• Location
• Local Information
• Dining
• What To Pack & Wear
• How To Get There
• Visa Letters
• Other Practical Information
• Local Activities

Location:

The conference will be held at the Anchorage Hilton hotel. We have reserved a substantial block of rooms in this hotel at US $195 per night plus 12% room tax (per room; single occupancy; exclusive of meals; second person in same room is an additional $20). More information on booking will be provided at a later date. Please note that there is no other sales tax on meals or other purchases. If you are booking an accompanying cruise package, please let us know. We get credit toward our minimum room block obligation if you stay at the Hilton even if you book through a cruise line (but you have to tell us so we can claim you!) Hotel check in 3 PM; check out is 12 noon.

The ACVB web site has a lot of useful information about Anchorage. Also see our family vacation page, and our Call for Participation brochure. ACVB has also set up a DSN-specific Anchorage web page.

The Hilton is centrally located in Anchorage's safe, compact downtown district. It is an easy walk to all downtown attractions.

Planning note: late June is high season in Anchorage. The city is typically 100% full on the summer solistice, which immediately preceeds DSN. Probably it is already too late to get a hotel for June 21st, but the Hilton has set aside some rooms for us a day or two before and after the conference (first come, first serve). Make your travel plans early!! If you are going with your family, we strongly suggest making travel reservations by late February 2008. (It is possible to arrange travel later of course, but prices might increase and availability decreases after that point, especially if you are planning a pre- or post-conference cruise.)

Local Information: Anchorage is the 49th state of the US, and a visit is identical in almost every respect to visiting the Continental US. The currency is the US Dollar, electricity is standard US 110V AC, visa, and customs rules are identical. Telephone service, cell phones, automobile driving rules, and so on are also per usual US standards. The Hilton offers broadband Internet service for a fee. Changing foreign currency will be difficult except at the airport (as is typical in the US), but there are automated teller machines readily available and credit cards are accepted almost everywhere. The universally accepted credit cards are Mastercard and Visa, with many places also accepting American Express. Alaska and Anchorage have no sales tax, and the US doesn't have a VAT, so shopping in Anchorage is tax-free. (There is a "bed tax" but that only applies to hotel rooms, not other hotel charges.)

Dining:

Alaska is famous for its seafood! While you are there, try Alaskan King Crab, Halibut, and shellfish. Be sure to try the distinctive, deep red, wild salmon caught nearby. Sample local specialties such as reindeer sausage, caribou steaks, and wild blueberries. Don’t miss the award-winning microbrew pubs near the hotel. See the ACVB Restaurant & Shopping Guide for suggestions.

Here are some places we enjoyed or have heard are worth considering and relatively convenient to the hotel (but, we can't promise anything and these aren't official endorsements):

• Downtown Deli & Cafe; 525 W 4th Ave. (Breakfast -- sourdough pancakes; very close to hotel)
• Snow Goose Restaurant & Sleeping Lady Brewery; 717 West Third Avenue. (Casual dining and micro-brews; easy walk)
• Moose's Tooth Pub and Pizzeria; 3300 Old Seward Hwy. (Pizza and beer; a couple mile drive)
• Sacks Cafe & Restaurant ; 328 G St, Anchorage. (Very nice for a fancy dinner; new American cuisine)
• Orso; 737 W 5th Ave. (Upscale european cuisine)

Tipping is the typical US 15-20% of the bill before tax; toward the low end if you've had expensive drinks and toward the high end if you haven't. Service speed can vary considerably, so don't be in too much of a hurry if you eat out.

