Visitor's Guide

The information below gives some details about how to get to Davis, where to stay in Davis, some dining choices, and things to do for entertainment. The list is by no means exhaustive. The opinions and recommendations expressed are based on input from a few lab users and do not necessarily reflect the views of the university or department.
Two good web sites for information about Davis are:



Travel Arrangements
Davis is a small town, but has most of the usual modes of transit for visitors, as well as an exceptional array of bike paths. To get to Davis, you fly into Sacramento (the Sacramento Metro Airport) and then (i) get a ride to Davis on the Davis Airporter shuttle (you need to make reservations), (ii) talk someone from the lab into giving you a ride, or (iii) rent a car. It is unlikely that you will need a car while in Davis, so the first two options are the most economical. You can always rent a car for a few days while in Davis if you want to drive around and see the sites.

The trip from the airport only takes about 30 minutes. Phone numbers are given below for the Davis Airporter shuttle. Reservations should be made in advance.

Airport Shuttle:
Rental Car Agencies in Davis
    Avis: (800) 831-2847 OR 753-8822 at 1340 East Covell
    Enterprise: (800) 325-8007 OR 753-1300 at 1700 Olive Drive
Alternatively, if you fly into San Francisco, you can rent a car or take B.A.R.T. from the San Francisco International Airport to the Richmond station and then take the Amtrak train to Davis. Depending on traffic and mode of transportation, the trip will take 2 to 4 hours.

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Lodging
Two hotels that are within walking (10 minutes) or biking (5 minutes) distance from the lab are:
    Econo Lodge
    221 D Street
    (530) 756-1040

    University Lodge-Best Western
    123 B Street
    (530) 756-7890

The University Lodge-Best Western has rooms with kitchenettes, a jacuzzi and weight room, breakfast included, and bikes for loan.

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Restaurants
There are a variety of places to eat at very affordable prices.
A good web site for Davis restaurants is at http://www.yolocvb.org/eat.
A sample of some good places to eat are:
  • Hunan Bar & Restaurant
  • Kathmandu Kitchen
  • Sudwerk Restaurant & Brewery
  • Pasta ?
  • Cafe Bernardo
  • Crepeville
  • Student Union Crepes & Coffee Shop
    		• Corner of D and Second Street
    234 G Street
    2001 Second Street
    805 Second Street
    234 D Street
    330 3rd Street
    In the Silo Building near the Geology/Physics Building

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    Things To Do In & Around Davis
    After you have worked 16 hours/day for a few days, you will have the urge to escape the laboratory. There are many things to do during the several hours it takes for samples to run (like U-channel samples or FORC measurements). If you can talk someone into loading a few samples for you, then you can take several hours and go to one of the more distant localities. Some of the preferred escapes include:

      Bike riding: The bike paths, besides being everywhere in Davis, continue several miles out of town. Thus, you can ride through some of the vineyards, olive groves, cattle yards, and other farm scenery around Davis.

      Jogging: A slower version of bike riding, but you can use the same paths.

      Farmers Market: Wednesday and Saturday on Third & D Streets. Great time to stock up on fruit, nuts, and bakery goods for lunches.

      Laundry: 401 G Street.

      Libraries: The science library is next to the Geology Building.

      Napa/Sonoma: Greystone Restaurant run by the Culinary Institute of America in Napa is a must lunch stop.

      San Francisco: The big city is only 1.5 hours away.

      Tahoe: Scenery, biking, hiking, gambling, and more. It's beautiful, even if the water's getting cloudy.

      Reno: Three hours there, three hours to loose your money, and three hours drive back to Davis only to place another sample in the U-channel slot machine and hope you win the jackpot.

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    Computers
    We recommend you bring a laptop, although there are Mac computers available for use. The only PCs available in the lab are dedicated to running the U-channel magnetometer and Micromag. The discrete-sample cryogenic magnetometer and the Kappa Bridge are connected to Macs. In the office space next to the lab, to which visitors have access, there are currently two Macs (a G4 and a G5) connected to the internet. Additional internet connections are available. Don't forget to bring a memory stick, pocket drive, or other backup media or device.

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