Meetings in Northern California need not lack for momentum, thanks to an abundance of ways to make transportation an exciting part of the experience. Attendees can soar high above the vineyards or view them at eye-level while making tracks in a vintage rail car. They can also kayak down a pristine river, drift along lake waters in an authentic Venetian gondola, cruise to offshore islands in a luxury yacht or witness whale migration with a marine biologist.
Even on land there are plenty of dynamic options, including museums devoted to trains and aviation that offer interactive experiences along with great spaces for events. Groups can also take to the ice at a major league hockey practice rink. Here are 10 ways for groups to have a truly transportive Northern California experience.
TRAIN TIME
Napa Valley Wine Train, Napa
One of the few active historic passenger trains in the U.S., the Napa Valley Wine Train makes leisurely three-hour roundtrip journeys from downtown Napa to St. Helena, heading past lush vineyards and some of Napa Valley’s most iconic wineries. The train features meticulously restored antique Pullman cars outfitted with Honduran mahogany paneling, brass accents, etched glass partitions and plush armchairs evoking train travel of the early 20th century. Depending on the time of day, lunch or dinner paired with Napa Valley wines is served onboard.
“What’s unique is that our chef prepares everything onboard, including a fresh special of the day,” says Andrea Guzman, director of promotions and partnerships. “Guests typically start out in the lounge car with appetizers on the way to St. Helena, then move into the dining car for multiple courses.”
Groups of up to 300 can charter the entire train or reserve part of it, including a 56-passenger vista dome car that was once part of the 1926 Hiawatha train. Customized theme packages such as Vintners’ Lunch, during which a local winemaker joins the group, and Murder Mystery can also be arranged.
“We also have winery tour packages such as the Grigich Hills tour for up to 32 people,” Guzman says. “You have two courses on the train, disembark for the tour, then return to the train for dessert.”PageBreak
California State Railway Museum, Sacramento
Sacramento’s most popular visitor attraction and one of its most engaging off-site venues, the California State Railway Museum offers a fascinating glimpse into the history and lore of railroading in California and the West. Among its exhibits are 21 meticulously restored locomotives and railcars, which include a Pullman-style sleeping car that simulates a train’s rocking motion, a dining car set with railroad china and a Railway Post Office where visitors can actually sleep aboard.
The museum also maintains its own excursion railroad, the Sacramento Southern Railroad, which offers rides through Old Town Sacramento. Its vintage train cars, which are pulled by a vintage diesel locomotive from the museum’s collection, include closed coaches, open-air gondolas and a first-class observation car.
Catered events for up to 550 people are accommodated in the Roundhouse, which is surrounded by locomotives and railcars from the collection. Costumed interpreters can be on hand to enhance the experience. Also available is Sierra Scene, an exhibit area depicting a mountain railroad construction scene that accommodates up to 40, two 135-seat presentation theaters with tiered seating and a lawn large enough for several thousand attendees.
TAKING FLIGHT
Wine Country Balloons, Santa Rosa
The stunning geography of Sonoma County is the highlight of Wine Country Balloons, which offers flights with views that can include the Pacific coastline, redwood forests, Russian River, Geyser Mountains, rolling vineyards and even the San Francisco skyline to the south. Depending on the day’s weather and wind conditions, pilots choose the launching site and flight corridor for the balloons, some of which are large enough for 16 passengers.
Passengers who wish to do so can participate in the setup inflation of the balloons as well as the deflating process. For groups, the company can outfit the balloons with corporate logos and make DVDs of the experience. Champagne brunches at a Santa Rosa restaurant can also be arranged.
Hiller Aviation Museum, San Carlos
Founded by helicopter pioneer Stanley Hiller Jr., the Hiller Aviation Museum at the San Carlos Airport in San Mateo County tells the story of aviation history and innovation. The collection includes vintage aircraft, one-of-a-kind prototypes and cutting-edge test vehicles.
Visitors can explore the interior of a Boeing 747 and see other exhibits that include early 20th century gliders, an early aerobatic plane named the Little Looper, a Boeing Condor spy plane, and an amphibious plane that circumnavigated the world. The museum’s flight simulators, where guests can climb into the pilot’s seat and test their aviation skills, accommodate up to 40 people per hour.
