Never heard of it. Don’t know anybody who’s been there. Never knew I wanted to go.

That’s what I thought about some Arkansas places, and I was wrong.

This is a tale of discovery and delight, and the notion that amazing vacations happen trying something new.

My Arkansas newbie experiment took me to a diamond mine, lodge-ranch-getaway, Ozark folk center and Delta blues community.

Interesting places to overnight in or near each of them, so lingering works too. Why cling to familiar-style hotels?

New to me isn’t always unknown to others. I was astonished at the crowds from all over the nation mining for diamonds in an Arkansas State Park in Murfreesboro.

Average daily treasure seekers: 1,500 to 1,800. Astounding to me.

They were serious, slogging in the muck in May and believing a great find was imminent. “Finders keepers” is the rule in this 37-acre field.

I went to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels; why not go to Arkansas to see the most perfect diamond the American Gem society ever certified. That’s a perfect grade Triple Zero, meaning ideal cut, “D” color and flawless.

It’s on display in the visitor center, where geology classes and exhibits happen too. Where better to go to sharpen diamond-searching skills?

Someone found a one carat 11 point white diamond May 30. Semi-precious amethyst, agate, jasper, quartz, calcite and barite crop up too.

Over the years, finders have walked away with six, seven and eight-carat diamonds, and in 1924 the biggest of all: 40.23 carats.

That makes believers out of people; just watching them, hunting and trusting, is a remarkable vacation experience. Crater of Diamonds State Park lures old folks, children, baby boomers, people with mobility issues.

This is North America’s only diamond area open to the public, says Park Interpreter Raymond Cox, with an average of 600 diamonds found each year. Maybe anything’s possible, any day.

This park is a people’s place; commercial mining hasn’t worked well here, but the remnants of a mineshaft, guardhouse and mining equipment can be seen.