I'll second Crater of Diamonds [isn't that way out of the way,
though?].  Wife and I are rockhounds and we went there one time on
our honeymoon and once a couple years before. The showers are
excellent and the campground in general is very nice. You pay about
$6 if you bring your own tools (rentals are more plus a deposit). On
the other hand, this would be kind of a miserable time to be down
there digging- it is pretty hot and miserable because you are in a
big clay field in direct sun (though I guess you could stay shaded if
you dug your dirt early and then stayed under the covered sluices).
If you like campy vintage road attractions/ photo ops, there is
Roadside America in Sharttlesville, PA (including a few antique shops
and giant Amish statues and a riverboat), the Shoe House, and Coffee
Pot building in Bedford, PA. Jim Thorpe is a neat little town along
the way.

http://www.jimthorpepa.com/

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2202On Aug 2, 2008, at 1:41 AM,
Roger Whittaker wrote:

http://www.roadsideamericainc.com/

> dear pickle
> http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com/
> well worth the drive camp ground attached with excellent showers etc
> plan to stay at least two days searching in the dirt
> note murfreesburough looks like an easy walk from camp ground ...
> it is not ... especially after supper ... at excellent local burger
> joint in
> love with razor backs
> we are going back in this life time at least twice ...
> have fun
> yours
>
> On Fri, Aug 1, 2008 at 9:26 PM, pickle vanagon
> <greenvanagon@gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> It looks like we're going to be able to take our planned cross
>> country trip
>> in "pickle" this month.  Gas prices aren't cooperating, but it
>> looks like
>> our schedules are!
>>
>> We're hoping to start (from NJ) about week from now, heading
>> west.  I have
>> a
>> lot of places in mind that I'd like to go, but if people have
>> "favorite
>> places" they went to somewhere in between NJ and Cali, I'd love to
>> hear
>> about them.  Also, any long-trip-in-a-vanagon related advice is
>> welcome!
>>
>> I'll update the list on our route once we get going...
>>
>> -Wes
>> '83 1.9l westy
>>
>
>
>
> --
> roger w
> There are two kinds of jobs in the world:
> Picking up garbage and telling people things.
> Successful people do both, with the same good attitude. (riw)
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> View the growing list of video work at:
> http://revver.com/find/video/?query=LastonLastof&search_on=owners
> and ... older work at
> http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7135104650374818257
> http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3259745150182742364

Oliver Mueller-Heubach
groundhogging@mac.com