From vintage aircraft, to mighty missiles, to the stars, trace the developments of flight and space research. Amazement and mystery combine as we learn about our solar system, and what lies beyond the far reaches of space. We will visit the Kitt Peak Observatory with its state-of-the-art telescopes. Examine exciting aircraft from the early days of aviation and learn about changes in technology over time at the Pima Air & Space Museum. Explore the 200 vintage aircraft including an SR-71, mock-ups of space capsules and reconnaissance aircraft. At the only remaining Titan Missile site, take a tour deep into the silo. Come experience the challenges beckoning from the Arizona skies; join us for a closer look Under the Desert Sky.

Accommodations & Meals: Full-service hotel lodging. Free parking. All meals included.

#13287AU | 5 Nights

Babe Ruth said: “Baseball was, is, and always will be the best game in the world.” Come to spring training baseball in Tucson and learn what he meant with the dynamic Diamondbacks, the legendary White Sox and the rising Rockies. Attend three Cactus League Spring Training games and extend your knowledge of the game. Enjoy film clips, classic baseball literature, tales of its most memorable characters, and toe-tapping baseball music. Hear from team representatives and discuss the fine points of the game with your instructor, Jerry Kindall, retired infielder for the Cubs, Indians and Twins. Three-time National Coach of the Year, Kindall was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1997.

This program includes a trip to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

Accommodations & Meals: Full-service hotel lodging. Free parking. All meals included.

#7194AU | 5 Nights

Soak up the sights and sounds of the relaxed lifestyle of the Old Pueblo. Tucson’s spirit of the West welcomed early Spanish, Native American, Asian, Anglo-European and African American cultures. These influenced an array of history, art and architecture. Bask in the beauty of the Sonoran Desert as you study the city steeped in the tradition of “Tucson casual.” Field trips include Tucson Botanical Gardens, the tram at Sabino Canyon, San Xavier del-Bac restored mission, and the Desert Museum populated by desert animals in a natural setting. See the University campus; take in the Arizona Historical Society and State Museum. Experience a dining pleasure at a guest ranch and discover Tucson’s history, sophistication and laid-back leisure.

Accommodations & Meals: Full-service hotel lodging. Free parking. All meals included except for one lunch, which allows you to explore the local cuisine on your own.

#1068AU | 6 Nights

From Tucson, venture south to explore northern Mexico’s rich cultural heritage and natural history. Accompanied by knowledgeable instructors, travel through the Sonoran Desert’s vast natural resources viewing tropical deciduous forests, flowering trees, and columnar cacti. Visit Magdalena, important in the 18th-century mission movement and burial place of Padre Kino. Continue south to Guaymas on the Sea of Cortez and to a pearl farm, then to the 17th-century colonial town of Alamos. Visit restored haciendas and their gardens and walk cobblestone streets. Visit Aduana, site of a mission established in 1630, and see the “miracle cactus” growing on the church wall. Proceed to Navojoa and a boat tour of the Bay of Yavaros wildlife preserve. Meander through mangrove inlets populated by a variety of bird life, including over 400 bird species. Relax, relish a seafood feast on a white sand beach, and enjoy a serenade of traditional Spanish songs. Limited to 35 participants.

Much walking required, sometimes over uneven surfaces. Recommended for the active Elderhostel participant. This is a moving classroom. Travel is by motor coach with reclining seats, TV monitors and bathroom. Journey is 475 miles (one way) through beautiful high desert plateau surrounded by mountains. Passport is necessary. Mexican Visa fee may apply.

Itinerary: Arrive Tucson, 1 night; Sonoran towns of Guaymas, 1 night; Alamos, 2 nights; Navojoa, 2 nights; departures from Tucson. Independent arrivals at Tucson International Airport by 4 p.m. Final day, arrive in Tucson at approximately 6 p.m. Free parking in Tucson for duration of trip.

Accommodations & Meals: Motel lodging. All meals included.

#1067AU | 6 Nights

* One night has been added to this date due to the lack of lodging in Tucson during the gem show. Stay over in Nogales upon returning from Mexico, then you will be bussed to airport and/or originating site the next morning; arrive in Tucson approximately 9:15 a.m.

Learn foreign diplomacy from veteran Foreign Service Officers who have served in embassies throughout the world. Examine case studies from various countries to illustrate how embassies conduct our government’s business, assist U.S. citizens, promote exports, and deliver humanitarian aid. From this global context of diplomacy, review what the U.S. has sought to accomplish in Mexico and assess how successful we have been. Learn about the political and economic spheres of NAFTA, immigration, and other issues. Discuss U.S./Mexico border relations with the people who work at the international border. Join us as experts bring to life the evolving relationship with our important neighbor to the south.

