Mythcon 50 - Progress Report #2
August 2-5, 2019

Mythcon 50 main page

Mythcon 50 ADVANCE SCHEDULE

SDSU Campus photos and directions

Mythcon 50 Registration

Mythcon 50 Room & Board

Progress Report #1 - with downloadable PDF

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UPDATED Progress Report #2 for Mythcon 50 - August 2-5, 2019

Contents of PR#2 - downloadable PDF (includes members list)

About Mythcon
Buddy System
Guests of Honor
Alexei Kondratiev Award
Art Show
Dealers' Room
Masquerade
Conference Schedule
Conference Registration
Conference Venue
Room & Board
Parking
Unloading
Other Accommodation
Getting to San Diego
Getting to the SDSU Campus
Things to Do in San Diego
Zymology

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

On July 2, the day after Progress Report #2 was sent out, we learned that SDSU has taken Cuicacalli Residence Hall offline for summer conferences in order to do some renovation work before the fall term starts.

THIS MEANS THAT EVERYONE will be housed in South Campus Plaza (street address for the South Tower is 5120 College Ave, San Diego, CA 92115; the phone at the front desk, staffed 24/7, is 1-619-594-2844) at the same rate we were quoted for Cuicacalli. It also means that folks who have already paid extra to stay in South Campus Plaza will have the overage refunded to them after Mythcon, unless you want to turn it into a donation to the Society or have it applied to your membership in Mythcon 51 (we'll provide a way to let us know your preference).

Our meals will still be served at The Garden cafeteria, upstairs in Cuicacalli, giving us a nice morning walk and a post-prandial stroll, too.

The bed height for the *lower beds* in South Campus Plaza is 30" from floor to the top of the mattress; it is possible to lower the bed height but we would be charged $50 per bed (!!), so we don't recommend it. We give you that option and let you pay for it, if you want the bed lowered.

We will be given access to the pool at Tenochca ("ten-no-ch-ka") Residence Hall, for those who are interested in swimming.


Oh yeah, in case you missed it before, our original Author Guest of Honor, John Crowley, had to cancel his appearance in San Diego this summer for personal reasons. We hope, however, that he'll be able to make a brief video appearance at Mythcon 50, and perhaps a future Mythopoeic conference as well. In the meantime we've asked long-time friend of the Mythopoeic Society Tim Powers to come help us celebrate 50 Mythcons. Read more about Tim under Guests of Honor.

Things You Need To Know

About CONFERENCE REGISTRATION:
Presenters of papers must register by July 15 or we will assume you won't be attending the conference and your paper will not be scheduled or listed in the program. We will have at-the-door full conference and day rates for walk-ins posted on our website in mid-July BUT presenters must register by July 15.

About ROOM & BOARD:
***IF YOU ARE STAYING ON CAMPUS: you will be given both a "tap card" and a key - there is a $50 fee for not returning either one at checkout ($100 if you don't return both of them). THEREFORE you must bring a check for $100 made out to the Mythopoeic Society to cover the potential loss of both tap card and key. We will hold your check and hand it back when you turn in your tap card and key (can you tell we've had problems with this in the past?!). IF you don't have a checking account, inquire of a friend who does (and make sure you don't lose your tap card or key!) - otherwise we'll have to take a deposit via PayPal or Square and that causes delays at registration.

Do you know where your towel is?! The dorms include sheets, pillow & pillow case, and a towel (no soap, shampoo, etc. - those amenities aren't included at SDSU but can be purchased at Trader Joe's, in case you forget yours) but please don't expect a fluffy deluxe towel; it's likely to be on the thin side, so if you want a fluffy towel or need more than one, please bring your own supplemental towel(s). Especially if you want to use the pool!

About PARKING PERMITS:
SDSU does not recommend leaving the car unattended in the parking lot as they cannot control when will parking services will patrol and cite vehicles. IF YOU HAVE BOUGHT A PARKING PERMIT and there is more than one person in the vehicle, SDSU recommends one person remain in the car while the other picks up the parking pass. If there is only one person in the vehicle, SDSU recommends purchasing a temporary permit from the kiosk on the first (lowest) floor in lot 3. The cost for a temporary pass is $3 for one hour - please note, the kiosk only accepts exact cash or credit card.

For those who have purchased parking permits through our website, we will try to have a "Parking Pass Runner" available Friday afternoon - keep an eye out for a special phone number to be added to this webpage that you'll be able to call from the parking garage.

