“Want to go fossil hunting?”
It was an unusual question to ask the owner of the company I work for while riding to our Nashville hotel, but he said yes! We flew in early to prepare for a conference, only to learn after landing that we couldn’t access the conference floor until the next day.
A quick Google search for “fossils near Nashville” led us to Fort Negley. On June 23, 2025, we turned that unexpected opening in our schedule into an outing filled with fossils, local history, and city views.
The temperature was near 100 degrees, and I got my improvised supply bag from the hotel’s plastic laundry bag. By the end of the trip, our fossil finds would spark conference conversations and a memorable encounter at airport security.
An Unexpected Opening in the Conference Schedule
We had arrived early with a practical purpose: get set up and prepare for the conference. Learning we couldn’t access the conference floor until the next day left us with time we had expected to spend working at the venue.
After checking into the hotel, we gathered water bottles and snacks for our visit to Fort Negley. Without a daypack ready for the outing, I used the laundry bag provided in the room. It would later serve another purpose: carrying our fossil finds back to the hotel.
With temperatures near 100 degrees, the weather was an important consideration. We took an Uber to the park with our supplies and a shared interest in seeing what we could discover.
Fossil Finds and an Unexpected History Lesson
The visitor center was closed when we arrived, but we found the designated fossil collecting area outside. We both searched through rock supplied by a local quarry and found a few fossils to take home.
Then we followed paths through the fort. Fossils embedded in its stone walls gave us more to look at, although those remained untouched. Learning about the fort and Nashville’s history added an unexpected dimension to the outing, and the views gave us another reason to pause.
Despite the heat, we enjoyed searching, exploring, and learning together. For photographs, our visit video, and current planning information, read my Fort Negley fossil guide.
Bringing the Outing into Conference Conversations
Our visit gave us something interesting to share with customers and prospective customers at the conference. Alongside business conversations, we talked about Fort Negley’s fossils and local history.
One memorable exchange was with two people from Culpeper, Virginia. After telling them about our Nashville outing, I asked whether they knew about DinoWalk and the dinosaur footprints at a quarry near their hometown. Neither had heard of it.
One looked it up on his phone, then confirmed, surprised, that dinosaur footprints really were in their hometown. I shared what I knew about getting tickets and said I hoped to see them there.
At that point, I had not visited DinoWalk myself. I later secured tickets and attended the following spring with my wife, her sister, and our brother-in-law. A conversation at a work conference had connected our Nashville discoveries with another adventure still to come.
Cleaning and Packing Our Fossil Finds
Back at the hotel, I cleaned the fossils in the room’s sink, making sure to clean up afterward so housekeeping had no extra work.
This was my first time bringing rocks and fossils home in carry-on luggage, and I wanted to protect the finds. I wrapped each one in tissue paper and placed them in cleaned, reused plastic cups and snack boxes.
For extra cushioning, I wrapped the containers in laundry and divided them between my carry-on bag and backpack. It seemed like a practical way to get the fossils home intact, although unpacking those layers at airport security would become an adventure of its own.
Explaining the Fossils at Airport Security
TSA flagged both my carry-on bag and backpack for additional screening. When the first TSA agent asked what was inside, I explained that I was carrying rocks and fossils.
He didn’t seem amused. He removed the items from my carry-on, moved the laundry aside piece by piece, and checked the carefully wrapped containers. After examining that bag, he walked away, leaving me to wait for someone to check my backpack.
Eventually, another agent approached and asked what I had in my bags. I explained the situation and told him that my wife and I enjoyed rocks and fossils, so I was bringing some home.
This agent seemed amused, or at least mildly interested. He quickly checked the backpack and told me everything was good. I repacked my belongings and headed for the gate with my fossils and another travel story to tell.
Making the Most of Unexpected Free Time
This outing happened because our work schedule changed. A quick search led us to a nearby place that interested us, and asking a colleague to join made it a shared experience. How many business owners would go fossil hunting like that?
If time opens up on a business trip, start with your interests and how much time you have. Check current access, weather, transportation, and your next work commitment before deciding what fits. A small daypack would also have been more convenient than my improvised laundry bag.
The experience gave us discoveries to enjoy and stories to share at the conference. For more ideas, read my guide to combining business trips with outdoor adventures.
An Unexpected Nashville Memory
We traveled to Nashville for a conference, but an unexpected opening in the schedule gave us time to search for fossils and explore Fort Negley together. The visit added local history, city views, and a few carefully packed finds to the trip.
It also gave us conversations that continued beyond the park, from sharing discoveries with customers to explaining my unusual luggage at airport security.
Sometimes an adventure begins with a detailed plan. This one began with a quick search and a simple question: “Want to go fossil hunting?”
Adventure Never Gets Old™