The most interesting thing about touring the old mine was discovering that I live just a few miles from a fault.
This is about 10 miles from my house.
Today my neighbor Cindy and I took her border collie and Sheba to the old Pine Mountain Gold Mine in Villa Rica, GA.
We took the 3-mile walking tour of the mining facility ruins, then left the dogs in the van with the air conditioner running while we visited the museum. Then we retrieved the dogs and enjoyed a people/doggie picnic lunch.
Such a wonderful day!
We passed on the opportunity to pan for gold.
While I found the mining info fascinating, the two things that impacted me the most is that the Cherokee were run out of NW Georgia due to mining claims — and the fact that I am so close to a major fault line.
If the New Madrid ever produces the Big One, we’ll probably get some action, too!
Ore stocking bins
My favorite part of the tour — finding pink ladyslippers. 🙂
Tinycamper's Blog 
Gerri Jones
/ May 3, 2014I didn’t know about the fault line…we used to live in Carrollton!! I think we would feel some action with that as well. I also didn’t know about the Pine Mountain Gold Mine…live and learn!! Glad you all had a great day!!
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Sharon
/ May 3, 2014Gerri, we’ve lived here almost 16 years. I knew that Villa Rica used to be a gold mining town but just found out about the museum and being able to tour the ruins a few weeks ago. It’s certainly not well published!
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judilyn
/ May 3, 2014Everything looks so peaceful! A very relaxing day, no doubt.
Virtual hugs,
Judie
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Sharon
/ May 3, 2014Judie, my feeling as we were looking at what used to be a bustling mine was that nature had reclaimed the area and it was so peaceful. Glad you picked up on that! 🙂
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judilyn
/ May 3, 2014Makes ya’ just want to breathe slower and more deeply. It’s good for the soul!
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JO
/ May 4, 2014Now that made for an interesting day. It’s always nice to discover what is in your our neighborhood. Love seeing old history stuff the pictures just bring you there.
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Sharon
/ May 4, 2014Apparently I’ve missed a lot of interesting things right here under my nose!
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cozybegone
/ May 4, 2014Shack, rattle, roll O:) Cool looking tour of the area…looks magical!
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Sharon
/ May 4, 2014Eek! I’d prefer a hurricane to an earthquake any day! I plan to take Ron to the mine someday so he can explore it, too.
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Bonnie
/ May 4, 2014Loved the pics again, the pink lady slipper was a nice find. 2 years ago I was hiking around in the woods in Hayward Wi. when I stumbled on one. Didn’t know what it was so shame on me, I dug it up and planted her by my cabin. To find out later what a mistake I made. They are rare up in Wis. and very fragile and they do not transplant well. Very intricate soil components needed to grown in. Very interesting learning about them, but I feel so bad I didn’t know all this before I moved her. I’ll be taking my camera everywhere instead of my trowel. Sad and guilty learning experience.
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Sharon
/ May 4, 2014Bonnie, I think all of us plant lovers have done something like that that we really regret.
Mine was when I first found an Indian Putty Root. They have edible tubers and I had no idea how rare it was… so I dug it up and ate the four crisp little tubers. Later, when I realized how rare it was I was horrified! Never again!
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Bonnie
/ May 4, 2014So you know how terrible I feel. Yes, horrified is the word. But on the qt…….were they tasty?
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Sharon
/ May 4, 2014They tasted like very crisp, starchy water chestnuts raw. I cooked one of them to taste it and it literally glued my teeth together for a while. I learned the Indians would eat them raw, but they would use the cooked ones for glue.
I got a very extensive education out of those 4 little tubers, so maybe it wasn’t a total loss. I am fiercely protective of the little plants on the very rare occasions I run into them now. 🙂
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Bonnie
/ May 4, 2014Well that brought a smile to my face, you are daring. I know what you mean about being protective of all these little wonders.
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lynne
/ May 4, 2014Amazing that there’s an old gold mine right in your (almost) backyard. I am very impressed! And it looks so hilly there…don’t know what I was imagining.
Love the pink lady slipper…wonderful find! Once, while hiking, I stumbled across one on the trail and screamed in excitement. Almost scared David to death as he thought I had seen a snake!
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Sharon
/ May 4, 2014It is hilly here. These hills are what convinced me it would be so hard to move back home to Florida! I must have a hillbilly gene somewhere! 🙂
We used to have pink ladyslippers at the edge of our yard next to the tree line. I don’t know what happened, but they have disappeared.
There was another pink lady near that one I photographed that had the typical erect posture. But it was in direct sun so the pink didn’t show in the photo.
I can just picture you screaming when you saw the one on the trail. Funny! 😀
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Judy Crankshaw
/ May 5, 2014It pays to read all the comments. Loved the Indian Putty Root story. Today, I saw my first pink trillium (in KY). Thought of you – didn’t even know they existed.
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Sharon
/ May 5, 2014I think I may have seen a pink trillium on a camping outing a few years back. But they are a rare sight to me. Trilliums are a promise that winter is really past.
BTW, today it was 90 degrees here at noon. Your rally temperatures looked heavenly to me!
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Bonnie
/ May 5, 2014Hi Sharon, last year when I hunting for spring flowers in N. Wis. again I did see many pink Trilliums, now I think they might turn white as they mature. That is up North, maybe different where you are located. I have also purchased (takes the fun out) several different color Trilliums for my garden here in N. Illinois but only the brownish purple come up. Happy hunting ladies. Bring them camera’s.
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Sharon
/ May 5, 2014Thanks for that info, Bonnie. I will check it out!
I have been looking at a better camera, but am trying to make myself wait until Christmas. 🙂
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Ruth Ann
/ May 6, 2014Nice nature walk!
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Sharon
/ May 6, 2014Hi, Annie,
We are at Amity campground this evening. My walk Saturday triggered a major arthritis attack. I haven’t even walked around the new campground yet.
Maybe it will work tomorrow with lots of aspirin! 🙂
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