When you think of an authentic Florida experience, what comes to mind? For a lot of moms, Florida means beach days or Disney trips. But if you’ve never dug around in a muddy creek bed with a bearded man whose first and last names are the same, have you actually experienced Florida?
If you’re looking for a uniquely Florida experience for your family, we found it! Just a short drive away in Gainesville, you can bring the whole family to Mudslinger Tours for a fossil hunting tour.
READ: Jacksonville Day Trip: Gainesville’s Hidden Gems
We arrived at the property, a family home at the end of a dirt road, where we were met by our guide, Hurley Hurley. Hurley was born and raised on the property with his nine older siblings. “My parents were tired of naming kids by the time they had me.” The tour began with an informational presentation that showed us the types of fossils we might find in the creek and provided a brief review of safety, rules, and good stewardship of the land.
After the presentation, Hurley led us on an easy hike out to the creek. He showed us how to use the equipment to sift through the mud for fossils and shared some ideas for the best spots to look. We spent four hours walking through beautifully cool and clear creek water, digging in the mud, and finding treasure. Hurley’s knowledge of our finds was incredible — had he not been there, we’d never have identified some of our coolest finds: stingray vertebrae, fossilized poop, and pieces of camel teeth.
I found more sharks’ teeth on this trip through the creeks than I’ve ever found on the beach.
After the trip, we were covered in mud, and each had a bag full of really cool fossils. We walked back up to the house, where we were able to hose off in an outdoor bathtub before getting back in our car.
Mudslinger Tours welcome you to bring drinks and a picnic — we were so busy fossil hunting for the whole tour, that we wouldn’t have wanted to stop to eat. Instead, we suggest making this a truly unique Gainesville experience by following up your fossil-hunting with a stop at nearby Satchel’s Pizza. Satchel’s is as much an art installation as it is a pizza shop. You can eat in a plane, in a van, or even in a greenhouse. There’s even a little toy store inside! Or, really embrace the real Florida and stop at one of Alachua County’s many roadside farm stands and pick up some boiled peanuts for the drive home.
