Q: How do I get from the airport to the motel?
A: From San Jose Airport: If you are on Highway 101, go north. When you get to San Antonio Road, exit and turn west, towards Los Altos. Stay on San Antonio Road until you reach El Camino Real. Turn right and go about 3 blocks to the motel, which will be on your right.
From San Jose Airport: If you are on Highway 280, go north. When you get to El Monte Ave, exit and turn east. When you reach Foothill Expressway, turn left (use the center lane), then turn right onto San Antonio Road. Upon reaching El Camino Real, turn left and go about 2 blocks to the motel, which will be on your right.
From San Francisco Airport: Go south on Highway 101. Exit at San Antonio Road to the west, towards Los Altos. Stay on San Antonio Road until you reach El Camino Real. Turn right and go about 3 blocks to the motel, which will be on your right.
From the San Jose Airport, take the yellow and blue shuttle. It should cost around $15 to get to the motel. Save the receipt so you can be reimbursed.
From the San Francisco Airport, take the blue Super Shuttle. It will cost around $25 to get to the motel. Save the receipt for reimbursement
Q: What if I need to do some banking?
A: We make arrangments with the bank which is right next door to the motel to cash your Project PHYSLab checks for you. (We try to give you your food check right away.) Don't leave home without your ATM card, however, but this service should make being away from your home bank a little easier.
Q: Are there some recommendations from last year?
A: Bring a bath towel if you like something larger to dry with. An alarm clock would be nice to have. A bicycle helmet and a bike lock would be advised if you will be riding. A light jacket is advised for evenings, as this is not the Mid-West. The coast may be chilly, but most of the day times the participants wore shorts.
Q: What is our meal situation?
A: Project PHYSLab will provide a continental breakfast for you each morning of the workshop. We open our doors at 7:15 or so, and provide juice, milk and coffee with normal breakfast goodies. Requests will be considered for special foods.
Lunches will be brought to the school each day of the workshop from a variety of area restaurants. Expect to get Chinese, Mexican, Italian, and even American food over the course of your two weeks with us.
Dinners are your chance to try the variety of restaurants that are within walking or biking distance of the motel. If you can bum a ride with someone, the sky's the limit for food choices.
Weekends will be on your own, too. No one starved last summer, even if they resorted to going to Denny's across the street.
Q: What should we do on weekends?
A: There are lots of answers to that question. Many participants have friends or relatives locally, and plan their own time. We will take a group to probably three different sites out of the four weekend days that are available. The fourth day will be open for you to visit other sites. (Not necessarily in this order) Trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and possibly sea kayaking. Trip to San Francisco by train with bikes, to ride across the Golden Gate Bridge. Trip to wine country to tour one of the nicer wineries and do a little sampling.
Q: Are there some other things to do that we can work in?
A: A list of attractions and how to get there will be provided. Some places that you can get to include The TECH Museum of Innovation, NASA Teacher's Center, and even San Francisco. If the Giants are in town, groups can go to 3-Com park and return on the same evening using public transportation. Anywhere in Palo Alto, including museums and galleries, can be reached on bike.