Re: Sage Days: Lopez Info
William Stein
Here's wifi info for UW which I just setup for the workshop:
UW NetID: event0897
Password: oudj/oevq/uebr
I've also created a sagedays17 mailing list:
http://groups.google.com/group/sagedays17
William
On Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 11:44 PM, Craig Citro<craig...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> So SD: Lopez is fast approaching, and I wanted to send an email to
> make sure everyone has their travel plans in order, as well as provide
> some info about Lopez itself. (My wife and I were just there for a
> week, so I thought I should write now while it was fresh in my mind.)
>
> == Travel ==
>
> Getting to Lopez from Seattle involves driving up to Anacortes, which
> is about an hour and a half drive, and then taking a ferry from
> Anacortes to Lopez itself. I'll be organizing carpools in the next day
> or two, and I'll send another email about that soon. Most everyone
> will be arriving in Seattle on or before September 13. I think we
> should all try to make it on either the 10:05AM or 2:30PM ferry, so
> that we can have a first organizational meeting on the island Monday
> afternoon/evening and get to work.
>
> For those of you flying into Seattle, you should make a reservation at
> a hotel somewhere near the UW campus for the nights we won't be on
> Lopez. Most everyone will be going to Lopez on September 14 and
> leaving on September 20. Most of the drivers will be locals, and it's
> probably easiest to meet near campus for going to and from Anacortes.
>
> If you're not sure which dates you need a hotel for, what hotel to
> book, or if you have any other questions about travel, just email me
> and I'll make sure we get it all sorted out.
>
> == Pre-conference conference ==
>
> For anyone in the Seattle area this coming week, we're having a "get
> revved for Sage Days" week here at UW. Some subset of the participants
> will be in Padelford C-401 from 10AM - 1PM from Monday through Friday,
> with probably lunch, more working sessions, and some informal talks to
> follow.
>
> == Schedule ==
>
> I think we can do most of the schedule planning on Monday evening.
> William has already started a projects page on the wiki -- feel free
> to start adding things there!
>
> == Staying on Lopez ==
>
> Here are a few comments about staying on Lopez:
>
> - Don't worry about having a car on Lopez -- everything we need will
> be within easy walking distance.
>
> - Lopez is a great island for biking. We won't have a huge amount of
> spare time, but if you feel like you might want to take an afternoon
> off to explore the island by bike, there's a bike rental shop near
> where we're staying. You might consider bringing clothes for biking or
> a helmet, if you're interested. I'm also happy to help provide
> information on good bike routes.
>
> - There are also a number of nice, short hikes on the island -- let
> me know if you want any more info.
>
> - Lopez is a *very* friendly island. In fact, whenever you pass
> another car or biker on Lopez, you should wave to them -- everyone
> waves on the island. You probably won't believe me until you see it,
> but I swear I'm not making this up. :) Get a jump-start and wave as
> soon as you're off the ferry.
>
> - Several restaurants on Lopez are cash-only. There is an ATM on the
> island, but if you don't want to pay $2 every time you need cash, you
> might consider visiting your bank beforehand.
>
> - Essentially all the shops and restaurants on Lopez close by 7PM,
> and many close earlier. Keep this in mind when planning dinner -- late
> night pizza delivery isn't going to happen. :)
>
> - All of the places we've rented have kitchens and refrigerators. It
> would probably be wise to visit the grocery store on Monday afternoon
> to pick up a few extra snacks, or bring something with you, especially
> in light of the previous point about things closing early.
>
> - It's likely to be somewhat chilly in the evenings, probably in the
> high 50s or low 60s, so you may want to consider bringing a sweater or
> long pants.
>
> == Food around Lopez ==
>
> One of the many great things about Lopez is the food -- there's some
> really amazing food on Lopez. Lopez prides itself on being as
> self-sufficient as possible, so most of the produce used at the local
> restaurants is grown on the island.
>
> Here's a quick rundown of the places my wife and I love on the island,
> with commentary:
>
> - Vita's Wildly Delicious: This is probably my favorite eatery on
> Lopez. They have a deli case with a rotating selection of foods,
> usually with a Mediterranean influence. Most of the foods are fairly
> inventive, like sweet corn pudding or quinoa-lentil cakes with
> garlic-yogurt sauce, but they also have some more tame choices, like
> potato salad and meatloaf. The one thing they all have in common is
> that they're phenomenally tasty. :) They also make some great
> sandwiches -- I recommend the Reuben myself. There's also a whole wall
> of wines, but since I don't drink wine, I can't say anything about the
> quality of the wine selection. You can also ask for your food in a
> picnic basket, as I recall.
