Penn Dixie this weekend

[Adam86cucv]

This weekend we're taking a long weekend up to the Niagara Falls NY area.  We're going to be doing the typical tourist stops plus a visit to Penn Dixie. . Based on the weather forecast I would assume to be there at opening time to avoid the afternoon heat and possibility of thunderstorms.  I don't know yet if we're going to be there on Saturday or Sunday.  Is there any tips or suggestions for first timers to Penn Dixie?  We have a rock hammer, mason's hammer, an engineer hammer and several cold chisels.  Also on a totally unrelated note any restaurants in the Buffalo/Niagara Falls area that anyone would recommend for the family.

 

Thanks for any information and I will post a field report early next week.

[Misha]

I would recommend some buckets and paper to store the fossils.

Just came back from my first trip which was very exciting, hope you have fun too.

[Adam86cucv]

We usually bring a sturdy backpack and baggies of various sizes. I'll try to remember to throw some packing material in the bag in the morning.

We have fun even of we just find a few.

My youngest is 3 so any cool looking rock makes his day and my 9 year old wants to be a paleontologist so he loves any chance to try finding a fossil.

 

[Darktooth]

Good luck! I hope you guys have fun! Remember, plenty of water!

[Adam86cucv]

59 minutes ago, Darktooth said:

Good luck! I hope you guys have fun! Remember, plenty of water!

Definitely plenty of water. 

[Al Tahan]

Good luck!! Penn Dixie is a great spot 

[DevonianDigger]

Make sure to make liberal use of sunscreen, there isn't any shade in the pits. You can do a lot of surface collecting without even needing the tools, but the slabs are definitely where the bugs are hiding. Make note that the site opens at 10 on Sundays as opposed to 9 on all other days.

 

As for food, if you want to step out for a quick lunch, check out Red Top in Hamburg. It's about 5 minutes from the site and has the best charcoal grilled burgers, hot dogs and shakes/malts in WNY. (In my opinion.) If you are in the Falls and like Mexican, check out La Galera on Niagara Falls Blvd.

 

Also, if you're at the site on Saturday, don't forget to visit Past and Present on South Park when you're done. Very awesome fossil/rock shop about 2 minutes up the road from the site. Even has a museum in there. (They're closed Sundays.)

 

Okay... I think I've shamelessly plugged every business I can. Since you're already visiting the site, I guess I don't have to plug that one! Have fun!!!

[Darktooth]

Past and Present  have been vendors  at Gemworld for a long time. Nice people, and they have some nice stuff. Definitely worth checking out.

[Monica]

Do you have goggles and gloves, too?  Safety first! 

 

Have fun this weekend!

[FossilNerd]

I’ve never had the pleasure of getting up to Penn Dixie, but I hear it’s an awesome place! Good luck and have fun! 

[Kane]

If tasty pub fare is more to your liking, I can recommend Jack Devine's, which is on the corner of Southwestern Blvd and McKinley -- barely a few minutes away from PD, and possibly a nice place to get a frosty mug of post-digging brew.  The added bonus is that if you forget / break a tool, a Harbor Freight is right nearby. If it's the weekend, it can be a lot harder to find a seat at some of the major chain restaurants up at the mall (Red Lobster, TGIFs, The Olive Garden). 

 

If you plan on removing fresh slabs of your own, chisels and a pry bar should be on your list. For packing fossils, I would recommend tin foil.

[Adam86cucv]

1 hour ago, Kane said:

...I can recommend Jack Devine's, which is on the corner of Southwestern Blvd and McKinley -- barely a few minutes away from PD... If it's the weekend, it can be a lot harder to find a seat at some of the major chain restaurants up at the mall (Red Lobster, TGIFs, The Olive Garden). 

 

If you plan on removing fresh slabs of your own, chisels and a pry bar should be on your list. For packing fossils, I would recommend tin foil.

I am toss the pry bar in too.  I'll grab a cheap roll of foil this evening. Good pub grub can't be beat, I'll mention it to my wife

 

2 hours ago, Monica said:

Do you have goggles and gloves, too?  Safety first! 

 

Have fun this weekend!

Yes, we definitely have safely glasses in the bag.  Haven't used gloves in previous rock busting trips, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't.

8 hours ago, DevonianDigger said:

Make sure to make liberal use of sunscreen, there isn't any shade in the pits. You can do a lot of surface collecting without even needing the tools, but the slabs are definitely where the bugs are hiding. Make note that the site opens at 10 on Sundays as opposed to 9 on all other days.

 

As for food, if you want to step out for a quick lunch, check out Red Top in Hamburg. It's about 5 minutes from the site and has the best charcoal grilled burgers, hot dogs and shakes/malts in WNY. (In my opinion.) If you are in the Falls and like Mexican, check out La Galera on Niagara Falls Blvd.

 

Also, if you're at the site on Saturday, don't forget to visit Past and Present on South Park when you're done. Very awesome fossil/rock shop...

Oh my wife is good about sunscreen on her and the kids, me I'm a stubborn old mule but trying to get better since both my parents were lucky to have skin cancer caught early. I'll have to remember to stop by the rock shop too.  Red Top sounds good as well.

[Adam86cucv]

We ended up going Sunday morning right as they opened up and spent a bit over 3 hours hunting. It was beautiful weather and very few people hunting while we were there.  We found plenty of horn coral, crinoid stem pieces,  several brachiopods, and of course trilobites...well bits of trilobites, but we all left happy.  My oldest son found one almost complete roller just missing it's pygidium. It was our nicest trilobite find.

 

 

 

My youngest enjoying himself and finding plenty of fossils too.

 

The largest spoil pile was too tempting not to climb...

 

I will post pictures of our finds when I get a chance to sort them out.  We tried to eat at Jack Devine's but they were closed for a private party.  Sunday evening we did have dinner at The Irishman Pub in Williamsville and it was great service and food. 

[Al Tahan]

[Reese the Rockhound]

Nice roller!  I went on an 8-hour spree at Penn Dixie in March, and I found lots of Eldregeops roller that were about that size.  What part of the park was that one in?

[Darktooth]

Glad you had a good time with your family!

[Adam86cucv]

5 hours ago, Reese the Rockhound said:

Nice roller!  I went on an 8-hour spree at Penn Dixie in March, and I found lots of Eldregeops roller that were about that size.  What part of the park was that one in?

We were in the trilobite area. I found a couple of trilobite bits in the crinoid area as well as a couple of brachiopods there too.  

 

9 minutes ago, Darktooth said:

Glad you had a good time with your family!

Thanks I am too.  My wife swears I try to find a fossil place no matter where we go. I might be guilty of that. 

[Darktooth]

2 hours ago, Adam86cucv said:

We were in the trilobite area. I found a couple of trilobite bits in the crinoid area as well as a couple of brachiopods there too.  

 

Thanks I am too.  My wife swears I try to find a fossil place no matter where we go. I might be guilty of that. 

My wife used to accuse me of basing our vacation choices on what mineral or fossil sites are in the area. (Guilty af charged!) Now she does it!

[Adam86cucv]

Needless to say when we head down to New Bern next week I had her save half a day to stop by Aurora fossil museum and the spoils pile... For the boys of course. 

[matthew textor]

i went to penn dixie before a lot of nice trilobites there