Agates are formed from silica solutions filling gas bubbles in lava rocks, creating bands of color. The best time to find agates in Michigan is after a storm. Popular Michigan agate hunting locations ...

In a full day's search on the last day of March, Mike Jacobs of Monticello and I found 121 agates. That seemed a lot to an amateur like me, whose agate hunting has been largely confined to looking ...

What’s more peaceful than walking down the beach and looking for that perfect rock? For one woman in the Upper Peninsula’s village of Grand Marais, those rocks have a very special meaning, especially ...

Known for their colors and patterns, collectors are often amazed at agates that turn up on Upper Peninsula lakeshores, with some known to be up to 20 pounds, according to the Michigan Department of ...

The elusive Lake Superior agate. Rockhounds scour Lake Superior’s shoreline for these rare banded beauties—from the western reaches of the Keweenaw Peninsula to the U.P.’s easternmost Whitefish Point.

The Oregon coast is known for all kinds of natural beauty. Seashells, however, are not one of them. But that doesn’t stop crowds from coming to the coast to search the sand for that one special ...

MOOSE LAKE, Minn. — On a cold, blustery day in April, Bel and I headed to the North Shore to meet up with a rock star named Taylor, or as he’s known on social media, “Agate Dad.” Taylor is famous in ...

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — While the ocean is still too cold for a swim, Oregon beaches offer other popular activities for beachgoers to enjoy while soaking in the spring sunshine. Thanks to the state’s ...

My friend Mike Jacobs rocks, both figuratively and literally. I've known he rocks figuratively for a long time, based on his skill with a fly rod and his generosity in sharing secret smallmouth bass ...