The questions below are ones we anticipate participants may wish to have answers to before venturing to Palo Alto for the month of July. If there are other questions, please feel free to address them to the Palo Alto Director, Clarence Bakken.
1. What will the housing be like while we are at Project PHYSLab?
There is a small swimming pool at the motel. There are also two clothes washers and two dryers. A larger laundromat is not too far away. Several vending machines are available for snacking.
We recommend that you bring an alarm clock with you, and don't expect bottles of shampoo and conditioner as Motel 6 is a no-frills motel. If you are used to luxurious towels, you might bring one of them along, too.
The rooms are relatively large, and the participants found them reasonably comfortable last summer. If you borrow a bike, it can be kept in the room at night and on weekends.
2. How can I stay in touch with home?
At school, we do not have the luxury of long distance service in our office. In an emergency, we can get to a phone which can call across country. Messages can be left with the PHYSLab Executive Assistant, Kristine Bakken, at 650-354-8246. We should be able to receive mail at PHYSLab, but it is best sent to the motel. The school is technically closed during the month of July, except for us.
Each participant will receive an account on our campus server. This will allow you to send and receive e-mail while at PHYSLab, as well as other network services. You should not give up your home service, but this account will allow you unlimited access to the World-Wide Web while in Palo Alto.
3. What can I do in the evenings?
Attend a movie, current or classic. Various community events, plays, etc. will unfold during the three weeks, also. For the adventurous, you could take in a Giants or A's baseball game, or go to San Jose for our local AAA pro team. Hang out at a coffee bar or browse one of the many book stores.
Or visit Stanford University. Ride around the campus and drop into the Rodin Garden or the Art Museum. Visit the book store, and rub elbows with Chelsea Clinton at the student union. It's less than 5 miles to our local institution of higher learning.
Or simply go for a ride during which you may traverse as many as 3-4 cities in a half-hour. You could take the train into San Francisco, or any point in between. In short, the evening activities are only limited by your desire and imagination.
4. What should I know about biking?
Plan to bring along a bike helmet for your safety, and also a bike lock. If you don't have the latter, we will get a few that can be purchased for use during the workshop. Please let the Director know if you would like to use a borrowed bike during Project PHYSLab.
5. What can I do on weekends?
Golfers? Your amicable PHYSLab Director is always on the lookout for golfing partners. Let Clarence know if you would like to play a round or two, or if you'd just like to go to a driving range to hit a few balls.
Serious biker? Let Dave Cross know, and he'll try to set up regular rides in the afternoon.
Want to visit a redwood forest? Let us know. We like going there, too, and it's not really very far.
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