SUNSHINE MAY BRING TRAVELERS TO ARIZONA, BUT ITS THE DARK SKIES THAT TAKE THEM TO A NEW DIMENSION

Media Contacts:
Erica Rich
602-364-3698
erich@azot.gov

SUNSHINE MAY BRING TRAVELERS TO ARIZONA, BUT IT’S THE DARK SKIES THAT TAKE THEM TO A NEW DIMENSION
The Grand Canyon State offers a stellar opportunity for star-gazing and other celestial-inspired adventures

Phoenix (March 26, 2009)— Each year, millions of travelers from all over the world flock to Arizona to take advantage of the state’s famously sunny skies. However, it’s not until the skies go dark that the real fun begins.

Arizona is one of the country’s top “dark sky” destinations, meaning that artificial light has not diminished the spectacular beauty of the night skies in most areas of the state. This gives travelers the increasingly rare opportunity to gaze up at an endless starry sky.

Opportunities for stargazing abound in Arizona from resorts astronomy programs and star parties to world-class observatories and twilight adventures.

Million-Star Hotels
Forget about five-star resorts, these properties have millions. The Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North (www.fourseasons.com/Scottsdale) offers telescopes in their suites and constellation charts as their turn-down amenity. The resort, along with The Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa G (www.theboulders.com) and Camelback Inn, A JW Marriot Resort & Spa (www.camelbackinn.com), also offers Sky Jewels™ (www.gemland.com), a local stargazing program that holds one- and two-hour long astronomy tours that change as often as the night sky. Depending on the time of year, guests can locate Jupiter, Saturn, the Orion Nebula, Mars, and other stellar sights. Astronomer Richard Allen hosts all sessions using state-of-the-art telescopes and star charts as he tells awe-inspiring stories about the heavens above. The sessions are complimentary to resort guests.

Party with the Stars
Many astronomy clubs from around the state open up their stargazing parties to visitors. Such clubs include the Lake Havasu Astronomy Club (928-855-4895), the Huachuca Astronomy Club in Sierra Vista (www.hacastronomy.com), and the High Desert Astronomy Club in Kingman (www.hdac-az.com).

Peaks to Peek
Arizona is an astronomer’s dream with observatories built on mountain peaks across the state. The two most well-known observatories include Lowell Observatory and Kitt Peak National Observatory. Founded in 1894 by Percival Lowell, Lowell Observatory (www.lowell.edu) in Flagstaff is active in research and also welcomes visitors year-round for tours and telescope viewing. Pluto was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh on Feb. 18, 1930 at Lowell Observatory. Guided tours take visitors to the classic 24-inch refracting telescope built in 1896 and through the historic Rotunda Museum. Flagstaff was actually named the world’s first “International Dark-Sky City” by the International Dark-Sky Association back in 2001.

Tour one of the world's leading observatory complexes at Kitt Peak National Observatory (www.noao.edu). Kitt Peak was selected in 1958 as the site for a national observatory from a survey that included more than 150 mountain ranges across the United States. Located on lands of the Tohono O’odham Nation in the Sonoran Desert southwest of Tucson, Kitt Peak today is home to the world’s largest collection of optical telescopes under desert skies that continue to be some of the finest in the world for astronomical observations.

Star-Sightings on Land and Water
Just a short drive from Mesa, visitors can admire the stars while enjoying the natural beauty of Lost Dutchman State Park (www.azstateparks.com/ Parks/LODU/index.html). The park offers ranger-guided full-moon hikes and astronomy events including monthly astronomy nights hosted by astronomer Bill Dellinges.

Desert Storm Hummer Tours (www.dshummer.com) also takes the night sky by storm. Their tour starts with a sunset ride into the Four Peaks Mountains and as night falls, the Hummer ventures to 4,000 feet above sea level, far from city lights. Using the latest field technology, expert guides walk guests through the universe highlighting the planets, moon and other fantastic star systems. The tour continues with a rock climb in the Hummer with ITT Gen III military night-vision goggles allowing guests to see incredible Sonoran Desert wildlife in complete darkness.

Set sail on the Dolly Steamboat at Canyon Lake (www.dollydteamboat.com) and watch Arizona’s night stars twinkle on the water. Take in either a Twilight Dinner Cruise or the popular Twilight Astronomy Cruises hosted monthly by astronomy expert Dr. Sky. Aboard the Astronomy Cruise, passengers have the use of on-board telescopes to view the breathtaking beauty of the solar system as well as the opportunity to bask in the beauty of Canyon Lake at twilight as the Arizona sun sets the canyon walls aglow.

To plan your star-studded Grand Canyon vacation, visit www.arizonaguide.com.

Created as an executive agency in 1975, the Arizona Office of Tourism, is charged with enhancing the state economy and the quality of life for all Arizonans by expanding travel activity and increasing related revenues through tourism promotion and development. AOT works to serve the Grand Canyon State’s travel industry and related businesses, the traveling public, and the taxpayers of Arizona.

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