Afternoon: Hotel check-in, register with program coordinator in hotel meeting room.

Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant.

Evening: Orientation to program, introductions to other participants.

Lodging: Flagstaff La Quinta Inn & Suites

Meals Included: Dinner

Note: Optional walk to NAU Campus 3/4 mile; Walk around Lowell Observatory

Breakfast: Deluxe continental breakfast at the hotel to include waffles, hard boiled eggs, fresh fruits, pastries, bagels, cereals, muffins, juices, milk and coffee.

Morning: After breakfast, shuttle or walk to NAU for the morning presentation on "Our Place in the Universe". This lecture will give an overview of the Universe from its origins, the "Big Bang Theory", to how stars are born, the creation of our solar system, and current discoveries/thoughts on subjects such as dark matter, string theory, and more.

Lunch: Lunch at the south campus University dining facility. Enjoy a wide selection of items including a salad and soup bar, sandwich bar, pastas, hot chicken sandwiches, mexican wraps, and more.

Afternoon: For the afternoon we have a field trip to Lowell Observatory for a history tour. We will see the 24 inch Clark Telescope that Percival Lowell used to study Mars, the Pluto Discovery Scope, the Rotunda and the Exhibit Hall. Founded in 1894 by astronomer Percival Lowell, the Observatory is among the oldest observatories in the United States and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965. The Observatory's original 24-inch Alvan Clark Telescope is still in use today for public education. Also located on the Mars Hill campus is the 13-inch (0.33-meter) Pluto Discovery Telescope, used by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930 to discover the dwarf planet Pluto. Lowell Observatory is currently building the 4.2-meter Discovery Channel Telescope in partnership with Discovery Communications, Inc.

Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant.

Evening: The evening presentation will be on archaeo-astronomy in the Southwest: what did the ancestral puebloans know about the night sky, how did they know it and how did we know that they knew it.

Lodging: Flagstaff La Quinta Inn & Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: One mile guided walk along rim of Meteor Crater

Breakfast: Deluxe continental breakfast at the hotel to include waffles, hard boiled eggs, fresh fruits, pastries, bagels, cereals, muffins, juices, milk and coffee.

Morning: After breakfast, travel to Meteor Crater. Meteor Crater is lauded as the first proven and best preserved meteor impact site on earth. Participants will go a guided tour of the crater rim and walk a portion of its 2.4 mile circumference. Opportunities to visualize the impact event can be enjoyed when visiting the sites impressive museum and watching the 80' wide movie theatre screen. The museum also houses numerous interactive exhibits and on display is the largest chunk discovered of the several hundred thousand ton meteor. Return to Flagstaff in time for lunch.

Lunch: Lunch at the south campus University dining facility. Enjoy a wide selection of items including a salad and soup bar, sandwich bar, pastas, hot chicken sandwiches, mexican wraps, and more.

Afternoon: Following lunch, enjoy two presentations. The first is a discussion on current NASA projects, its space station and humans in space. Following a short break, we will learn about amateur astronomy today.

Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant.

Evening: After dinner, the choices are yours for a free evening. Explore historic downtown Flagstaff, visit Northern Arizona University, or relax as you like.

Lodging: Flagstaff La Quinta Inn & Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: Several short walks at Grand Canyon viewpoints, after dark walk around telescope viewing area at Yavapai Point

Breakfast: Deluxe continental breakfast at the hotel to include waffles, hard boiled eggs, fresh fruits, pastries, bagels, cereals, muffins, juices, milk and coffee.

Morning: The morning presentation will be on Geology of the Grand Canyon. Following the presentation we will board the bus or vans for the trip to the Grand Canyon - first stop being the old Cameron Trading Post on the Little Colorado River.

Lunch: Lunch in the Cameron Trading Post dinning room.

Afternoon: After lunch at the trading post, the shuttle climbs up the Colorado Plateau to the Little Colorado Overlook, and then on to the eastern entrance to the Grand Canyon National Park at Desert View. Tour the Desert View Watchtower. The shuttle then follows the eastern expanse of the South Rim, stopping at Yavapai Point to view the expansive sight of 6 million years of geologic development.

Dinner: Dinner at the South Rim Lodge.

Evening: After dinner will be the first of our two nights of the Grand Canyon Star Party. Begin with a talk relating to a current astronomical topic or related research. Once things get dark, stroll the parking lot of Yavapai Point on the South Rim where approximately 40 telescopes are pointed at the skies above. Each telescope is set up by an amateur astronomer who is more than willing to share their passion. With the limited light pollution of the Grand Canyon, you will see more than you can imagine!

Lodging: Grand Canyon South Rim Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: Guided history walk around Grand Canyon Village; Free afternoon to explore Grand Canyon; Return to Yavapai point for another evening of the Grand Canyon Star Party

Breakfast: Breakfast at the Grand Canyon Lodge Cafe. Options include scrambled eggs, pancakes, french toast, sausage, bacon, oatmeal, fresh fruit, juices, milk, coffee and more.

Morning: After breakfast. Go on a guided tour of the Grand Canyon Village Historic District, followed by free time to explore the village or walk along the rim or explore the canyon.

Lunch: Lunch in the Grand Canyon Lodge cafe.

Afternoon: Enjoy free time in the Canyon to explore on your own. Now is your chance to try a short hike into the canyon along the famed Bright angel Trail, take a park service shuttle to one of the majestic West Rim viewpoints, tour the many historic building and shops of the Grand Canyon Village, or just find a quiet place on the rim and contemplate this world wonder.

Dinner: Dinner at the Grand Canyon Lodge Cafe.

Evening: After dinner will be the second of our two nights of the Grand Canyon Star Party. Begin with a talk relating to a current astonomical topic or related research. Once things get dark, stroll the parking lot of Yavapai Point on the South Rim where approximately 40 large telescopes are pointed at the skies above. Each telescope is set up by an amateur astronomer who is more than willing to share their passion. With the limited light pollution of the Grand Canyon, you will see more than you can imagine!

Lodging: Grand Canyon South Rim Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Depart From: Program ends in Flagstaff by 10:30 AM after program wrap-up.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the Grand Canyon Lodge Cafe. Options include scrambled eggs, pancakes, french toast, sausage, bacon, oatmeal, fresh fruit, juices, milk, coffee and more.

Meals Included: Breakfast