Arizona Rocks!

Say what you will about our dry, brown landscape, but no one can deny that where the Arizona desert falls short in lush foliage, we excel in rocks and minerals.  This is rock hound country.  I have been studying rocks since I was a wee little one, digging in the driveway gravel.  The desert is a treasure trove for people like me.  I can't say that I have found anything valuable, but I have picked up thousands of rocks in my life, turning them over in my hand, wondering and wondering some more.

Arizona is one region where the earth bares her bones - we can easily see the design that gives the land structure, plants a medium for running down roots and raw material with which we build and create.  It is home to the famous Grand Canyon and numerous mining towns.  Here, we easily see caverns, meteor craters and ancient landslides, massive boulders stacked up like a child's blocks and bright flashes of mineral glitter in common piles of dirt.

Clear and colored crystals formed by heat and pressure never cease to amaze us.  Some are so stunning that even a master jeweler could not compete with their wild beauty.  Geodes are spherical rocks that contain a hollow cavity.  What makes them such treasures to rock hounds is that crystal formations are often found inside, but only after the rather homely looking "rock" is cracked or sawed open.  They are formed in various ways, but at some point, minerals dissolved by the heat of a volcano or the water in sedimentary layers became trapped as an outer layer of rock cooled around them.

Most children are fascinated by interesting rocks and showy crystals.  This is the time of year to take advantage of all the rock hound events around the state or just examine common rocks found close to home.  The cooler temperatures are more conducive to searching landscapes for special rock and mineral treasures.  One of the most noteworthy destinations is the huge meet in Quartzsite. About 3,000 rock, mineral and gem vendors from all over descend on the little town during the first two months of the year.  All shows are free and the prices are notoriously cheap, especially when compared to other shows in the state.  It is a true rock hounder's paradise.  Children as well as adults marvel as the magnificent wonders found in the earth's dirty crust. 

Start the new year with a good strong dose of rock-hard wonder!  

References and Resources
Rock hounding
Burro Creek Recreational Area
Kartchner Caverns
Mineral Discovery Center

Desert USA - What is a geode?
geology.com - Geodes