Meeting Planners can count on hospitality and experiences reminiscent of the Old West in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. There are numerous ways to absorb the rich history and heritage of these three scenic states, from wagon rides and cowboy tall tales by a campfire to off-site events at museums that capture the spirit of America's pioneers.
Idaho
When convening in Boise, delegates can enjoy a train ride aboard the Thunder Mountain Line, according to Laurie McConnell, communications manager at the Boise CVB. The experience is highlighted by a Wild West Show, during which guests are given "funny money" and some folks are actually "robbed." The experience is particularly realistic due in large part to its setting along the picturesque banks of the Payette River on a railroad that is more than 100 years old. Barbecues and live music can also be arranged on the train.
At the group-friendly Tamarack Resort, located 80 miles north of Boise, is the Arling Center, a meeting space that has highlighted the history of the area by naming its conference rooms after people of influence.
Among them is the Morgan Room, named after Barbara Morgan, who was born in 1951, taught at Donnelly Elementary School for 23 years, and was selected in 1985 as back-up for the Teacher in Space Program, where she trained with Christa McAuliffe, who died in the Challenger explosion of 1986.
One of the most popular ski resorts in the West is Sun Valley, a paradise for outdoorsy pursuits that also enjoys a rich history.
Known as "America's First Destination Ski Resort," Sun Valley was developed in 1936 by W. Averell Harriman, the chairman of the Union Pacific Railroad, primarily to attract more passengers in the West. It quickly became a hot spot for celebrities ranging from Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman to Ernest Hemingway, who is said to have completed For Whom the Bell Tolls in Suite 206 of the Sun Valley Lodge.
Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls, Idaho is among the most popular and historic stops for visitors to southern Idaho, according to the Twin Falls Area COC. Planners can arrange an afternoon outing to the "Niagara of the West."
Home of Idaho State University (ISU), Pocatello was founded as an important stop on the first railroad in Idaho during the gold rush. Located on the campus of ISU is the Idaho Museum of Natural History, the official state museum of natural history, with collections in anthropology, vertebrate paleontology, Earth science and the life sciences.
Farther north in Coeur d'Alene are a couple of ranches where delegates can let their hair down, according to Katherine Coppock, manager of the Coeur d'Alene CVB.
"Rockin B Ranch is a wonderful group outing, perfect for entertainment, good food and lots of laughs," she says. "The shows take place in and around Rockin B's barn, which just adds to the authenticity of cowboy supper shows and Western music concerts."
Rider Ranch, a 1,300-acre working ranch, has been taking meeting attendees on guided horseback rides for over 20 years. The ranch also offers dinner rides, horse-drawn hay rides and many other activities," Coppock says.
Montana
Montana's heritage and historic offerings start in Billings, where Happy Pappy and the Dino Lab are sure to entertain meetings, according to Joan E. Kronebusch, director of the Billings COC/CVB.
An authentic Western experience is provided by Western Romance Company, owned by Happy Pappy, a local treasure who's been involved in several Montana-based films, including Lonesome Dove. He greets meeting attendees in traditional Old West garb, and covered wagon rides, cowboy cookouts and horseback rides are among the options for guests.
At the Dino Lab at the Judith River Dinosaur Institute, meeting attendees get a unique peek into Montana's dinosaur excavations.
"The fossils on display are not barricaded," Kronebusch says, explaining that tours take participants into the actual paleontologists' lab, where fossils are in the process of being excavated from transport shells and cleaned for museums and displays around the world.
Meeting attendees can get in on some prehistoric action when convening in Bozeman as well. At the Montana Museum of the Rockies, located on the campus of Montana State University, there is an extensive collection of fossils, including one of the largest Tyrannosaurus rex skulls in the world.
In the Big Sky area is 320 Guest Ranch, where guests can enjoy a chuck wagon barbecue, much like hungry cowboys on trail rides did starting in the mid-1880s, according to Meghan Larson, manager of the hotel.
"We take groups on a trail ride into the mountains of the Gallatin National Forest," she says, explaining that the excursion showcases some of the most beautiful parts of Montana by horse and offers a taste of what it was like to be a cowboy coming off the dusty trails to a hot, mouthwatering meal.
Big Sky Resort is another hot spot for outdoor adventure, and horseback riding is available nearby.
The westernmost area of Montana, home to the magnificent Glacier National Park, is a place where grand landscapes reside alongside small town hospitality, according to the Glacier Country Regional Tourism Commission.
Just minutes from Whitefish at the base of Spencer Mountain is the group-friendly Bar W Guest Ranch. Open year-round, the ranch features a 6,200-square-foot lodge, indoor and outdoor horseback-riding arenas, an entertainment area and a gazebo on the lake.
