Travel & Lodging Information

Institute start and end times
The institute begins on Monday, July 8 at 3:45 pm with an opening session in the Longhouse. If you arrive on campus earlier, please join us for one of the pre-institute activities beginning at 1:00 pm. 

If you are flying, please plan to arrive on campus no later than 12:00 pm on Monday, July 8. Evergreen is located in Olympia, WA, approximately 55 miles south of SeaTac (Seattle-Tacoma) airport. The drive from the airport can take between 1-3 hours, depending on time of day and traffic.

The institute ends on Thursday, July 11 at approximately 8:00 pm after the Celebration Dinner where teams present their final projects. Thursday night accommodations are included in the institute registration fee.

Housing is available for those who prefer to arrive on Sunday, July 7 for an additional fee of $50.00 per person. Please select this option on your registration form or contact us at: washcenter@evergreen.edu.

Registration
Registration for those staying on campus will be located at Summer Guest Services in A-Dorm of campus housing.

Shuttle services – When booking any shuttle service, make sure to let them know you want to be dropped off at A-Dorm in campus housing (address below). For your own convenience, you do not want to be dropped off at the main campus loop.

The address for A-Dorm is: 4315 Indian Pipe Loop NW, Olympia WA 98505

Shuttle services in our area include:

  • Capital Aeroporter – Call 360-754-7113 for Capital Aeroporter’s shuttle service from the Seattle-Tacoma airport to Evergreen.
  • Capital Towncar Service – Call 360-515-6115. The town car can seat 4 people and their limo can seat up to 8. Please call them for pricing.

Parking passes
If you are staying on campus (Driving directions and maps) – Follow the signs on the Evergreen Parkway NW. Turn left on Overhulse Rd (1st left after the roundabout). At the stop sign, turn left on Driftwood Rd. Park in Lot F and walk to A dorm (Summer Guest Services) to check-in. If you need assistance, staff will be available at registration.

When you check in at the Summer Guest Services office, request a parking pass for the week

If you are staying off campus, take the Mudd Bay/Evergreen State College exit off of Highway 101 and follow the signs to parking lots B and C. Stop by the parking booth prior to parking and let the attendant know you need a parking pass for the conference. The parking pass is free of charge.

To avoid a ticket, parking passes must be displayed at all times.

Please watch for wildlife while driving on campus.

Lodging information
Institute participants stay in Evergreen’s apartment-style dorms on campus. Campus teams generally share one or more apartments (sometimes with another team’s members). Men and women will have separate apartments unless a request is made for a co-ed apartment. You will be sharing an apartment with no more than 3 other people, and each person has a private bedroom. Since the institute is intensive, most participants prefer to stay on campus. Teams find that living together during the institute provides more flexibility for working on their plans and helps with team-building. Room and board are included in institute fees.

Accessibility
The apartments are three stories high. While there are no elevators, ground floor and second floor apartments are just six steps.

The apartments are approximately a half mile from the Longhouse where most meals will be served. Most institute activities are mid-way between the apartments and the Longhouse.

If you have a need that requires accessible housing or accommodations to get to institute venues, please let us know on your registration form or contact us at washcenter@evergreen.edu.

Due to space and for the convenience of other participants, we are only able to accommodate registered institute participants in campus housing. If you plan on traveling with a spouse and/or children please contact us for local hotel information.

The apartments
View apartment photographs and floor plans (E-U apartments)

Housing for the institute is in a peaceful, wooded setting. You may see deer or other wildlife as you walk from your apartment to institute activities. Each apartment has a shared living room and kitchen, and private bedrooms. The bathrooms have a shared sink area with two sinks, and a private room for the toilet and the shower— both have doors that close and lock.

All of the kitchens have refrigerators; however, the stoves do not function during the summer. There is a microwave in the Housing Community Center (HCC). The Washington Center will supply you with plastic cups, plastic eating utensils, and small paper plates.

Amenities
The furnishings are simple but comfortable. Each person has their own private bedroom with a single bed and a desk.

Please be sure to bring your own toiletries (including shampoo). There are no bedside reading lights, alarm clocks, or hair dryers so you may want to bring your own.

Toilet tissue and bath soap will be provided.

Basic towels and towel service are provided; if you like over sized towels, you’ll want to bring your own. Towels will be replenished once during your stay, but you are welcome to request a change at any time. More information including contact numbers to request items will be in your apartment.

Garbage cans are provided and pick up will be on Wednesday. Please recycle when you can; recycle bins are included in every apartment.

Please note: The apartments are not air conditioned —with the Pacific Northwest’s temperate climate, air conditioning is usually not necessary. If it does get hot, we have small fans available for checkout. Please see information in your apartment for requests.

