Travel and Accommodations
Venue
While the Opening Reception will be held at Vanderbilt University, the majority of the program will be held at Tennessee State University (unless otherwise noted). Download an annotated map of the EER venue (Acrobat (PDF) 8.7MB Jul1 19).
Travel by Air
Nashville International Airport is the closest commercial airport to Tennessee State University and Vanderbilt University. It handles flights to different hubs like Memphis, San Francisco, Cleveland, and Houston, as well as connections to international destinations.
Information about ground transportation to and from the airport can be found on the website's transportation page. Shuttles are available, though many require prior reservations.
Airport-to-Downtown Bus Route and Map can be found on the WeGo public transportation site.
Travel by Train or Bus
More information regarding travel by train via Amtrak can be found here. More information regarding travel by bus via Greyhound can be found here.
Travel by Car
Nashville can be accessed via Interstate 24, 65, 40. Interchanges are in close proximity of the city center.
Information about ground transportation to and from the airport can be found on the FlyNashville website. Group shuttles are available, though many require prior reservations.
Parking Information:
- Parking at Vanderbilt University
- Visit Parking Services and Vandy Vans for information on parking at Vanderbilt University, including parking regulations, parking tickets, and visitor and event parking. Campus visitor parking can be found here. For questions about parking you can contact parking services directly at (615) 322-2554. For accessibility questions related to parking, please visit the parking services page.
- Parking at Tennessee State University
- Tennessee State will be waiving parking fees for the entire weekend and Monday so that all Rendezvous participants will be able to park free while visiting the Parking Services office to obtain their passes. Participants who are staying in off-campus hotels and wish to park at TSU can purchase a regular visitor parking access pass at the visitors' parking gate, or by visiting the Parking Services office. We will also have a limited supply of parking passes available at Registration. Holiday Inn Nashville does offer a complimentary shuttle, based on availability (first come/first serve). Participants who are staying in on-campus lodging also require a parking permit, which can be purchased at the Parking Services office.
- For questions about parking you can contact parking services directly at (615) 963-1482.
- More information on TSU parking can be found here. Lodging Options
Tennessee State University Housing Services
Basic lodging is available in campus apartments for $60 per night plus a $10 ID card fee. Each air-conditioned unit has four separate locking bedrooms, furnished with a single bed , and bathrooms are shared between two people. Each apartment is fully furnished and equipped with a kitchen, stove, dinette set, blinds, and refrigerator. While a kitchen is available in each unit, it does not have utensils, dishes, or a microwave.
Linens, towels, pillows, are NOT provided. In addition, participants will need to bring their own toiletries (toilet paper, soap, shampoo, etc.), as they are NOT provided either. Housekeeping services are NOT provided. All rooms are non-smoking. Parking is available for an additional fee - see more here. Check in is between 8am - 8pm, and check out is 4:30pm.
Each residence facility offers internet and cable access, study rooms, community lounges, and full-service laundry. There is a fee for lost keys, and a $10 charge if guests get locked out (after hours). Cancellation must be made by June 15 to receive a refund.
For an example of the apartments, see the Ford Residential Complex. On-campus lodging will be in the New Residence Center which you can find on Google Maps by searching: "Students Apartments Phase II, Nashville, TN 37208."
To make reservations in on-campus lodging, please complete this form by June 15, 2019.
Extended Stay America- Nashville
A block of rooms is being held for conference participants at Extended Stay Nashville, located 2.3 miles from Tennessee State University and ~1 mile from Vanderbilt University. To reserve a room for yourself within this hotel block, please call (877) 701-3383 and refer to the group name "National Association of Geoscience Teachers." Book your room well in advance—after June 23, 2019, any unreserved rooms that remain within this block will be released. Guest check-in time is 3:00 pm; let the hotel know if you will need other arrangements for early arrival. Rates are $119 before taxes and includes free "grab and go" breakfast. Hotel to Vanderbilt Hotel to Tennessee State
Holiday Inn- Nashville Vanderbilt
A block of rooms is being held for conference participants at Holiday Inn Nashville Vanderbilt, located at 2613 West End Avenue, 2.2 miles from Tennessee State University and ~0.8 miles from Vanderbilt University. To reserve a room for yourself within this hotel block, please call the hotel. Please ask that they reference block code EER when speaking with reservations at tel: (615) 327-4707. Book your room well in advance—after June 19, 2019, any unreserved rooms that remain within this block will be released. Guest check-in time is 4:00 pm; let the hotel know if you will need other arrangements for early arrival. Rates are $159 before taxes. The Holiday Inn does offer complimentary shuttle within a 3 mile radius (14 person van) but is first come, first serve. Hotel to Vanderbilt: Faster to walk than to take the bus Hotel to Tennessee State
Hampton Inn and Suites-Vanderbilt Elliston Place
A block of rooms is being held for conference participants at the Hampton Inn & Suites Vanderbilt Elliston Place located at 2330 Elliston Place, 2.2 miles from Tennessee State University and ~.5 miles from Vanderbilt University. Guest are able to book rooms by calling the hotel directly at (615) 320-6060 and inform the hotel you are part of the Earth Educators' Rendezvous group block. Book your room well in advance—after June 19, 2019, any unreserved rooms that remain within this block will be released. Guest check-in time is 3:00 pm; let the hotel know if you will need other arrangements for early arrival. Rates are $169 before taxes and includes free parking and complimentary breakfast. Hotel to Vanderbilt: Faster to walk than to take the bus Hotel to Tennessee State
Other Options
You are also welcome to arrange lodging for yourself at other venues. For additional lodging options, visit where to stay in Nashville.
Meals
Vanderbilt University's and Tennessee State University's campuses and surrounding area are filled with a wide range of cuisine at an affordable price. Check out campus dining of Vanderbilt, campus dining of Tennessee State, Nashville's Food Scene, and Trip Advisor's recommendations for more information. The file Close by Places to Eat in Nashville.docx (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 79kB May2 19) has a list of food options within a 10 minute walk from each campus.
Getting Around Nashville
Nashville is a large city with about the same population of Memphis. While the city is walkable, transportation is also available and sometimes recommended.
Here are a few of the modes of transportation offered in the city:
More information regarding visitors and transportation at Tennessee State can be found here. More information regarding visitors and transportation at Vanderbilt University can be found here.
Special Accommodation Requests
The Earth Educators' Rendezvous is committed to providing universal access to our programming and supporting special accommodation requests to the best of our ability. Please check the box on the registration form if you would like a member of the Rendezvous/SERC staff to follow up with you to assist with accommodations that support your needs (e.g. accessible parking space, alternative formats, lactation room). Please note that we will do our best to accommodate your needs, but cannot guarantee we will be able to. Regardless, advanced notice is necessary.
Nashville
Nashville is a city of about 670,000 people, and has been named by the New York Times as 'America's next it city'. Nashville has for a long time been referred to as America's Music City, specifically known for country and folk music.
The first world tour ever conducted was by a musical group based in Tennessee in the 1800's. The Fisk Jubilee Singers, a group of Black students from Fisk University, toured the United States and England raising money for Fisk University, an institution whose mission was to educate freed slaves post Civil War. This is just one of the many reasons the city has been given the title 'America's Music City'.
Nashville being located in the center of Tennessee, and Tennessee being located in the South, the Music City did play a role in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's. Black college students of that era were active in sit-ins and other forms of activism that swept the South. As a result, Nashville was the first city in all of the South to make segregation officially illegal.
During the warmest month of July, average temperatures in Nashville range from 90/70 (32/21).
Questions?
If you have further questions, please contact Caroline Smith at csmith3@carleton.edu