Huskies at Arizona with Yosemite and Death Valley

September 28th to October 5th 2008

It seems there is more tweaking of the schedule every season, which has the effect of delaying my scheduled tours for the coming year. The revised 2008 football schedule is printed here. As you will note, the back to back game with Arizona and Cal is no longer. Instead of scrapping the plans for this tour, I have moved the dates, and included additional features as options to the event. I think you will find the tour is a great opportunity to see some of the beauty of the western US and is a great value.

Here's what we're doing for the week of The Arizona game...

Our group will fly from Seattle Sunday morning September 28th following the Stanford home game on the 27th. We will fly non-stop to Fresno and drive the short trip to Yosemite National Park. Our first night will be spent at the Yosemite Park Lodge, located right in Yosemite Village on the valley floor. The weather should be prime at the end of September with the leaves just starting their turn. There is a new moon during the week, so we could luck into one of the astronomy programs offered by the rangers there.

I visited the valley in early November and enjoyed fantastic weather, facilitating a hike up to Vernal Fall and a stroll through the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. We'll have adequate time to explore the marshes and forests on the valley floor, Yosemite Village, and Ansel Adams' gallery and studio. I recently posted some of my photos of Yosemite to an online photo sharing site called Picasa. You can find these pictures at this web address. http://picasaweb.google.com/bjcilley/Yosemite2007

After we check into the hotel, we will provide an overview of the shuttle services operated throughout the valley, and set up a group walk to the base of Yosemite Falls. This night would be an excellent time to have dinner in the historic Ahwahnee Lodge, a short distance from our hotel.

We'll have most of the next day to enjoy the scenery the valley offers before loading up and departing for the Tenaya Lodge, a full service resort positioned at the south entrance to the park. The Tenaya offers 4-star service, a great restaurant, and swimming pool. After checking in, we will determine a time to meet in the bar this evening to say hello and spend some time with the other members of the group.

On Tuesday, we have a full day of touring slated for the area, beginning with a drive to Glacier Point to get a panoramic view of Half Dome, El Capitan, and Bridal Veil Falls.

We'll stop for lunch at the Victorian styled Wawona Lodge before visiting the magnificent Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. There are walks as short as 10 minutes through the forest to see more of these trees, or you may choose to take an hour long hike to the end of the trail where many of the largest trees grow. We return late afternoon to the Tenya Lodge.

On Wednesday we will be getting an early start on the drive to Death Valley. After a mid-day stop for lunch, we will arrive at the Furnace Creek Ranch in the early part of the afternoon. Furnace Creek Ranch has all the comforts of a first class resort, including swimming pools, golf course, spa, horseback riding and carriage rides. We will have the better part of two days to explore the valley. We will take the afternoon to relax at the property, enjoying all the amenities of this resort.

On Thursday will take the day to tour the valley, including some of the old mining communities, Scotty's Castle, and the dunes area. We will return to the hotel that evening.

On Friday, we drive the short distance to Las Vegas where we say goodbye to our coach driver as we hop a short flight to Tucson. We will be met with transportation at the airport and taken to our hotel near campus. This evening we will meet for a drink or two to meet the new members of the group arriving from Seattle.

Saturday, October 4th Huskies at Arizona

The Arizona game times are generally set for late afternoon or early evening, but television can move these games to just about any time of the day or night. Whatever the time, we will plan to depart the hotel for campus to arrive in time for the pre-game festivities planned by the Alumni Association. After the game, we will return to the hotel.

Sunday morning will take us to the airport where some of the group will return on a mid-morning flight to Seattle while a larger group will fly on to Albuquerque for two nights and a few days of sightseeing in and around Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Most of Sunday will be spent driving north for lunch and sightseeing in Santa Fe. We'll return for the fireworks show in the evening.

Monday will be spent at the annual Balloon Festival which is located on the grounds adjacent to our hotel. The entire day is filled with mass ascents, races, and other events centered around this very popular event.

This tour option will include sightseeing in and around Santa Fe and Albuquerque, providing admission to the festival all day Monday for the dawn lift off as well as the afternoon races. Our hotel is located just outside the grounds of the festival.

Last Updated: Tuesday, April 29, 2008