Night Sky Tourist

Night Sky Tourist partners with many organizations and venues, but Taliesin West is definitely the most unique. Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, Taliesin West was the winter home of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. This UNESCO World Heritage Site offers self-guided tours during the day and occasionally hosts stargazing experiences at night. Aija Cave joins us for a behind-the-scenes look at this incredible site and shares details about the upcoming Sunset & Sips event in November 2025, which will feature stargazing with the Night Sky Tourist Star Dudes.

LINKS FROM EPISODE 129:

• 2025 Stargazing Guide (FREE download): https://nightskytourist.com/guide/ 

• Taliesin West & Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation: https://franklloydwright.org/ 

• Sunset & Sips (link good through the end of November 2025): https://franklloydwright.org/event/sunsets-sips-1120/ 

• Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation on FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/wrighttaliesin 

• Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wrighttaliesin/ 

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

Visit the Night Sky Tourist website to book private stargazing experiences, read inspiring articles, and find resources to take your stargazing to the next level. You can find us at: https://nightskytourist.com/ 

FOLLOW & SUPPORT

• Rate us: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nightskytourist/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NightSkyTourist

• Newsletter: Sign up at NightSkyTourist.com for exclusive content and updates

• Questions? Email [email protected]

Night Sky Tourist is more than just this podcast. We are also a stargazing business based in Fountain Hills, Arizona, on the edge of the Phoenix Metro Area. Being in a certified International Dark Sky Community means that we have something special to offer when it comes to seeing the stars. Through themed events, corporate and private stargazing experiences, and community events, we have the privilege of introducing thousands of people to the beautiful cosmos through our telescopes. In this episode, you’ll hear the stories of each of our Star Dudes as we show you what it’s like to fall in love with the dark.

LINKS FROM EPISODE 128:

• 2025 Stargazing Guide (FREE download): https://nightskytourist.com/guide/ 

• Book the Star Dudes: https://nightskytourist.com/stardudes/ 

• Subscribe to our newsletter: https://nightskytourist.com/ 

• Night Sky Tourist themed events: https://nightskytourist.com/events/ 

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

Visit the Night Sky Tourist website to book private stargazing experiences, read inspiring articles, and find resources to take your stargazing to the next level. You can find us at: https://nightskytourist.com/ 

FOLLOW & SUPPORT

• Rate us: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nightskytourist/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NightSkyTourist

• Newsletter: Sign up at NightSkyTourist.com for exclusive content and updates

Questions? Email [email protected]

Award-winning author Craig Childs joins me to chat about his brand new book, The Wild Dark: Finding the Night Sky in the Age of Light. We talk about his adventure of biking across the Bortle Scale from the blindingly bright Las Vegas Strip to the darkest night of the Great Basin of Nevada. He shares his thoughts about what the night would look like if we inhabited a lone solar system floating between galaxies, how ancient cultures anchored the night sky to their local landscape, and why light at night is so seductive.

LINKS FROM EPISODE 127:

• 2025 Stargazing Guide (FREE download): https://nightskytourist.com/guide/ 

• Order The Wild Dark book here: https://www.torreyhouse.org/the-wild-dark 

• Craig Childs: http://www.houseofrain.com/index.cfm 

• The Bortle Scale: https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-resources/light-pollution-and-astronomy-the-bortle-dark-sky-scale/ 

• Night Sky Tourist events: https://nightskytourist.com/events/ 

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

Visit the Night Sky Tourist website to book private stargazing experiences, read inspiring articles, and find resources to take your stargazing to the next level. You can find us at: https://nightskytourist.com/ 

FOLLOW & SUPPORT

• Rate us: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nightskytourist/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NightSkyTourist

• Newsletter: Sign up at NightSkyTourist.com for exclusive content and updates

• Questions? Email [email protected]

Tired of living disconnected from nature's rhythms while racing through an endless calendar of obligations? This episode explores how Cross-Quarter Days—the forgotten midpoints between solstices and equinoxes—can transform your year from four rushed seasons into eight meaningful moments of pause and reflection. Rather than borrowing ancient Celtic traditions that don't match your local landscape, discover how to create place-based celebrations anchored to what's actually happening in your backyard: which plants are fruiting, what animals are active, how the night sky shifts, and what indigenous peoples called each full moon. Joined by Mariah Gladstone, founder of Indigikitchen and expert in indigenous food systems, we'll discuss how regular gatherings around seasonal, locally-sourced meals can reconnect you to both your natural surroundings and your community. This conversation will give you practical tools for slowing down and finding meaning in nature's calendar, without cultural appropriation or complicated rituals.

