Exploring Strange New Worlds: From Giant Planets to Super Earths
High Country Conference Center, Flagstaff, AZ
May 1-6, 2011
Local Information (hotel, travel, dining, weather)
Dining Recommendations and Local Things to Do
First Friday ArtWalk - This monthly event occurs on the first Friday of each month, which in May is at the end of our conference week (May 6). This is a great way to unwind at the end of the conference!
Click here for restaurant information with short reviews from a local. Note that most of these restaurants are shown on the following two restaurant maps.
Flagstaff Weather
May weather in Flagstaff tends to cool evenings and pleasant days, though rain and even snow are always possible. Temperatures in May range from 34°-70° F/0°-21° C. Current weather for the Flagstaff area can be found here.
Hotel Information
April 5 update: Conference room blocks at both the Drury Inn and the Embassy Suites are now full. However rooms are still available at the Radisson Woodlands. Please use the link below to make a reservation.
Room block reservations have been made at three hotels in Flagstaff. Click here to see a map showing the locations of all three hotels and the conference center.
Radisson Inn Woodlands - 1175 West Route 66, 1 mile southwest of the conference center
Click here to make an on-line reservation. The reservation deadline for this hotel is April 11, 2011 to ensure the conference rate of $95 per night (exclusive of tax).
Drury Inn - 300 South Milton Rd., adjacent to the conference center. This room block is now full.
Embassy Suites - 706 South Milton Rd., 0.5 miles from the conference center. This room block is now full.
Getting to Flagstaff
Option 1: Fly to Flagstaff (FLG). US Airways has several ~40 minute commuter flights between Phoenix and Flagstaff each day. Flagstaff Pulliam Airport is 6 miles from downtown Flagstaff with car rentals available opposite the baggage claim area.
If you rent a car at the Pulliam airport, take I-17 north, go under the I-40 bridge stack, to where I-17 ends. Turn onto Milton Ave and continue north. Directions to the various hotels from this point can be found on the hotel websites listed above.
Option 2a: Fly to Phoenix (PHX) rent a car, and drive Interstate 17 to Flagstaff. The 2.5 hour drive to Flagstaff takes you through a variety of ecosystems beginning with concrete/asphalt and then passing through areas of Saguaro cactus, chaparral, stubby pinyon/juniper trees, and finally reaching the tall Ponderosa pines of the high country.
If you choose to drive from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to the conference hotel, click on the map below for information on leaving the airport (click map to enlarge):
The rental car center is west of the airport. From here, go right on Buckeye Road to Interstate 10. You can go either way to connect to Interstate 17 to Flagstaff. Easiest is the green route above: go right, merge briefly onto I-10 south and follow the right lane ramp onto I-17. Take I-17 145 miles (230 km) to Flagstaff. Once in the Flagstaff area, go under the I-40 bridge stack and I-17 will end and turn into Milton Avenue. Directions to the various hotels from this point can be found on the hotel websites listed above.
Option 2b: Fly to Phoenix (PHX) and take a shuttle service to Flagstaff. The shuttle runs approximately every two hours during the day and stops at the Amtrak station in Flagstaff, less than 0.5 miles from the HCCC (see map). Current fares (as of Oct. 2010) are $37 each way per passenger if you make your reservations ahead of time. Note that rates for reservations made over the internet are lower than for phone reservations.
Getting Around Flagstaff
We recommend you rent a car. Flagstaff is not compact (~250 km2 within city limits) and you may want to do some exploring anyway. Here is a map of Flagstaff. For further information, you can visit the City of Flagstaff official site or the Convention and Visitors' Bureau.
Questions? StrangeNewWorlds@ipac.caltech.edu