Johnson's Rock Shop - A Hidden Gem

Outside of Livingston in a remote area of East Texas you will find one the largest rock shops in Texas. As you follow your GPS to this remote location, you may just think you have rocks in your head because of the difficulty of finding this place. But when you finally reach your destination, you will find the trip was well worth the drive. This is not your typical small rock shop in a strip center; it is a large complex of small buildings filled with unique treasures and a yard containing some of the largest petrified wood specimens I have ever seen.

 

Suzanne and I were amazed to see all the various rock samples. Some were in their raw state; some were cut into slabs to reveal their interior beauty; and others were incorporated into jewelry and other finished products. One of Suzanne’s favorite was a wind chime made from thin slices of beautiful natural colors. Listening to the striking music of these natural substances in the whispering wind of this day was quite relaxing.  The Johnson’s gathered many of specimens locally, but make no mistake, this is an international business with visitors from all over the world.

The people who run the operation are even more interesting than the vast collection of minerals and gems. It is a family business. The patron of the business is Otis Johnson.  We were lucky enough to chat with him. One would think he might want to talk about all the rock specimens on the property but you would be wrong. His real passion is music and poetry. He has played with many of the old greats of country music. He even has a small music museum and recording studio on the property. Listening to his stories as he sat in a chair on the porch of the main building was an unexpected treat!

As we walked around, other members of the family offered assistance and information. They treated us like family and we felt like we had the run of the place. We made several rounds through the small buildings, visiting each several times, finding something we missed before with each visit. One can spend hours rummaging through all the rock samples. My favorite was the polished petrified palmwood slices. Not only is petrified palmwood the state rock of Texas, it’s cool looking with all the little dots through the interior wood. Can you envision this area of Texas as a resort area with swaying palm trees in the wind? That’s what it must have looked like millions of years ago. 

As Suzanne and I left the rock emporium, all I could think about was looking for petrified palmwood in my part of woods in Trinity County. No telling what treasure is out there waiting to be found as we see Texas Thru My Back Door!

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