In Arkansas, there are apparently more diamonds in the ground than in Liberace's closet. So many that they're practically giving them away. Show up at Crater of Diamonds State Park, a 120-mile drive from Little Rock, and you're free to roam the grounds and dig for precious stones at the only diamond-producing site in the world that's open to the public. Most of the stones visitors take home aren't of high enough quality to be truly valuable, but a few visitors have hit it big. In June, a 13-year-old Missouri girl pulled a 2.93-carat whopper out of the dirt. That should pay for a few weeks of college — or these days, a few hours, at least.
Rental: $11 for an advanced diamond hunting kit (which includes a folding shovel, screen set and a 3.5-gallon bucket).