We are delighted that you'll be joining us in Miami for this year's NCSA conference. This information sheet is designed to help you as you plan your trip.

Conference Hotel: All conference panels and the board and business meetings will take place at the Newport Beachside Hotel and Resort in Sunny Isles, North Miami Beach. This is the same hotel we used in 1996 (for those who remember!) with the same beautiful beachfront. The conference setup has changed a bit, but we still have two large conference rooms on the twelfth floor, with a central meeting area overlooking the ocean, and additional rooms in other parts of the hotel. Our lunch and business meeting will take place in a completely renovated mezzanine area overlooking the pool and beach. Guest rooms, too, have been renovated, and now are particularly convenient for sharing. The hotel website will show you the various room configurations. Be sure to reserve by January 30 to get the conference rate, and mention that you are with the Nineteenth Century Studies Association. The hotel phone number is 305-949-1300; tollfree 1-866-323-7931.

Airports: The closest and most convenient airport to the conference hotel is Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International. We strongly urge you to choose this airport rather than Miami International, if possible, as flights to FLL tend to be less expensive and the airport itself is a bit easier to navigate. FLL offers nonstop service from and to a great many locations, and is served by Delta, USAirways, United, American, Northwest, Southwest, JetBlue, Spirit, Frontier, Air Tran, ValuJet, and other major and discount carriers.

Airport Transportation: Taxis in South Florida can be prohibitively expensive, especially from either of the airports to the Newport--although a group traveling from a late dinner on South Beach back to the hotel should find taxis easy to locate and well worth the price for that trip. From the airports, however, we recommend shared transportation. FLL is served by Tri-County Airport Express. At the time of this writing the cost is $16.00 per person, one way, to the Newport Beachside Resort, and they also can take you back to the airport from the hotel. If you are using Miami International Airport, you'll want to use Super Shuttle for roundtrip hotel transportation. They charge $23 per person each way. (We can get a significantly reduced conference rate on Super Shuttle if we have 10 people traveling together--so if you can put together such a group in advance, please let us know.) Of course, prices may change by April, so be sure to check with the service you'll be using.

Conference Events: Included in your registration fee is a reception at the Wolfsonian-FIU, followed by a tour of its galleries that will include some items selected especially for us. The Wolfsonian is one of the foremost design museums in the world, with outstanding collections of political and propaganda art; it is a treasure of which Florida International University is justifiably proud. For more information on the Wolfsonian, go to www.wolfsonian.org.

Our optional excursion on Saturday afternoon will take us to Everglades National Park for a 2-hour narrated tram tour through a fifteen-mile loop in the heart of the "river of grass." The route offers an outstanding opportunity to experience the Everglades' unique environment and to view alligators and other indigenous animals and birds, both from the tram and from an observation tower with a spectacular view into the sawgrass marsh. On the way to the Park, an expert will provide us with an overview of Everglades history and the politics of preservation. Participation is limited to the first 70 registrants, so reserve early!

Please note that we have organized the Everglades trip in place of the previously planned boat tour of Biscayne Bay. It promises to be at least as fascinating, and will cost a bit less. If you have already registered for the conference and would like to add this option, please get in touch with Lauren Christos at christol@fiu.edu.

Location: Those of you who attended our 1996 conference may remember that there was considerable construction going on around the Newport. It is now complete, and you might not recognize Sunny Isles Beach today, with all the highrise condos surrounding the hotel. Of course, you can't build on the ocean, and the beautiful poolside and beachfront still provide great views and a wonderfully relaxing experience. Across Collins Avenue you'll find many shops and restaurants; you'll have a substantial list of suggestions in your conference packet.

In addition, Collins Avenue goes all the way down to South Beach, with its Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road cafés, historic Art Deco district and Espanola Way, and excellent people-watching. The Wolfsonian is right in the heart of South Beach, and although a bus will be waiting to go back to the hotel after the Friday evening gallery tour, we encourage anyone who wants to stay late and explore to come back by taxi or a Collins Avenue bus. Info on public bus transportation will be available at the conference.

Getting in touch: Please contact Lauren Christos at christol@fiu.edu with any questions you may have. We look forward to greeting you in Miami!