About 1 1/2 hours from our house is the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. The Painted Hills area is the remnant of ancient volcanic ash from the Cascades to the west, eroded by water and winnowed by wind.
Finally, I took a decent photo. I knew that the odds would eventually go my way if I just took enough pictures. 
5 year old Drake sprints thru' the nature trail. 
Chilly November day. 
3 year old Shane at the Painted Hills 
The find for the day. Drake gets out of the car at a trailhead and finds a fossil. We left it of course, but discovered that the fossils in this area are between 6-54 million years old. What a GREAT trip for young families!