and treated to tea parties for many years. Those dolls probably know more secrets than most of us except perhaps excluding some faithful pets.

Several soft dolls were hand-made from fabrics, such as several Raggedy Ann and Andy and Edith Flack Ackley doll collections. Handmade dresses made from fabrics, yarns, corn husks, and other unusual items were on display when we visited.

We noticed quite a few collections of dolls of well-known figures such as Shirley Temple and Princess Diana, a barbershop quartet, circus figures, and even Captain Hook.

Other dolls of all different sizes and colors had beautiful faces and dresses. Many were vintage or modern collectibles like American Girl and Ginny dolls. Some had accessories such as tiny sewing machines, pocketbooks, stoves, or jewelry.

Doll houses of various styles and sizes caught our attention as we walked around. The miniature houses had furniture that seemed to bring the scenes to life. Some were made by hand and looked to have taken many hours to complete. Many were elaborate and some were quite detailed.

Television and action figures like Mork and Mindy, characters from Happy Days, Spiderman, and even Howdy Doody smiled at us from their stages behind the glass.

We also saw dolls and memorabilia celebrating Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts as well as some action figures related to the military, in particular one depicting a battle at Waterloo.

We also noticed an interesting collection of games and toys, both indoor board games and a few outdoor games like croquet. Chemistry sets and some old Mickey Mouse era toys also caught our eyes. Many of the toys look quite old but have been preserved well.

I couldn't help but smile to see toys and posters featuring old western characters like John Wayne and Gene Autry. My step-father used to work in a movie theater in southwestern Virginia and he has talked about how those actors would travel around and perform live shows before the movies. He unexpectedly got a chance to take care of Trigger at that theater.

Those interested in transportation will enjoy seeing the model airplanes that hang from the ceiling. There is a good sized model train exhibit with numerous miniature scenes, some with moving parts. You'll also find toy tractors, cars, trucks, motorcycles, scooters, and more. A lot more.

If you are interested in unusual dolls, this is a great place for you to explore. Some dolls have faces made of nuts while others wear clothes made of corn husks. Some have two dolls in one, called reversible story dolls, in which storytellers can flip it upside down to reveal another character for the story.

I love to learn about other cultures, and I found the dolls celebrating a wide range of cultures, shapes, ages, and sizes to be quite interesting. Many of them had information cards nearby so that I could learn more.

As you can see, this museum will appeal to people of different ages and who have a wide variety of interests. The adults in my group enjoyed this trip as much as the youngest in our crew.

If you want more information, visit the NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures web page or Facebook page to learn more and to verify the location, hours, and contact information.

Thanks for checking out my article. Feel free to visit my Travel NC with Kids site map to find all of my articles or you may particularly enjoy reading more of my articles below:

• Greensboro Children's Museum - Interactive and Educational Activities for Kids
• Textile Heritage Center in Cooleemee NC - Learn About Cotton Mill Town Heritage
• Dan Nicholas Park Nature Center in Rowan County