LINKS FROM EPISODE 126:

• 2025 Stargazing Guide (FREE download): https://nightskytourist.com/guide/ 

• Indigikitchen: https://www.indigikitchen.com/ 

• Indigikitchen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Indigikitchen 

• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer: https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/books 

• “The Little-Known Links between Holidays and Cross-Quarter Days”: https://nightskytourist.com/cross-quarter-days/ 

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

Visit the Night Sky Tourist website to book private stargazing experiences, read inspiring articles, and find resources to take your stargazing to the next level. You can find us at: https://nightskytourist.com/ 

FOLLOW & SUPPORT

• Rate us: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nightskytourist/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NightSkyTourist

• Newsletter: Sign up at NightSkyTourist.com for exclusive content and updates

• Questions? Email [email protected]

Scorpius dominates the summer night skies and captures the imagination of people around the world. The red “heart of the scorpion,” Antares, twinkles brightly, and a nearby star cluster is visible to the naked eye from dark locations. Meanwhile, summer is scorpion season on the ground, creating a perfect anchor between the night sky and the land. But not all cultures see a scorpion. I’ll take you to the Polynesian culture to introduce you to the connection between the demigod Maui and the constellation Scorpius.

LINKS FROM EPISODE 125:

• 2025 Stargazing Guide (FREE download): https://nightskytourist.com/guide/ 

• Video demonstration of the ecliptic (1 minute): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoFct5WwVys 

• Night Sky Tourist Events Calendar: https://nightskytourist.com/events/ 

• “Curate Your Stargazing Kit” by Night Sky Tourist: https://nightskytourist.com/stargazingkit/

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

Visit the Night Sky Tourist website to book private stargazing experiences, read inspiring articles, and find resources to take your stargazing to the next level. You can find us at: https://nightskytourist.com/ 

FOLLOW & SUPPORT

• Rate us: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nightskytourist/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NightSkyTourist

• Newsletter: Sign up at NightSkyTourist.com for exclusive content and updates

• Questions? Email [email protected]

Astrotourism is barreling through the tourism industry like a freight train, and one visionary, Gamal Jadue Zalaqett, has brought his dream for the Kosmos Stargazing Resort & Spa to life in the San Luis Valley in Colorado. Located just south of Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, these luxury domes, stargazing park, spa, and observatory are the perfect complement for those looking to connect with nature and see pristine night skies. 

LINKS FROM EPISODE 124:

• 2025 Stargazing Guide (FREE download): https://nightskytourist.com/guide/ 

• Kosmos Stargazing Resort & Spa: https://www.kosmosresort.com/

• Kosmos on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kosmosresort/ 

• Kosmos on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kosmosresort 

• Kosmos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kosmosresort 

• Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve: https://www.nps.gov/grsa/ 

• Night Sky Tourist Events Calendar: https://nightskytourist.com/events/ 

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

Visit the Night Sky Tourist website to book private stargazing experiences, read inspiring articles, and find resources to take your stargazing to the next level. You can find us at: https://nightskytourist.com/ 

FOLLOW & SUPPORT

• Rate us: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nightskytourist/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NightSkyTourist

• Newsletter: Sign up at NightSkyTourist.com for exclusive content and updates

• Questions? Email [email protected]

There’s a new tent that's flipping the stargazing experience for campers on its head. Joe Bissonnette, the creator of this extraordinary tent, shares his expert tips for finding the best dark sky locations for camping, choosing the right lighting for nighttime camping without disrupting your night vision, and explains what makes Sky View Tents completely different from every other tent on the market. With their breakthrough see-through mesh technology, Sky View Tents let campers sleep directly under the night sky while staying protected from the elements and critters. Perfect timing for summer camping season, this episode gives stargazers and outdoor enthusiasts the inside scoop on this game-changing tent technology and practical advice for planning their next dark sky camping adventure.