THERE IS NO FREE PARKING ON CAMPUS, not even for those with disabled placards. Mythcon 50 SDSU Parking Permits.


About CHECKING IN at SDSU:
On Friday, August 2nd, registration will be in the South Campus Plaza, South Tower Lobby. We expect to open about 12:30 p.m. - please note: the outer door to the lobby is ALWAYS locked; access is controlled by a "tap card" which you will be given when you check in with SDSU; the "tap card" is also necessary to make the elevator work.

Mythcon 50 registration will be situated at tables along the wall as you enter the lobby. SDSU room registration will be at their desk; you will sign in and receive your tap card and room key; you MUST return your tap card and room key to the SDSU desk in order to get back your deposit check!

Starting Friday evening at 7:00 PM, Saturday, and Sunday, conference registration will be in TEMPLO MAYOR on the second floor of the Aztec Student Union except for Saturday morning during opening ceremonies: conference registration will be in the Theatre, second floor of the Aztec Student Union. Images of assorted relevant and helpful on-campus locations.

About SAN DIEGO WEATHER:
Despite being on the Pacific Ocean, San Diego is not humid, and the average August daytime temperature is 78 degrees. If Mythcon 50 coincides with a heat wave, daytime temperatures could be in the 90s but evenings are still cool and the Aztec Student Union and the dorms are air conditioned, so you may want a light wrap or jacket - please pack accordingly.

About LUNCH OPTIONS:
Though lunches are not included in the pre-paid meal plan, there’s an easy and inexpensive way to get it: there are several fast-casual vendors in the Student Union itself, just downstairs from our conference rooms, primarily Oggi's Pizza, The Habit, and Chipotle; sadly Oggi's and The Habit are CLOSED WEEKENDS during the summer but we're requesting they open on August 3 & 4. Immediately behind The Habit and Chipotle is an indoor patio area with long tables where we may dine together, as we do in the cafeteria.

If none of these options appeals to you, there are many other off-campus food vendors within very short walking distance. We will have the list online and printed, too.

About Mythcon

The Mythopoeic Society Conference, informally known as “Mythcon,” is an annual Tolkien and Inklings-focused conference held over an extended weekend late-July to mid-August; the location moves throughout America, beginning Friday afternoon and concluding Monday at noon. Mythcon has historically been held at a college or university campus. Each conference is constructed around a theme related to Inklings studies and/or fantastic and mythic literature. Conferences usually feature an author and a scholar guest of honor. Papers, panel discussions, readings, entertainment, an art show, a dealers’ room, and other activities fill the four-day event. Another Mythcon highlight is our annual banquet, after which the Mythopoeic Awards are presented. A small (usually 100–200 people) size and intimate setting makes Mythcon an excellent venue for meeting people with common interests. You may see the full history and individual conference pages by visiting our Mythcon History page.

The Mythopoeic Society has always encouraged scholarship in mythopoeic and Inklings studies by providing a venue in which scholars, new and established, may present papers which may in turn be considered for publication in Mythlore, assisting scholars in need of financial aid to attend Mythcon, and recognizing student scholars with the Alexei Kondratiev Award.

Mythcons are also a lot of fun and feature some serious play: the Not Ready for Mythcon Players, performing a semi-spontaneous piece of topical silliness, a caucus-race of a Masquerade (prizes for everyone), Bardic Circles in the evenings, and Golfimbul (Mythcon 45 Chair and former GOH Mike Drout explains it in his entertaining report on the 2014 Mythcon). The 2019 conference is the third in a series of golden anniversaries for the Society, this time celebrating the 50th year of our Mythopoeic conferences. We are indeed looking back and moving forward.

The Mythcon Buddy System

Frodo didn’t do it alone, so neither should we! Our buddy system pairs up conference attendees who are newer to the Society or to Mythcon with more seasoned Mythies, because it's nice to sit with someone you know at meals.

Veteran Buddies would primarily be responsible to make sure their Newbie doesn’t dine alone; they might also attend panels with them, invite them to Bardic Circle, or peer pressure them into trying their hand at Golfimbul! Such camaraderie between fans and scholars of mythopoeia, modeled on the friendship among the Inklings themselves, is an important cornerstone of our society—and keeps Mythcon attendance and society membership up! We did this last year in Atlanta and it was helpful and effective, check it out this year: email Buddy Organizer Megan Abrahamson at mythprint@mythsoc.org and include your preferred method of contact for your buddy. If you are new (or new-ish) to the society, or this is your first (or first-ish) Mythcon, please contact Megan and ask to be paired with a veteran Mythie.

