Based in Santa Rosa, California, Rock Star GeoTours offers geology themed experiences for rock lovers of all levels. Learn about our amazing world and unique surroundings alongside like-minded geo-nerds!
What are you waiting for?
I never knew that I was a geo-nerd at heart.
Not until I stumbled upon it in college. I took geology because it seemed like an easy way to fulfill my college science requirement. It was only after a full semester of being amazed, awed and otherwise humbled by what I learned and saw in that classroom that I came back home and asked my mother why she hadn’t suggested that I take a geology class. She laughed in my face, and told me that my desire to become an English teacher was why.
In my childhood room, I discovered a bunch of rocks I never knew I had collected.
Full of quartz and geodes, fluorite and fossils, my collection was nothing special, but the fact that I had a collection – but hadn’t remembered it – was unexpected. I mean, geology was fascinating! Why hadn’t I remembered?
One of the things that attracts me most to geology is that it is experiential. I’m very tactile – I love touching and holding things (I can’t walk through a department store without touching literally every soft-looking thing) – and I love being outside. Geology really lends itself to these aspects of my personality. I mean, being outdoors AND touching and feeling rocks at the same time makes field trips the best part of what I do!
I was hooked.
I returned to college and took as much geology as I could. I loved the material, the lab work, and especially the field trips. All that camping, exploring, getting dirty and seeing what I loved displayed in full-sized glory in real life! I had found something too exciting and too fun to be true!
It was no leap to change my goal of being an English teacher to wanting to be a geology teacher.
I am super enthused to share everything I’ve learned about geology with everyone.
It’s great to introduce students to different geological phenomena through photos and images. It’s a different thing entirely to show students these same geological phenomena in real life. The scale is astonishing, the colors are shocking, and the beauty is awe-inspiring when you’re standing in front of something in real life.
All my experiences culminate in one conclusion – the best way to truly appreciate something is to see it all its grandeur, by standing right in front of it in real life. I absolutely love introducing people to the geology that surrounds them. Here in California, there is a lot of geology surrounding us, which is why this is the perfect stage to learn and appreciate geology!
Reviews
Thank you for the great rock star adventure last week! I really enjoyed the tour and your teaching. Allowing the students to explore, observe, and question in a wandering, free format was a great way to get us to notice and wonder. I will always look at the beaches differently after joining you on the tour. It was fun and a great education, you have quite a gift for teaching, and I’ll look forward to more!
Dave B.
Thank you for a very informative, engaging class. I learned a lot and want to learn much more about the region's and the whole state's incredible geologic history.
Bruce D.
Thank you for the tour last weekend! It was a lot of fun.
Jessica R.
I’m really excited to have found your geo-tours! It’s a fantastic outlet for my rock-nerdiness, takes me into the real world (not just a book or web site), and provides access to your expertise. I had a great time, and would definitely join future outings. Your enthusiasm for the topic is a huge strength! Close behind, I think you explain things really well – the art of great teachers. To me, geology is a complex & daunting & “messy” science – but I’m an engineer, my brain hungers for “frameworks” to organize it all. Again, I *LOVE* that you’re doing this, and that I found you! Please keep it up, and keep me on your mailing list.
Dave E.
Geology Adventures based in Santa Rosa, CA
