Current News Archive

Local Arrangements Committee

The Health Physics Society (HPS) Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) is excited to see you in Bethesda, Maryland, for the 53rd Midyear Meeting of the HPS, 26–29 January 2019. We thought it timely to provide a few last-minute tips before the meeting.

The location of the meeting, the Marriott North Bethesda, is surrounded by plenty of things to do. There are many restaurants and pubs within a 5- to 10-minute walk. The area referred to as "Pike and Rose" is a big hit. The no-host night out at Pinstripes is located in this venue complex. There is also a parking garage, and Uber services the area. If you don't feel there is enough for you to do in this area, you can take the red line south to Bethesda downtown or even farther south into Washington, DC, and Virginia.

• Technical Tours: please note in the registration information that the technical tours are as follows:
   
  • Monday afternoon, 27 January: Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI)—This is available for US citizens only. The charge of $30 is for transportation to and from AFRRI, about a 20- to 30-minute drive from the conference hotel. Once registered, you will be contacted on detailed logistics by mid-January.
     
  • Tuesday afternoon, 28 January: US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Emergency Operations Center (EOC)—There is no charge for this tour, as the EOC is located directly across the street from the hotel. We will assemble in groups and proceed by foot to the EOC. Once registered, you will be contacted on detailed logistics by mid-January.
     
• Night Out: the night out is Tuesday, 28 January, at Pinstripes, a unique bowling and dining experience. This is a no-host event—HPS will make a reservation on behalf of the people attending. The cost will be $30 and will include two hours of bowling and rental shoes. Food and beverages must be purchased separately. Several members of the LAC plan to attend and bowl into the evening—it's a fabulous experience.
   
• Transportation: Many of us locals of the Washington, DC, metro area rely heavily on the Metro. And for the midyear meeting you are in luck! The hotel is a 5-minute walk from the White-Flint metro stop on the red line. One of my favorite apps is "DC Metro and Bus"—you can navigate the app and determine how to get anywhere on the metro, whether it be to Bethesda downtown area or all the way south to the National Mall, Smithsonian Institutes, or DCA. (It's only 20–30 minutes by red line to the National Mall.)
   
• If you are arriving early or staying late (the weekend before or after), please refer to the conference hotel website for things to do around the immediate area. In the winter, we have found that walking the National Mall in the evening is spectacular, followed by a nice (but busy) dinner at Old Ebbit Grill—a nice way to finish off a day in the District.

LAC member Jeff Kowalczik suggested we also look at the end pages of the last NRC RAMP (Radiation Protection Computer Code Analysis and Maintenance Program) meeting program, for a list of things to do and places to go in the DC area.