Guests of Honor

Verlyn Flieger - Scholar Guest of Honor

Verlyn Flieger is one of the most prolific and beloved scholars in our field; she won Mythopoeic Scholarship Awards for A Question of Time: J.R.R. Tolkien’s Road to Faerie (1998), for Tolkien’s Legendarium: Essays on The History of Middle-earth, co-edited with Carl Hostetter (2002), and Green Suns and Faërie: Essays on J.R.R. Tolkien (2013). She is co-editor of the journal Tolkien Studies and has written fiction as well. Retired from the University of Maryland in 2012, she continues to teach courses online through Signum University.

Tim Powers - GOH Emeritus

Tim Powers is a science-fiction and fantasy author and arguably heir to the legacy of Charles Williams. Tim has been Author GOH at Mythcon twice; first in Berkeley for Mythcon 26 and most recently at Mythcon 41 in Dallas, Texas. Tim has received numerous awards and nominations for his works, including the World Fantasy Award three times, for his novels Last Call (1992) and Declare (2000), and for his story collection, The Bible Repairman and Other Stories (2012). He has been nominated for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award five times, winning the award in 1990 for The Stress of Her Regard.

Alexei Kondratiev Award (Student Paper)

Back at Mythcon 41, the society introduced a new award for the best paper presented at Mythcon by an undergraduate or graduate student. This award was named in honor of Alexei Kondratiev, long-time Society member and a scholar of wide-ranging interests in mythopoeic and related studies, who passed away in 2010. The winner of the award receives a certificate, a one year subscription to Mythlore, and half-off registration for the next Mythcon he or she attends. The winner will be announced at the Mythcon banquet, on the society’s website, in Mythprint, and is encouraged to submit their paper to Mythlore for publication. More information and the award application can be found on our web site: www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/alexei.htm In order to be considered for the award, the application form must be submitted to the committee chair, Janet Croft, at mythlore@mythsoc.org by July 2nd, and the finished paper must be submitted electronically by July 23rd. The paper must follow Mythlore style guidelines and should be 4000–9000 words long. Applicants must be accepted in or currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at the time their abstract was submitted. Applicants must attend Mythcon and present the paper to qualify for the award.

Art Show

Mythcon 50 will have an art show and a display of historic Mythcon items as well as items for the Auction (Sunday afternoon). After dinner on Friday the Stewards invite you to meet and mingle with your fellow Mythies in the Art Show/Dealers Room. If you’re interested in bringing your art to display, please contact Sue Dawe by email and she will provide more details.

Dealers' Room

Mythcon 50 will have a Dealers' Room but, due to the State of California regulating vendors on state-owned college and university campuses, sales will be limited to Saturday and Sunday only. If you're interesting in having (or sharing) a dealer's table, you can read the details here and be sure to contact J'nae Spano by email.

Masquerade

Mythcon 50 will have a masquerade as part of our Saturday night entertainments. A Mythcon masquerade is a staged costume presentation that ranges from the sublime to the silly; its focus is fun and entertainment. Everyone is invited to participate; sign-up forms will be at Mythcon. Please note: family-friendly costumes are welcome throughout the conference, including the banquet Sunday night.

Conference Schedule

We anticipate Mythcon 50 registration will open about 12:30 p.m. on Friday, August 2, and there will be program items starting at 2 p.m. Friday afternoon until dinner. After dinner we will have our casual meet-and-greet Reception hosted by the Society’s Stewards; other entertainments and activities to be announced. Saturday morning, August 3, the Procession and Opening Ceremonies will start at 9:00 a.m., including our first plenary Guest of Honor address, followed by more papers and panels throughout the day, breaking for lunch and dinner. After dinner: entertainments including the Masquerade and post-programming activities (e.g., Bardic Circle). Programming continues Sunday, including the Society Auction in the afternoon, and the Banquet, second Guest of Honor address, and Awards presentations on Sunday evening. Final program items will start Monday morning at 9:00 a.m., followed by the Annual Mythopoeic Society Members Meeting (all are welcome) and closing ceremonies, concluding at noon.

The conference schedule will be posted on the website as soon as it is finalized.

