www.thottbot.com

Read up the comments in there. For mining, I remember the hardest part for me was when coppers are grey and I can only mine tin and silver to get my skills up.

Alternatively, you can buy ores and smelt them to help along.

Yep, as Trigger said, caves are good. There was this cave in Feralas I think with a few mithril veins. I just mine and log off at a safe spot and play my other chars. Then log back to my miner from time to time coz the veins all respawn at the same place.