Getting There & What to Wear
The information below is provided to prepare you for a rewarding few days with us in the Napa Valley.
Location
The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone is located just 2 hours north of San Francisco on Highway 29 just ¼ mile north of the town of St. Helena, on the left-hand (coming from the south) or west side of the highway.
Our street address is 2555 Main Street, St. Helena, CA 94574.
Transportation and Parking
You are responsible for providing your own transportation to and from the Institute. This includes air and/or ground transportation from your place of residence and daily ground transportation.
Parking
The parking lots at The Culinary Institute, Greystone cannot always accommodate parking for all attendees. Should the number of cars exceed available space, we will use overflow parking at a neighboring vineyard and provide regular shuttle service throughout the meeting. Instructions on where to park will be posted here and emailed to you closer to the start of the event. Handicapped parking is always available for those who need it at the main campus.
Carpooling
Because we are tight on parking, we urge everyone to carpool whenever possible.
Registration Check-In
General Conference Registration Check-in will begin at 4:00 PM on Thursday, September 25, 2008 in the Atrium on the first floor. The first shuttle will depart from the offsite parking lots at 3:30 PM. Please note that you will not be able to register for the conference before 4:00 PM. Prior to or after your registration, you are encouraged to shop or browse in the Spice Islands Marketplace on campus which is stocking a number of new and special items just for this conference.
If you are registered to attend the pre-conference winery tour, registration for this portion only will open at 12:30 PM, and be completed at 1 PM. Shuttles from the off-site parking area will be available for pre-conference registrants only at 12:00 PM.
Workshop Session Sign-ups
If you pre-registered for the workshops online, you will be issued a ticket for each workshop session with your registration materials when you arrive on campus. If you haven’t already registered for workshops or wish to make a change, you will be able to do that during check-in at the CIA when arrive on Thursday.
Comments on Dress
Dress for the Conference
Suggested dress code for the conference is business casual attire. Conference activities involve sitting for general sessions and workshops in classrooms, walking around to explore the Exhibition area in the Barrel Room, walking outside between various buildings on campus and cooking with CIA faculty for workshops in the Teaching Kitchens.
Dress for the Seasons
Northern California often experiences sudden but transitory rain showers in both spring and fall, so you may want to bring an umbrella to protect yourself from the elements.
Dress for the Space
Our historic stone building is often quirky about temperatures in classroom and lecture spaces both large and small. Please bear with us, and come prepared with layers for warmer and cooler environments so that you can adjust your own temperature accordingly.
Dress for Workshops
When you are participating in a hands-on Teaching Kitchen workshop, please be sure to wear sturdy, closed toe shoes with no (very low) heels; leather is preferred to protect feet.
Meals
Meals are provided as a part of your program as indicated in the program schedule. Your conference name badge will be your ticket to the meals included in the conference. You are responsible for making any arrangements for any additional meals during your stay. A suggested restaurant list has been provided on the Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives website.
An Insider’s Guided Tour of Napa Wineries
If you haven’t already, you might want to consider signing up for our pre-conference special tour of wineries arranged exclusively for the CIA, Greystone. For more information about fees follow this link: http://healthykitchens.org/pre-conference.php