Day 8: Field Trip

Today has been so much fun – the students definitively enjoyed a break from the classroom. The day started off very early with breakfast at 7:00 AM. Then the campers were off to southeast Oklahoma to visit Ten Acre Rock. The rocks in the area were igneous, primarily granite. The students observed the effects of weathering and erosion on the granite, noticing large divots in its faces. 

After the hike it was time for lunch at Vendome Springs in Sulphur, Oklahoma. The students ate at picnic tables by the spring. The spring’s water is high in the mineral sulfur, which smells similarly to the scent of rotten eggs. This prompted some students’ complaints to say the least.

After lunch, everyone was free to taste fresh spring water from the drinking fountain at the park. The students gave the water mixed reviews with the most common complaint being “it tastes like eggs.” Interestingly, if you hold your nose, the water may taste better though (or so the students said).

The afternoon had two stops. The first was at a sight just off the highway known to contain many fossils. The students enjoyed searching for these fossils and even took some rocks home to keep.

The final stop on the field trip was at Chickasaw National Park. The campers hiked to see two more springs known as Antelope Springs and Buffalo Springs. (Thankfully neither had sulfur so everyone was happier.) The trip ended at the park’s nature center where some students chose to participate in activities that qualified them as Junior Park Rangers.

Note: Tomorrow the blog will resume its normal schedule of 3:00 PM updates.