Tucson Gem Show – Guide for First Time Visitors, Part 4 (Mine Tour near Tucson)

Mine tour

A mine tour near Tucson, Arizona is an excellent alternative to the mineral miracles and overwhelming mineral beauty that is the Tucson Gem Show.

The mine tour is about 20 minutes South of Tucson, and the mine tour begins at Mineral Discovery Center of the Asarco Mine, a 24/7 working copper mine owned by Grupo Mexico, http://www.asarco.com/about-us/our-locations/asarco-mineral-discovery-center/mine-tours/.

The mine tour is $10, and reservations in advance are required. American Geode suggest early arrival to walk the interesting grounds near the discovery center, full of natural foliage and fauna, and antique mining equipment. The discovery center is also home to a great gift shop, minerals on display, great mineral and mining related souvenirs, and short films about the mine, and what to expect on the mine tour.

The mine tour begins by loading on a bus, led by a tour guide, then the bus takes you through the area surrounding the mine. On our mine tour, we saw wild horses, wild steer, and a bobcat!

Then the rest of the tour continues at an outdoors location, giving you a full landscape of the mine. Then the tour is indoors, where you learn all the challenges, economic, financial, and environmental that must be overcome to manage a successful mine.

We won’t spoil the tour, but it is worth the $10, and we would even return next year. The mine tour is a delightful and relevant option before returning to the gems, minerals, fossils, and artwork of the Tucson Gem Shows.

Mine tour
Mine tour
Mine tour
Mine tour
Mine tour
Mine tour
Mine tour
Mine tour

Continue to read about what to do, where to go, what to avoid in Tucson during the Tucson Gem Shows from American Geode:
http://www.americangeode.com/blog/tucson-gem-show-guide-for-first-time-visitors-part-3-tucson-art-scene/
http://www.americangeode.com/blog/tucson-gem-and-mineral-show-guide-for-first-time-visitors-part-2-where-to-drink-and-eat/
http://www.americangeode.com/blog/tucson-gem-and-mineral-show-guide-for-first-time-visitors-part-1/

American Geode posted some laughable quips about our experience at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show over Twitter.
Read American Geode’s live Twitter updates for some real laughs:
https://twitter.com/AmericanGeode

Got questions about Tucson Gem and Mineral Show? Contact American Geode through the “Contact Us” button on the American Geode homepage: http://www.americangeode.com.

Bristol 2019 Gem and Mineral Show

Bristol Gem Show

Bristol 2019 Gem and Mineral Show

Bristol Gem Show
Bristol Gem Show

SAVE THE DATE: 2019 GEM & MINERAL SHOW
We’re starting to plan our 2019 Gem & Mineral Show! Be sure and save the date:

Saturday, October 19 • 9:30 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday, October 20 • 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Sunday
At the Beals Community Center, 240 Stafford St in Bristol

Admission for the show is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors. Kids under 12 are free with paid adult, and scouts with leaders (in uniform) are free too.

Bristol Gem Show
Bristol Gem Show

ABOUT THE CLUB
Background
The Bristol Gem and Mineral Club was organized in 1972 to foster interest in the earth and geological sciences, minerals, and the lapidary arts. The club holds regularly scheduled meetings where educational events are presented for the advancement and knowledge of the membership in these fields.

Members include mineral collectors, jewelry makers, gem cutters and faceters, and nature enthusiasts. Anyone interested in rocks, gems, and minerals is welcome to join. (Links to application form.)

The club is a 501c3 non-profit organization, and maintains financial independence to be able to establish a continuing and adequate meeting place, cooperate with similar organizations, and support the expenses incurred. The club encourages the spread of the hobby with the general public, schools, and other organized groups. The club is insured and a member of the Eastern Federation of Mineralogical Lapidary Societies, Inc.