About Programming - Panel Discussions:
We’re still in the process of choosing panelists, so rather than presenting a partial list of personnel, here’s a list of some topics we’re developing for panel discussions at Mythcon 50:

• If you could ask the Inklings – Experts representing each of the major Inklings speak on their subjects’ artistic goals and legacies.
• Are there any women here today? – How do you do research on important topics like women in fantasy? How do you find out what’s already been written, and how do you get the material if you’re not affiliated with a university? The masters of research provide the answers.
• All this and World War One – How did the war affect the Inklings? What’s been written about it? And what about the new Tolkien bio-pic and Peter Jackson’s They Shall Not Grow Old, then?
• The future of the Mythopoeic Awards – How have the Society’s awards in fantasy and scholarship been doing? What can we do to improve them and to face future changes in the field?
• The Inklings and the Matter of Britain reconsidered – After last year’s Mythopoeic Scholarship Award winning anthology, The Inklings and King Arthur, what else is there to say on this topic?
• Protecting the Shire: a hobbit society’s journey at the University of New Mexico – members share stories about community, fellowship, and their personal journeys.
• Remembering when: the first wave of Tolkien fans and scholars – what was it like studying Tolkien when not everyone had heard of him? When there were no New Line movies? No Silmarillion?
• Mythlore: preserving the past and moving into the future with the SWOSU digital and physical archive – the keepers of the flame present what they’ve been doing with their historical files.

Conference Registration

Current registration rates are as follows. Rates will be higher “at the door.”
Full Conference Registration for Mythopoeic Society Members - $80
Full Conference Registration for Nonmembers - $95 (includes one year of Mythopoeic Society membership)
Full Conference Registration for Students* - $65

If you are uncertain of your membership status, please contact our Membership Secretary, Lynne Darga, at membership@mythsoc.org. To register or to make room and board payment (see below), PayPal registration is available on the Mythcon 50 registration page.

* Full-time students are those taking 12 or more credit hours per semester/quarter at an accredited college or university. Must present a current, active student ID at check-in. For children attending with parent(s) or legal guardian(s), 12 and under are free, 12 to 18 pay the student rate.

Conference Venue ~ Programming

Programming will be located in the Aztec Student Union, just up the road from South Campus Plaza but approximately 800 feet from The Garden cafeteria, across the Aztec Walk East “sky-bridge,” which will be fun for the Procession!

Google maps walking directions from Cuicacalli to the Aztec Student Union: Cuicacalli is where The Garden cafeteria is located (upstairs, there is an elevator inside the alcove to the left, as well as stairs).

Here are some photos to help orient you on campus.

Conference Venue ~ Dorm Rooms

San Diego State University provides wonderful programming space and our dorm housing in South Campus Plaza is nicer than many recent Mythcons have enjoyed; it is one of the newest buildings on campus and it is very "green."

Your dorm room will have either two or three beds in it. Each room has its own bathroom with shower and toilet; the sink is in an alcove in the room proper. ARE YOU ABLE AND WILLING to sleep in an upper bunk? Most of the rooms in SCP are, apparently, triples: this means ONE lower bed and TWO upper beds! Please email mythcon@mythsoc.org and advise if you are "upper bunk"-able! Folks who have paid for single rooms will be put into a triple, alone (you may sleep in any bed which pleases you!).To clarify - these rooms with three beds ("triples") will be used either as SINGLES or, if we must, as DOUBLES - we will not be putting three people into one dorm room.




We will place people in double rooms (two beds in one bedroom) according to your roommate requests, assuming you both request each other. If you book a double room without specifying your roommate, we will try to assign you a suitable roommate. Some folks requesting double rooms may need to upgrade to singles, depending on availability.

Each dorm room also has a small refrigerator and microwave in the entry area. When facing the door you will see a big red button labeled "DOOR RELEASE" beside the thermostat for the individual room; the doors are held open by an electromagnet at the top, so you don't have to fight with the door as you carry in your luggage: the "door release" button turns off the magnet and allows the door to close ...will wonders never cease?

There is a lounge area outside the elevator on each floor. We will not be the only people in residence in the building so please be mindful of "quiet hours." They also ask us not to move chairs from dorm rooms into the common area; SDSU reserves the right to fine the conference for any damage or hassle.

Also near the elevator is a water fountain and a "filling station" for refilling water bottles. There is also a trash area (signage currently on the wall reads "Conference Trash Chute") behind a door. There are two trash chutes (one for trash, one for recylcables) and, for items too large for the chutes, there is a trash bin and a recyling bin.

