Northern California

So often rising from the fog like a modern-day Xanadu, San Francisco is a fitting symbol of dreamlike Northern California. Here, the Golden State story is told in sensory experiences. From towering redwoods to rolling vineyards to rapturous coastlines, Northern California is an absolute feast for the mind, heart and soul. They may have rushed for gold here in the early days, but today, the discoveries are set at a different speed; groups coming here can count on decelerating into a state of ease and relaxation.

It’s no surprise that the wonder of it all inspires such passion and devotion in the souls lucky enough to live and work here—which is why Meetings West asked seven locally based meetings industry insiders to share their take on unique, can’t-miss experiences for planners as they put their Northern California agendas together.

Some may be familiar, some unknown, but for planners who include the following ideas on their next group itinerary, attendees are certain to go home with lasting impressions of what makes Northern California a uniquely gifted and appealing group destination.

SAN FRANCISCO, EAST BAY, SAN MATEO COUNTY
Mary Carvotta-Trexler, Partner and Creative Director, Perfect World Events
www.perfectworldevents.com

• Private event on Alcatraz Island: In stunning contrast to being one of the world’s most recognizable and visited tourist attractions, for those "in the know," Alcatraz can be rented for a very limited number of private evening functions. Most clients can’t believe us when we tell them yes, it is possible. While events are regulated by the National Park Service and every single service item must be delivered by boat, renting "The Rock" for an evening function offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience for guests, always to rave reviews. We’ve hired the warden’s daughter and several ex-cons to regale guests with stories of life on Alcatraz, and a gourmet meal served in the prison mess hall on fine china is a treat for the senses.
• Press Club: Over the past few years, Napa and Sonoma wineries have devoted extensive financial, artistic and intellectual resources to upgrading their on-property tasting rooms to create a more refined and educational platform for highlighting their viticultural creations. At Press Club, the Wine Country tasting room experience is offered to groups who cannot make the scenic trip to the Wine Country due to scheduling constraints. Located steps from the excitement of Market Street in San Francisco and just a short walk from many of the downtown hotels, Press Club seamlessly blends Wine Country ambience with city chic. The expansive but comfortable tasting room-cum-lounge is ringed with distinct tasting sections, each staffed by representatives of the respective winery. The Press Club, the region’s largest tasting room, can accommodate up to 300 guests.
• The Walt Disney Family Museum: Anaheim has Disneyland. Orlando has Walt Disney World. Now, San Francisco has the Walt Disney Family Museum. The $110 million project, homage to all things Disney, opened in October in a refurbished building at the former Presidio Army base. The museum’s 10 galleries use high-tech exhibits to illustrate his family life, his business successes and failures, his imaginative process and pioneering technologies. A showstopper is the gallery showing a three-dimensional model of Disneyland, right down to the original revolving teacup ride. Other highlights include the earliest known Mickey Mouse drawings; an exhibit on the making of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Hollywood’s first feature-length animated film, including the actual Academy Awards it received; and more than 200 video presentations. The displays are absorbing.
• USS Hornet: Located just across the Bay Bridge at historic Alameda Point on the San Francisco Bay, the aircraft carrier USS Hornet serves as a timeless memorial to two of the greatest events of the 20th century: World War II and the Apollo 11, America’s first lunar landing mission. In addition to welcoming back the first two humans to walk on the moon, the USS Hornet offers one of the Bay Area’s largest and most diverse event spaces. Standing 17 stories tall, the floating museum features vintage aircraft, one of the largest displays of Apollo moon artifacts and an Apollo space capsule. The USS Hornet offers stunning views of San Francisco and features dozens of unique event spaces. All in all, the USS Hornet can host private events for more than 5,000 guests.
• The Blackhawk Museum: Located in the suburb of Danville, the Blackhawk Museum was established to ensure that significant automotive treasures blending technology, art, culture and history would be exhibited for public enjoyment and educational enrichment. This spectacular 70,000-square-foot architectural masterpiece provides a unique "jewel box" setting to showcase the permanent collection and rotating exhibitions. Events in car museums are typically some of our most popular events, and because of the diversity in the collections, there is usually something for everyone. Blackhawk displays approximately 90 cars, many on loan from museum friends in many different parts of the world.
• Wente Vineyards: Founded more than 125 years ago, Wente Vineyards is the country’s oldest continuously operated, family-owned winery. Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards offers one of the most comprehensive event venue options on the West Coast. In addition to the winery, the facility features one the region’s most scenic and challenging golf courses and an outdoor concert venue that annually plays host to a summer concert series featuring headliners such as Sheryl Crow, Clint Black and Crosby, Stills and Nash.
• Zeppelin Eureka: For small groups looking for a "wow" experience like no other in the world, Zeppelin Eureka is just the ticket. Founded in 2007, Airship Ventures Inc. operates the only passenger airship in the United States, Eureka, also the world’s largest airship. At 246 feet in length, the zeppelin is longer than a 747 jet and more than 50 feet longer than the largest blimp. Based out of Moffett Field, Eureka also flies out of Oakland and Monterey. The zeppelin’s spacious cabin comfortably accommodates one pilot, one flight attendant and 12 passengers with luxury features including oversized panoramic windows, an onboard restroom with a window and a 180-degree rear observation window and "love seat" wrapping the entire aft of the cabin. Eureka offers the ultimate city tour—the aerial views will leave you breathless.
• Kohl Mansion: Commissioned by Frederick Kohl and his wife in 1912, the Kohl Mansion was built on 40 acres of oak woodlands in Burlingame. Kohl, heir to a shipping fortune, loved to entertain and created this grand estate to include the Tudor Rose brick manor house, pool, rose garden, tennis courts, greenhouses and a large carriage house. The mansion offers guests the opportunity to turn back the clock for an elegant evening, reminiscent of the days when entertaining was always offered in grand style.
• Draeger’s Market: The beautiful San Francisco Peninsula is the home of Draeger’s Market, recently recognized as an international-class food and wine destination by respected publications including Gourmet, Bon Appetit and The New York Times. While cooking classes can be found in every city, Draeger’s chefs offer personal insight into the epicenter of the seasonable, sustainable and organic food movements. Where else can you first troll the aisles for the freshest local ingredients and then retire to a state-of-the-art cooking studio where a skilled chef/instructor will lead and inspire you to create the meal of your dreams?

