WEEKEND GETAWAY: BENSON

getaway The Sky's the Limit Near BENSON, Where Caves, Small Lakes and STARRY NIGHTS Provide the Fun

"OH, WOW!" EXCLAIMS 4-YEAR-OLD Noah Hartkopf as he peers through a telescope at moon craters. His parents, John and Janet of Chandler, laugh as Noah discovers the wonders of the universe.

My 15-year-old daughter, Jessica, and I take turns looking through the telescope, and our comments range from "Holy cow!" to "Ahhh, cool!" Not exactly scientific, but definitely expressing our feelings.

We're in Benson in southeast Arizona to enjoy both the sky above and the Earth below at nearby Kartchner Caverns State Park. The clear desert skies draw astronomy buffs from around the world, and Skywatcher's Inn at Vega-Bray Observatory-billed as "The Arizona Astronomy and Nature Retreat" - is a favorite destination. Owner Ed Vega, a Tucson physician, author and amateur astronomer, dreamed of his own large telescope, and his wife, Patricia, wanted a farm. They combined both of their dreams into Skywatcher's Inn, which allows guests to learn about astronomy in a rural setting.

Perched on a hill overlooking the tree-lined San Pedro River Valley, the observatory houses eight major telescopes ranging up to 20 inches in diameter. Most were made by Phoenix optician Max Bray. The facilities include a science classroom, planetarium, museum and telescope control room. A separate observing room, under a 14-foot electronically controlled dome, holds a 20-inch Maksutov telescope.

Before stargazing, Jessica and I head 3 miles into town for dinner at the Horseshoe Steakhouse and Cantina. A Benson landmark since 1937, the Horseshoe gets recommended by locals as "the"place to eat. We order grilled salmon along with the soup and salad bar. Back at Skywatcher's Inn, Ignacio Cisneros, 36, a staff astronomer, serves as our tour guide to the galaxy. He opens the roof of the south dome and, using the remote-controlled telescope, reveals phases of Venus and Jupiter and the rings of Saturn. I'm glad we brought coats for the cool March temperatures, but wish I'd taken a nap this afternoon because stargazing can go on all night. We're not astronomy experts, but that's okay. About 70 percent of the inn's visitors rate as beginners, and the programs can be geared to guests' experience. The next morning starts with a breakfast of stuffed French toast, bacon and fruit served in a glass-enclosed dining room overlooking the valley. After the meal, we're scheduled to observe sunspots and solar flares through safe filtered telescopes. Adults seem as anxious as Noah to see what the sun really looks like.

Later we find there's more than astronomy at Skywatcher's Inn. Noah and his parents have already discovered the paddleboat and small ponds with resident ducks and geese. I head for the science classroom to browse fossils and dinosaur information while Jessica enjoys the hands-on science puzzles and experiments. On Noah's recommendation, Jessica and I try the paddleboat. The geese create an uproar at our intrusion, and we look like pied pipers as they follow us around the pond. I spot a killdeer on shore and want to show Jessica how it will fake a broken wing to lead me away from its nest. Instead of landing at the wooden pier, I try getting out along the bank and promptly sink to my knees in mud. This sends Jessica into gales of laughter and the geese into a cacophony of honks and hoots. Lady pond. I spot a killdeer on shore and want to show Jessica how it will fake a broken wing to lead me away from its nest. Instead of landing at the wooden pier, I try getting out along the bank and promptly sink to my knees in mud. This sends Jessica into gales of laughter and the geese into a cacophony of honks and hoots. Lady Killdeer doesn't even bother putting on her act as I struggle to get out of the sticky mire. After a quick change of clothes, we go to Kartchner Caverns State Park, the crown jewel in the Arizona State Parks system, located just 8 miles south of Benson on State Route 90. While the cave itself ranks as a geologic wonder,

LOCATION: 156 miles southeast of Phoenix.

GETTING THERE: Drive south on Interstate 10 to Benson.

WEATHER: March average high, 72°; average low, 37°.

PHONE NUMBERS: Area codes are 520; 800 series are toll-free.

LODGING: Skywatcher's Inn, 615-3886; www.communiverse.com/skywatcher. Take Exit 306 off Interstate 10 and drive south. Turn left onto Frontage Road then south onto South Benson Airport Road. Continue 1.5 miles to South Astronomers Road, a private dirt road. Drive south for a half-mile.

RESTAURANTS: Beijing Chinese Restaurant, 586-7140; Horseshoe Steakhouse and Cantina, 586-3303; Magaly's Mexican Restaurant, 586-2027; R&R Pizza Express, 586-2000.

ATTRACTIONS: Kartchner Caverns State Park, 9 miles south of I-10 on State Route 90. Open 7:30 A.M. to 6 P.M. daily. $10 vehicle entrance fee for up to four people, $1 each for additional people. Tours start every 20 minutes from 8:40 A.M. to 4:40 P.M. Reservations suggested, but walk-up tickets may be available each day at 7:30 A.Μ. Tours are $14 for adults; $6, ages 7 to 13; free, 6 and under (children under 6 are often spooked by the quiet, black interior). Cave tour and all facilities are wheelchairaccessible. 586-CAVE or www.pr.state.az.us for reservations; same-day ticket information, 586-4100.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Benson Chamber of Commerce, 586-2842; Sierra Vista Convention and Visitors Bureau, (800) 288-3861.

the story of its discovery reads like an Indiana Jones tale. The video in the park's Discovery Center tells how Randy Tufts and Gary Tenen, two University of Arizona students, found the caverns in 1974 but kept the discovery a secret until the area could be protected by the state park system in 1988.

Kartchner Caverns State Park, which opened in November 1999, now covers 550 acres at the base of the Whetstone Mountains. The 7-acre caverns-2.4 miles long-contain two immense rooms: the Upper Cavern, which holds the Throne and Rotunda rooms; and the Lower Cavern with its Big Room, not yet open to the public. The Big Room serves as the summer migratory and maternity home for as many as 2,000 cave bats (Myotis velifer). They arrive from Mexico in April, give birth to one pup in late July, then return to Mexico in September. During their summer visit, the bats consume nearly a half-ton of insects.

Extraordinary precautions are taken to preserve the living caverns: Tours are led by park rangers, visitors enter through a series of conservation chambers, monitors keep track of conditions inside the cave and misting systems supplement the air's natural moisture. I'm happily surprised to get a "cave kiss," a small drop of water that hits my head and is supposed to bring good luck.

At the end of the tour we sit quietly in front of Kubla Khan, a massive cave column, for the grand finale.

Music sets the mood as lights bring one formation then another into view, creating in us an almost religious feeling of awe. Back in Benson, we enjoy dinner at Magaly's Mexican Restaurant before returning to Skywatcher's Inn for more stargazing. With a nice selection of dishes, it takes some time to make a decision. I compromise and order a combination plate, and Jessica settles on a chimichanga.

At the inn, Cisneros helps photographer David Smith attach his camera to a 20-inch telescope for out-of-this-world photos, while Jessica and I go to the Galaxy Room where Gil Esquerdo, an astronomy student, explains constellations in a way even I can understand.

It's been a full day and I'm ready for the Egyptian Room, with its Jacuzzi tub and elegant decor. Now I feel pampered. Snuggling down to sleep, I think Noah's got just the word for this experience. From the sky above to the caverns below, it has been one "Wow!" weekend. AH