Dino-mite!

April 23 2009 by Mike Mason

Kidsdinosaur.jpgKids love dinosaurs. Not sure why. But it seems universal from my experience. I loved them as a kid too. There something about the idea of knowing monsters roamed around the planet that captures the imagination of both young and old. And finding their bones laying around? Come on!

As an alternative to the usual family destinations this summer, visit a dinosaur park. As a kid I visited Dinosaur National Monument located along the Utah and Colorado border. I was amazed at seeing "real deal" dinosaur bones sticking right out of the ground. The monument makes you feel more like you are exploring an actual dig than touring a museum. It adds a bit of the outdoor Indiana Jones exploration to it (if you are a kid, this doesn't seem to be a stretch). You also get first hand insight into how the bones are discovered, extracted, and studied.

A few years had passed since I had been to Dinosaur National Monument, so I checked out the web site and noticed that the original visitor center and quarry is closed due to renovation. There is a temporary visitor center in its place and you can still see the fossils on a 1.5 mile trail walk. A map is provided to help you find the places where the fossils are located. And unlike museums you can touch the fossils you discover along the trail (but for obvious reasons you can't dig them up and take them with you.) The park is located in a desert climate so the hike requires good shoes, sun screen and water. Honestly, it is a pity the quarry is closed. In my memory, that was the most amazing part.

If you are in the area and want to check out some other things, there is fantastic white water rafting on the Green river and numerous other outdoor hikes to lose yourself in the rugged and beautiful country.

Here are some other dinosaur spots around the US to check out:

Dinosaur Ridge, Morrison Colorado

Dinosaur State Park, Rocky Hill, Connecticut

La Brea Tar Pits, Los Angeles California

Dinosaur Valley State Park, Glen Rose Texas

Wyoming Dinosaur Center, Thermopolis Wyoming

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