Grand Canyon News

……..and a partridge in a pear tree!  Oops, getting ahead of myself here.  But seriously, folks, “diversity” describes the offerings of events in the Grand Canyon area this week!

Good afternoon everyone.  First of all, a big thanks to all of you who’ve expressed your enjoyment of my semi-official  “weekly update” of events around Northern Arizona.  Attendance at one (or all!) of these could greatly enrich your Grand Canyon vacation in ways you never expected; for those of us who live in the area, it gives us a good excuse to hop in the car and get out of town for a weekend and learn to appreciate this wonderful place called Arizona (and Utah, too)! 

Tomorrow, Mother Nature herself will be the star of the show as the planet Mercury makes a rare transit across the sun.  The passage of the small planet will be visible in the afternoon and/or evening throughout most of North America, but, as with an eclipse, one should not look directly at the sun to try and see it.  Instead, why not head up to the cool pines of Flagstaff and pop into the Lowell Observatory, where you can view this phenomenon in safety through specially filtered telescopes.  Scopes will be available from 12.15 to 5.00 PM. 

The stars will be coming out all weekend long in Flagstaff as the Smithsonian Culturefest continues with the NightVisions Exhibition Friday November 10th at the Coconino Center for the Arts.  As the name suggests, this exhibit will highlight the extraordinary beauty of Arizona’s night skies with the works of artists such as Baje Whitethorne, Sr., Shonto Begay and S.D. Nelson.  There’ll be an artist’s reception from 6 to 8 pm on 11/10, and the exhibit itself will be open from 11.00 to 5.00 both Friday and Saturday.  (That program is free, too, how cool is that?)

Other Culturefest programs, such as Hopi storytelling, a piano recital and other night sky viewings will take place at other locations throughout Flagstaff like the Lowell Observatory, the Museum of Northern Arizona, and the U.S. Naval Observatory.  Moms and Dads, pack up the wee ones and join Christine Pulliam for “The Rabbit in the Moon” at the Museum of Northern Arizona on Saturday.  You’ll learn how different cultures view the moon, and kids will be able to create their own images of it.

Speaking of the Museum of Northern Arizona, Friday November 10th will kick off a five-week exhibit of the writings and artworks of a character who intrigues us to this day.  Everett Reuss was a young man who fell in love – with the Southwest.  As soon as he was able, he bolted from his native Hollyweird, California to take up residence among the wide open spaces and profound beauty of this area.  He spent a lot of time in Northern Arizona and Southern Utah.  In 1934, at the tender age of 20, Reuss disappeared in Davis Gulch near Escalante, Utah.  He was a gifted writer and artist who would sell beautiful woodblock prints (very similar to Japanese ukiyo-e) to finance his wanderings.  Though his fate remains uncertain, many of his artworks, poems and essays remained.  26 of the prints will be on display at MNA through December 17th. 

Flagstaff is a great place to stay on your Grand Canyon vacation – a mere 90 minutes from the park, it’s an eclectic mix of old and new, not to mention full of other things to see and do. 

Last but not least, this Saturday night (11/11) it’s “Moscow on the Verde,” as the “Moscow Nights” Russian folk trio comes to Mingus Union High School in Cottonwood, Arizona, which is just a hop skip and a jump from beautiful Sedona.  You’ll finally get to learn what they call that big triangular thingy (while you’re dancing your  tookus off!).  Tickets are $18/person and this event is brought to you by the Verde Valley Concert Association. 

Want to come on up?  Great!  Remember, we can help you find hotels in Flagstaff, Sedona…just about anywhere.  Just visit http://www.grandcanyon.com/hotels.html and search by city, or call (800) 916-8530. 

And remember, I’ve just touched the tip of the iceberg here.  For more information on other things going on in the area, visit www.azreporter.com or try www.flagstaffevents.com or www.gatewaytosedona.com

Have fun and Happy Travels ~

Alley Kaye

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