More DinoFest Info - and Symposium Info

["Allan Edels" <edels@email.msn.com>]

ALL:

   Quick review about DinoFest.  I have been there 3 times so far.

    1)    The building is old - parking is fair - bathrooms are average.
    2)    There are signs on the doors saying "No Re-Admittance for any
reason".  I would assume they mean what they say - so, bring your meals with
you, or be prepared to spend a little bit of money for food (Most expensive
item: Smoothie - $3.50 for the only size - about medium size for a
McDonalds' drink.  Hot dog goes for $1.50).  I am checking to see whether
this restriction affects the Symposium.
    3)    Giant motorized T-rex that greets you when you come down the
escalator to the exhibit hall is WAY TOO BIG - a more accurately sized,
non-motorized version stands next to it.  Also at the same location is a
cast of the skull of "Sue", next to an "Allosaurus" skull cast, and an
"Acrocanthosaurus" skull cast.
    4)    I really liked the Dino Eggs exhibit - It is a favorite among the
volunteers as well as the public.  (Note that there are at least four other
displays of dinosaur eggs here, but none quite as extensive).
    5)    The extinct mammal displays are very good and quite exciting (my
wife did not like the use of apparently real human skeletons in a tableau of
a Mammoth hunt).  The giant extinct rhinoceras and the VERY LARGE Mammoth
are surprising - they actually are larger than some of the dinosaurs on
display (including _Tarbosaurus Bataar_ which is nearby at the Russian
Dinosaurs display.
    6)    The Russian Dinosaur exhibit features the aforementioned
_Tarbosaurus_ chasing a _Gallimimus_.  They also have the skull of a Tarchia
(an ankylosaur)  -  look for a talk at the symposium about another Tarchia
skull that used to be in the original Russian dino exhibit.
    7)    Two Chinese museums (Bejing and Xingang(?)) supplied about 30
dinosaurs for the exhibit, displayed in 3-4 places throughout the hall,
including "Nancy", an 83 foot long _Nurosaurus_.
    8)    The ceratopians exhibit, which seems to have been mostly supplied
by the Museum of the Rockies (MOR), with a beautiful _Triceratops_ skull
from St. Louis, and a _Chasmosaurus_ skull from Ottowa.  Look for many
different sizes of _Protoceratops_.  (Also, look for _Bagacertops_ and some
excellent _Psitticasaurus_ specimens - in several places besides this
portion of the exhibit).
    9)    The Amber exhibit - I was expecting more from this exhibit.  As
the days have passed, things have been added -  a video by Don Wohlberg
telling you how great the exhibit is and what is where now plays next to it.
There is a beautiful, large piece of amber (about the size of half a human
skull) - with multiple colors.  Unfortunately, the individual pieces are not
labelled - nor are any inclusions pointed out.  There are 3 large display
cases
    10)    There are no real book sales at DinoFest - I have been told that
the official book of the Dionofest is available, as is _The Complete
Dinosaur_. Also, a book of the Art Show is available.  There is no real
dinoart for sale,  just some cheapo posters.  There are plenty of
tee-shirts, sweatshirts, and toys for sale.
    11)    The Art Show is very popular, and is very well done.  Some of
your favorite artists (friends and foes, alike) are featured.  Look for the
original 'cartoon' of the passage of time by Rudolph Zallinger - you know
the one that was the basis for the 70 foot long mural at the Peobody Museum.
    12)    More rantings later, after I get some sleep.

        Allan Edels