2020 Arthur M. Wolfe Symposium in Astrophysics

The Esalen Institute is situated on 120 acres of undeveloped land on the Big Sur Coast. Its natural beauty and mineral hot springs are certain to inspire our science.

Weather at Esalen can range from sunny in the 70s to heavy rain in the low 50s. For certain, bring layers and rain gear.

A major attraction of the Institute is its natural hot springs, featuring open baths on the sea cliffs. While clothing is optional for guests, it is mandatory to be appropriately clothed at all times for participants of the Wolfe 2020 Symposium. Bring swim attire and dress appropriately in all public areas as you would at any conference.

The Esalen kitchen serves delicious, healthy meals for our workshop participants, all of which are included in the registration fee. The kitchen team, with the assistance of residential scholars, crafts each meal with mindfulness and care featuring produce and herbs from the Esalen Farm & Garden. There are abundant vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and ethically-sourced meat options. Meals are served at regular hours for the entire Esalen community (during which the internet is not available):

Breakfast: 8:30 - 9:45 a.m.

Lunch: 12:30 - 1:45 p.m.

Dinner: 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Bar: 7:00 - 11:00 a.m.; 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Coffee, tea, house-made bread for toast, preserves, nut butters, and fresh fruit are available all day and night until 5 a.m.

Very slow, limited internet is available in the main lodge during non-meal hours. It does not support video-chatting, conference calls, or file sharing/syncing. Furthermore, there is no cell phone service at Esalen. There are landlines and calling cards available for use. Please come prepared to be mostly disconnected from the outside world during the workshop, and plan accordingly.