West on our radar
Groups touring the West in 2010 can look forward to a variety of new sightseeing and entertainment options. Here is a sneak peak at what’s new: ARIZONA Hollywood production company Miziker Entertainment Group this winter presents the Howdy Dinner Show & Extravaganza, a brand new offering at Rockin’ R Ranch in Mesa. Running through May 2010, the 90-minute experience includes pre-show entertainment with bar service at the Saloon, dinner served by wait staff in character and an old-fashioned musical centered around an 1880s traveling troupe in search of gold and new discoveries in the Wild West. Audience participation is encouraged. Much of the area’s pioneer lore and legends is based in the Superstition Mountains just east of Mesa. Thousands of dollars in renovation were part of the overhaul at the ranch, with new props, furniture and an enhanced menu of Western fare.
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Miziker Entertainment Group, which will lease the facility at Rockin’ R Ranch, specializes in design, production and the daily operations of themed shows, permanent attractions and events for parks, resorts and cities. A Mesa fixture since 1984, the Rockin’ R served up chuckwagon suppers and offered country music and Western stage shows. (480-832-1539, howdyshow.com) CALIFORNIA Disney’s California Adventure theme park unveils a new nighttime spectacular in spring of 2010. Disney’s World of Color in the Paradise Pier section will be a nightly, 25-minute visual symphony that takes guests on a magical journey through animation and artistic storytelling. Dramatic effects will include high-definition images projected
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ucson is Puttin’ On The Ritz. The first name in luxury has arrived in Tucson. A new 250-room Ritz-Carlton golf and spa resort will open its doors December 18, 2009. The 850-acre project includes two Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Courses and clubhouse, a 17,000 sq. ft. spa, three signature restaurants, several swimming pools, a four-story waterslide, a “casita village” and the service and style expected of a Ritz-Carlton experience. The clubhouse complex and the initial 27 holes of golf will host the 2010 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, Feb. 15-21. Jacki Ludwig Director of Tourism Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau 100 S. Church Ave Tucson, AZ 85701 Direct: 520.770.2147 Fax: 520.884.7804 jludwig@visittucson.org Visit us at www.visitTucson.org
28 December 2009
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on a curtain of water that is 40 feet high and longer than a football field, with 1,200 fountain nozzles, pyro and laser effects, and a musical score. Featured in the show will be such Disney favorites as Alice in Wonderland, The Lion King, Pocahontas and Toy Story. Also on the horizon at the park are a Little Mermaid attraction (opening in 2011) and a new Cars Land (2012) based on the Disney/Pixar movie Cars. Playing to America’s love affair with automobiles, the new land will include Radiator Springs Racers, where riders find themselves in a race around hairpin turns and steep banks. Other enhancements in the multi-year expansion include new landscaping, retail and dining, plus an interactive Walt Disney Story attraction based on the vision of the animation pioneer who started everything. (disneyscaliforniaadventure.com)
L NEVADA California Trails Interpretive Center, located eight miles west of Elko, debuts next summer, but the Elko Convention & Visitors Authority can arrange group tours prior to its opening. Galleries in the $14-million structure will spotlight wagon trains, the Gold Rush and such chapters in history as the Donner Party (trapped in a blizzard and reduced to cannibalism). The motorcoach-friendly facility will have an amphitheater and a meeting room for up to 80. Dutch oven dinners can be arranged for groups. The center also will feature hiking trails. (800-248-3556, exploreelko.com) OKLAHOMA The Ancient Village, a popular outdoor museum, will be rebuilt and open next summer at the Cherokee Heritage Center in Tahlequah. The village, first constructed in 1967, depicts Cherokee LeisureGroupTravel.com