Convention Guide

Welcome to the 2022 National Federation of the Blind
California State Convention, in San Diego

Thursday, November 3 to Sunday, November 6, 2022

Greetings One and All:

On behalf of the San Diego Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of California I welcome one and all to the 2022 California State Convention, at the “Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Old Town”. Enjoy all that the convention has to offer with help from this Convention Guide, filled with useful information aimed at making this a memorable experience. Thanks for your patience: Some details may not exactly match how they are in ‘real-life’.

This guide contains information about the following:

the Venue
Hotel description and amenities,
Directions to the convention site by various means,
Guide dog relief area,
suggestions for visiting Old Town State Historic Park,
links to many of these resources

We sincerely hope you have a wonderful time!

Allison Depner,

San Diego Chapter Hospitality Suite Committee Chair

Location:

Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Old Town
2435 Jefferson Street
San Diego, California, 92110

Website: (www.marriott.com).

Phone: (619) 260-8500.

Though not associated with the convention, there are additional options for lodging nearby. See below for details.

the 2022 National Federation of the Blind of California state Convention will take place right beside Old Town State Historic Park. Old Town is celebrated as the birthplace of San Diego which is the second largest city in California! It is situated within ±4 miles of both downtown San Diego and the San Diego International Airport, also known as Lindberg Field,

Traveling to and from the Convention:

Arriving by the San Diego International Airport:

Participants arriving via the San Diego International Airport have the option to take a shuttle, taxi or rideshare to the Convention. Though construction at airport terminal 1 is underway, access to the following options is readily available.

By Shuttle:

The San Diego Flyer shuttle runs every 20 to 30 minutes, between airport Terminals 1 and 2 and the east side of the Old Town Transit Station, at no charge. Its stop is located on the island near the depot building / convenience store. From there it is approximately a 5 to 6 block walk to and from the convention site. See below for walking instructions.
By taxi or rideshare:

From Terminal 1, travelers will exit baggage claim, use the new pedestrian crosswalk, with a traffic light to provide access to Ground Transportation resources (VFH, Courtesy, Taxis, Rideshare and RCC). See signage for assistance.

From Terminal 2, upon exiting baggage claim, use the main crosswalk to the Transportation Plaza. Ridesharing pick-up is located in the second lane on the right. See signage for assistance. Also, check their website at (https://www.san.org/to-from/ride-share) if you have questions.

Arriving By Amtrak or the Coaster:

Travelers who choose to use Amtrack train service or the Coaster can use either the Santa Fe depot stop or the Old Town Transit Station stop. If you choose to exit your train at the Santa Fe Depot, you can then either board a trolley to Old Town or use taxi service or ride share to go directly to the hotel. (www.amtrak.com) Traveling by taxi or ride share is more expensive but is much more convenient since it will provide door to door service. Using trolley service, on the other hand, will take longer and will require more walking, but is less expensive.

The hotel is approximately (±3 miles) from the Santa Fe Depot. Rides to the Courtyard by Marriott via taxi or rideshare may be obtained from along Kettner Boulevard. which runs on the east side of the Santa Fe Train Depot, opposite of the train tracks.

Traveling to Old Town Transit Station by trolley from the Santa Fe Train Depot:

Convenient trolley service between the Santa Fe Train Depot and the Old Town Transit Station begins from the walkway on the west side of the train depot. Be sure to purchase a trolley ticket from a track-side kiosk before boarding; $2.50 / adult. If you choose to use trolley service, you will Ride aboard a northbound San Diego Transit Green Line or Blue Line Trolley.

For transit information check: (www.sdmts.com), or call (619) 233-3004 for assistance.

The Old Town Transit Station

From the Old Town Transit Station, you may hail a taxi or rideshare, or walk just 0.8 miles, or approximately 5 blocks, to the Courtyard by Marriott. Note: Upon arrival, there may be no transit staff to ask for directions. It may be necessary to ask other passenger’s for information.

Whether you choose to walk to the hotel or use a taxi/ride share, you will need to locate congress street. Upon exiting the train or trolley, make sure you are on the south side of all the tracks. Turn left and walk along the tracks as far as you can. Navigate around an iron railing and some other obstacles until you find the intersection of Congress street and Taylor Street.

Turn right and walk along Congress Street. As you follow Congress Street, you will find a taxi stand on the same side of the street. Another option for obtaining taxi or ride share service is a parking lot located across Congress Street, at an audible traffic crossing. In both cases, it is less than 1 mile to the convention site. If you choose to walk to the convention site, use the directions below which begin at the point where you have walked to the taxi stand.

Walking Directions from the Taxi Stand to the convention site:

Walk along congress Street past an alley, Mason Street, Twiggs Street, Harney Street and Conde Street.
After crossing Conde Street, turn right.
Walk one block along Conde Street to Jefferson Street.
Cross Jefferson Street.
Turn left, and follow the sidewalk until you reach the first right turn which is the driveway of the hotel.
Stay to the right to avoid parked vehicles, and proceed ahead along the driveway to the main hotel entrance which will be on the right.