BOARD:
The full conference room & board package will include Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights in the dorm; meals include dinner Friday and Saturday, breakfast Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, all at The Garden cafeteria in the Cuicacalli Residence Hall. The Sunday night banquet will be in nearby Tula Community Center and is also included in the room & board package. If you have food allergies, please email mythcon@mythsoc.org and let us know your specific limitations so we can advise the cafeteria and banquet catering.

The option to come early and/or stay late on campus is available. Because the university requires us to purchase two meals for every overnight stay on campus, we include breakfast and lunch in The Garden cafeteria as the least expensive meal combination (you don't have to eat these meals but you do have to pay for them!).

NOTE: The Garden cafeteria does sell individual meals so, if you are commuting or staying off-campus and want to join us for dinner on Friday and Saturday and the banquet on Sunday night, you may buy a COMMUTER DINNERS PACKAGE. Meals may also be available to buy individually at the Garden's check-in desk, credit cards only.

DO YOU HAVE FOOD ALLERGIES? Please email specifics to mythcon@mythsoc.org by July 15th.

Purchase Mythcon 50 Room & Board packages here

Full Conference Room & Board:
DOUBLE occupancy, three nights, six meals* - $350 per person
SINGLE occupancy, three nights, six meals* - $430
EXTRA night(s) w/breakfast & lunch:
DOUBLE occupancy, per night - $90 per person
SINGLE occupancy, per night - $120


*Meals included in the full conference package are Friday night dinner, Saturday breakfast and dinner, Sunday breakfast and banquet, and Monday breakfast; lunches are not included.

Parking

Despite our relocation to South Campus Plaza, the closest parking available is still P3 or P4 (parking garages across East Campus Drive from Cuicacalli); if you're coming to the full conference we recommend buying a one-week parking pass, available on our website (see sample prices for comparison, below).

It’s also possible to buy parking from the machines located within the garages. THERE IS NO FREE PARKING at SDSU, not even for those with disabled plates/permits. You can read detailed information from SDSU here.

SDSU does not recommend leaving your car unattended in the lot as they cannot control when Parking Services will patrol the lot to cite vehicles. If there is more than one person in the vehicle we recommend one person remain in the car while the other picks up the parking pass. For those who have purchased parking permits through our website, we will try to have a "Parking Pass Runner" available Friday afternoon - if you don't see our "Parking Pass Runner" in the parking garage, please call (no longer valid) and advise exactly where you are (Parking Structure 3 or Parking Structure 4, which level #, which row, etc.) and be outside your car so that he can find you. You will need to show ID and sign for the parking permit already purchased.

If there is only one person in the vehicle or you're arriving at a different time, we recommend purchasing a temporary permit from the kiosk on the first floor in Parking Structure 3. The cost for a temporary pass is $3 for one hour. NOTE: the kiosk only accepts exact cash or credit card.

About UNLOADING

If you don't have too much luggage or it's on wheels, you can simply carry it from the parking structure to South Campus Plaza South Tower. In spite of being a little bit further, we recommend using the walkway in front of Cuicacalli (Google Maps calls it "Aztec Walk East" but the SDSU people call it "the Cuic walkway," sounds like "kweek"), veering left at the end, using the Cantina Way sidewalk to Lindo Paseo, then walking west to College Avenue. It's a straight run from the southwest corner of Parking Structure 4 (which is essentially the corner of Montezuma and East Campus Drive) along Montezuma, cross College Avenue and go right for half a block to the dorm entrance BUT the sidewalk is not in good repair, there are some driveways to negotiate (slopes), and at least one inconvenient pole.

We invite you to look at the map at the beginning of this page.

If you want to unload luggage close to South Campus Plaza and not carry it from one of "our" parking structures, you can pay for parking (at $2 per hour it's both cheaper and closer) in the structure on Lindo Paseo by Trader Joe's - the parking entrance is west of the structure itself. Then walk half a block to back College Avenue, cross Lindo Paseo, and continue south on College to the South Tower entrance (street address: 5120 College Ave, San Diego, CA 92115; the front desk is staffed around the clock, phone number is 1-619-594-2844). Friday afternoon Mythcon registration will be located in the lobby and all room check-in/check-out activity for those staying in the dorm will be done at the South Tower front desk.

There is a small loading zone in the alley behind the South Tower (to the west) but you must have your tap card and room key in order to enter that door. People with LOTS of luggage may unload there (do NOT leave your car unattended!) but only after checking in to the dorm and receiving their tap card and room key. There is also a small open lot next to the alley but you run a significant risk of having your car TOWED AWAY if you park in it - you have been warned!