"The ranch life, whether it is riding, fishing or enjoying the unspoiled wilderness areas, really creates an atmosphere of teamwork," says Ashley Arment, general manager of administration at the property.
Farther south in the Missoula area is The Resort at Paws Up in Greenough. The property takes the Western experience to the next level with its high-end yet rustic ambience and endless adventures.
Helena is a destination that prides itself on its historic architecture. According to the Helena CVB, meeting attendees can tour the Mansion District for a peek at how millionaires lived in the late 19th century. Among the district's sights is the Original Governor's Mansion, a Queen Anne-style house that was built in 1888 and housed 10 Montana governors from 1913 to 1959.
The annual Great Falls-based Lewis & Clark Festival is one way meetings convening in the West can celebrate the famed explorers. According to Gayle Fisher, executive director at Russell Country Montana, the celebration is held the fourth weekend in June.
"The living history encampment, native dancers and educational plant and bird hikes will appeal to many meetings and conventions," she says, adding that the Lewis & Clark National Historic Interpretive Center, also located in Great Falls along the banks of the Missouri River, is a terrific place to visit or hold an off-site event.
Wyoming
In Jackson Hole, which is known as the gateway to Grand Teton National Park and where you might find Harrison Ford enjoying a cold one at the storied Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, there are a number of ways for groups meeting in Wyoming to experience the Old West.
The Bar J Chuckwagon Supper & Original Western Show and the Bar T 5 Covered Wagon Cookout provide similar experiences, complete with horse-drawn wagon rides and authentic cowboy entertainment such as storytelling and sing-alongs.
Another fun-filled option that highlights the area's heritage is the Jackson Hole Rodeo.
In Cody, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center is available for special group tours and receptions. According to Claudia Wade, director of Buffalo Bill's Cody/Yellowstone Country, the five Western-themed museums that make up the center offer a variety of perspectives of the American West.
"There is no setting quite like it—it's the Smithsonian of the West," she says, adding that entertainment, cocktails and catering are available.
Wade also recommends Dan Miller's Cowboy Music Revue, which combines songs of the Old West with humor in the historic Cody Theatre, and the Buffalo Bill Cody Stampede Rodeo.
"Rodeo announcers enjoy acknowledging special meetings throughout the evening," Wade says.
Near Cody is Yellowstone National Park, which was the first national park in the world and brims with wildlife, geysers and waterfalls.
The Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum, according to Shantelle Dedicke, director of convention sales at Visit Cheyenne, the CVB, offers three quality spaces for private events.
Cheyenne is also home to the Bit-O-Wyo Ranch. Located in the foothills of the Medicine Bow National Forest between Cheyenne and Laramie, the ranch welcomes groups for steak dinner, cowboy entertainment and trail rides.
In Laramie, Jamie Crew, assistant director at the Albany County Tourism Board/CVB, suggests planners call the Laramie Main Street Program, which hosts fact-filled tours of historic downtown throughout the summer.
Laramie's Wyoming Territorial Prison, which was built in 1872 and restored in the 1990s, is now a historic site often visited by groups interested in learning about the facility that housed Robert LeRoy Parker, aka Butch Cassidy.
A good time to meet in Casper is during June's College National Finals Rodeo, according to Darlene Matz, director of group services at the Casper Area CVB. The six-day event welcomes cowboys and cowgirls from colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada who qualify at their regional rodeos.
"This is a great opportunity for meetings from all over, as they may have contestants from their area competing at the rodeo," Matz says.
Historic Trails West is a Casper outfitter that takes meeting attendees out to see the wagon wheel ruts in a Conestoga wagon.
"The trips can be as short as three hours and up to five days," Matz says. "This is a great way for people to see what life was like for the pioneers across America."
Delegates meeting in Sheridan needn't go further than its historic Main Street District, which is home to more than 46 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, to tap into the area's past. According to Penny L. Becker, executive director at Sheridan Travel and Tourism, walking or trolley tours can be arranged.
The Mint Bar, which opened in 1907, is one popular stop on Sheridan's main drag. The venue is renowned for its Western atmosphere, including a bar-back made of gnarled pine burls, twisted red cedar decor and cowboy paraphernalia.
In Gillette, which began as a railroad terminal in 1891, meeting attendees might like to take a free coal mine tour during the summer months, says Felicia J. Messimer, business information specialist at the Campbell County COC. Tours can be arranged via the Gillette Visitors Center.
Carolyn Blackburn is a frequent contributor to Meetings Focus West.