If you have forgotten something, Evergreen has two stores. The P.O.D. Market (Corner Store) is located in the Housing Community Center (HCC) and has snack items, toiletries, first aid supplies, and more. The Greener Bookstore is located in the CAB building and has toiletries and snacks, as well as a great selection of books and gifts. Hours are limited during the summer months.

Quiet hours
We ask that all participants honor quiet hours after 10:00 pm each evening.

Laundry
Coin operated washing machines and dryers are available in the Housing Community Center (HCC).

Weather & what to wear
Summer is fickle in the Pacific Northwest—it’s hard to predict from one day to the next whether it will be cool and rainy, or warm and sunny. Typically in July, Olympia has highs in the mid-70’s and lows around 50°F, but in the past couple of years, our high temperatures in July have ranged in the 80’s and 90’s during the day with cool evenings.

The institute dress code is casual. You’ll definitely want comfortable shoes. You’ll also want to pack for a range of temperatures inside and outside. Since the apartments and institute meeting rooms do not have air conditioning, they can get warm when outside temperatures rise.

A good strategy for the Pacific Northwest is to plan on layers of clothing—short sleeve shirts for warm weather with a sweater on top if it gets cool. Evenings are generally cool, so a jacket is also recommended. Rain is always a possibility in the Pacific Northwest; a pocket umbrella can be handy.

Dining
Beginning with dinner on Monday evening, July 8th, all meals except dinner on Wednesday evening will be provided. Wednesday evening teams will have a night off to explore Olympia or just relax. For Wednesday dining recommendations or options, visit the institute information tables located in Sem II-B and the Longhouse or ask any institute staff.

All meals except Thursday lunch will be served in the Longhouse.

Sunday arrivals
Dining services are closed on weekends. We will provide a boxed lunch for those registered to arrive on Sunday. However, you may prefer to eat before you arrive or visit a nearby or downtown Olympia restaurant.

On Monday morning you can buy breakfast and/or lunch at Einstein Bros. Bagels on campus, or you might prefer to explore downtown Olympia.

Morning coffee
Every weekday morning, coffee will be offered from 6:30 am to 8:00 am in the Housing Community Center (HCC).

If you prefer a latte or mocha, please visit Einstein Bros Bagels located in Sem II B 1st floor.

Vegetarian & other special diets
Evergreen’s dining service offers vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. We do our best during the institute to meet people’s dietary needs within the limits of our campus dining service. Please let us know on your registration form if you have a special dietary need.

Those with more specialized diets or particular concerns may want to make their own arrangements to augment what is offered for meals and snacks. Each apartment has a refrigerator. If you have any questions regarding dietary accommodations, please contact us at Washington Center.

Alcoholic beverages
Our meals are served in Evergreen’s Longhouse Education and Cultural Center, a public service center that promotes indigenous arts and culture. Built in collaboration with Northwest tribes, it is the first building of its kind on a public campus in the United States. Out of respect for the tribes, use of alcohol is not permitted in or around this building. Institute participants are welcome to have wine, beer, and other alcoholic beverages in their apartments.

Consider carrying a water bottle
While water is available at meals and in the refreshment area near our meeting rooms, some participants find it convenient to bring their own water bottles. Bottled water is not sold on campus.

Getting around – campus & town
Walking is the primary way of getting around campus. The distance between institute venues can be up to half a mile; if you have any health issues that make walking this far difficult, please let us know on your registration form or by contacting us at washcenter@evergreen.edu so we can make accommodations for you to get to institute activities.

The Evergreen State College is located on 1,000 acres of forest, with hiking trails and a beach along Eld Inlet. The campus is approximately 4 miles from stores and restaurants in Olympia.

Renting a car – You will be spending nearly all your time on campus between Monday afternoon and Thursday evening. On Wednesday evening, institute activities wrap up at approximately 5:30 pm, allowing teams an evening off. Restaurants in Olympia are 4-5 miles from campus; there is regular bus service from campus to town, and cabs are also available. However, some teams choose to rent cars or vans at the airport, not only to get to campus, but to facilitate shopping for necessities and dining out on Wednesday. Renting a car is a good idea particularly if you plan to arrive on Sunday, since meals are not served on campus that day.

If you prefer to rent a car once you get to Olympia, local car rental companies are Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Budget Car Rental.

Bus Service is available to and from the college and Olympia between 6:30 am and 11:30 pm during the week, and 8:30 am to 9:45 pm on weekends. Bus provides service between the college and downtown Olympia, with pickup at the Housing loop as well as the main campus entrance. Bus #48 offers service to shopping services and the mall before heading to downtown Olympia.

Taxi cab and UBER service in our area include: