Twenty-six club members, guests, and visitors visited
the Field Museum in Chicago on August 28. We were
treated to viewing and inspecting the largest and best
preserved T. Rex fossil ever discovered. The skull is so
massive (600 lbs) that it can’t even be displayed atop
the rest of the nearly-complete skeleton. It is kept in a
separate display on its own substantial pedestal. The
skull on the remainder of Sue is a cast.

Our group
admission also got us into a 3D movie about Sue and,
most importantly, to the special exhibit on Mammoths
and Mastodons. Many of us were surprised to learn
that there were a great number of sub-species of these
enormous animals and that two isolated groups of them
were alive until only 3700 years ago.

Many of us spent the remainder of our time at the
museum in and around the geology exhibits and the
Grainger Hall of Gems, where many very special
specimens, precious metals (worked and rough), and
superbly faceted gems reside.


 Traffic was reasonable,
coming and going; the trip seemed to go off without a
hitch; and a good and educational time was had by all.
(Alan Vonderohe)