NAPA AND SONOMA COUNTIES
Ginger Guthrie, President Destination Design Group
www.destinationdesigngroup.com

• Learn how to taste wine: Sensory tastings led by a wine professional are the perfect introduction to the Wine Country. You will learn how to properly taste wine and identify characteristics of the wine with the aid of herbs, spices and fruits. Not only will it enhance your stay but once you return home you’ll be able to impress clients by knowing how to order wine and pair it with food. Sensory tastings are offered at select wineries, such as Alpha Omega in the Napa Valley, or may also be arranged at hotels for all sizes of groups.
• Meet a winemaker: The Wine Country is full of small producers that are family-owned and operated. Share a glass of their cabernet and hear their stories of life in the Wine Country and see the passion that goes into every bottle. An extraordinary experience is to go to Caldwell Vineyards and meet John Caldwell, who planted his vineyards with root stock he smuggled in his pant legs when returning from trips to France back in the ’70s. Caldwell Vineyards is located east of downtown Napa. The Ceja family is a classic story of hard work and perseverance. Amelia and Armando Ceja grew up working in the vineyards with their parents and siblings. Today they own Ceja Vineyards and produce prized chardonnay and pinot noir. Amelia loves to share her family history and wine, plus she’s a fabulous cook, so don’t be surprised if she adds something from her kitchen to your tasting. Ceja has a tasting room in downtown Napa and a winery in the Carneros district located between Napa and Sonoma. For a true Wine Country experience, host a winemaker dinner that showcases the winemaker and their wines, or a "round robin" winemaker dinner, featuring wines from multiple wineries, one for each course, along with the representative winemakers—all in one glorious evening.
• Experience the cuisine: Dining out in the Napa Valley is not to be missed. Thomas Keller’s French Laundry is in a league of its own. Try one of the new restaurants opened by Food Network stars such as Michael Chiarello’s Bottega or two new restaurants in the mix by Tyler Florence and Chef Morimoto. All of these chefs are available to cook for groups at private Wine Country venues as well. If you want to hang out with the locals, head to Rutherford Grill in Napa Valley and rub elbows with the winemakers.

