Tourism Arizona

The Clinton administration has delayed for one year a new rule that would reduce by about 40% the air space open to sightseeing planes over the Grand Canyon, the Interior Department said. More time is needed to plan new routes and familiarize pilots with those routes. Related rules meant to reduce aircraft noise over the canyon by imposing a dawn-to-dusk curfew on flights and capping the size of air-tour fleets will go into effect in May as announced.

How does the old saying go--"Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun?" Add two fanatical cowgirl-wannabes--my 17-year-old daughter, Julia, and me--to the list. Eager to take advantage of the nearly 20% discount on rates from May 1 to Sept. 30 at the Tanque Verde Guest Ranch, near Tucson, we recently set off to have a last fling at horseback riding and mother-and-daughter bonding before Julia graduated from high school and left for college.

The bitter strike dividing baseball's millionaire owners and players is hitting hard at a humbler group--the countless diners, shops and motels that rely on spring training tourist dollars. In past years, major league baseball's annual warm-up season has been an economic boon to the cities in Florida and Arizona that host spring training camps. Winter tourists flocked to those states to soak up sun and watch their favorite ball players.