RV Rockhounding

ON THE ROAD WITH THAT CAMPING COUPLE

- PAT RAIA

Three years ago, Frank and Kyndall Stallings sold everything they had, packed their car and a tent, left their home in Charleston, Missouri, and headed out to mine their fortune. Since then they have coaxed fossils, minerals and gemstones out of the ground in 22 of the 50 United States and traded their car for a shuttle bus which they converted into their home and business headquarters. Along the way, they learned not only about what is buried inside the earth, but how to grow a successful business from the dig site to the latest social media tools.

A LEARNING CURVE

According to Frank, the lessons were tough from the start.

"When we started, we knew absolutely nothing about rocks," he recalls. "All we knew was that there were valuable gems all over the world to be found and people would buy them." Their learning curve began in April 2020 when the couple visited a pay-to-dig mining spot for the first time. The pair spent two months mining quartz crystals at Ron Coleman Mining in Arkansas and fell in love with the pursuit.

"We sold all of our belongings in four days and hit the road to become full-time YouTubers and gem miners," he recalls.

"All we had was a tent, the money we made from selling our belongings, two dogs, two months' worth of crystals that we planned on selling, and a newfound passion for mining - we didn't have a part-time job or a plan B."

With scant options, the pair learned fast and fossils they wanted to mine, where to find them and how to make sure their digs were legal.

"The more rare and valuable, the better, says Frank.

PAY-TO-DIG SITES