Members receive the following benefits:

Monthly meetings featuring speakers, films, or other programs; refreshments; door prizes and silent auctions of mineral specimens
Monthly newsletter
Participation in the annual show
Participation in Club mineral-collecting trips
Comprehensive liability insurance coverage during field trips
Membership in the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies and the Eastern Federation of Mineralogical and Lapidary Societies
Meetings
We meet the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM in the dining room at the Douglas Beals Senior/Community Center at 240 Stafford Ave, Bristol, Connecticut [see map]. Our monthly meeting schedule is here.

Join Us
So join us! It is easy to sign up — just come to a meeting or simply download a Membership application form and send it in by snail mail (instructions on form.) Your membership dues are tax-deductible.
https://bristolgem.org/about/

If you have any questions, Email us at bristolgem@hotmail.com.


If you would like more info on local Mineral shows and rockhound clubs click on our News page for up to date listings and links to Gem Show, Mineral Show, and Fossil Show announcements. We update our rockhound news twice an hour and showcase the top mineral shows and rockhound news in the USA and the World. Also, follow us on Twitter for even more rockhound events, commentary, and laughable quips from American Geode. https://twitter.com/AmericanGeode

Tucson Gem Show – Guide for First Time Visitors, Part 3 (Tucson Art Scene)

Tucson Gem Show

The American Geode team just returned from the Tucson Gem Show, and shows, and it is overwhelming with beauty and aesthetics, and marvels, and mineral miracles. After viewing so much beauty, one can become “drunk” with mineral beauty. The condition and effects of seeing too much beauty is called Stendhal Syndrome, http://mentalfloss.com/article/71801/stendhal-syndrome-overdosing-beautiful-art.

So after 2.5 days in Tucson, the American Geode felt like we needed to take a break from mineral miracles and beauties, and see what else Tucson has to offer.

We found a vibrant art scene, with galleries, and little bars and cafes, that centered around the Steinfeld Warehouse Community Arts Center, https://www.wamotucson.org/Steinfeld-Warehouse-Community-Arts-Center.

Starting at the warehouse, one can walk down and visit many different galleries full of contemporary art, mixed-media art, and industrial art. The bars and restaurants in the warehouse district of Tucson offer an alternative to the mineral miracles, and mineral miracle miles of beauties. Here are some examples of the artwork we found in the Tucson Art Scene:

Tucson Gem Show
Tucson Gem Show

Tucson Gem Show
Tucson Gem Show

Tucson Gem Show
Tucson Gem Show

Tucson Gem Show
Tucson Gem Show

That is all for this installment of “Tucson Gem Show – Guide for First Time Visitors, Part 2 (Tucson Art Scene).” Keep reading the other American Geode articles for more insight on the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, and various Tucson Gem Shows.

American Geode posted some laughable quips about our experience at the Tucson Gem Show over Twitter.
Read American Geode’s live Twitter updates for some real laughs:
https://twitter.com/AmericanGeode

Got questions about Tucson Gem Show? Contact American Geode through the “Contact Us” button on the American Geode homepage: http://www.americangeode.com.

Vista Gem and Mineral Society Show April 5-7

Vista Gem and Mineral Society

VISTA GEM AND MINERAL SOCIETY
VISTA, CA

Vista Gem and Mineral
Vista Gem and Mineral

VISTA GEM AND MINERAL SOCIETY
VISTA, CA
Friday, April 5th – 9 am – 5 pm

Saturday, April 6th – 9 am – 5 pm

Sunday, April 7th – 9 am – 4 pm

April 5th, 6th, 7th – 2019

HUGE Raffle SUNDAY at 3:00 pm

VISTA GEM AND MINERAL SOCIETY APRIL SHOW
This is an outdoor event with up to 80 sellers, Jewelry, Slabs, Cabs, and Rough stones of all kinds. Tools, equipment, and other lapidary related items.
Venue: Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum
Address:
2040 N Santa Fe Ave.
Vista , CA 92083
Website: http://www.vistarocks.org/
Contact info is klueysgems@yahoo.com; phone is 760-917-5781.


