Special Events
Heard Museum Tour, Reception and Tequila Tasting
Friday, 25 May 2012
7:00-9:30pm Price: $35.00 per person
Visit the exquisite and exclusive surroundings of the Heard Museum for an evening of art and tequila tasting complimented by a variety of southwestern hors d’oeuvres. Make your way station-to-station to compare the best tequilas from the region and beyond. Participants will also have the opportunity to.explore the comprehensive collections, intriguing exhibitions, and magnificent American Indian artwork displayed in this resplendent world class museum.
The Heard Museum, the adobe-style building built in 1929 as the home of Dwight and Marie Heard, is nestled on a tree-lined street in the heart of Phoenix. The internationally acclaimed Museum is one of the best places to experience and learn about the fascinating cultures and art of Native Americans of the Southwest. The Spanish Colonial-style architecture of the Museum and its arched walkways, spacious galleries, museum store, outdoor bricked patios and fountains, and lush desert landscapes add to the rich Southwestern experience that awaits you. Learn more about tequila tasting by watching this video
Transportation to and from the museum will be provided.
The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
5 Available Tour Options:
- Friday, 25 May - 3:00pm-4:15pm
- Saturday, 26 May - 10:30am-11:45am and 3:15pm-4:30pm
- Sunday, 27 May - 10:30am-11:45am and 3:00pm-4:15pm
The Cronkite School will be offering 45-minute tours of its state-of-the-art facility, which is a three-minute walk from the convention hotel. Highlights of the tour include the First Amendment Forum, New Media Innovation Lab, state-of-the-art television studios and control rooms, digital editing suites, student newsrooms, and a gallery that features journalism artifacts, including items from Mr. Cronkite’s office.
There is a 25 person limit per tour.
Excursions
Red Rocks of Sedona Tour 
Thursday, 24 May & Tuesday, 29 May 2012
Time: 9am - 5pm Price: $85.00 per person 25 person minimum
Known worldwide for its brilliant red rock mountains, breathtaking scenery and quaint artisan shops and galleries, Sedona is a”must see” destination for visitors to Arizona.
During the two-hour drive north, the group will travel through the diverse terrain of the Sonoran Desert, Verde Valley and Camp Verde before arriving in Sedona. Along the way, the guide will provide interesting narration about the area and answer any questions.
Upon arrival in Sedona, your guide will point out the numerous red rock formations for which Sedona is famous - Snoopy Rock, Bell Rock, Chapel Rock, Submarine Rock and others. During the three-hour stay in Sedona you will have time to explore the galleries and shops of Main Street and Tlaquepaque.
Includes:
Full day tour
Boxed lunch and beverage
Private chartered transportation
All taxes and gratuities
Grand Canyon Ground Tour
Thursday, 24 May & Tuesday, 29 May 2012
Time: 7:30am - 7:30pm Price: $125.00 per person 25 person minimum
The beauty of the Seventh Natural Wonder of the World will capture your senses for a long time to come! Sit back, relax and enjoy this scenic 250-mile ride that will take you from the low-altitude desert landscape to mountains blanketed with Ponderosa pines.
Your knowledgeable guide will take you on a historical and geological journey past Black Canyon City, Verde Valley, and Flagstaff (home of the tallest peak in Arizona and Northern Arizona University) before the final leg of the journey to the Grand Canyon.
On arrival at the south rim of the Grand Canyon, your group will enjoy a guided tour of the rim. The first stop will be Mather Point, which gives you your first glimpse of the Canyon from one of the most impressive and accessible vista points on the rim. From this overlook you can see an extraordinary view of the inner canyon. The rim tour will include several stops at scenic vistas, along with free time at the rim to explore the visitor’s center, museums, and shops. Enjoy approximately three hours on the rim of the canyon before returning back to the Valley of the Sun!
Includes:
Boxed Lunch and Beverage, National Park Service entry fee, Private chartered transportation, All taxes, permits and gratuities
Horseback Riding on the Tonto National Forest
Thursday, 24 May & Monday, 28 May 2012
Time: 1:00pm - 5:00pm Price: $99.00 per person 25 person minimum
Feel the West come alive as knowledgeable wranglers guide you on a 90-minute ride through the panoramic vistas of Arizona's most famous desert.
