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Rice Computer Science
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2003 TeachJava!

Workshop Guidelines

Travel Guidelines

  • Travel Schedule

    Here's what we suggest; obviously, tailor this based on preference, availability, cost, mode of transport, etc.

  • Arrival

    Arrive Sunday before the workshop. Please try to arrive in the afternoon, to allow for delayed and missed flights and to relax a little. The workshop starts first thing Monday morning, and follows a very intense pace, so you will want to be fresh.

  • Departure

    We will arrange for you to stay in a local hotel (within walking or hotel shuttle distance of Rice) that costs approximately $60-80 per night. We will arrange for you to share a room with another participant if you want to save on expenses. To determine whether it is worth staying an extra night (Friday) to obtain lower airfare, note that it will cost about $80 additional for the hotel room.

    For ideas on what to do in Houston, take a look at our Attractions Section below, or check out our Houston website.

  • By Car

    The local hotels that we use offer free parking. We will post a map of the hotel locations as soon as they are chosen.

  • By Plane

    Houston has two airports, Hobby (HOU) and Bush Intercontinental (IAH). One-way rates to the vicinity of Rice are about $25 from HOU and $40 from IAH by taxi, and about $17 by airport shuttle. Both airports are very well served; HOU has many Southwest flights, while IAH is a major Continental hub. All other major airlines also fly to Houston. HOU is somewhat closer to Rice than IAH.

    In our experience, the following web sites are good places to look for cheap fares: http://www.air-fare.com/hou.htm, http://www.orbitz.com/, http://www.travelocity.com/, and http://www.hotwire.com. We do not recommend using www.hotwire.com for booking hotel rooms unless you plan to occupy a room by yourself and to rent a car because transportation to Rice (other than a long walk) may not be available from the site chosen by hotwire. The same warning applies to booking hotels through priceline.com.

  • Hotel

    We have negotiated special rates at two hotels near the Rice the campus. The preferred hotel is: 
      Best Western Plaza Hotel and Suites at Medical Center
6400 Main Street
Houston, TX 77030
Telephone: 713-522-2811
Resevations: 800-780-7234
Rate: 69$ for single or double
    which is located approximately 1 mile from the site of the workshop on campus. To obtain the negotiated rate, you should mention that you are attending the TeachJava workshop arranged by Donna Jares. The hotel provides shuttle to the Rice campus and a complimentary light breakfast. The other recommended hotel is: 
      Residence Inn by Marriott
7710 South Main Street
Houston, TX 77030, 
Telephone: 713-660-7993
Reservations: 888-236-2427
Rate: $76 single with sleeper sofa, $86 double
    which is located about 2.5 miles from the workshop site. All rooms include kitchens. Past attendees have found that the sofa beds in the single rooms are reasonably comfortable places to sleep, enabling a single to function as a double. The hotel provides a shuttle to the Rice campus and a complementary hot breakfast. The quoted hotel rates do not include the 11% tax charged in Houston.

  • Meals

    We will provide lunch and morning and afternoon snacks for each of the five days of the workshop. Since the recommended hotels provide complimentary breakfasts, your only out-of-pocket meal expense should be dinner each evening.

Other Things that are Good to Know

  • Food

    If you elect to book your own hotel reservations, you need to make your own arrangments for breakfast. Some local hotels (such as Extended Stay) include minimal kitchen facilities. Houston has rich and diverse culinary offerings, and most restaurants are extremely affordable (especially in comparison to other large cities). A reasonable number are within walking distance of Rice and our designated hotel. For your evening meals, we will provide you with a restaurant listing; you can find information on-line as well.

  • Dress Code

    Please do not violate any Texas laws against public indecency. Other than that, please feel free to wear shorts, t-shirts, tank tops, or whatever else makes you comfortable. It's hot and humid in Houston at this time of year, and it doesn't cool down much in the evenings. However, the classrooms at Rice are usually well air-conditioned. So we suggest that you consider bringing a sweater.

  • What to Bring

    Some teachers have suggested that it would be helpful to bring different colored pens or pencils, and automatic liquid paper. We will provide a floppy disk, but if you prefer zip disks, please bring one with you. If you have a laptop computer, we suggest that you bring it. DrJava will run on any modern laptop (Windows PC, Linux PC, Mac OS-X). Umbrellas are useful in Houston. The semi-tropical weather often produces unexpected showers. You do not need to bring other texts or references. This course is self-contained.

  • Attractions

    There are many interesting things to do in and near Houston. Our most famous stop is the NASA Johnson Space Center, about 20 miles south of town. There are also numerous museums (including the outstanding Menil art collection), cultural activities (from the opera and ballet to blues to alternate rock), and sporting events. Houston features the Six Flags Astroworld theme park and the Galleria shopping center. Within an hour's drive are the beach at Galveston, the alligators of Brazos Bend State Park, and the San Jacinto Monument ("the first mile of Texas"). For more information on great things to see and do in Houston see our Houston web site.

  • Campus Information

    Relevant Web links:

  • Getting to Rice

    To locate Rice in Houston, I suggest using one of the many free on-line map services, such as Yahoo! Maps, MapsOnUs and MapQuest. They all locate Rice's address, 6100 Main, Houston, TX 77005, USA, accurately. They also provide driving directions. This link takes you directly to a map of Rice at Yahoo!.

  • Parking at Rice

    Enter Rice through Entrance 16, which is on Rice Boulevard. This will put you in a parking lot, with Duncan Hall being the colorful building at its southern end. Park near Duncan, come into the atrium, look for our signs, and get a parking permit from the registration desk. To get the parking permit, you need to provide the car's licence plate number. Please remember to get the permit and put it in your car immediately.

  • Contact

    Prior to and following the workshop: Donna Jares 713-348-5198 for questions regarding travel and other logistical matters. Questions about the workshop content, should be directed to Zung Nguyen.

    The week of the workshop:

    • During workshop hours call the Rice Computer Science Department - 713-348-4834. Tell them you're attending our workshop. They will locate someone for you.

    • Outside workshop hours: Donna Jares is the contact person. You may reach her by cell phone at 713-822-3859. This is the department's emergency line, and it will only be activated July 6-12.