To register for the following amazing adventures, download the registration form and return with payment to the Destination Services of Loews Ventana Canyon Resort.

Adventure Registration

Lowes Ventan Canyon Resort                     Questions and assistance: (520) 529-7864
Attn: Destination Services
7000 North Resort Drive
Tucson, AZ 85750

 

A SIGNATURE PRE-CONFERENCE TOUR BY ENCORE:
NOGALES, MEXICO / SOUTHWEST SHOPPING
Sunday, November 16
Depart: 8am     Return: 4pm
$136 per person

Take a journey just over 60 miles south of Tucson to the fabled land of Old Mexico. Nogales,
Sonora, Mexico, holds a tradition and lifestyle that will both titillate your senses and soothe both your pocket and pocketbooks.  Items of silver, leather, textiles, wood and onyx are available for purchase, and the price of these items will rely heavily on your bargaining ability.
 
The restaurants of Nogales offer a charm all their own and allow an opportunity to experience true native fare.  Mariachi musicians often serenade the diners with sounds as old as Mexico itself.

Tour Includes: Round trip deluxe transportation, lunch at an authentic Mexican Restaurant, knowledgeable guides, bottled water on vehicle and tax and gratuity.

 

ANOTHER SIGNATURE PRE-CONFERENCE TOUR BY ENCORE:
ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM
Sunday, November 16
Depart: 8am     Return: 12:30pm
$79 per person

The New York Times refers to it as “the most magnificent Saguaro forest in the world” and it is
Southern Arizona’s most popular visitor attraction.  Nestled in Tucson Mountain Park 14 miles west  of downtown Tucson, the Desert Museum exhibits the world of nature from fauna to live animals found in the Sonoran Desert region.
 
On your way to the museum, you will weave through Saguaro National Park, the most magnificent  Saguaro forest in the world.  The great Sonoran Desert region is filled with natural beauty and mystery and this outing provides a unique opportunity to see its comprehensive collection of plants, animals, and geology.  This tour is an outdoor experience that requires walking.

Tour Includes: Round trip deluxe transportation, knowledgeable guides, admission, bottled water on vehicle and tax and gratuity.

 

JEEP TOUR
Monday, November 17
Depart: 1:30pm        Return: 5pm
$88 per person

Ride through the desert with the wind in your hair and the sun on your back during our fun-filled, educational, four-wheel-drive jeep tour.  The tour begins when your guide arrives at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort to lead you through some of the most beautiful and rugged desert wilderness surrounding Tucson as you travel from civilization to primitive country inhabited only by wildlife and ghosts of days gone by.

Your Cowboy or Native American Guide will entertain you as you learn the more modern “Wild West” history of the Arizona Territory, complete with stories of the outlaws, gunfighters, lawmen and range wars of this last-to-be-tamed territory. 
 
Once deep into the desert an experienced Naturalist will lead the group on an extensive nature walk through the desert where you will learn about plants and cacti which are unique to this desert.

Tour Includes: Round trip via Open Air 4 Wheel Drive Jeeps, colorful driver guides, nature walk, bottled water on vehicle and tax and driver gratuities.

 

Sabino Canyon and DeGrazia’s Gallery in the Sun
Monday, November 17
Depart: 1:30pm        Return: 5pm
$70 per person

Treat yourself to a breathtaking outdoor tram ride through Sabino Canyon.  Nestled in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, it offers views of sparkling mountain streams and majestic mountains.  This is a sight not to be missed by nature lovers, or anyone who enjoys the great outdoors. 
 
A Tucson landmark, De Grazia’s Gallery in the Sun welcomes thousands of visitors each year. 
Renowned Arizona master, Ted De Grazia designed this gallery to house his works and the gallery now displays his art, adobe construction, and beautiful decorative features.  It’s a uniquely southwest place to explore, browse or shop.

Tour Includes: Round trip deluxe transportation, Sabino Canyon admissions, bottled water on vehicle and tax and gratuity.

 

City Slicker Cattle Drive
Tuesday, November 18
Depart: 1pm      Return: 5pm
$200 per person

Head ‘em Up and Move ‘em Out!!  The Old West lives on in the lifestyle of the modern-day cowboy who herds, drives and brands cattle for a living.  Share this experience by joining the wranglers for an afternoon on a cattle drive!
 
