TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, NM — The hot springs capital of the Southwest – Truth or Consequences (T or C), New Mexico – will be the site of a new pick up and drop off point for the popular Spaceport America Preview Tours offered by Follow the Sun Inc./FTS Tours. Effective on Friday, Aug. 2, 2013, the pick up/drop off location will be at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites in T or C.
FTS Tours has been offering 3 1/2 hour Spaceport America Preview Tours since May 2011 on Fridays and Saturdays at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., and on Sundays at 9 a.m only. Tours typically sell out.
“We are excited not only to bring people here for the Spaceport tours, but to give them a chance to experience the historic landmarks, art galleries, and hot springs in T or C,” said Adrian Sandoval, Holiday Inn Express General Manager. “The Holiday Inn Express is the first thing you see at the top of the hill when coming into town, so we’re easy to find and are very accommodating not only to our guests but to guests of the Spaceport America tours.”
“We are elated at our new partnership with the Holiday Inn Express,” said Rose Bleth, President of FTS Tours. “They truly understand customer service, so our guests will be unquestionably well taken care of. It is not just a pick up location – it will be part of our Spaceport tour experience. We certainly appreciate the hospitality that Adrian has shown to FTS Tours and will show our future guests.”
Beginning on Aug. 2, Holiday Inn Express will offer complimentary hot breakfasts until 10 a.m. to anyone taking the morning tour; and hot tea, coffee and cookies for those taking the afternoon tour. Tour guests interested in staying overnight at the hotel will receive a 10 percent discount with purchase of a Spaceport America Preview Tour ticket.
Tour guests can wait for shuttles in the lobby of Holiday Inn Express, which accommodates up to 60 people. Guests can park at the hotel’s parking lot which accommodates up to 75 vehicles.
Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites is located at 2201 F.G. Armin St. in T or C, NM. Call 575-894-3900 for reservation details.
FTS Tours’ Spaceport America Preview Tours feature guided, exclusive access to the spaceport site and provide guests with an up close and personal encounter only available during the pre-operational phase. Guests will learn about the area’s colorful history including that of T or C, Elephant Butte Dam, the ghost town of Engle, Jornada del Muerto (Journey of the Deadman), media mogul Ted Turner’s 350,000-acre Armendaris ranch, and the historic El Camino Real (Royal Road) leading to Spaceport America.
The tour ventures inside the Spaceport perimeter to see the horizontal launch area, spaceway (runway), operations center, and areas still under development, including the fuel storage complex and the iconic Virgin Galactic Gateway building. Guests will hear stories of Virgin Galactic, Space X, Armadillo Aerospace and others, and learn about trends in the emerging commercial space industry, among many fascinating bits of information.
FTS tour prices are $59 for adults 18 and over; $49 for teens ages 13-17; and $29 for children 12 and under. Reservations and a minimum of three guests are required per tour. For reservations, call 575-740-6894 or book online at spaceplacenm.com.
The New Mexico State Board of Finance recently authorized a $20.8 million loan to fund construction of two new visitor centers at Spaceport America which is expected to draw more than 200,000 visitors annually.
Visit www.sierracountynewmexico.info/home-of-spaceport-america or www.spaceplacenm.com for more information.