You, Too, Can Play Tourist This Summer in Greater Phoenix

Comments (0) By Julie Peterson Thursday, Jun 7 2012

If you're traveling virtually, why limit yourself to this planet? One or two weekends a month, Peoria's Challenger Space Center Arizona (21170 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria, 623-322-2001, www.azchallenger.org) hosts a Family STAR Night with telescope viewing (weather permitting), wonderfully geeky space talks, slide shows, and demos, photo ops, folklore, Scout-badge-earning experiences, and other activities for kids and adults, sometimes centered on special seasonal sky events. Hours and admission prices for these evenings vary; there's also plenty to enjoy at the Center in the daytime, like planetarium shows, games, simulated missions, morning summer Space Camp, and exhibits of stuff that's been to space and back.

The premise of a dive-in movie (no, we didn't leave out the "r") is that if one kind of immersion (say, in the magic of cinema) is good, adding a second kind, like bobbing around in the pool while watching the film, is even better. Some local resorts offer this brilliant concept to registered guests only, while other Valley locations feature publicly soggy, family-friendly (or sometimes more grown-up) movie nights weekly (or more sporadically) over the summer. Your own apartment complex may be getting in on the action, and some folks have been known to plan their own successful dive-ins on www.meetup.com.

Jamie Peachey

Details

Also in the Summer Guide:

"Taste the World While Never Leaving the Valley" by Dominique Chatterjee

"Air-Cooled Athletic Endeavors Await" by Jason Franz

"When the Sun Goes Down, Exotic Nightlife Locales Light Up" by Benjamin Leatherman

"Spike Lee Goes Back to Indieland (and Brooklyn) for Red Hook Summer" by Aaron Hillis

"Your Guide to Highly Anticipated Summer Films" by Aaron Hillis

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City of Mesa Dive-In Movies: 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, at Fremont Aquatic Complex, 1101 N. Power Road, 480-644-2369; 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 23, at Brimhall Pool, 4949 E. Southern Ave., 480-644-5087; www.mesaaz.gov/parksrec/aquatics

Wet N' Wild Phoenix Water Park: 4243 W. Pinnacle Peak Road, 623-201-2000, www.wetnwildphoenix.com; films shown at 8 p.m. Fridays.

Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North: 10600 E. Crescent Moon Dr., Scottsdale, 480-515-5700, www.fourseasons.com/Scottsdale; films shown Saturday evenings

Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak: 7677 N. 16th St., 800-947-9784, www.squawpeakhilton.com/event-calendar; films shown Fridays around 8 p.m.