How to Find Petoskey Stones: Tips + Where to Look

How to Find Petoskey Stones: Tips + Where to Look

While driving from Michigan's Upper Peninsula to the Lower Peninsula, my wife and I made a rockhounding stop at Petoskey State Park. Since it's widely advertised as the best place to find Petoskey stones, I figured all the good ones would be picked over. But within half an hour of searching the shoreline, we had a couple dozen small, smooth Petoskey stones perfect for turning into jewelry. That day sparked my continuing fascination with these fossilized coral treasures unique to Michigan. In this blog post, I want to share tips from my Michigan road trip for spotting Petoskey stones. I'll cover what exactly Petoskey stones are, what to look for when hunting for them, and where the best place to find Petoskey stones is.
Pile of rocks by lake shore

Rockhounding Michigan: A Beginners Guide to Great Lakes Rock Hunting

When I set out on a road trip to Michigan, I really didn't know what I'd find. So it was a total surprise when I learned that Michigan's lake shores had more than pretty views, they had a secret trove of minerals and fossils waiting to be discovered! I've always loved collecting rocks and shells, and it turned out that the unexpected highlight of my trip was rockhounding Michigan. As an avid outdoors enthusiast who stumbled upon rockhounding in Michigan, I'm thrilled to offer a beginner guide you to looking for fossils in Michigan and the Great Lakes. So read on to discover common types of rocks in Michigan, where to find them and recommended tools.
Death Valley National Park views with mountains and road.

The Best and Worst States for LGBTQ Family Travel

The laws are changing so fast that we may not always keep up with whether a law weโ€™ve heard about has actually passed โ€“ or if an LGBTQ-friendly politicianโ€™s veto or a court ruling has prevented the bad law from going into effect.ย  I created this list so that you donโ€™t have to worry about which states are LGBTQ-friendly and which ones are not so friendly, particularly if youโ€™re going on an LGBTQ family vacation where you canโ€™t exactly hide your rainbow selves :)