Bank One Ballpark opened in the Spring of 1998, built as a multipurpose facility to house Arizona’s first Major League Baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, and to host large-scale events.  The Ballpark covers approximately 1,300,000 square feet, including the playing surface.  It is now one of the most impressive and unique Major League Baseball facilities in the country.  Bank One Ballpark is home to the 2001 World Champions Arizona Diamondbacks, a number of restaurants, beer gardens—even a retractable roof and swimming pool—all within an old-style ballpark atmosphere.  You could make dozens of trips to the ballpark for games and never experience it all.  The best way to get a really good look at this amazing facility is to take a Bank One Ballpark guided tour, a truly memorable experience.

For more information on the Bank One Ballpark, visit www.bankoneballpark.com

Buses depart the hotel at 2:15 pm.

The Straw That Broke the Camel's Back: Preservation of An Urban Mountain Landscape

This presentation will include a discussion of the relationship of the growth of the Phoenix area with the surrounding natural landscapes and the efforts to save Camelback Mountain from being developed during the 1950s and 1960s.  The story of the preservation of Camelback Mountain touches on broader issues of  urban growth, contested landscapes, and environmental perceptions in the American West.  The effort to save the mountain took many years and eventually brought together the unlikely pair of native sons Barry Goldwater and Stewart Udall. 

Following a talk about the history of the preservation of Camelback Mountain at the base of the mountain, there will be a hike along the Echo Canyon Summit Trail.  This is a very strenuous trail recommended only for experienced hikers.  The trail ascends over 1,200 feet through some spectacular sandstone formations and offers outstanding views of the greater Phoenix area from the summit.  The summit trail is 1.2 miles each way and includes some very steep and rocky sections.  Participants should wear sturdy hiking boots and comfortable hiking clothes.  It is also recommended to bring sunscreen, a hat, and plenty of water -- temperatures can still be warm in Phoenix in October and it is easy to become dehydrated during this strenuous hike. 

A van will pick up participants at the hotel at 7:45 a.m.  Please note that this is a ticketed event that requires advance registration and space is limited. 

This daylong tour includes a visit to two important sites. In the morning, visitors will tour Roosevelt Dam. Part of the Salt River Project (SRP), Roosevelt Dam was originally constructed between 1905 and 1911 by the U.S. Reclamation Service to store the surplus flow of the Salt River and to harness the water for power purposes. Water from the dam turned the Arizona desert into land that could be farmed. Originally, the world's tallest masonry dam, this structure is named after President Theodore Roosevelt, who was instrumental in approval of the Federal Reclamation Act of 1902, and who dedicated the original dam in March 1911.  In 1996, a $430 million modification project was completed that raised the height of the dam to 357 feet and expanded the lake's storage capacity by 20 percent. Theodore Roosevelt Dam remains the cornerstone of the Salt River Valley's water storage and delivery system. Convention attendees have the opportunity to tour the dam and power structures and then bus to lunch (about 1:30) at the picnic area at nearby Tonto National Monument. 

Visitors to Tonto National Monument can visit two well-preserved cliff dwellings occupied by the Salado culture during the 13th, 14th, and early 15th centuries. Participants will only have time to visit the lower ruin.  The park has a direct link to the irrigation systems along the Salt below it, now under the reservoir. The people farmed in the Salt River Valley and supplemented their diet by hunting and gathering native wildlife and plants. The Salado were fine craftsmen, producing some of the most exquisite polychrome pottery and intricately woven textiles to be found in the Southwest, many of which are displayed in the visitor center. Tonto is an easy tour with a little bit of steep walk on a paved trail to the first ruin.  At the visitor center, convention attendees can see the 20-minute video and exhibits where an interpreter will be available. If attendees prefer to avoid the walk to the lower ruin, they can view the dwellings from the visitor center.

For further information about the tour sites, visit www.srpnet.com/water/dams/roosevelt.aspx and www.usbr.gov/dataweb/dams/az10317.htm for dam information and www.nps.gov/tont/index.htm for information on Tonto National Monument.

There are special requirements for this tour because of the visit to the dam: 

Clothing: tour participants need to wear long pants, and hard-soled, closed-toe shoes. At the dam, SRP will provide hardhats. 

Personal information: attendees need to submit their name and birth date (day, month, and year) several weeks prior to the convention for security clearance.  A photo id will be required to board the bus.

Because of safety considerations, this tour is limited to participants who are 18 and older.

Registration for this tour with complete information noted above must be received at the WHA Office by September 9, 2005.

The Heard Museum was founded by Dwight B. and Maie Bartlett Heard, a prominent Phoenix couple who moved to the Valley in 1895 from Chicago. The Heards opened the museum in 1929 in order to share their exemplary collection of primarily Native American artifacts and art. A museum of Native cultures and art, the Heard is world famous for its extensive collections of Native American cultural and fine art, unique exhibits, special events and innovative programming.  The new introductory signature exhibit, HOME: Native Peoples in the Southwest, includes the museum's most prized masterpieces, sweeping landscapes, poetry and personal recollections as they guide visitors on a journey through the Southwest and the vibrant art and cultures of Native people. The Heard Museum Shop and Bookstore offers an outstanding selection of original fine arts and craft by Native American artists. Visitors can explore the museum individually or on a docent-led tour. The museum includes a small eatery as well.

For more information on the Heard Museum, visit www.heard.org

In late 1937 Frank Lloyd Wright purchased land in northeast Scottsdale, Arizona, where he and his apprentices took on the task of building Taliesin West as a winter "camp." The complex of buildings included residential spaces, theaters, a shop, and an architectural studio and drafting room. From its inception, the buildings at Taliesin West astounded architectural critics with their beauty and unusual form. Wright continued to add buildings and make changes to the site for twenty years. Taliesin West served as Wright's winter home, architectural studio, and campus for the Taliesin Fellowship.

This popular tour includes visiting the Cabaret Cinema, Music Pavilion, Seminar Theater and Wright's private office. In addition, the newly restored living quarters and dramatic Taliesin West Living Room—where Mr. and Mrs. Wright entertained their famous guests—are part of the tour. The Living room (called "the Garden Room" by Wright) is entered through a typically Wrightian low ceiling, stone-wall space which opens to a dramatic 56-feet long by 34 feet wide room. While sitting in the Wright-designed furniture you will experience the first hand drama of being a guest in his famous house. Refreshments will be served in the colorful Taliesin Fellowship dining room as a part of this tour. In addition, Indira Berndtson, Administrator of Historic Studies which includes the oral history department, will talk to us about Taliesin West's rich archival collections.

For more information on Taliesin West, visit www.franklloydwright.org