While my idea of a vacation includes some beach bumming with a good novel, I always want to geek out over what the local museums offer in terms of remnants of historic culture. On Saturday, October 19, the Rochester Museum and Science Center (657 East Ave.) and the Archaeological Institute of America Society of Rochester will host events and activities in honor of National Archaeology Day.

The event takes place 11 a.m.-4 p.m., and includes kid-friendly activities such as coloring and stamping, artifact handling, and a shoebox dig. At 1 p.m., Michael Jarvis of the University of Rochester will give a lecture in the Bausch Auditorium on "Bermuda in Microcosm: History and Archaeology at Smiths Island, 1610-2013."

The event is included in admission to the museum, which is $13, $12 for senior and college students with ID, and $11 for ages 3-18. Kids ages 2 and under and members get in for free. For more information, call 271-4320, or visit rmsc.org.

Future events hosted by AIA Society of Rochester include a lecture by Professor Marie-Henriette Gates in late January/early February on "Kinet Höyük (Turkey) and the Archaeology of Eastern Mediterranean Seaports," a talk by Professor James Delgado on "The Great Museum of the Sea" on Thursday, February 27 at the Memorial Art Gallery, and Professor Sarah Nelson will speak on Thursday, April 3, on "The Gold Crowns of Silla (Korea) and the Tomb of a Queen."