As you venture along desert trails winding through towering saguaro cacti, mesquite groves and other desert plant life, your guide will talk of the abundant plant and animal life. Arizona’s desert is home to multiple species of rattlesnakes, deer, owls, javelina, gila monsters, rabbits, coyotes, eagles, hawks and more; many of which are often seen during the ride.
You will learn of the famous and often nameless cowboys, soldiers, pioneers, outlaws, and Native Americans who crossed many of the trails you will be riding. At the end of your journey, the owners of the horse ranch will talk about their experiences being a “rancher” on the edge of the second fastest growing population in the state. Individuals of all levels of riding experience will enjoy this ride.
Includes:
90-Minute guided horseback ride
Bottled water and soda (based on one each, per person)
Private chartered transportation based on four hours
All taxes and gratuities
Night Hiking
Sunday, 27 May 2012
Time: 7:30pm - 11:30pm Price: $95.00 per person 25 person minimum
Nature lovers and exercise enthusiasts will enjoy a scenic hike through our unique desert wilderness. A knowledgeable guide will direct the hiking or walking tours towards spectacular views. Picturesque areas for hiking include Camelback Mountain, Squaw Peak, the Superstition Mountains, South Mountain and Cave Creek Park. Each area offers a different hiking experience from the higher elevation change of Camelback Mountain to the meandering trails of Cave Creek Park.
Experience the natural side of Arizona as you explore the local terrain and learn about the desert animals and vegetation indigenous to the Sonoran Desert. Options range from a highly educational nature walk to an ultra-challenging mountain climb. The guides will choose the tour that fits the interest and experience level of the group.
Includes:
Guide(s) to escort guests from hotel departure throughout trip
Radio and/or Cell phone communication with lead guides
Flashlights for each participant
1-8 guide to guest ratio
Taxes, permit fees and insurance
Two-hour scenic hike customized to meet the level of the participants
Bottled water and snacks
Private chartered transportation
All taxes, permits and gratuities
Taliesin West Insight Tour
Sunday, 27 May 2012
Time: 2:00pm - 6:00pm Duration: Four hours Price: $65.00 per person 25 person minimum
In 1937, Frank Lloyd Wright created a remarkable set of buildings at the foothills of the McDowell Mountains. Taliesin West, set amidst 600 acres of Sonoran beauty in North Scottsdale, was Wright's personal winter residence and studio. It was also the home of the Taliesin Fellowship, a group of 23 young "disciples" who built the complex under Wright's direction. Long regarded by architectural critics as a masterpiece, the U.S. government declared Taliesin West a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
This guided tour gives an intimate and in-depth look at Taliesin West. In addition to the seminar theater, music pavilion, cabaret cinema, and Frank Lloyd Wright's private office, this tour includes a visit to the dramatic living room where you will sit in Wright-designed furniture and experience first-hand the drama of being a guest in Wright’s famous living room. Knowledgeable guides then explain how the architecture relates to the natural desert and will provide an overview of Wright’s basic theories of design.
Includes:
Admission and guided “Insights” tour
Sodas and bottled water
Private chartered transportation based on four hours
All taxes, permits and gratuities
The Ancient Art of Communication: Petroglyph Hike
Sunday, 27 May 2012
Time: 9:00am - 1:00pm Price: $80.00 per person 25 person minimum Maximum: 25 people
Hidden in the Sonoran Desert in the foothills of metropolitan Phoenix are hundreds of petroglyphs created by the Hohokam who inhabited the Salt River Valley thousands of years ago. The signs and figures that cover rock faces in the canyons of this mountain range attest to the reality of a former, vibrant society. Your expert guide, a member of the Choctaw Nation and a resident of Arizona for the last thirty years, has a degree in Plant Sciences from Northern Arizona University and will speak of the ecology of the Sonoran desert, native plant uses and conservation issues along this gentle hike. He is also a petroglyph artist producing modern renditions of petroglyphs and pictographs in the traditional manner using a hammerstone, ground mineral pigments and yucca paint brushes.
Come, discover the ancient Hohokams’ fascinating legacy; see some petroglyphs in one of the unlikeliest areas you can imagine!
Includes:
Estimated three hour geological tour with expert guide
Bottled water and soda
Private chartered transportation
All taxes and gratuities