EDITOR’S LETTER

Why Site Visits Are Valuable

SITE VISITS FOR MEETING AND EVENT PLANNERS are similar to media trips for journalists. It’s a chance to get an insider’s look into a destination and experience lodging properties, venues, attractions and activities. Wouldn’t you agree it’s quite different to see a place and meet the people when compared to looking at websites, social media postings, planner guides and details on an RFP?

These excursions provide me with ideas for standout people, places and pastimes to feature in Mountain Meetings. So if you get a chance to visit destinations you are considering for meetings and events while traveling for business or leisure, it can make the difference between a great gathering and a mediocre event.

Here are a few highlights from my travels to three mountain destinations in the last quarter of 2018. Durango and the area stretching to Mancos and Cortez in southwest Colorado have a lot going on in the craft beverage scene (beer, spirits, wine and hard cider). There are all sorts of ways to stay entertained outside the meeting room from taking the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad between Durango and Silverton, enjoying tours and tastings, getting on the water at Lake Nighthorse, visiting Crow Canyon Archeological Center and riding bikes on the paved recreation path along the Animas River. Treats from Durango’s Animas Chocolate Company are a delicious welcome gift or turndown amenity or stop by for handcrafted hot chocolate.

In Park City, a couple of my favorites were taking part in a new Gin Experience offered by Alpine Distilling that involves crafting your own bottle of gin and the Wine Cellar Experience with a Stein Eriksen Lodge sommelier that takes place amongst a collection of more than 10,000 bottles of wine. Our group completed the fun Mine Trap at Escape Park City, visited Utah Olympic Park, tested out the Adventure Park at Park City Mountain, went fly fishing on the Provo River and roamed Park Silly Sunday Market downtown. Impressive? Absolutely!

It was my first time in the slightly mysterious and certainly beautiful Death Valley National Park in California for the grand reopening of The Oasis at Death Valley. A concert and cocktails on the lawn at Mission Gardens, golf at the lowest elevation golf course in the world, sunrise viewing at Zabriskie Point, yoga on the lawn, and a barbecue and square dancing at Last Kind Words Saloon were standout moments.

If you have some great recommendations for groups to check out in your favorite mountain destinations in the U.S. Mountain West and western Canada, make sure to let me know! Beth Buehler beth.buehler@tigeroak.com

Sunrise in Death Valley National Park

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EDITOR BETH BUEHLER

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