Travel Program

Arrive in Flagstaff and transfer to Little Hotel America. Guests are given time to settle in and acclimate to elevation before Welcome Reception (location TBC).

Guests will gather for light refreshments and conversation with the opportunity to meet fellow travelers, Observatory staff, and local experts who will lead the weekend’s experiences. The reception offers a relaxed introduction to the journey ahead.

Each guest will receive a curated welcome packet with the full weekend itinerary, speaker information, and key logistics, ensuring a seamless and enriching experience from arrival through departure.

This morning, we depart Flagstaff for a guided excursion to Grand Canyon National Park, exploring some of the most iconic viewpoints along the South Rim.

Our journey includes a stop at the historic Desert View Watchtower, where sweeping panoramic vistas stretch across the canyon and the Colorado River corridor. In addition to its architectural significance, the Watchtower offers rich cultural context tied to Indigenous heritage and early park history.

Midday, we’ll pause for lunch at one of the South Rim’s historic lodges or dining venues within Grand Canyon National Park (TBC).

This relaxed break will provide time to recharge, take in the canyon views, and reflect on the morning’s exploration before continuing our scenic rim loop.

A Dark-Sky event is recommended for the evening (schedule and location TBC).

Our first stop is Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. As we depart Flagstaff, guests will enjoy an engaging talk during the drive, connecting the day’s explorations in astronomy, geology, and cultural history. Topics will include volcanic activity, the region’s Indigenous knowledge systems, and how early peoples used the Sun, Moon, and stars to guide daily life and agricultural practices. 

At Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, guests will walk among ancient lava flows while observing volcanic processes, landscape evolution, and the interplay between Earth and sky.

Next, we continue to Wupatki National Monument for a curated tour of ancestral Pueblo sites. Here, we’ll explore how celestial cycles influenced architecture, agriculture, and daily life. We will then return to Flagstaff for lunch and a brief rest period.

We conclude the day with a special evening at Lowell Observatory, exploring Flagstaff’s rich legacy of astronomical discovery and its enduring contributions to our understanding of the universe.

Guests will enjoy dinner at the observatory, an up-close look at the historic Pluto Discovery Telescope and Clark Telescope, featured in Signs of Life, a special observing experience and an outdoor planetarium experience beneath Flagstaff’s exceptional dark skies, The evening blends the region’s remarkable scientific heritage and the wonders of the cosmos.

Guests will travel to Meteor Crater for a behind-the-scenes experience examining impact dynamics, shock metamorphism, ejecta distribution, and the historical role the crater has played in validating impact cratering as a dominant geologic process across the solar system. The site’s influence on Apollo astronaut training and planetary analog research will be discussed within a broader exploration framework. Lunch is available on site. 

After Meteor Crater, guests will visit the USGS Astrogeology Science Center, a public facility renowned for its planetary research. Our group will enjoy a curated experience with expert guides, offering insights and context tailored to our itinerary. Highlights include:

• Planetary cartography and surface mapping of the Moon, Mars, and other worlds
• Remote sensing and mission support for rover and orbital exploration
• Analysis of terrestrial impact sites to understand planetary surfaces
• Integration of field geology, orbital datasets, and contemporary mission planning

That evening, celebrate International Dark Sky Week with a curated tasting and stargazing experience in Flagstaff’s historic Heritage Square. The festivities begin at sunset with selected heavy hors d’oeuvres and specialty drinks themed to dark skies. As twilight deepens, the Square transitions to warm amber lighting as overhead lamps are doused in recognition of dark-sky principles. Guests will enjoy:

• Laser-guided tours of the night sky
• Close-up telescopic views of Mars, Jupiter, and additional celestial objects
• Informal conversations around light pollution, dark-sky policy, and community stewardship

Guests enjoy a relaxed morning before transfers to Flagstaff Pulliam Airport. The program concludes with a facilitated reflection and recap of shared observations, highlights, and collected imagery.