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Meeting Venues

Events for the 2009 meeting will take place at Reiman Gardens and the Gateway Hotel, which are connected by University Drive. Please refer to the program schedule for a complete listing of events and locations.


Lodging has been arranged at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center.   A block of rooms has been reserved for the APS North Central Division Meeting, at the rate of $84 per night (for Superior Double accommodations).

The opening reception (Sunday, June 21, 5:30 to 8:00 pm) and Disease Assessment Workshop (Sunday, June 21, 1:30 to 4:00 pm) will take place at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center (see map).


The main body of the meeting (June 22 and 23) will be held at Reiman Gardens. Reiman Gardens is situated on a 14-acre site on University Drive, north of US Hwy 30, and south of Jack Trice Football Stadium.  The year-round facility features distinct gardens throughout the indoor and outdoor areas, an indoor conservatory, 2,500 square-foot indoor butterfly wing, butterfly emergence cases and gift shop. During the division meeting all attendees have access to the above features at no charge. The butterfly wing and gift shop close at 4:30 pm daily. Free parking for all conference guests is available directly in front of the main entrance (in the S1 parking lot north of Reiman Gardens). (See map.)

The Corn Nematode Workshop (Sunday, June 21, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm) and Seed Health Testing Workshop (Tuesday, June 23, 1:30 to 5:00 pm) will be held at ISU's Seed Science Center, located on the ISU campus.  To reach the Seed Science Center, drive north on University Drive, and continue past the Cy-Ride bus garage, where University Drive curves to the west and becomes Pammel Drive.  Just past the greenhouses, turn left (south) on Wallace Road.  The Seed Science Center is the third building on the left, at the NW corner of Wallace Road and Osborne, across from the USDA greenhouses. (See map.)



Transportation
Air Travel  (United / Delta / Northwest / American / Midwest)

Des Moines International (DSM) is the nearest airport (approx. 42 miles from Ames).
Omaha International Airport is approximately a 2.5-hr drive to Ames.
Cedar Rapids Airport is approximately 1.5 hr from Ames.

Ground Transportation
Des Moines Airport to Ames is approx. 42 miles, or a 50-minute drive.
ISU Conference Shuttle costs $40.00 (one-way) or $75.00 (round-trip). Contact Forrest Nutter at fwn@iastate.edu to make advance arrangements for conference shuttle service.

Taxi fare, one-way, is about $90.00 plus tip. Several car rental companies operate at the Des Moines airport.

A shuttle service will run between the hotel and Reiman Gardens during the conference. Door to door distance (for those wanting to walk or drive) is 1.2 miles.

Things to do in Ames and Central Iowa

Ames offers many things to see and do! As the home of Iowa State University, Ames entertains out-of-town guests all year round. Information about Ames-area attractions, parks, recreation facilities, shopping, and dining can be found on the site for the Ames Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. The Gateway Hotel website (www.gatewayames.com) displays a comprehensive list of things to do in the Central Iowa area.  Iowa State University has museum exhibits, concerts, workshops, and recreation activities to appeal to everyone.  Check the ISU visitors' page to learn more.



Spouse / Guest Tour

Spouse/Guest Tour    Cost: $55.00-$40.00
Tour Living History Farms and the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad
Monday, June 22, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Tour begins and ends at the Gateway Hotel. Pre-registration is required. Cost for the day (lunch excluded) is $55 per person for adults, $40 for children under age 12.

Join a family-friendly tour to see two of Central Iowa’s most popular attractions. The group will spend the morning at Living History Farms, a historic and working farm.  Exhibits at Living History Farms illustrate life in Iowa, and the development of agriculture, during the 1700’s, 1800’s and early 1900’s.

After lunch, enjoy a beautiful and leisurely ride on the historic Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad.  Your conductor and engineer will be two plant pathologists! Dr. John Hill (Iowa State University) and Dr. William Dolezal (Pioneer Hi-Bred) are railroad buffs who are active in the BSVRR (yes, they're trained operators!).  They have arranged a private car for the APS group, and will share their knowledge of railroad history and the BSVRR (and plant diseases, if pressed). We will travel for 1 hr and 45 minutes in 1920’s-era coaches, traveling west of Boone and across a scenic high bridge. The BSVRR depot includes a railroad museum, a collection of working engines and railroad cars, and a gift shop that will appeal to railroad enthusiasts and kids of all ages.

If you wish to enjoy the train ride without the morning tour, you can purchase tickets on your own by contacting the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad, which is is located just 15 miles west of Ames (see map). Be sure to specify that you wish to ride with the APS North Central Division on the afternoon of June 22!

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