LINKS FROM EPISODE 123:

• 2025 Stargazing Guide (FREE download): https://nightskytourist.com/guide/ 

• Sky View Tents: https://skyviewtents.com/?ref=NIGHTSKYTOURIST

• When you use this link, you get a discount and I get a small commission. This is a great way to support two small businesses: Sky View Tents & Night Sky Tourist. Thank you for using this link when you order a tent.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

Visit the Night Sky Tourist website to book private stargazing experiences, read inspiring articles, and find resources to take your stargazing to the next level. You can find us at: https://nightskytourist.com/ 

FOLLOW & SUPPORT

• Rate us: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nightskytourist/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NightSkyTourist

• Newsletter: Sign up at NightSkyTourist.com for exclusive content and updates

• Questions? Email [email protected]

Take your next stargazing adventure to another level with stargazing river rafting. Tom Beckett shares what it’s like to stargaze from the canyons after a day spent on the river. As a river guide with Holiday River Expeditions, Tom introduces rafters to the wonders of the night sky with cultural star stories far from light pollution. 

LINKS FROM EPISODE 122:

• 2025 Stargazing Guide (FREE download): https://nightskytourist.com/guide/ 

• Holiday River Expeditions: https://www.bikeraft.com/ 

• “8 Essential Astrotourism Tips”: https://nightskytourist.com/astrotourism-tips/ 

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

Visit the Night Sky Tourist website to book private stargazing experiences, read inspiring articles, and find resources to take your stargazing to the next level. You can find us at: https://nightskytourist.com/ 

FOLLOW & SUPPORT

• Rate us: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nightskytourist/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NightSkyTourist

• Newsletter: Sign up at NightSkyTourist.com for exclusive content and updates

Questions? Email [email protected]

Nevada probably has more land under pristine dark skies than any other state. And if you love an epic road trip, you’ll want to get your map and pack your bags for the Park to Park in the Dark Highway. In this episode, I chat with Liz Woolsey, owner of Stargazer Inn in Baker, Nevada, to chat about this stargazer’s wonderland and how you can get the most out of your trip along this route.

LINKS FROM EPISODE 121:

• 2025 Stargazing Guide (FREE download): https://nightskytourist.com/guide/ 

• Custom Road Trip Itineraries: https://nightskytourist.com/customtrip/ 

• Park to Park in the Dark Highway: https://parktoparkinthedark.org/ 

• Stargazer Inn & Bristlecone General Store: https://stargazernevada.com/ 

• Travel Nevada: https://travelnevada.com/ 

• DarkSky International: https://darksky.org/ 

• Death Valley National Park: https://www.nps.gov/deva/ 

• Great Basin National Park: https://www.nps.gov/grba/ 

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

Visit the Night Sky Tourist website to book private stargazing experiences, read inspiring articles, and find resources to take your stargazing to the next level. You can find us at: https://nightskytourist.com/ 

FOLLOW & SUPPORT

• Rate us: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nightskytourist/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NightSkyTourist

• Newsletter: Sign up at NightSkyTourist.com for exclusive content and updates

• Questions? Email [email protected]

Think you need to escape the city to connect with the cosmos? Think again! In this week's episode, I reveal seven unexpected ways to experience the night sky and astronomy while visiting urban destinations across North America.

From touching billion-year-old meteorites to standing underneath a space shuttle that left our atmosphere and returned, these urban astrotourism experiences prove that cosmic wonders are hiding in plain sight—even in our most light-polluted cities.

Whether you're planning a family vacation or business trip, discover how to add some celestial magic to your next urban adventure!

LINKS FROM EPISODE 120:

• 2025 Stargazing Guide (FREE download): https://nightskytourist.com/guide/ 

• Arc to Arcturus, Then Speed on to Spica: Spring Star Hopping: https://nightskytourist.com/spring-star-hopping/ 

• Downloadable PDF of these urban astrotourism tricks: email me at [email protected] to request the PDF, and I’ll drop it right into your Inbox.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

Visit the Night Sky Tourist website to book private stargazing experiences, read inspiring articles, and find resources to take your stargazing to the next level. You can find us at: https://nightskytourist.com/ 

FOLLOW & SUPPORT

• Rate us: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nightskytourist/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NightSkyTourist

• Newsletter: Sign up at NightSkyTourist.com for exclusive content and updates

• Questions? Email [email protected]