Note: Listen for the sound of automatic sliding doors.

Driving Directions to the Convention

Use Rosecrans Street, Pacific Coast Highway or Taylor Street to go to Old Town State Historic Park, where the Interstate-5 and 8 Freeways intersect.

From Taylor Street, follow Congress Street past the Old Town transit Station on one side and the Old Town State Historic Park on the other.

Turn right at Conde Street (spelled c o n d e) and proceed to Jefferson Street.
Turn left on Jefferson Street. The Courtyard by Marriott Hotel driveway and parking lot entrance will be on the right side of Jefferson Street between Conde Street and Arista Street. A patio area and swimming pool will be to the right as you enter, and the hotel’s sliding main / lobby doors are ahead and to the right.

Using Public Transit?:

San Diego-based convention goers using public transit may reach the Old Town Station aboard the following bus routes: 8, 9, 10, 28, 30, 35, 44, 88 and 105. Communities served by these routes include Clairemont, Hillcrest, Linda Vista, La Jolla, Loma Portal, Mission Beach, Mission Hills, North Park, Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach and Point Loma. These connect to buses serving other areas.

For further information regarding public transportation, check the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System website (www.sdmts.com), or call: (619) 233-3004 for personal assistance.

Using Para-Transit Services

If you are a para-transit user, you may want to use M.T.S. Access Transit to travel to and from the hotel. In order to use M.T.S. Access, Call your local service a week or 2 in advance to ask for your profile to be sent to MTS Access. You should make this call at least a week or 2 before your trip. Once MTS Access has received your profile, you can make reservations. To reserve a trip, call 888.517.9627. Reservations must be made at least one day before and no more than 2 days before your trip. You will need to provide the street address for your pick up spot and destination. Here are some addresses you will need if you plan to use MTS Access to travel from and to the hotel.

Useful Addresses

San Diego International Airport

3225 North Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92101

Santa Fe Depot

1050 Kettner Blvd.

San Diego, CA 92101

Old Town Transit center

4005 Taylor Street
San Diego CA 92110

Courtyard by Marriott Hotel

2435 Jefferson Street,
San Diego, California, 92110

Comfort Inn Old Town

2380 Moore Street.

(619) 984-4522.

1 King $141 per night + taxes

2 Queens $249 per night + taxes

Western Inn

3889 Arista Street

San Diego, Ca. 92110

619 377-4690

For 2 queen beds: First night $108 and the 2nd and 3rd nights are $183.20. Total $524.21 taxes and fees are included

For 1 king bed With Check in November 3, 2022 checkout November 6, $1632 taxes and fees included

About the Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Old Town:

Check the hotel website for useful information (www.marriott.com), including its layout, name and location of meeting rooms, and general resources such as elevators, bistro, convenience store and ice machines.

Hotel Layout

It might be helpful to think of the entrance level of the hotel as consisting of 3 main sections: the leftwing, the lobby, and the rightwing.

Upon entering the hotel’s sliding main doors, you will find yourself in the hotel lobby. The Lobby area Is a ‘tiled pathway’ that resembles a hallway and extends from the hotel entrance to the back of the hotel and is between the left and right wings.

The Lobby

Just inside the entrance into the lobby, a bench is situated on your right, at 3 o’clock. As you proceed forward through the lobby area, you will pass by a tiled hallway on the left. This hallway is the beginning of the Left wing which is described in more detail below. To the right of the lobby, is a tiled off shoot leading to the right wing which is also described below. As You Proceed forward through the lobby, will, then find the Registration Desk on your left.

Past the Registration Desk, and To the left is a Convenience Store. A short distance further on the left is a carpeted sitting area, consisting of an L-shaped couch, coffee table, television and fireplace. In this area the tile pathway bends to the left and gives way to another carpeted hallway.

Left Wing

The left section of this level is shaped rather like a half of a square. The bottom part of the square is a tiled hallway. The left side of the square is a carpeted hallway. And the top of the square is also carpeted. connected by a third tiled hallway. The entrance to the tiled hallway of the left wing is to the left of the main lobby doors. This hall is the bottom part of the square. This hallway is where the first set of elevators is located. Note: When moving through that hallway, stay to the right to avoid a staircase. You will find an opening / wider space where luggage carts are stored on the right side of the hall. The first elevator is located across the hall from that opening. Past the elevators, the hall continues until it meets an intersecting carpeted hall that runs parallel to the lobby area.

This is the vertical part of the square. If you turn right into this intersecting hall, you will find the doors to the Presidio Meeting Room and the Cabrillo Meeting Room on your left. Past the Cabrillo Meeting Room this hall connects with the hall that resembles the top part of the square. This hall is the second one that was mentioned in the lobby description.

If you turn right and walk along this hall, you will find A second set of elevators located within an opening / widening on the right. Public restrooms are situated across from these elevators.

