Hidddenite NC info

[SpecialK]

My boys saw Hiddenite on the travel channel and really want to visit. It's not that easy to find info on. Anyone familiar? Where should we stay? What's nearby? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Here is a bunch of links that came up on a Google search - hope his helps!

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...snum=1&ct=result&cd=1&q=Hiddenite,+NC&spell=1

 

[SpecialK]

I googled before I posted. I looking for more first-hand info.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

You're welcome!

Lots of those links were excellent - even a family in youtube. An official link and places to stay.

Have fun planning!

 

[agnes!]

If you're thinking of going to Hiddenite for the gem mining, I went to a mine called "Lucky Lake" which is just south of Petersburg off of I-85 near McKenney Virginia. It's an interesting place, and they take the time to go over the various gems/minerals you find. They are also fairly new and have CLEAN indoor bathrooms and their gem-sluice is covered & sitting on a concrete pad. We've gotten some beautiful specimens there, plus they have a gem-cutter on the premises that can cut your gemstones and then mail them when they're done.

If you do decide to go, check out the drive-in on the corner of US 1 in McKenney. They make the BEST shakes and malteds (mmmmmmm, thinking of an extra-thick vanilla malted right now. There's also a little country 'dive' called Flat-Rock Grocery store that you will pass on your way to the mine. Stop in there and get some of the best damn cheeseburgers on the planet (and don't be put off by the general country-dusty 'ambience' of the place. They also have clean bathrooms.

agnes!

 

[Jennasis]

Two words...LOVE VALLEY.

Former hippie commune, now a bonafide "wild west" town. No cars allowed, horse transport only...and be careful on a Friday night...it gets rowdy! If you're lucky, you can see the guy who rides his ox to the bar (just like Mongo in Blazing Saddles!)

We live about 20+ minutes from Hiddenite. Honestly, I can't imagine how that town itself warrants ANY mention on the Travel Channel. But it IS near other things like Blowing Rock, Boone, The Blue Ridge Mountains etc, where there are lots of things to do (Grandfather Mountain, gem mining, Linville Caverns, Linville Falls, Tweetsie Railroad) etc.

 

[SpecialK]

If you're thinking of going to Hiddenite for the gem mining, I went to a mine called "Lucky Lake" which is just south of Petersburg off of I-85 near McKenney Virginia. It's an interesting place, and they take the time to go over the various gems/minerals you find. They are also fairly new and have CLEAN indoor bathrooms and their gem-sluice is covered & sitting on a concrete pad. We've gotten some beautiful specimens there, plus they have a gem-cutter on the premises that can cut your gemstones and then mail them when they're done.

If you do decide to go, check out the drive-in on the corner of US 1 in McKenney. They make the BEST shakes and malteds (mmmmmmm, thinking of an extra-thick vanilla malted right now. There's also a little country 'dive' called Flat-Rock Grocery store that you will pass on your way to the mine. Stop in there and get some of the best damn cheeseburgers on the planet (and don't be put off by the general country-dusty 'ambience' of the place. They also have clean bathrooms.

agnes!

Thank you - this is just what I'm looking for!

 

[SpecialK]

Two words...LOVE VALLEY.

Former hippie commune, now a bonafide "wild west" town. No cars allowed, horse transport only...and be careful on a Friday night...it gets rowdy! If you're lucky, you can see the guy who rides his ox to the bar (just like Mongo in Blazing Saddles!)

We live about 20+ minutes from Hiddenite. Honestly, I can't imagine how that town itself warrants ANY mention on the Travel Channel. But it IS near other things like Blowing Rock, Boone, The Blue Ridge Mountains etc, where there are lots of things to do (Grandfather Mountain, gem mining, Linville Caverns, Linville Falls, Tweetsie Railroad) etc.

They had a segment on the gem mining. I know that some say the mines are salted, etc., but my kids on't care.

Can you recommend a place nearby to stay?

 

[MrsPete]

I've been there and can give some first-hand information:

First, it IS difficult to find. They may've given you the impression on TV that it's a big-deal place, but it isn't. It's really just a little place up a dirt road. In the spring/summer months it gets crowded, and parking's difficult so people just park on the side of the road.

Right now is the WRONG time of year to even think about this activity. Wait 'til nice weather in spring. Children will get WET, so you don't want them out in the cold. You want them to have fun so they'll want to do this again! Also, don't let them wear anything white or any good clothes; they WILL get dirty, and they MAY ruin clothing. Here in this area, we have red clay, and it stains.

When you get there, you'll buy buckets of dirt -- they'll be lined up waiting for you, and you can see the backhoe with which they dig up the dirt. It's been 2-3 years, and I can't remember for sure, but I think they had cheap-o $5 buckets and "higher quality" $10 buckets.

You take your buckets to a "trough" through which water runs, and there are screens that you use to sift through the dirt. If your boys are young, you should probably just get dirt for them, and you supervise. It's really easy, and you'll definitely find stuff, though it probably won't be valuable. It'd be wise to bring a jar to tote home the new-found stones. Two children will probably fill a medium-sized peanut butter jar with 1-2 buckets of dirt each. Expect a bucket of dirt to take 30-45 minutes to "sift". Just buy them one bucket each to start with, and if they're still having fun you can go back for more.

You'd be also be wise to bring along a couple soaking wet wash cloths or hand towels in a ziplock bag -- forget baby wipes, they aren't going to clean this kind of dirt! Experienced moms leave the ziplock bags lying on the hood of the car in the sun so they'll be nice and warm for kid-cleaning (this is a family kind of place, and no one'll steal your stuff). If you plan to go to eat, etc. afterward, you should bring clean clothes to change into.

The only food available at Hiddenite itself is a drink machine. Okay, that's not food. There are picnic tables up in the woods, if you bring your own goodies.

There's a small "store" -- think shed turned store -- that sells inexpensive stones turned into necklaces, etc. My girls always admired these, but they wanted to make things themselves from THEIR OWN stones. We bought them a rock polisher (that's not the right name) and bought some cheap stuff at AC Moore's, and they had all sorts of nice necklaces.