A spectacular drive to the Cocoraque Ranch gets you in the mood as you pass through Picture
Rocks and the entrance to Saguaro National Park.  Entering the Ranch, you will be surrounded by more than over 16,000 acres of the Sonora Desert used as grazing land for the cattle.
 
Wranglers will greet you as you unload from your vehicle.  They will size up your riding abilities and match you with the appropriate horse “mount.”  They will then assign you your position for the “drive.”  Those with the most experience will ride at the critical points to keep the cattle in line and to keep the “drive” in motion. Those with lesser riding experience will be able to bring up the rear and chase

Tour Includes: Round trip deluxe transportation, Horses/Wranglers, bottled water on vehicle and tax and gratuity.

 

San Xavier Mission Del Bac with Shopping at Old Town Artisans
Tuesday, November 18
Depart: 1pm      Return: 5pm
$58 per person

San Xavier is a gleaming white church rising from the desert as a testimonial to the faith of the early Spanish missionaries and Indians that inhabited the area.  The mission suffered greatly during its early years due to revolts and raids of the natives.  The oldest surviving parts date from 1757 and mystery exists as to why the east bell tower and other parts were left unfinished.  The “White Dove of the Desert” is something to behold as San Xavier is acclaimed as the finest example of mission architecture in the country.  
 
Afterwards, take a stroll through Old Town Artisans a unique marketplace located in the El Presidio Historic District.  Housed within this 1850s restored adobe building, are distinctive shops featuring contemporary and traditional works of over one hundred artists and craftsmen, including Native American tribal art and imports from Latin American cultures. 

Tour Includes: Round trip deluxe transportation, Donation to the San Xavier Restoration Fund, bottled water on vehicle and tax and gratuity.

 

Kartchner Caverns
Wednesday, November 18
Depart: 1pm      Return: 6pm
$85 per person

The Kartchner Caverns story is one of amazing discoveries...both past and present. Stand where the discoverers first entered the cave. Marvel at the strange and colorful formations. Learn about cave inhabitants, both ancient and living. As scientific studies continue, discoveries are yet to be made. 
 
While exploring the cave, paleontologists, those who study prehistoric life, uncovered an 86,000 year record of the local faunal community. These discoveries have lead paleontologists to declare Kartchner Caverns a treasure house of information on the local fossil history of the uplands around the San Pedro River Valley.

Tour Includes: Round trip deluxe transportation, knowledgeable guides, admission, bottled water on vehicle and tax and gratuity.

 

PIMA Air & Space Museum
Wednesday, November 18
Depart: 1pm      Return: 5pm
$85 per person

Explore aviation history at the Pima Air & Space Museum, home of the largest privately owned collection of historical aircraft in the country.  From a full-scale model of the Wright Brothers’ 1903 Wright Flyer to a mock up of the world’s fastest aircraft, the SR–71, also known as “The Blackbird”, this museum is sure to interest everyone!
 
More than 250 military and civilian aircraft are on display, along with engines, flight simulators, uniforms and other aviation memorabilia.  Some of the aircraft at the Pima Air and Space Museum are on loan from the Smithsonian, the Air Force Museum and the Navy.  All craft are significant both in engineering and historical perspective. 

Tour Includes: Round trip deluxe transportation, PASM admissions, Tram Tour, bottled water on vehicle and tax and gratuity.

 

Horseback Riding
Thursday, November 19
Depart: 1:30pm        Return: 5pm
$110 per person

Located at the base of the majestic Santa Catalina Mountains, this tour offers a unique opportunity to view the bio-diversity of the Sonoran Desert on horseback.  Interpretive guides/wranglers will lead you into an adventure that uncovers the secrets of this distinctive ecological system.   The trail is located south of Sabino Canyon, offering riders the experience to cross streams, travel through the riparian life zone, climb onto the bajadas and mix with giant saguaro cacti.  Your guide will also introduce you to village sites of the ancient Hohokam civilization, which farmed the flood plains and mysteriously disappeared around A.D. 1400.

Tour Includes: Round trip deluxe transportation, 1.5 hour trail ride, veteran trail guide and bottled water on vehicle.