Thank you so much for the positive feedback, we appreciate it and we are very happy that you enjoyed your trip! - Monica
I am sorry you felt ripped off and was disappointed. Our mine is quite a bit different from all the other mines. First we are a shale deposit and second we have no sandstone.. this means we do not blast the land to dig. therefore we do not have broken shiny crystal points scattered every where. Second, there is a heavy coating of iron oxide on majority of our crystals making them hard for some people to see. Third, we do not have a red mud laying around. Once we dig out the pockets the mud mixes with the shale leaving a brown dirt appearance. Fourth, we do not go thru all the piles of dirt first and set up a section for you to dig.. We pull dirt from the pit and let you dig thru it.. This way you have a chance to find as decent a crystal as we do... We do not salt our mine. Judy's is a rock hounding area. that mine has been closed down for many years and unless you venture out of the are you are suppose to be, there are only left over crystals that have been laying around for a long time.. I wish you would have contact myself or Randy before you left so we could understand what issue you were having.. Then again, we are not a mine for everyone and value your opinion and understand that it wasnt your cup of tea..
Thank you for your positive feedback! We are very happy to hear that you had a good time and enjoyed the staff, our goal is to make your digging experience wonderful. Thanks for visiting and hope to see you again soon. - Monica
Our family of 4 had a great time Crystal mining! They just set us loose and we were rock hounding! We don't care for the commercialized type places. We found more crystals then imaginable. Alot were just laying there ripe for the picking! This was everything but!! Truly enjoyed every aspect of it including the "his" and "hers" trees for the restrooms! Make sure you bring lots of water and snacks if you plan to stay all day like we did.
I would like to thank you for coming and leaving such a great review.... I love hearing that people had a good time... ~~~becky
My family, including 1 teenager and 1 with Downs, found this mine at the Mt. Ida World Championship Contest, and I can't say enough good about the mine and they people that run it. Two things really stood out. How much the owner helped and guided my kids. Second, they are so special needs friendly. We thought our son with Downs would get bored easily, but the owner made his experience and our trip an absolute Delight.We will definitely go back next year.
My family had a blast digging for crystals. Aaron was very helpful and made sure we found some nice crystals. This experience was a thousand times better than digging for diamonds. We dug for crystals and took a break later to eat our lunch at the picnic tables. Digging for crystals was a very relaxing dig that you can do at your own pace. With a little work, everyone should walk away with a nice souvenir from Sweet Surrender Crystal mine. My family will definitely be going back to this mine next year. Remember to bring sunscreen, water, sunglasses, screwdriver, buckets, and a hand shovel when you come to dig.
I would like to thank you for the review and coming to the mine.. Randy tells me I need to get up to speed with all this.. so I am learning... Thanks for coming and so happy you had a good time...~~~~becky
Just wanted to share with you the wonderful experience we had at the Sweet Surrender Crystal Mine in Story, Arkansas. As a "first-timer" as was thrilled that Monica took the time to show me exactly what to look for, showed me where to look, and even handed me crystals she picked up off the ground as we were walking.... Our group had a wonderful day rock hounding and came home with buckets full of great points and clusters. The owners were great, checking on us often throughout the day, handing us points they had picked up, and making sure we enjoyed our adventure. The hardest part of the day was actually getting in the car to leave. We kept spotting another "sparkle" and hated to go. I will definitely be planning another trip - only next time I will plan to stay longer, and allow more room in my vehicle to bring home the treasures I find.
Aaaron did not have any pockets open, but helped us find several specimens just lying around, we did not wish to pay extra to mine the pocket he had just opened