MORE 2019

Lodging

The official conference hotel is the Residence Inn Blacksburg. We will arrange accommodations for participants.

Residence Inn Blacksburg
850 University City Boulevard
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(540) 750-4400

Driving

If you drive to Blacksburg you will most likely approach the town from Interstate I-81. Here are driving directions from Interstate I-81 to Residence Inn Blacksburg.

1. Take Interstate I-81 to exit 118B (US-460 West).
2. Follow US-460 West for 9 miles to the first Prices Fork Road (Downtown) exit.
3. Merge onto Prices Fork Road and follow for 0.8 miles.
4. Turn left just past the first traffic light.
5. The Residence Inn Blacksburg will be on your right.

Both hotels offer free parking for their guests.

Flying

We recommend that participants fly into the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA), approximately 45 minutes from Blacksburg. Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport is the closest airport to the Virginia Tech campus and offers a variety of major airlines to choose from, including Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and United Airlines. Many domestic and international gateways are just one stop from Roanoke. Direct connections include cities such as Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, NYC/LaGuardia, Philadelphia, St. Petersburg/Clearwater and Washington, D.C.

When arriving for the conference we recommend the Smart Way Bus. It is cheap ($4, exact change, cash only) and fairly convenient. The Smart Way Bus schedule is found here. Other transportation options include the Roanoke Airport Transportation Service, Uber and Lyft. For more information see the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport's page on ground transportation. Keep in mind that the Virginia Tech Blacksburg campus is a 45 minute drive from the airport.

For returning to the airport, unfortunately, the Smart Way Bus does not run on the final day of the conference, Sunday, October 27th.

Campus Info

The conference will take place in the New Classroom Building (NCB) on the Virginia Tech campus. For those of you who are staying at the conference hotel, it is a short walk.

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If you prefer to drive to campus then parking is free on campus from 5 PM on Friday October 25th throughout Sunday October 27th as long as the space you find is not restricted by signs. Some restricted areas include handicap spaces, carpool spaces, loading zones, service vehicle zones and timed areas.

Virginia Tech was founded in 1872 as the land-grant Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College, but is now a comprehensive, innovative research university. For some highlights on campus, such as the War Memorial, the Drillfield and the Duck Pond see the official Virginia Tech website.

Local Info

Blacksburg is a small town of 43,000 inhabitants located in the New River Valley, through which one of the nation's oldest rivers, the New River, runs. The valley sits between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains and is a quiet place surrounded by natural beauty. Typical temperatures in late October range between lows of 32°F (0°C) to highs of 58°F (15°C).

For your caffeine fix, check out these coffee shops.

• Idego Coffee - lattes and pour over to rival any big city.
• Bollo's Cafe & Bakery - well priced; excellent tea selection; expect to need cash.
• Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea - good work space.
• Starbucks - you know what to expect here.

Here are some local restaurants that are an easy walk from campus.

• Gillies - local vegetarian and pescatarian cafe with lots of flair.
• The Cellar Restaurant - classic Greek/Italian.
• Cabo Fish Taco - popular Mexi-Cali restaurant.
• 622 North - modern American sit down restaurant.
• Blacksburg No. 1 - hand pulled ramen noodle.
• Joe's Diner - diner style; breakfast/lunch only.
• Mellow Mushroom - quirky sit-down pizza restaurant.
• Benny Marzano's - take out pizza by the slice.
• India Garden - no frills Indian lunch buffet.
• Spicity - popular Chinese fare.
• BB Cup - bibimbap style Korean takeout.
• El Rodeo - fast and affordable Mexican sitdown.

In addition there are several chain restaurants within walking distance. For more information about restaurants and shopping see the Downtown Blacksburg website.

The New River Valley is filled with beautiful and historic locations to hike, swim, and explore; one definitely won’t be disappointed when venturing outside in the area. There are numerous opportunities for hiking and other outdoor activities in the immediate vicinity. The Appalachian Trail, a famous hiking trail that runs from Georgia to Maine, passes west of Blacksburg (with easy access points at Pearisburg and Catawba) while the Blue Ridge Parkway, a scenic motorway with excellent views of the valleys, passes to the east. The Inn at Virginia Tech has some excellent suggestions for outdoor activities.