6 minute read
ON LOCATION: GEARY COUNTY
GEARY COUNTY BRINGS CONFERENCE ATTENDEES BACK TO NATURE
By Cecilia Harris, writer, KSAE Magazine
Being forced to work at home and delay family vacations due to the pandemic has brought about changes in the way many professionals view conferences. Meeting industry sources say attendees now salute planners who arrange gatherings in appealing destinations filled with authentic, local experiences.
Junction City, located near Fort Riley, easily meets this objective with a number of interesting sites and activities near two very different conference centers offering very different experiences.
Tagged “The Natural Choice,” the Milford Lake Conference Center at Acorns Resort sits on the shoreline of Milford Lake with views of Farnum Creek cove from the windows, according to owner Mike Harris. “The view from the patio is breathtaking,” Harris says, adding that on the other side of the building a private, shady outdoor deck overlooks a wooded area.
The Conference Center offers 4,000 square feet of meeting space that seats 275 people and is able to be configured into three separate breakout rooms and a 12-chair board room. Larger cabins on the resort also may accommodate smaller meetings.
Overnight lodging for 136 people includes three sizes of cabins, lodge rooms, yurts and camper rentals; also available are 61 camper sites for “guests who may want to bring their home on wheels with them,” Harris adds.
compliment us on our catered food, especially the in-house smoked meats, such as brisket and pulled pork,” he says.
Resort activities include a 3.1-mile nature trail, a threeseason pool, picnic shelters, sandy beaches, fishing and camping. “We can provide access to fishing guides for guided trips, kayaking and canoeing trips, rental pontoon boats, yoga, scavenger hunts, guided trail walks, bicycling, corn hole tournaments and a variety of music options at The Cove,” Harris says. Elk viewing tours and controlled shooting area hunts will become available in September. The resort also provides a 14-passenger bus for transportation to nearby locations.
Conveniently located off Interstate 70, the Geary County Convention Center features 16,000 square feet of “elegantly designed” meeting space that can be configured to meet the needs of any size group from 10 to 800 people, according to Michele Stimatze, director of the Geary County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“The Center offers a full in-house catering service ready to exceed your culinary and service needs,” Stimatze says, adding there also is a Bar-B-Q and/or picnic area on the grounds. Conference attendees retreat to the attached Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, which features six suites and 113 spacious guest rooms featuring a comfortable sitting area and large work desk. Amenities include a business library, fitness center, indoor pool, lobby lounge/bar and Bistro.
“The Bistro offers specialty beverages made with Starbucks® coffee to help you get a jump start on the day,” she says, adding it also offers breakfast, dinner and cocktail options.
The Center has previously worked with Hildebrand Farms, Milford Nature Center, Rathert Stadium and Fort Riley to accomplish the mission of providing diverse leisure activities and authentic local experiences.
At Hildebrand farms, visitors walk through the milk barn, the free-stall barn, the calf barn and the dairy processing plant. Each tour ends with a sample of milk and an ice cream cone, according to owner Kathy Hildebrand. Scheduled at least a week in advance, tours are limited to 20 people and last an hour, with additional time needed for visiting the farm’s store.
Visitors to Milford Nature Center view live wildlife including snakes, amphibians, turtles, lizards and prairie dogs. Dioramas depict an aquatic system with over 300 lifelike fish, turtles, snakes and insects, and a terrestrial system of prairie, marsh and woods wildlife. Outdoors, there’s a bobcat display, bird-watching wall, nature trails, a backyard habitat with educational sites explaining how to attract birds, butterflies and other animals, and a seasonal butterfly house where visitors learn the species’s pollination rules.
Manager Pat Silovsky says the biggest attraction is the outdoor bird of prey exhibit featuring the Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, hawks, falcons, vultures and owls. Birds of prey also are the most popular program requested by groups.
“Convention groups can schedule a naturalist program with us where we do an hour-long program, like the birds of prey, during which you can see them up close rather than in the wild,” she says.
The Center accommodates up to 100 people, who are divided into smaller groups for tours led by staff members.
continued from page 7 One of the most historic baseball venues in Kansas, Rathert Stadium opened in 1937 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. Built of limestone quarried from the region, the design of the circular-shaped stadium facing northeast keeps fans cooler with open grillwork for air circulation. The Junction City Brigade, Junction City Blue Jays and the Junction City American Legion Flames baseball teams all play inside the restored architectural landmark.
Depending on the time of year, visitors to Milford Lake are able to see pelicans.
Fort Riley, home of the 1st Infantry Division, offers driving and walking tours and also houses several museums of historical importance. The U.S. Cavalry and 1st Infantry Division Museums will reopen in 2022 with redesigned display spaces discussing the history and traditions of the U.S. Cavalry from 1775 to 1950 as well as the history of Fort Riley from its establishment to present day.
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Custer House, one of two surviving sets of quarters from Fort Riley’s early years, was constructed in 1855 of native limestone and remains largely unchanged from its original design. It is believed General and Mrs. Custer occupied the sister-set of quarters while stationed here in 1866. Filled with period furniture from 1870 through the 1890s, it depicts military life on the Western frontier and the living conditions of a typical military family.
The First Territorial Capitol of Kansas, built in the town of Pawnee, also stands on Fort Riley and is a state historic site. The fight for freedom for all people in the Kansas Territory and the struggle to determine whether Kansas would enter the Union as a free or slave state began when the first territorial legislature convened here in July of 1855.
Every visitor to Fort Riley must follow orders and obtain a temporary Fort Riley Access Badge or Pass; information on ways to attain the passes prior to conference dates can be found on the fort’s website. F
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