Program includes day trip to Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, and to the Arizona- Sonora Desert Museum. A passport may be necessary for the field trip to Mexico. Walking required, up to ½ mile, and can include uneven surfaces.

Program in association with The University of Arizona and the American Foreign Service Association Accommodations & Meals: Full-service hotel lodging. Free parking. All meals included.

#8198AU | 6 Nights

Authentic local flavors mix to create the rich and varied cuisine of the Southwest and Mexico. Compare the taste, texture and aromas of the smooth, sweet and spicy blends that are favorites of the area. Distinguish between gold and silver tequila and the many varieties of salsa. Join Tucson celebrity chefs demonstrating the art of Southwest cooking. Then, travel to Nogales and enjoy the delights of northern Mexican cuisine. Let aromas of traditional dishes tempt you on a chef’s tour in Nogales, Sonora with a visit to a Mexican grocery store and the colorful Mexican marketplace. Experience lively mariachi music and create culinary delights with recipes to take home. Enjoy instruction in the culinary arts with abundant tasting opportunities.

Itinerary: Arrive by 5 p.m., Tucson 3 nights, coach to Nogales, 3 nights. Final day, transfer from Nogales to Tucson. Independent departures from Tucson, arriving Tucson by approximately 9:30 a.m.

Accommodations & Meals: Hotel lodging, both locations. Free parking. All meals included, except for one dinner in Tucson where you may explore the local cuisine on your own.

#8188AU | 6 Nights

Golf and natural history intermingle in the foothills of the majestic southern Arizona Mountains. This program begins with great golf outings and expert PGA instruction first in Tucson and then in Nogales. Discover the power of the putt and the challenge of the chip-and-pitch game. Learn how to get out of trouble in the rough or the sand. Enjoy three days of group clinics followed by three 9-hole rounds of golf on championships courses with a riding cart. On the fourth day, practice what you have learned and play 18 holes of golf. With an overview of game essentials, discover how to master the mental game. Bring your own clubs or rentals are available. A study of the natural history complements the golf program. Gain a better understanding of the complex relationships among plants, animals and their natural environments in the richest desert ecology in the U.S. A journey to the Mexican marketplace, Nogales, Sonora, is included.

Courses require soft-cleat golf shoes – no steel spikes.

Itinerary: Arrive, Tucson, 2 nights (arrive by 5 p.m. first night); Nogales, 3 nights. Final day transfer from Nogales to Tucson, arriving by approximately 9:30 a.m. in Tucson for independent departures.

Accommodations & Meals: Hotel lodging. Free parking. All meals included.

#8080AU | 5 Nights

Discover how the earliest settlers of the desert Southwest created a community and maintained their culture as you explore the changing world of Arizona tribes and their customs, art, music and ceremonial life. Venture into the Old West in the picturesque hillside mining town of Bisbee and its neighbor, Tombstone, “the town too tough to die.” Continue on to Nogales for the remainder of your trip. Talk with local ranchers at a working cattle ranch where the TV series Rawhide was filmed to learn about modern-day “cow punchers.” Travel into Old Mexico to experience the lively marketplace. Venture through local flora and fauna at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Walk through history at the missions of San Xavier and Tumacacori Historical Park.

Itinerary: Arrive by 5 p.m., Tucson 2 nights; coach to Nogales, 3 nights. Final day, transfer from Nogales to Tucson. Independent departures from Tucson, arriving Tucson by approximately 9:30 a.m.

Accommodations & Meals: Hotel lodging, both locations. Free parking. All meals included.

#7504AU | 5 Nights

Dazzling, colorful and amazing describes this “jewel” of a week. You will be immersed in gem stones and regional works of art. Begin at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, and walk the aisles of this internationally famous convention where thousands of vendors display their wares. Class time will shed light on the significance of the gems and stones, how to identify them, and how they are used. Mid-week, travel to Nogales, Arizona, and visit Tubac, the oldest European settlement in Arizona and an internationally known artists’ colony. Learn to recognize the beauty of art objects from the Southwest with their mix of myth and culture, drawn from Native American and Mexican life. View art work such as basket weaving, pottery and jewelry making. Field trip will include Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. A passport is necessary for this activity.

Itinerary: Arrive by 5 p.m., Tucson 3 nights; coach to Nogales, 3 nights. Final day, transfer from Nogales to Tucson. Independent departures from Tucson, arriving Tucson by approximately 9:30 a.m.

Accommodations & Meals: Hotel lodging, both locations. Free parking. All meals included.

#7320AU | 6 Nights