First Fossil Trip Ever Calvert Cliffs - Brownies Vs Matoaka Cottages

[IKatelin]

I'm posting for my daughter Katie...

We are planning our FIRST FOSSIL HUNT EVER and decided on the Calvert Cliffs in Maryland (3 hour ride). Maybe Big Brook, NJ in late October.

We're all excited since this will be the first time we will find a treasure instead of just buying one. Bragging rights are on the line.

I don't care about admission fees, we will probably only get to do this 2-3 times a year.

From all the great info everybody has posted, it seems like the 2 best places to try are Brownies and Matoaka Cottages.

(If I am wrong, please let me know...and you don't have to post the exact location of you favorite dig spot, but a PM with that info would be nice... )

We wanted to go on the official group outing to say hi to everybody who has been so nice to us, but we already have plans for that weekend that can't be changed.

Our goal is simply to have fun and find September's Fossil of the Month....

(even though i'd like to find a meg, I think for this trip, quantity and variety is probably more important than quality)

Please let me know which would be best for the kids (Katie-8 and Will-4, but a great shell finder)

Also, what kind of gear should we take?

(food, water, 1st aid, phone, camera, ziplocks...etc are a given)

Brownies has a porta-potty, how bout the cottages?

Should I take a shovel and a sifter? Can somebody email a picture of a regular home-made sifter? 1/4" or 1/8" mesh? The bucket one on the fossil forum looks to be too much for the kids.

We plan to go Sept 26th when low tide will be early afternoon (if the chart i found is correct)

Thanks in advance for any help.

Rob