Ok, I'll admit. I'm a sucker for 'fossil beds'. I pull in almost every time there is a sign that says 'fossil' anything.
My favorite exhibit of them all? Badlands National Park, South Dakota. They have an outdoor exhibit that is just amazing, not so much for the fossils, but for the creative display. They have a wheelchair accessible raised wooden walk way with example fossils under Plexiglas with sinage. The accessibility is way cool, but it also keeps the masses from tromping around on the fossils themselves. It's just a very cool place.
I also really like John Day Fossil Beds near John Day, Oregon. Lots of hiking and finding (also with some sinage) to do there.
Great photographs of what looks like a very interesting area.
I was quite dubious going there the first time but I was also quite hungover, after that first visit I've been sold on'em. The Badlands sound badass, I will have to check that out when I finally make it there.
I'm usually skeptical of fossil and ghost town signage so I've never stopped for them, I may have to change that policy though. I pretty much stayed on the coast in Oregon but looking at photos of the John Day fossil beds and national monument makes me think that I will have to correct that sooner rather than later.
I'm more of a sucker for petroglyphs and Native American ruins/remnants, particularly out in the southwest. You ever visit Mesa Verde?
I really am a sucker for fossil beds, I get unpleasantly surprised from time to time, but once in a while you hit the jackpot. Ghost towns not so much... I know a few but they don't have any sinage.
I collect petroglyph areas. I have several that aren't on the big radar. Anytime you are headed this way I'd be happy to give you places and in some cases even GPS coordinates.
I do know Mesa Verde, I've been there once. I go to Choco Canyon and Canyon de Chelly (pronounced DeShay) every couple of years if I can. Choco Canyon is in an area where the Pueblos are still in use. The oldest continuous settlement in North America is close by, a Zuni Pueblo that has been lived in for over 500 years.
Another place I'm sure you'd like is the really poorly named Montezuma's Castle along the Verde River in Central AZ. The whole Verde valley has cool places in it. I'm really fond of Tuzigot which is way under visited. It's a massive Kiva ruin, just amazing.
I love the high plateau country in eastern Oregon, and the Fossil Beds are just a big bonus. It's a great area for me to just wander around in. I got caught in the last snow of the year (in May) up there one time and spent about 6 hours in a general store in a little town. It was just a good day except for the snow :)
I will definitely be checking in with you before I set out on another adventure in the southwest, that sounds lovely.
I got caught in the first snow of the season in crater lake, that general store was probably a bit warmer than camping in it was. It is beautiful country though, at least the little bit I've seen.