MONTEREY AND CARMEL
Lynn Johnson, President, Evans & Johnson
www.evans-johnson.com

• Tehama Golf Course: Unique experiences in Carmel include a dinner at Clint Eastwood’s private country club Tehama Golf Course. Featuring panoramic views of both Carmel Valley and the Monterey Bay, this property is surrounded by 2,000 acres of native landscapes, oak trees and wildflowers. Hosting your dinner at Tehama is your only chance to have Clint Eastwood make an appearance and shake hands with your guests.
• Beach party: Another popular group event is to have a beach party at Adventures by the Sea, a beachfront indoor and outdoor facility located on Monterey Beach. The facility is decorated with antique surfboards and includes a Wurlitzer jukebox, pool and ping pong tables, a DJ station and outdoor dining and dancing on the beach. Your event can start with a daytime team-building event that ends at the beach.
• Monterey Bay Aquarium: The most uniquely Monterey venue is the Monterey Bay Aquarium. You can enjoy a private dinner in front of the three-story Monterey Kelp Forest or a sit-down or strolling dinner in front of the Outer Bay exhibit, which offers a unique glimpse into the underwater life found in Monterey’s deep sea canyon. All three of these events are uniquely Monterey.

SILICON VALLEY
David Rubens, President Bay Magic Meetings & Tours
www.baymagictours.com

• Tech tour: At the heart of the Silicon Valley lies a living, breathing and vital technology industry that sets the pace for innovations in information technology around the world. Groups have unique opportunities to see the sprawling campuses of global brands such as Google, Yahoo, Hewlett-Packard, Intel and Cisco Systems. A Silicon Valley tech tour can be arranged that will provide insight into the history of this constantly changing industry, while giving visitors a new appreciation for the culture of the technology industry and its place in the local and global economy. Among the many unique educational destinations welcoming groups are the renowned Tech Museum of Innovation, the Computer History Museum and the Intel Museum, located on the Intel campus.
• Wine tasting: Wine tasting has always been among the most popular activities for Northern California groups, and the Silicon Valley offers plenty of great options to choose from. From J. Lohr, an inviting tasting room right in the heart of San Jose, to boutique wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Los Gatos and the southern Santa Clara Valley, these wineries are usually small, family-owned and family-operated, and much more accessible to groups for private tastings than we find in more heavily visited wine regions like the Napa Valley. Team-building activities like food-and-wine-pairing classes, wine-blending activities and private gourmet winery lunches and dinners can also be arranged.

SACRAMENTO
MaryAnne Bobrow, Managing Partner, Bobrow & Associates
www.bobrowassociates.com

• Old Sacramento: Where in the world can you dine by a river, get a history lesson while riding a Segway or on a walking tour, travel cobblestone streets in a horse-drawn carriage, walk on wooden sidewalks, ride a steam train and cruise a river—all in one day? One of the gems of the Greater Sacramento region, Old Sacramento offers planners a wide variety of entertainment options. Visitors are transported back to the mid- to late-1800s at the height of the California Gold Rush, with costumed docents offering historic walks. Restored buildings now house unique shops and restaurants and five history museums, including the California State Railroad Museum. The museum is a unique venue for off-site functions, such as a Gold Rush-themed barbecue.
• Crocker Art Museum: When art and culture are on the agenda, several of Sacramento’s many museums, theaters and entertainment venues serve as distinctive function spaces. Sacramento’s fine arts showplace is the newly refurbished Crocker Art Museum. Centrally located in downtown Sacramento and combining art with fairy-tale architecture, the museum can accommodate events for up to 1,200 people. All located within the museum, the Cosmopolitan Cafe, California Music Theater and Social Nightclub are available for dining, theater, dancing and private parties.
• California Museum: The California Museum, with the impressive Constitution Wall in its outside courtyard, is a popular event venue. Located close to the California State Capitol, the museum has been adopted by first lady Maria Shriver to give it more visibility. She and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger created the California Hall of Fame to honor people who exemplify California’s innovative spirit. Now in its fourth year, the California Hall of Fame honors those who have made great achievements in fields of endeavor, including science, philanthropy, sports, business, entertainment and technology. Inductees include director George Lucas, comedienne Carol Burnett, golfer Tiger Woods, activist Harvey Milk and Gen. Chuck Yeager. In addition to the California Hall of Fame, the museum displays a vast collection of historic documents, a Remarkable Women exhibit and frequently changing special exhibits.

