Most of the meetings will be held in the du Boise Conference Center on the NAU campus. A few activities will also take place in the Southwest Forest Science Center, home to the Department of Geography and Public Planning.  Both of these buildings are located in the southwest corner of the NAU campus (which is the largest university campus in land area in Arizona).  This location can be seen in the aerial photography on the meeting homepage by first locating the NAU Skydome - the large, oval white object towards the bottom of the photo.  (The skydome is among the largest wooden domes in the world.)  The conference venues are located directly to the southwest of the Skydome.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and then renting a car is your best bet.  All major airlines fly into the Phoenix airport and major rental car companies are located there as well.  From Sky Harbor to Flagstaff is about a 2 1/2 hour drive past titillating places named Bumble Bee, Black Canyon City, Big Bug Creek, Carefree, Cornville, and Congress Junction.  Renting a car would save you taking a taxi from the Flagstaff airport or the bus stations downtown and leave you free to explore.  If you choose not to rent a car, your next best bet is Nava Hopi Tours, a busline out of Flagstaff, that operates an airport shuttle to the Sky Harbor in Phoenix.  Round trip tickets are $44.  The shuttle leaves Sky Harbor at 11:30 AM, 5:30 PM, and 7:15 PM.  The shuttle leaves the Nava Hopi station in downtown Flagstaff at 7:15 AM, 12:45 PM, and 3:15 PM.  It is my understanding that no reservations are needed.  For more information, however, call (520) 774-5003.

Mesa Airlines, a subsidiary of America West airlines, flies into Flagstaff.  The little commuter plane is a 19 seater.  You can see what the pilot and co-pilot are doing (occasionally dropping their clipboard on their lap while landing). Flights fill up quickly and are sometimes cancelled if there are not enough pilots or there is inclement weather. (The latter information is from a travel agent whose name shall not be revealed).  Some people have complained of air sickness due to turbulent air currents associated with our varied topography. I have always enjoyed the flight, however.  There are about 10 flights between Phoenix and Flagstaff each day.  Flights leave Flagstaff as early as 5:45 PM and as late as 8:55 PM.   Flights leaving Phoenix start at 6:50 AM and end at 9:55 PM.  Round trip tickets from Phoenix to Flagstaff run from $110 to $200.

The Greyhound Bus Depot, located on Milton Road, is connected to all major cities.  If you arrive on Greyhound, an inexpensive taxi fare will get you to the Hampton Inn and Suites, the youth hostel, or wherever you decide to stay.

Although trains pass through Flagstaff on a regular basis, snarling traffic, and evoking the past with their clanking and their whistle, Amtrack only comes through Flagstaff once a day from the west or east.  The passenger train comes in from the West (e.g. coastal cities via Los Angeles) at approximately 6:30 AM and from the East (e.g. Albuquerque) around 10:25 PM.

Tina Kennedy

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last updated: 27 March 1998