He used to live in Phoenix, know some people that observed with him.
As for Halley's, I had an incredible view of it on a beach down off the Sea of Cortez before sunrise, amazing stuff.
Oooh. I envy you. Tried to see it when I lived in So. Cal. but it wasn't very spectacular. Trying to remember the name of one in 1996 (?) Got a gorgeous view of that one.