what are some of the good near by hotels?

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Fatal291
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what are some of the good near by hotels?

Post by Fatal291 »

well i could not convince my family to let me go to alabama alone.. i cant even take the trash around at night and im going on 19! Well anyway What are some of the good, but not so expensive hotels? I've heard some not so flattering things about the bunks and plus I'm pretty tall i've seen the videos those bunks look like sofa cushins compared to me. I guess something under $50 a person would be wishful thinking. it would just be me and my mom plus my sister who is the only one under 18. thanks
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Post by Boomerang »

Well the closest hotel to camp is the Hubtsville Marriott its a decent place to stay but is definately above wjat you said you were looking for cost wise. I believe the cheapest rate i've seen there is 96 per night
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Post by Fatal291 »

oh ok i dont know the prices over there so i was just guessing
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Post by gt0163c »

For the closest hotel, the Mariott is your best bet. It's within walking distance. And, if you request a space center view, you can see the Hab, Pathfinder, Rocket Park, etc. I would guess that prices are around $100/night for a basic room.
There are a number of other hotels around. I stayed one night at a La Quinta on University (be warned, there are three La Quintas on University and, if you're taking a cab, the cabbie may not always know which one is which...even if you give an address. Sorry, bad cab experience.) The La Quinta was a reasonable hotel. Standard room with two beds, reasonable sized bathroom, okay continental breakfast, free wireless internet access, etc. Cost me about $50 for the night I was there. However, it was a bit of a drive from the Space Center. Doable, if you have a vehicle. Not as much if you're relying on a cab.

Best place I've found to book hotels, if cost is what you're most interested in is Hotwire.com. You give them an area where you want to stay and they give you a price, slightly more specific area and description of a class of hotels. But you don't find out which hotel you're actually booked into until after you pay (nonrefundable, of course). But they also have the best prices by a long shot. I used them for my night in Huntsville. I also use them regularly for car rentals (same idea, only you don't get to pick which car rental company you go through). I've never had any trouble with any of the reservations I've made through Hotwire and I've saved between 20 and 50%+.

A search for Huntsville Alabama hotels on the search engine of your choice should bring up a lot of different options. Then it's just a matter of balancing location and price options.
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Post by street »

LaQuinta is reasonably priced, but you've got to bring your own vehicle to make it financially reasonable, as it's several miles from the Camp.

You do realize that once you've arrived at Camp you will be staying in the Hab? They also don't encourage parents/family visiting during the week. You say good bye on Sunday and don't see outsiders until Friday. Maybe that'll get your parents off your back.
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Post by Fatal291 »

so you HAVE to sleep there? i read in some reviews that people slept off campus hmm
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Post by street »

There are some programs that sleep off campus, but not the week long youth camps. Some parent/child and school groups (Astrotrek) sleep off campus. If you are going for a 6 day program, you will sleep in the Habitat.
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Post by gt0163c »

Fatal291 wrote:so you HAVE to sleep there? i read in some reviews that people slept off campus hmm
Adults also have the option of sleeping off-campus, should they so desire. Although everyone my week stayed at the Hab. And, given the schedule of activities, the Hab is a much better choice just logistically. It really isn't that bad. It does get cold at night (bring warm PJs and ask for an extra blanket) and the bunks aren't terribly large nor terribly soft. But, they are adequate. Overall, if you think about it like it's summer camp, the Hab is almost luxury accomdations.
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Post by SpaceCanada »

All youth trainees must be on campus at all times.

Adult trainees, however, can sleep off-site if they so desire.

Otherwise, for your family, I presume they will have a car since I doubt they will want to hang around the USSRC for the whole six days. (If they do, then they should all sign up to attend Space Camp whilst there.)

I cannot recommend anything but the Marriot though because I do not know enough about Huntsville. The Super 8 on University was very low scale and dirty (my socks went from white to black after walking around for 10 minutes) but it did have nice staff, free wi-fi, and free juice and bagels in the morning. Still not my kind of hotel though.
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Post by Boomerang »

I misread your post thought you said you were 19. If you are going to a youth program it is true you stay onsight. Adults can stay off sight if they wish but youth programs stay in the hab. I can tell you of one exception. I don't know that it would work though. Sometimes at parents request a camper can be temporarily decamped every night to stay with their parents somewhere else. This is ussualy only done for really young campers though mainly due to worries over home sickness. I never saw an older camper do this and dont know that they would do it. Its alot of paper work every nigt to do and it pulls managers away from other jobs to go through the decamping stuff. Having worked in camper services where this is done i can say its a pain and wouldnt recomend it. You can survive a week in the hab. I lived there 3 months and counselors have the same beds as campers.
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Post by monkeynautt »

Staying in the hab is part of the camp experience. you'd miss out on that by not staying there. It may be cold (although not as cold as it used to be) but just dress warmer and you'll be fine. As for the beds, it's only a week and you'll be so tired at night it won't even matter.
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Post by SpaceCanada »

Besides, some of the best camp memories have to do with the Hab. How else would I live to tell the story of the rotten chocolate milk carton in the air vent, a glow in the dark footprint on the wall, sleeping in the hallway because my roomate snored so loud I couldn't sleep, discussing the day's mission with your teamamtes, etc. Staying in the Hab is too cool to pass up.
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Post by rkolker »

As several folks said, the only hotel in walking distance is the Marriott, but that's going to cost you. There are a couple of hotels within "bicycling distance" (although I drove). Use the mapping provision on something like travelocity.

That being said, stay in the habitat if it's your first trip -- it's part of the experience and Enterprise Team had six plus footers staying there regularly. Besides, you'll want to be hanging out with your teammates.
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Post by Mercergl »

99% of getting to know your team is what happens in the Hab. And what happens in the hab stays in the hab lol. But you should definetly be there with all the friends you'll make.
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Post by JennieM »

I agree with the others...you have to stay in the Hab. It's where memories are made! :wink:
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Post by Spyder »

Thats a sentiment shared Spaceside AND Lakeside (SC and AC). There are generally a lot of memories made on the Hab... some funny.. some not so funny... but funny in a really twisted sort of way
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hotels

Post by andystroik »

I agree with all that have commented.

I have gone for 3 yrs space side 1 yr AC from 2004-2007 and have always used the habs that it hab2 and 3 (hab 3 is the AC hab.)
I hours that I havespent in the are the best times I had to get to know your team. I made my best connections during the morning and evening prep times :).
If you need a hotel for some reason.

I wold recommend http://www.kayak.com
they search many travel sites at once and provide you all the resaults in one place geat site.

For you though again I say use the HAB.

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Post by Fatal291 »

For adult camp are they also allowed to stay on campus? do they sleep with the kids? lol how does that work. Also There is Adult Academy and Advanced Adult Academy. Can I pick which or do I have to attend one over the other?
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Post by monkeynautt »

Adults are bunked with other adults in Hab 1 (females and males on separate floors, just like the kids). They made one of the bathrooms adult only for our weekend.

Adult academy is the weekend program. Advanced academy is the weeklong program. It is totally up to you to choose the one you want to go to.
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Post by Fatal291 »

ok cool thanks, when i said with the kids i mean same building or area wise. I know the teens ASA were said to be noisy will you still hear them?
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