SDSU Parking Permits bought in advance via our website:
$25.00 Overnight week
$17.00 Day Week (no overnight)
$8.00 One-day pass (no overnight)

IF you didn't buy a permit, be sure you pay for parking via the kiosks or using the PayByPhone parking app.

Parking permits purchased on your own at the kiosks, current costs (Pay Stations & PayByPhone):
1 - 4 hours $3 per hour
5 to 10 hours $15
Overnight $20
Weekend $30

Other Accommodation

The SDSU Transit Center is right at the southwest corner of the Aztec Student Union (here's a 360-degree image from the SDSU American Language Institute on Facebook).


For those who cannot or don’t wish to stay onsite, there are many hotel options, but the easiest commute via the Green Line Trolley is the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Diego–Mission Valley, on Hazard Center Drive; it is across the street from the Hazard Center Station and only 15 minutes (7 stops) from the SDSU Transit Center. Town & Country hotel is also a short walk (approximately a quarter mile) from the Fashion Valley Transit Center, one stop further along the Green Line. Other hotels along the Green Line include San Diego Marriott Mission Valley and, a bit further, Springhill Suites San Diego Mission Valley, both within walking distance of the Rio Vista Station, which is even closer to SDSU (longer walk, shorter trolley ride). You can also search Google maps for other hotels along the Green Line; make sure you look at directions for trolley/public transport. You can check out the Green Line trolley schedule online and note that "Seniors/Disabled/Medicare" fares are half-off (senior status starts at age 60).

The SDSU Transit Center is on the Green Line (by the way, "Sycuan" and "UC San Diego" and "SDGE" are sponsors, not destinations!).

Getting to San Diego:

San Diego is a beautiful city to visit and you can easily drive, fly, or take the train. There is a very good public transportation system of buses and trolleys, as well as taxis and ride-share services, so you don’t need to rent a car in order to visit any of the wonderful local destinations.

San Diego International Airport (SAN, Lindbergh Field)
Amtrak (SAN)

Getting to SDSU from the Airport:

No need to rent a car; in addition to the usual taxi, shuttle, and rideshare options there is an inexpensive and very convenient public transportation system - and the trolley has a stop right at our conference site.

There are two ways to get to the SDSU Transit Center from the airport using the trolley; both are detailed here: https://www.san.org/to-from/Public-Transportation#117819-trolley-service

Option 1: Take City Bus Route 992 to the Broadway and Kettner bus stop, then cross the street to the NW corner of Broadway and Kettner where you’ll see the Santa Fe Depot (this is the Amtrak station) - the trolley station is actually *outside* the Amtrak Station on the west (bay) side of the building, about a block further north. Take the Sycuan Green Line Trolley Line north to the SDSU Transit Center (14 stops). The trolley direction will be indicated as "to Santee."

Option 2: You can also access the Sycuan Green Trolley Line by taking the Rental Car Shuttles at the transit islands at Terminals 1 and 2. When the driver is notified, the shuttle drops passengers off on the north end of the airport, just one block from the Middletown Station (12 stops, closer to the SDSU Transit Center). You will need to cross Pacific Highway and walk one block northeast on W. Palm Street to the station on the left. Take the Sycuan Green Line Trolley Line north to the SDSU Transit Center stop. The trolley direction you want will be indicated as "to Santee." NOTE: there is an incline to Palm Street and the sidewalk may not be in great shape - it may be a shorter trip but maybe also more of a hassle, so please consider your fitness and the quantity of your luggage! ALSO Note: if you don't mind paying a taxi for a short ride, you could ask to be taken to Middletown Station, at the corner of W Palm Street and California Street (essentially Caliber Collision, at 1411 W Palm St, San Diego, CA 92101).

Once you arrive at the SDSU Transit Center just take the elevator or stairs up to the ground level. The Aztec Student Union is right there as you emerge, and the ‘sky-bridge’ immediately next to it. If you are heading to The Garden cafeteria at Cuicacalli, take the “sky-bridge” and then go left (east); they will be on your left as you head east. If you are heading to South Campus Plaza South Tower, walk straight down College Avenue; it will be on the right side as you walk south, at 5120 College Avenue. Pictures of relevant parts of the campus.

A single trolley ticket is $2.50 ($1.25 for senior/disabled/Medicare) and is good for two hours from the time of purchase; a bus ticket is $2.25 ($1.10), exact fare required on buses.