Past the elevator and on the right, is an ATM machine. If you continue to follow this hall you will eventually find yourself back in the lobby area. At this point, you will be near the sofas, coffee table, television, and the fire place.

Right Wing

The “”Right Wing” consists of the entrance to the patio, (meeting rooms), the ballroom, and the Bistro and bar.

The Patio

To the right of the entrance to the hotel, is an off shoot of the tiled lobby. Follow this off shoot and you can find the doors to the patio on your right. Upon entering the patio, you will find tables and chairs. To the left of the seating area is a walk way that leads to the other end of the patio. At the end of the walkway is a gate to the swimming pool area. On the left side of this walkway are doors into the Santa Barbara and Santa Rosa Meeting Rooms. These rooms can be joined to form the ballroom.

Bistro, Bar, and eating area

The Bistro and bar are found to the right of the lobby area. The Bistro can be accessed through an opening off the lobby near the carpeted seating area. It is also carpeted. The Bistro consists of an order counter and a pick up counter. To the right of the Bistro counters is a square shaped bar with seating. Tables and chairs are to the right of the bar. This eating area can also be accessed from the left side of the tiled off shoot from the lobby.

Room Description and Hotel Amenities:

Each hotel room is equipped with a mini refrigerator and single cup coffee maker. Most areas of the hotel have Braille signage, including restrooms and elevators. Braille room numbers are next to each door. On-Site Amenities include free WIFI, a business center, a fitness center, a laundry room, an outdoor patio and swimming pool, hot tub, as well as a convenient store and a bistro. Ice Machines are located either beside or across from a set of elevators on each floor.

The Hospitality Suite:

A great place to visit and mingle with other convention attendees when you have a spare moment or two, the Hospitality Suite hours are as follows:

Friday, November 4

8:30 AM -1:30 PM,

7:00 PM-10:00 PM (Fiesta and Game Night)

Saturday, November 5, 8:30 AM-1:30 PM

Volunteers from the San Diego chapter and other California affiliate chapters will be on hand at the Hospitality Suite to meet and greet everyone who drops by, offering a selection of snacks and beverages for their enjoyment. Check the convention program for its location ., and we’ll see you there!

The Bistro:

The Bistro Hours

Breakfast: 6:30 to 10:30 AM

Breakfast items include a fruit and yogurt cup, oatmeal, standard breakfast plate, breakfast bowl, breakfast sandwich, French toast and more.

Dinner 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM

The Bistro offers appetizers such as French fries, a grilled chicken-bacon quesadilla, and chicken wings. The menu includes sandwiches, and salads. A ‘Bistro Burger’ and a ‘Beyond Meat Burger’ are also available.

Note: No table service. An onsite Starbucks offers all the standard beverages, as does a Full Bar. Check their menu for hours and prices.

Guide Dog Relief Area:

Two mowed grass patches, along the sidewalk bordering on Jefferson Street, will serve as the guide Dog relief area during the convention.

Directions to the Relief Areas

Exit the hotel’s main doors and turn left.
Follow the driveway to Jefferson Street.
Turn right, and follow the sidewalk past the parking area to the grass patches on the right of the sidewalk.

Visiting Nearby Old Town State Historic Park:

Already mentioned as being close-by, Old Town State Historic Park is a veritable open-air history museum, encompassing nearly 30 acres overall. Part of this can be enjoyed during a short visit, 30 to 60 minutes. Situated adjacent to and running parallel with Congress Street, San Diego Avenue boasts many shops and restaurants. It also leads to the Visitor Information Center, inside the historic Robinson Rose House, located at 4002 Wallace Avenue. Phone: (619) 220-5422. Public restrooms are just around the corner, open from 10 AM.

Directions to Old Town State Historic Park, on foot:

Starting from the hotel’s main doors, cross the parking lot to the driveway, at which point you will be facing Jefferson Street. Turn left and follow the sidewalk to the corner at Conde Street. Turn right to cross Jefferson Street, and proceed along the right side of Conde Street to Congress Street. Continue across Congress Street. The next intersection will be San Diego Avenue.

From the corner of Conde Street and San Diego Avenue:

Café Coyote will be to the left, at 9 o’clock.

Cold Stone Creamery will be across the intersection, at 11 o’clock.

Miguel’s Cocina restaurant will be just ahead, at 1 o’clock.

Overflow / Optional Lodging:

Although not affiliated with the 2022 NFB California State Convention, there happen to be two motels situated immediately adjacent / south of the Courtyard by Marriott, bordering on Jefferson Street. Contact them directly for availability of rooms and other information.

Western Inn Old Town

3889 Arista Street.

(619) 298-6888.

Comfort Inn Old Town

2380 Moore Street.

(619) 984-4522.

Thank you for participating in the 2022 NFB of California State Convention! We hope you found this Guide to be useful and informative, that it provided you valuable details during the event. All the best!