>
> - Vortex Cafe & Juice Bar: Vortex won a special place in my heart on
> our most recent trip to Lopez. They make quesadillas, burritos, rice
> bowls, and soups, as well as smoothies. Almost everything is
> vegetarian, and almost everything is organic. My wife and I both
> remember having mediocre experiences here in years past, but on this
> most recent trip, we discovered that they have incredibly unbelievable
> quesadillas. (We had quesadillas for both lunch and dinner every
> single meal they were open once we discovered this.) I recommend
> avocado, corn, and quinoa on a whole wheat tortilla. They also make
> insanely good coconut shakes. I predict that William will eat many,
> many meals at Vortex, but I could be wrong. :) Also, if they still
> have the Lopez Farmer's Market Vegetable Stew, it's great.
>
> - The Bay Cafe: This is Lopez's fine dining establishment. It's quite
> tasty, but fairly pricey. Everything I've ever eaten there was
> memorable -- I highly recommend the flourless chocolate gateau for
> dessert. It's like a little slice of heaven, but with a vanilla cream
> sauce. They have an "early bird special," which includes a selection
> of one appetizer, one main course, and one dessert for $30, if you're
> willing to eat at 5:30. (You can also order this to go, but you still
> have to pick it up around 5:30 or 5:45.) One of the few places open
> past 7PM.
>
> - Holly B's Bakery: I think they're best described by the subtitle of
> the cookbook they sell: "made with love and butter." Tasty breakfast
> food and desserts, as well as fresh-baked breads. Monday afternoons
> they have a 2-for-1 sale, if you make it in time. If you're a brownie
> fan, get a Katherine Hepburn brownie there -- you won't regret it.
>
> - Bucky's Grill: One of the few Lopez eateries that is open every day
> (at least during the summer). They make a darn good burger, and some
> tasty fish tacos. Those are the only things I've ever tried on the
> menu -- we usually go when we're in the mood for a burger, and they
> don't disappoint. They also have gardenburgers and black bean burgers,
> if you prefer.
>
> - Love Dog Cafe: I've only been to the Love Dog once. I remember that
> it was pretty good, but apparently not so memorable that I'd choose it
> over the places I've listed above.
>
> - Lopez Soda Fountain: Located at the pharmacy. (I'm not kidding.)
> They make pretty good sandwiches, but I don't know if I've ever
> ordered a burger there. If you do, let me know how it is. I seem to
> recall a tasty milkshake I had there once, but it's no Vortex Coconut
> Shake. :)
>
> - Lopez Fudge Factory: As you'd guess from the name, they make some
> pretty good fudge. However, the real draw here is Lopez Island
> Creamery ice cream, which is outstanding. They also have pints at the
> grocery store, but if you're in the mood for a waffle cone or a
> sundae, this is the place to go. The Lopez Island Creamery used to be
> located just down the street, but they've closed their retail
> operation to spend all their time making and distributing their
> awesome ice cream.
>
> There are two coffee shops on Lopez. I've always gone to Isabel's
> Espresso, but mostly out of habit -- I'm keen to try Cafe La Boheme on
> this trip. Isabel's is great, and they make their mochas with dark
> chocolate, if you like that kind of thing. (I sure do.) They also have
> a variety of iced/blended drinks.
>
> Also, there are two grocery stores on Lopez. One is the Lopez Village
> Market, which is really just a Red Apple Market. They have a fairly
> wide selection, especially given their size. They also have a fair
> number of toiletries and the like, so if you forgot toothpaste, don't
> sweat it. The other is a much smaller organic market, called Blossom
> Organic Market. It's like a really tiny Whole Foods or PCC (in fact, I
> think it's got almost the same selection as my old Whole Foods in LA,
> despite being only about 5-10% of the size). They carry interesting
> things, like island-made sausages and produce.
>
> As if you needed more info about food, there's also (possibly) a
> farmer's market on Saturdays. I'm not sure if it'll still be running
> (lots of things shut down after Labor Day).
>
> -----------------
>
> Well, I think that's about it for now. Feel free to e-mail me back if
> you have any other questions ...
>
> -cc
>
--
William Stein
Associate Professor of Mathematics
University of Washington
http://wstein.org