Petoskey trip: fossil finds!

One of the very best parts of our family vacation to Petoskey, Michigan was, of course, the finding the famous "Petoskey stones." The stones are actually fossils of the coral that once lived in the shallow warm ocean that covered my fair state long long ago. They are amazingly abundant in this part of the state and therefore not too difficult to find. Just reach down in the water for a handful of sand, rock, and pebble. Shake gently to sift out the sand and pluck the Petoskey stone that is awaiting you.

My husband and I both got very obsessive with our searching. In fact, my four-your-old accused us of "ignoring your children while you look at rocks."

Here's just a sampling of what we found:

I am considering trying to polish up one that is already somewhat smooth. The easiest thing to do would be to dump them into a vase or a dish. The beautiful patterns are only noticeable when the stones are wet. They actually appear to be plain gray once dried. I'll keep you posted on any potential Petoskey projects!