A Brief Update of News Around Arizona
October2017
The Arizona Office of Tourism is pleased to provide this monthly update of new and noteworthy items within Arizona’s tourism industry. For more information, contact Becky Blaine at , Kim Todd at or Marjorie Magnusson at .
General
Horseshoe Bend design update
A year ago, representatives from the City, National Park Service, AZ Natural History Association and the Navajo Nation sat down together to develop a master plan for the Horseshoe Bend Overlook. In the months that have followed, City and National Park Service representatives have been working with Weddle Gilmore Black Rock Studio to develop a master plan for the Horseshoe Bend Overlook that will provide a high‐quality visitor experience, improve accessibility, prevent damage to the natural environment, and address safety concerns. The first phase, estimated to cost $864,480, is expected to be completed in late spring. Phase one includes an ADA compliant trail, two shade structures, a safe and accessible rim viewing area, re-vegetation of existing trail, entry monument and interim parking lot improvements. The second phase estimated to cost $2.48 million, will begin as funds become available. Phase two includes 300 additional parking spaces, an admission kiosk, trailhead/ restroom facility, and interpretive signage.
Rendering of the new Horseshoe Bend visitor center
Culture/Heritage
Unseen Wyatt Earp Documents Added to Collection at Tombstone Courthouse Historic State Park
Letters, photographs and other documents related to famous lawman Wyatt Earp that have never been shown in public have been donated to Arizona State Parks and Trails and will be displayed at the Tombstone Courthouse Historic State Park. The collection includes handwritten letters from Wyatt Earp's wife, Josephine, to Earp and others; handwritten notes by biographer John Flood from interviews with Earp; 50 pages of carbon copies of an early typed manuscript of Earp's biography, with edits; photos and negatives of Earp and Josephine as seniors and of Josephine's return visit to Tombstone in the 1930s; and documents from Josephine's last will and from Earp's "Happy Day" mine. The entire collection was generously donated by Eric and Nicole Weider.The collection will be processed into the archives and then made accessible to the public after the first of the year. Some will be exhibited on a rotating basis, but the majority will be available year-round to researchers and Wild West enthusiasts. Tombstone served as the Cochise County seat in 1881, and the two-story courthouse, designed in Victorian style, was constructed in 1882. Now a museum, it offers interpretive exhibits on the history of Tombstone and Cochise County, including a sheriff's office, artist drawings and interpretations of the Gunfight at the OK Corral, Wyatt Earp, a mining exhibit area, saloon and gaming room, lawyers office and courtroom and reproduction gallows outside. Wyatt Earp documents
Colorado River State Historic Park Opens in Yuma
One ofYuma’s two state historic parks is undergoing a significant transformation beginning with a name change from the QuartermasterDepot State Historic Park to the Colorado River State Historic Park.While new signageis going up at the park, there is much moreto this transformation.The parkwill continue to tell the story of the past, but will now include the present and the futureof the Colorado River. Existing exhibits tell the story of the site as a key transshipment site fromsteamboats to forts in the Southwest from the 1860s to the 1880s.However, withthe coming of the railroad in 1877, the site took on a new mission in the early1900s as the Bureau of Reclamation and allied water districts built an impressivearray of dams, canals and even an underground water tunnel to serve the YumaValley. This is the basis of Yuma’s multi-billion dollar winter fresh vegetable business, serving the entire nation from November to March. The whole story of the Colorado River including: the importance ofYuma agriculture for the entire nation; the unintended environmental stresses; theover-allocation of river water;the increasing demand on water supplies to serve 40million people in the entire Southwest will all be told.In essence, the uncertain future of theColorado River and how we can all play a part in addressing this challenge will be included. A new exhibit on John Wesley Powell is being installed in the main entrancebuilding.A newsmall theater has been created that will run films daily (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) from a variety of perspectives.An exhibit called “Moving Waters” is being refreshed and relocated into the Storehouse building. The ultimate vision is to build a new building calledthe 'Center for the Future of the Colorado River,'inwhich people can betterunderstand and appreciate the challenges ahead.
Hotel News
Sheraton Tucson Hotel and Suites announces a $6.5 million renovation
Sheraton Tucson Hotel and Suites has announced their $6.5 million renovation is underway and it includes significant redesign and renewal of its property. They will be spending $20,000 per key with the remaining investment being expended on restaurant, lobby and conference center. Renovated rooms,which include technology upgrades,are now available for occupancy with 90% of the room renovation already complete. Sheraton Tucson Hotel and Suites will be updating their 14,000 square feet of conference center space and is creating a new state of the art fitness center. Encompassing 2,200 square feet, it will include ladies and men’s locker rooms, yoga and stretching area and all the fitness equipment one comes to expect in an independent fitness membership facility. The newest dining spot – The Glowbal – will encompass the fusion of international cuisine while highlighting the bold flavors and ingredients of North American countries from Canada to Cuba for both hotel guests and local residents. The renovation is being completed in phases with an estimate completion in the second quarter of 2018.
Sheraton Tucson Hotel and Suites
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Arizona Office of Tourism October 2017 BriefPage 1