Trip to the Fossil Beds

Okay, my turn to ask the questions. Sorry if too vague. At this point I am just playing with the idea, so, please bear with me.

Where would you suggest to stay in Fossil? I really want to take the girls there to dig for fossils behind the high school when my niece gets here from San Diego next week. Hoping the weather will stay on the relative cool side, and don%26#39;t want to push it until later on after summer starts.

At any rate, should I spend the night in Fossil, or should I try to push on for John Day? I want to try and do it on the cheap, but get the most bang for my buck.

Trip to the Fossil Beds

I%26#39;d like to do the same thing with our grandkids one of these days, so I%26#39;ll be very interested in what you learn. My biggest problem is they always want to visit in early August, when the heat can turn you into a fossil in no time.

Trip to the Fossil Beds

**BUMP***

Eastern Oregon? Anyone?????

Wonder where phirl is? He knows a lot about eastern Oregon.

Maybe he too is having trouble with this new format . . .

Oh, gosh, let%26#39;s give poor phirl a break :) You%26#39;re right, though-he has been very helpful and knows alot of good places.

Anyway, just thought I%26#39;d butt in. There%26#39;s not that much in Fossil. Two suggesions:

Mitchell, Oregon Hwy 26

Sky Hook Motel-small very clean and friendly owners

(girl I work with stays there and loves it)

She also said Little Pine Cafe has great food.

Shaniko, Oregon junction of Hwy 97 %26amp; 218

Shaniko Hotel is very historic and the kids would love it. I think it%26#39;s for sale so check to make sure it%26#39;s still open for business.

Both are not that far from the John Day Fossil Beds and that way you wouldn%26#39;t have to go all the way to John Day.

Have fun.

P. S.

Phirl, please feel free to jump in and correct me if I%26#39;m ';all wet'; about Fossil-it%26#39;s been awhile. I was just trying to help if possible. :)

Thanks for the info Oregon Explorer!!

I am pretty stuck on taking them to Fossil and digging for fossils behind the high school. I don%26#39;t know if this will be more fun for me or them.

In researching, I ran across this place to dig for Thundereggs, outside of Madras: Richardson%26#39;s Rock Ranch..anyone have any experience with it?

www.richardsonrockranch.com/index-2.html

I am looking at this itinerary maybe:

Day 1: Shaniko, Fossil, Mitchell. Spend night in Mitchell. (I realize this is probably at least 4 1/2 hours of driving. Hoping to be able to break it up by stopping for fossil digging, exploring ghost town, etc.)

Day 2: Wake up early, explore Painted Hills unit of national monument. Come home through Madras, possible stop at the rock ranch. (I live on the east side of Portland, so was thinking I would come back over Mt. Hood.)

Okay, everybody...open up and tell me how absolutely nuts I am to try and pack this in to a weekend!! LOL!!

Sure you don%26#39;t want to fit in Crater Lake too? LOL!

There is a shoe tree on Hwy 97 just south (I think) of Shaniko. The girls might get a kick out of it ;-)

If you go to Mitchell, will you see if Henry the Bear is still there?

Although I love Fossil, I%26#39;ve never spent the night there even though the Flora Inn seems like an obvious choice. My sister had a horrible time there--something about barking dogs all night.

I love staying the Condon Hotel, but that might be a little far away. The Shaniko Hotel is closed now thanks to a certain newspaper publisher. I%26#39;ll be staying at the Northwestern Hotel in Heppner a week from Monday, but that probably doesn%26#39;t help much either.

I spent a good chunk of the summer of 2001 out there, but it was mostly camping.

Be sure to take plenty of sun screen and hats. It can get really hot over there.

Richardson Rock Ranch is still open? I would think it would be all dug out. It was there years ago when we used to go to Madras and the Cove Palisades several times every summer.

Notice that TA has changed back to the old format. Apparently many, many posters complained, including me. (See the Sticky note at the top of the listings--You spoke we listened-

Hey mahjerle-

Well henry the bear is still there in Mitchell-at least as of May. Can%26#39;t really help with the lodging in the area since i useally just stay at John Day-but that is quite aways away from where you are going.

The fossils behind the highschool are fun- it will probably take no less than an hour to find your limit of fossils.

Have you guys been to sheep rock unit? I really think that one is the best, but it is that much farther away.

Condon is a little farther away-but that is a great little town- I think they even have a city pool- the park looks really nice.