What To Pack And Wear: Anchorage in June is informal and has mild weather. It is America's Last Frontier -- ties are scarce. Warmed by the Japanese currents in the Pacific Ocean, Anchorage's summer weather is said to be similar to San Francisco. Summer highs average 65F/18C, but warmer days can make a pair of shorts advisable for hiking. The conference hotel has recently installed air conditioning because global warming is causing more hot days (high 70s F) during the summer. Evening temperatures are about 50F/10F, so bring a light jacket and wear layers, but you can leave your winter coat at home! Also, bring a pair of walking shoes -- Anchorage is a very safe and easily walkable city, with many things to see and do within a few blocks of the hotel. A light rain jacket, medium sweater, and perhaps some very light gloves are highly recommended for the excursion, because Prince William Sound has a much wetter and cooler micro-climate than Anchorage. (You can stay inside the ship and see everything if you like, but going out on deck is a lot more fun.) If you plan on flightseeing bring a sweatshirt or medium weight jacket and -- very important -- sunglasses! The planes generally provide snow boots if you are landing on a glacier, and it isn't all that cold in late June, even on a glacier, as long as the sun is out. Mosquitoes are sometimes jokingly referred to as the "state bird" of Alaska. However, we didn't notice any problem with them in the city. On the excursion there will probably be a light wind that discourages them. Packing a few mosquito wipes would be wise. If you plan on going to the wilderness, then bring a small bottle of some serious insect repellant, just as you would in most forests. Don't forget your camera for the excursion. We expect some spectacular glacier viewing!

Each attendee will receive one of these native-made ornaments.

How To Get There:

Anchorage airport can be reached by many non-stops from the US and a few from Europe and Asia. It is accessible as a one-stop flight from most major cities in the world.

If you are coming from Europe, be sure to check out the Condor Airlines non-stop from Frankfurt to Anchorage, which flies several times per week. From Asia, you most likely will connect in Seattle for the shortest trip duration.

Once you are in Anchorage, the airport is six miles from downtown. A taxi from the airport costs about $15 one-way and is best if you aren't renting a car. The Hilton, unfortunately, does not offer an airport shuttle, but some of the budget hotels do (this arrangement might not make sense, but the situation involves taxi/hotel labor relations).

If you want to see things beyond the immediate hotel area, renting a car is a good idea. Traffic is generally light and roads are relatively simple to navigate. Book your rental car in advance since we will be there at a very popular time of year! If you are renting for more than a few days, consider picking up your rental car at a downtown location and saving the 12% additional airport fee charged on the entire cost of airport pickups. The hotel charges for parking in a garage a short block away ($8/day self, $14/day valet currently), and can bill it to your room.

Visa Letters:

Passport and visa requirements are identical to mainland US. Please see the US Dept. of State web site for information on visa requirements to visit the US.

If you need a visa letter, please send a visa request form to the Registration Chair (download: MS Word; Acrobat) as instructed on the form. If you don't get an e-mail acknowledgement within 48 hours, please contact: . Visa letters will be issued in accordance with IEEE policy. Visa letter requests may take up to one week to process. If you are not speaking, presenting, or serving on a conference committee, IEEE policy requires your credit card payment for registration to have cleared before we can issue a visa letter.

Other Practical Information

• Fedex Kinko's, 2210 E Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage, AK, 99508, USA. Phone: +1 (907) 276-4228. Open 24 hours, 7 days/week.
• PIP Printing, 833 E 4th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501, USA. Phone +1 (907) 274-3584.

Local Activities There are plenty of activities for families, even with young kids, during the DSN meeting times. The city and most activities are quite family-friendly. The conference organizers will make special efforts to make it easy for accompanying families to sign up and plan activities. Additionally, we will provide contact information for families desiring to take pre-conference and post-conference vacations, especially on the very popular Alaska cruises. See our family and toursweb page for more information. Example activities are below: “Flightseeing” tours on a float plane to see wildlife and glaciers (amazing!) Golfing (also see this golfing page) on five courses Nearby glacier-seeing cruise on a lake Scenic train ride to Mt. McKinley/Denali Park Gold panning Canoeing / kayaking Alaska Native Heritage Museum (live performances & native art; huge totem pole) Anchorage Museum of History and Art (more of a "natural history" museum, but very nice) Wildlife cruises (eagles, whales, sea lions, puffins) Hiking (wildlife; floral; glacier; coastal trail) Fishing (especially salmon & halibut -- see the tour brochure for suggestions) 4-wheeling/ATVs Zoo Whitewater river rafting A nice walking park in downtown Regional shopping: Eskimo/Inuit items Other shopping: a large downtown shopping mall with a Nordstrom's and NO SALES TAX!