ABOUT VISTA GEM AND MINERAL SOCIETY
Founded in 1959, Vista Gem and Mineral Society is an all-volunteer organization. We are open to anyone interested in mineralogy, geology, gems and related educational subjects. Vista Gem and Mineral Society is affiliated with both the California and National Federations of Mineralogical Societies.

Vista Gem and Mineral Society are located at:

2040 N. Sante Fe Ave.

Vista, CA 92083

760-659-6545
MEMBERSHIP
Membership in the Vista Gem and Mineral Society is open to anyone interested in mineralogy, gemology, and related educational subjects.

Annual dues are $15 for individuals and $25 for families.

http://www.vistarocks.org/home.html


If you would like more info on local Mineral shows and rockhound clubs click on our News page for up to date listings and links to Gem Show, Mineral Show, and Fossil Show announcements. We update our rockhound news twice an hour and showcase the top mineral shows and rockhound news in the USA and the World. Also, follow us on Twitter for even more rockhound events, commentary, and laughable quips from American Geode.

Tucson Gem and Mineral Show – Guide for First Time Visitors, Part 2 (Where to Drink and Eat)

Tucson Gem and Mineral Show

The American Geode team just returned from 4 days at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, and here are some tips, hints, and tricks to make your visit to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show FUN, EFFICIENT, and FANTASTIC!

This is Part 2 of a series about how to enjoy the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, and related gem and mineral shows.

Restaurant and bar suggestions while in Tucson for the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show:

1. Nevada Smith’s Saloon is one hell of a dive bar. Cheap drinks, very varied crowd of locals, and great food! Nevada Smith’s Saloon is where American Geode watched the SuperBowl this year, and we stopped by there one other occasion. The BBQ chicken and brats we had there were excellent! The wings looked great, and they cook their steaks out on a grill in their patio. If you are an aficionado of dive bars, check out Nevada Smith’s Saloon.
https://nevadasmithssaloon.com/

2. The best bars we found at the the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show were the hotel lobby bars connected to some of the gem and mineral shows on the west side of I-10. While the American Geode team were talking with dealers at the gem and minerals shows alongside the west side of I-10, we took breaks at their respective lobby bars. The bars had great drink specials, and the lobby bars were full of fellow rockhounds. We found it very easy to strike up a conversation, and met a famous jewelry designer, and some other fun folks. The Ramada Inn along west I-10 had a great bar, as well as the other hotels just north of the Howard Johnson, which is where we started.

3. We had a great bar meal and drinks, among a very good looking crowd, at Barrio Brewing Co. It is a little outside the location of the gem and mineral shows, but it is a local brewery with food striving to be locally sourced. The crowd was great looking, the staff were great looking and fun. They have a large cooler covered in stickers of various businesses and bands. We had an American Geode sticker on us, and they graciously added American Geode to their collection.
https://barriobrewing.co/

4. Downtown Tucson is full of bars and restaurants, and fun to walk up and down for a pub crawl. We did not find downtown closely connected to the Tucson gem and mineral shows, but they were full of a lively crowd, many college students, and a wide range of bars from ones with live music, to an arcade with a bar, or bar with an arcade, among other sports bars. The main strip of bars is along Congress and 6th Avenue. American Geode found downtown worth spending an evening if you are interested in taking a break from the rockhound, gem, and mineral crowd.

That is all for this installment of “Tucson Gem and Mineral Show – Guide for First Time Visitors, Part 2 (Where to Drink and Eat).” Keep reading the other American Geode articles for more insight on the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, and various Tucson Gem Shows.

American Geode posted some laughable quips about our experience at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show over Twitter.
Read American Geode’s live Twitter updates for some real laughs:
https://twitter.com/AmericanGeode

Got questions about Tucson Gem and Mineral Show? Contact American Geode through the “Contact Us” button on the American Geode homepage: http://www.americangeode.com.