Carrier (www.carrier.co.uk) offers seven nights' B&B in a Beach Bungalow with pool from £3,585 per person sharing, including Qatar Airways flights from Gatwick and seaplane transfers.
Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine
At this Great Smoky Mountain-area mine in Franklin, North Carolina, about 60 miles southwest of Blowing Rock, you might find rubies, sapphires, garnets, and rutile (similar to hematite). Your admission fee gets you two buckets, a screen box, and a seat cushion, which you use at the flume line. For a dollar extra, you can get a shade umbrella. Admission: $15 for ages 12 and up, $10 for kids 6 to 11; free for ages 5 and under. Open Apr. 1- Oct. 31.
Source: MiniTime, Inc.