A one-day pass on the SDMTS covers trolleys and buses, is just $5, and can be bought at the airport or on your smartphone. Or you can buy a four-day pass for $17 (includes $2 for a refillable "Compass Card"). There are signs and ticket vending machines all over the airport for this, and machines at every trolley stop. Details here: https://www.sdmts.com/fares-passes

PLEASE don’t be confused by the sponsorship “branding” of the various trolley lines. For example, the UC San Diego Blue Line does NOT take you to UCSD (that’s in La Jolla, considerably north of anywhere the Blue Line goes), and the Sycuan Green Line doesn’t take you to the Sycuan Casino, although there are buses which connect to that trolley line which do.

Things to do in San Diego:

San Diego is a city on the water, with miles of beautiful beaches, harbors, and bays. The San Diego Zoo is very large and impressive and, 30-some miles north east, their sister Safari Park is even larger and in many ways more impressive. Balboa Park, “the nation’s largest urban cultural park,” is beautiful and well worth visiting, as of course is Sea World. The Maritime Museum of San Diego and the USS Midway Museum are fascinating.

San Diego visitor web sites include:
https://sandiego.org
https://www.sandiegovisit.org/
https://hiddensandiego.net/
https://www.atlasobscura.com/itineraries/weekend-guide-san-diego

Zymology

San Diego County is home to more than 150 craft breweries (as well as wineries and ciderhouses). Among them are some of the best-known and top-rated breweries in the country, including Stone (their Liberty Station location is very close to the airport), AleSmith, Ballast Point (their Little Italy location is also close to the airport), Port Brewing/Lost Abbey, Modern Times (their Point Loma location is also close to the airport), Horus Aged Ales, Abnormal (brewery not open Mondays), and the Hop Concept. Although San Diego doesn’t have the same longevity in brewing as some cities, especially on the east coast, it has made up for it since! California is the birthplace of the American West Coast IPA, which reached its zenith in San Diego, typified by the bitter palate wreckers of Stone and Green Flash—we mean bitter in a good way!! This new style blossomed in the 1980s and ’90s as American brewers sought to redefine traditional European styles and make them their own.

A traditional English IPA—where the style originated—would barely pass as an ordinary pale ale on the West Coast, and I shudder to think what our friends across the Pond would make of Stone’s aptly named Ruination Double IPA, with two or three times the IBUs (International Bitterness Units) of their own English ales. But these West Coast IPAs aren’t all bitterness. Among the 80 or so different varieties of hops are as many different tasting and aroma notes as a sommelier will find in the most nuanced bottle of wine. Mint, grass, pine, papaya, grapefruit, dill, pepper, melon—you name it, there’s a hop for it! And southern California isn’t exclusively IPA country either. Some amazing stouts, saisons, barleywines, and sour ales are being made here, ranging from Belching Beaver’s Peanut Butter Milk Stout to Lost Abbey’s sophisticated Cuvée de Tomme, a tart brown ale fermented with sour cherries and then aged in bourbon barrels inoculated with wild yeast.

There are a slew (yes, an entire slew) of breweries in Miramar (Google map highlighting Ballast Point and area breweries), and in “North County” (Google map showing many breweries, including some in Escondido, San Marcos, Vista, Oceanside, etc.); check out San Diego Breweries for a nearly-complete list and a map at the bottom of their page. If you're interested in the beer scene in San Diego, be sure to talk to Jason Fisher, our resident zymologist at Mythcon; he can recommend extracurricular field trips to San Diego breweries before and after Mythcon, and he may even have some local beers to share in his suite during Mythcon, including a few additional surprises for the adventurous among you!

Why do we mention beer? Perhaps because Tolkien and Lewis and the Inklings all enjoyed a pint—we do, however, encourage adults to be responsible in their appreciation (and observe that rideshares are a great way to visit a slew of breweries) and remind you that the Mythopoeic Society does not tolerate underage drinking.

Local Churches, etc.

For those who are interested, we anticipate having a "Mere Christian" service Sunday morning in the dorm, location TBD. There are a number of Catholic churches nearby: Blessed Sacrament, St Therese Parish, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, and St Martin of Tours, listed in rough order of proximity to the SDSU campus.

There are many houses of worship of assorted flavors near the campus; if you are using public transport and getting directions online, using "SDSU Transit Center" as your starting location may be helpful.

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