North American Sundial Society

August 16-19, 2012

The Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau welcomes the North American Sundial Society. We are excited to be the host of your annual conference and certain you will enjoy your stay. The Asheville area, named a must-see destination by Frommer's, boasts a thriving arts community, diverse outdoor adventures, a vibrant and inviting downtown, numerous historic and architectural attractions, and unique shopping options.

On this site you'll discover activity ideas that will help you make the most of your time in the mountains. In fact, plan on staying an extra day or two and bring your family. Conference room rates apply two days prior and two days post conference dates! We promise you'll find plenty of fun and interesting things to fill those extra days.

Getting to Asheville

The Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) is located 10 miles (approximately 25 minutes) from downtown, AVL is served by major rental car companies as well as a host of other ground transportation providers.

The Crowne Plaza is offering NASS conference attendees $20 per person/each way shuttle service from the Asheville Regional Airport. Please make sure to download the request form along with your registration materials and fax to the hotel at least 7 days prior to your arrival. 

There are also several airports in other cities within driving distance of downtown Asheville:

• Greenville Spartanburg, Greenville, SC (GSP) 77 mi

• Charlotte Douglas Intl, Charlotte, NC (CLT) 125 mi

• Knoxville McGhee Tyson, Knoxville, TN (TYS) 129

Conference Registration

Conference registration is available via the NASS website: http://sundials.org/

Conference Location

The 2012 NASS Conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Golf and Tennis Resort Hotel in Asheville only 11 miles from the airport. A number of rooms have been set aside at a discount rate of $112/night plus 11% tax. This rate will also apply 2 days before and after the conference. For reservations, call 1-800.733-3211 and mention North American Sundial Society or reserve online at http://ashevillecp.com using the group code NAS. To assure availability of rooms, make your reservation as soon as possible - no later than July 16th.

Local Hosts

Your local Asheville hosts are NASS members Hugh Munro, hugh@iodesign.net, 828-251-9051 and Alice io Oglesby, alice@iodesign.net, 828-225-5925. Feel free to contact them with specific questions.

Companion Travelers

Special pricing has been set up for companion travelers wishing to visit Biltmore Estate or enjoy trolley tours around town. Please contact your local host to arrange discounted tickets.

In addition, companion travelers may want to take advantage of various tours. Please see the tours section below for more information.

FREE INFORMATION

Request an Official Asheville Travel Guide and sign up for our e-newsletter to help plan your trip.

You can also stop by the Asheville Visitor Center to get free information, purchase attraction tickets and to find a souvenir at the Asheville Shop. The Visitor Center is located at 36 Montford Avenue in downtown. We look forward to seeing you in Asheville!

DISCOVER DOWNTOWN

Downtown Asheville is only a couple miles from the conference location - just a quick and easy shuttle ride into the heart of downtown. The Crowne Plaza provides shuttle service to downtown for $5 round trip to conference attendees and companion travelers!

Free Downtown Events of Interest

• Downtown After Five, Friday, August 17, evening - outdoor music on N. Lexington Ave.

• Ooh La La Curiosity Market, Saturday, August 18, day - outdoor artist's market in Pritchard Park

• Shindig on the Green, Saturday, August 18, evening - outdoor traditional music and dance festival, Pack Square Park

• Check out the Calendar of Events for additional happenings in and around Asheville.

Tours

There are tours of Asheville suited to almost any interest, from art and history, literature and architecture, to hiking, rafting and zipline adventures.

Among the most popular downtown based tours are:

• Asheville Urban Trail

• Moving Sidewalk Segway Tours

• Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site
• Asheville Historic Trolley Tours and Gray Line Trolley Tours of Asheville offer on-off service and are both full of interesting Asheville facts and a very easy way to get around town, including travel to the River Arts District and Biltmore Village.
• LaZoom Comedy Tour is a fun and funny alternative that combines comedy, theater and music for tours that are historical and hysterical.

Special pricing has been set up for companion travelers wishing to visit Biltmore Estate or enjoy trolley tours around town.

In addition, Accents on Asheville is offering special group tours for NASS companion travelers:

• Guided Waterfall Hike (Saturday, Aug 18, 9:30am-3:30pm, $79 per person)

• Best of Asheville Shopping Tour (Friday, Aug 17, 12:30-5:30pm, $59 per person)

• Chimney Rock Park Tour (Saturday, Aug 18, 12:30-5:30pm, $79 per person)

All above tours start/end at the Crowne Plaza.

Please contact your local host alice@iodesign.net for additional information on these opportunities and to arrange discounted tickets for Biltmore Estate and trolleys.