The bulk of the conferenceÕs events will take place in the General Lounge (Room 210) of the Illini Union, 1401 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801. Tele: 217-333-3030; 217-333-1241. The Illini Union describes itself as "a colonial style building," though probably architectural historians would call it Georgian. In any case, there are lots of red bricks and white pillars. It's hard to miss.
Champaign and Urbana are contiguous, abutting each other in the University, half of which is in each city.
By air:
Champaign-Urbana is not a suburb of Chicago. The cities' Willard Airport — owned and operated by the University of Illinois — is serviced by American Airlines and Northwest Airlines. The airport code is CMI. A taxi company has a shuttle that meets each flight. The company has a stand at the main doors near the luggage carrousel. In addition, the conference will have shuttles picking up speakers. If you see someone holding a sign reading "Timaeus Conference," feel free to hitch a ride to the Illini Union. We are free; the taxi company costs something like twelve dollars.
NEW: The conference has an improved discount arrangement with American Airlines. As of March 1, 2007, you can get a 5% discount on all of their flights to and from Champaign, Illinois (CMI) from September 10, 2007 through September 19, 2007. Previously the lowest two airfare classes were excluded from the discount program. The conference discount authorization number is A2997AA. When booking on-line, you enter this code several screens into the process. There will be a screen that asks you for any discount codes.
By train:
Three Amtrak trains a day run between Chicago and Champaign-Urbana: The City of New Orleans, The Saluki, and The Illini. If you are toting luggage, the train station is not a manageable walking distance to campus. Take a taxi – about five dollars. Or for only a single dollar, take one of the many busses that run between the train station (the Illinois Terminal) and Campus:
Daytime bus routes:
2 Red South
4 Blue West
5 Green East
6 Orange East
9A Brown
24 Scamp
25 Loop
Evening bus routes:
50 Green East
100 Yellow South
Some of these routes stop directly in front of the Illini Union; the others stop 1/3rd of a block away. Ask the driver where to get off and where to walk.
By car:
Champaign–Urbana is basically at the intersection of Interstates 57 and 74, a two and a half hour drive due south of Chicago, a two-hour drive west from Indianapolis, and a four-hour drive northeast from St. Louis.
Detailed driving instructions from Chicago to the Illini Union: It's pretty easy. You come South on I-57; then just north of Champaign–Urbana, you turn East on I-74, which takes you by a series of malls and such across the north end of the two cities; at Exit 183, Lincoln Avenue, you exit South (the sign says something about the University); continue South two miles to Green Street (there are two gas plazas on the left, on the right a brick high-rise), turn Right onto Green (going West, you are now quite close), continue through first street light (Goodwin), past the next street (Matthews), then turn left before the next light; you will be crossing a median strip into the drive-through of the Illini Union; park at pillars and go into the lobby; the hotel registration desk is immediately on the right. Clerks there will point you to the hotel's free parking lot as you register.