LAKE TAHOE
Julie Nobis, Co-Owner Red Carpet Events and Design
www.redcarpeteventsanddesign.com

• Ehrman Mansion at Sugar Pine Point State Park: This Queen Anne Victorian represents the opulent post-mining period when wealthy businessmen built elegant summer homes at Lake Tahoe. West Coast financier Isias W. Hellman completed the three-story rock and wood estate in 1902. Hellman called his 11,703-square-foot summer retreat Pine Lodge. Pine Lodge had all of the latest comforts, including electricity, which was supplied by a wood-burning steam generator in an adjacent tank house. Hellman died in 1920 and the operation of Pine Lodge was passed down to his daughter, Florence Ehrman (hence its name), and later his granddaughter until it was acquired by the California State Park System in 1965. This is an amazing venue available for events. Its perfect lakeside location and historical ambience make it the epitome of Lake Tahoe elegance. The park has a private pier available, making arrival by one of Tahoe’s refurbished yachts the optimal way to arrive.
• High Camp at Squaw Valley: Squaw Valley USA, the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics, is host to High Camp, a remarkable venue for events. The trip up to High Camp treats guests to an adventure before the evening even starts. The cable car glides up the mountain to High Camp, located at an elevation of 8,200 feet. High Camp is an extensive, fully developed recreational facility encompassing a magnificent pool and hot tub, an Olympic-size, year-round ice rink, and an event facility that boasts floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase panoramic views of the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe. The event is perfect to have former Olympians mingle with your guests, perform exhibition ice skating or perhaps open the event with a motivational speaker.
• Western extravaganza: No trip out West would be complete without a good old Western extravaganza. Picture stepping on an old-fashioned authentic paddle wheeler and being greeted by the ghost of Mark Twain and the boot stompin’ sounds of a Western saloon band. The poker tables are open and the whiskey is being poured. Poker classes start during the cocktail hour and strolling magicians are accomplishing sleight of hand feats that will leave even the greatest skeptics in awe. The guests are free to meander the three decks of the boat, including the open-top deck with unobstructed 360-degree views of the snow-capped Sierras and Lake Tahoe. As the sun sets the poker tournament starts. A gourmet twist is put on traditional Western fare for a unique way to complete this interactive evening of fun on Lake Tahoe.

MENDOCINO AND HUMBOLDT COUNTIES
Kerry Randall, Administrator Ukiah Valley Conference Center
www.cityofukiah.com

• Tour of Mendocino: One of the most exciting things we recommend to planners is a full-day round-trip tour that showcases many of Mendocino’s essential attributes. Starting from the Ukiah Valley Conference Center, we travel to the scenic old logging town of Willits. First settled by ranchers in the 1850s, Willits is the eastern terminus of the world-famous Skunk Train, which thousands of travelers continue to enjoy and ride each year. Also, the Roots of Motive Power Museum features working exhibits of turn-of-the-century logging equipment. After stops at Fort Bragg and Mackericher State Park, where attendees can walk the beach or explore tidal pools, it’s a short drive south to the breathtaking hamlet of Mendocino, perched on the bluffs above the ocean. Heading back inland, we discover the hidden treasure of Anderson Valley, a rural paradise of rivers, redwoods, wineries and quaint towns that invite frequent stops, before looping back into Ukiah. The beauty and surprises of this full-day driving experience make this a planner’s must. For another road trip idea, one of the jewels of our neighbor to the north, Humboldt County, is turn-of-the-20th-century Ferndale, full of gingerbread houses and wonderful shops.
• Waterborne adventures: While most people associate Mendocino County with redwoods and its dramatic coastline, planners might be surprised to learn of the many water-based adventure opportunities. We have rivers, lakes and the ocean all within easy reach, and I often refer meeting planners to one of our terrific outfitters for expeditions including kayaking inland from the ocean and rafting down Eel River and Cache Creek, along with memorable boating and canoe trips.
• Grace Hudson Museum: Regarded as a national treasure, the Grace Hudson Museum, located within walking distance of downtown Ukiah, is home to one of the largest collections of Native American hand-woven baskets. It is also a wonderful window on local history, including the beautiful redwood home of the artist Grace Hudson and her ethnographer husband Dr. John Hudson.  

--Born in Southern California, frequent Meetings West contributor Jeff Heilman wants to be reborn as a Northern Californian.