Note that this itinerary may be subject to modifications.

JPL / Mt. Wilson Observatory
Leaving the hotel, we will travel to Pasadena where we will take a guided tour of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). JPL is NASA's lead center for robotic exploration of the solar system and we will visit "clean rooms" and control rooms made famous during Voyager’s planetary flybys.

After leaving JPL we will stop by our hotel near the base of the mountain to check in and rest before heading up the mountain to Mt. Wilson Observatory (MWO) for our night of observing. Roughly a 45 minute drive, MWO is situated directly above Pasadena on a mountaintop approximately 5500 feet above sea level. After a guided tour of the facility we will enjoy a picnic dinner on the grounds.

Mt. Wilson Observatory is one of the most historically important observatories in the world, begun in 1904 by a young solar astronomer named George Ellery Hale (for a nice online article about Hale and the establishment of MWO visit www.mtwilson.edu/History/Articles/hist1.html). MWO once housed four of the world’s largest telescopes (the 60’ and 150’ solar telescopes and the 60" and 100" telescopes) and scientists working at Mt. Wilson have made many fundamental contributions to astronomy and science in general including the discovery of the nature of sunspots, and the expanding universe, and the measurement of the speed of light.

On this tour we have arranged to use the 60" telescope (with an eyepiece) for an entire night. If there are objects that you are interested in viewing, please bring a list and we will have the operator go to those objects. Another fact about Mt. Wilson is that it enjoys the best seeing conditions (air stability) in the continental U.S. and in June the skies are typically clear. We anticipate that the observing will be outstanding! We encourage people to bring their own telescopes to set up and use during the night as well.

Temperatures during the night on Mt. Wilson will be cool (60’s or 70’s) and we recommend that people plan on wearing socks, closed shoes, pants, and a sweater or light jacket. Summer temperatures may be suitable for light clothing but prolonged exposure chills most people. Closed shoes are always recommended on the mountain as the terrain is often uneven.

For more information about JPL and Mt. Wilson Observatory visit their websites:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov
http://www.mtwilson.edu

Palomar Observatory / La Jolla, California
This day will be taken at a slower pace due to the previous night’s activities. In the late morning the tour will leave the hotel and travel south to Palomar Observatory. This observatory is a fully operating facility and is only open for viewing during the day. We will explore the facility for a few hours before continuing on to La Jolla for dinner on the coast north of San Diego.

For more information about Palomar Observatory, visit their website: http://www.astro.caltech.edu/palomarpublic/index.html

Kitt Peak National Observatory / Biosphere 2
In the morning, the tour will go directly up to Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) for a tour of the facility. Kitt Peak is the foremost optical observatory in the continental U.S. with observers from all over the world vying for telescope time. Following the observatory tour we will travel north out of Tucson to the Biosphere and overnight at the hotel facilities on site. Guests will be able to tour the Biosphere during the afternoon and then, after dinner, we will enjoy an evening of observing at the Biosphere's visitor telescope.

Biosphere 2 is an ambitious project originally meant to test the feasibility of humans living in a closed eco-system, such as on another planet. Within Biosphere 2 are several different biomes which researchers use to experiment on Earth systems on a relatively large scale. Inside there is a rainforest, a million gallon salt water ocean, a coastal fog desert, and four other wilderness ecosystems.

The desert in southern Arizona is very hot in the summer, often getting into the 100's. At KPNO temperatures will be 10-20 degrees cooler than those in Tucson. Biosphere 2 is at a higher elevation than Tucson as well and it will be cooler than in the city. It is always advisable to carry water and to bring a jacket when we go up to the mountaintops!

For more information about Kitt Peak National Observatory and Biosphere 2, visit their websites:
http://www.noao.edu/kpno/kpno.html
http://www.bio2.edu

For more information about and Lowell Observatory, visit the website:
http://www.lowell.edu

The Grand Canyon
In the morning, we will travel north from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon. One of the United State’s most famous natural wonders, the Grand Canyon has been carved out of the surrounding desert over the millenia by the water of the Colorado River as it descends from ice fields high in the Rocky Mountains. So large that it is visible from space, the Grand Canyon’s scale is difficult to grasp from a rim-side vantage point! After spending time at various overlooks along the rim of the Grand Canyon, we will travel back to Flagstaff to relax at the hotel before enjoying dinner at the hotel.

Navajo and Hopi tribal lands / Painted Desert
After breakfast we will travel northeastfrom Flagstaff through the Navajo and Hopi reservations, stopping along the way to explore points of interest and trading posts. Today, artisans of these tribes continue to work in the traditions of their ancestors and their work is collected for sale in the reservation-run trading posts. It is interesting to note that the Hopi culture is matrilineal, all money and property passes through the women. Matrilineal societies are rare today and many are hovering on the verge of extinction. Both the Navajo and the Hopi are famous for their beautiful and distinctive basketry, pottery, weaving, and metalwork.

Throughout the day we will be traveling through the Painted Desert - an expanse of badland hills, flat-topped mesas and buttes named for the rainbow of colorful sedimentary layers exposed in an austere landscape. Overnight in Flagstaff.

For more information about the Hopi Tribe or the Navajo Nation, visit their official websites:
http://www.hopi.nsn.us
http://www.navajo.org

Craters loop
In the morning we will see Sunset Crater Vulcanic National Monument and Wupatki National Monument. Sunset Crater is a natural volcanic feature, similar to features that we observe on other planets in our solar system. Sunset Crater is located adjacent to Wupatki National Monument, where Pueblos and cliff dwellings are so well preserved that it's hard to believe their builders moved on 700 years ago.

After lunch in Flagstaff the group will visit Barringer Meteor Crater - the result of a meteor impact from space! Used as a training ground for the Apollo astronauts to prepare for exploring the Moon, the crater was purchased by Barringer in 1903 and is currently owned in part by his descendants. At the end of the day we will return to Flagstaff for a fourth and final night at the hotel there.

For more information about the Sunset Crater Vulcanic National Monument, Wupatki National Monument, and the Barringer Meteor Crater visit their official websites:
http://www.nps.gov/sucr
http://www.nps.gov/wupa
http://www.barringercrater.com