Pre- and Post-Conference Attractions

Tucson is a resort community, a showcase of desert flora and fauna, and a center of excellence in fields such as astronomy, optics, and planetary science. The Conference hotel is 15 minutes from Saguaro National Park, 45 minutes from Biosphere II, and 6 hours from the Grand Canyon. Conference attendees might want to consider appending a vacation to their time here. Some attractions might be:

• Any of the following if you missed the organized tour at the time of the conference:
  Biosphere II
  Pima Air and Space Museum
  Titan Missile Museum
  Kitt Peak National Observatory
  
• Guest ranches: luxury, horseback riding, physical conditioning -- something for everybody
• Skywatcher's Inn (a bed-and-breakfast at the Vega-Bray Observatory, near Benson; hands-on astronomy)
• Novagraphics Space Art Gallery.
• Saguaro National Park (two sections, east and west of Tucson, with a surprising variety of scenery)
• Sabino Canyon (a lush version of the desert)
• Hiking Trails - Tucson - hikes in the desert, the foothills, the canyons, or (on top of Mount Lemon) a pine forest
• The world-famous Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
• The Tucson Children's Museum
• Indoor rappelling
• Old Tucson movie studios and theme park
• Colossal Cave
• Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium
• Science Gladiators children's game show on public access TV
• Water parks (e.g., Agua Caliente)
• Camping in the desert or on Mount Lemon
• Hot-air ballooning
• Shopping in Nogales, Mexico

Further afield:

• Kartchner Caverns (world-class cave first opened to the public in November 1999 - reservations needed)
• Nearby historic towns of Tombstone and Bisbee
• Chiricahua National Monument
• Organ Pipe National Monument
• Grand Canyon (6-hour drive from Tucson):
  Grand Canyon Explorer
  Grand Canyon National Park
• Meteor Crater (between Flagstaff and Winslow, 313 miles from Tucson)

For more suggestions, see:

• Tucson EMOL Home Page
• The Arizona Guide
• Picture Atlas of Arizona & the Southwest
• Ultimate Arizona Vacation Guide
• Tucson and Southeast Desert Campgrounds
• Tucson Nature, Hiking, Biking and Outdoor Information

There will be bus tours to many of the attractions on this page.