Banquets and receptions for up to 800 people can be held in the main gallery, where exhibits of vintage aircraft serve as a backdrop. Other spaces include the Hall of Fame Room, which accommodates up to 50 people and is outfitted with tables and airplane-style seats, and the Doyle Conference Center, which offers meetings technology and holds up to 100 people. PageBreak
WATER WORLD
San Francisco Bay Cruises
Cruising San Francisco Bay is always a popular group activity, especially when it includes a visit to Angel Island or Alcatraz. Hornblower Cruises and its subsidiary Alcatraz Cruises, the official government concessionaire for Alcatraz tours, offer a variety of options for customized outings on the Bay.
Both Angel Island and Alcatraz, with their 360-degree views of the bay shoreline, are spectacular settings for everything from team building to gala events, says Barbara Edwards, CEO of California Host, a San Francisco-based DMC.
“You can arrange for hikes and bike rallies on Angel Island or the group can kayak from the island over to Tiburon for dinner at Guaymas,” she says. “Alcatraz lends itself to themes like Dinner Impossible or Escape from Alcatraz. There are several places within the prison where you can hold dinners, including the showers and the former hospital.”
Hornblower’s fleet of vessels are attractions in themselves, including the 292-foot San Francisco Belle sternwheeler, the largest private charter yacht on the West Coast, and the Captain Hornblower, a 700-passenger vessel patterned after the early 20th century steamships that once sailed the California coast.
Monterey Bay Whale Watch
Teeming with marine life and one of the few places in the world where whales can be spotted year-round, Monterey Bay is a habitat for nearly every whale species as well as dolphins, porpoises, otters and other beguiling creatures.
“The diversity is pretty amazing,” says Nancy Black, a marine biologist and owner of Monterey Bay Whale Watch, adding that it’s not unusual to see several thousand dolphins leaping near the boat during a cruise.
Monterey Bay Whale Watch offers whale-watching trips year-round for groups in boats holding between 48 and 70 passengers. From April through mid-December, participants are most likely to see humpback and blue whales, while gray whales are frequently spotted during the rest of the year. Each trip, which is typically four to five hours long and can include catered meals, is led by a marine biologist.
Liquid Fusion Kayaking, Fort Bragg
Kayaking the placid waters of the Noyo River, which flows into a harbor in Fort Bragg on the Mendocino coast, brings fascinating encounters with curious harbor seals, sea lions, playful river otters and seabirds. Liquid Fusion Kayaking offers guided one-and-a-half-hour tours in tandem kayaks on the Noyo accompanied by experienced guides, who can also provide pre-tour instruction.
For the more adventurous, the company offers ocean kayaking excursions along the Mendocino coast, exploring sea caves and rock formations. The three-hour guided tours include an hour of instruction in kayak control and recovery techniques. PageBreak
Gondola Servizio, Oakland
Bringing a touch of Italy to Oakland’s Lake Merritt, Gondola Servizio operates a fleet of authentic Venetian gondolas that depart for hour-long tours around the lake from the Lake Chalet Seafood Bar & Grill, a restaurant located in a historic boathouse. The company can accommodate up to 36 passengers per hour in its six-passenger, handcrafted vessels. Along the way, guides serenade the passengers and also talk about the history of gondolas and landmarks surrounding the lake.
Back on the dock, there is space for catered sit-down events for up to 30 people. Other options include the Lake Chalet’s private dining room, which seats up to 36 people, or its Gondola Room, which seats up to 120 people and offers expansive views of the lake and an outdoor terrace.
Tahoe Boat Cruises, South Lake Tahoe
The beauty of Lake Tahoe is complemented by the unique vessels operated by Tahoe Boat Cruises, including the Tahoe, an elegant wooden motorboat once owned by historian E.B. Scott. The 16-passenger vessel departs from South Lake Tahoe for tours of Thunderbird Lodge Historic Site, a fabulous lakefront estate dating from the 1930s.
The Safari Rose, an 80-foot yacht outfitted with teak decks and leather furnishings, makes four-hour cruises along the lake’s spectacular west shore with lunch served onboard. Among the highlights are a photo stop at the former Henry Kaiser estate where the movie Godfather II was filmed and a cruise around exquisite Emerald Bay to view Eagle Falls and the Vikingsholm Mansion.
Both the Tahoe and Safari Rose are available for private group charters with customized itineraries, as is the Woodwind II, a graceful 50-foot catamaran docked at Zephyr Cove.
On Ice
Sharks Ice at San Jose
Along with serving as the practice facility for the San Jose Sharks hockey team, Sharks Ice at San Jose is a versatile site for events, including those where attendees can get out onto the ice. The facility has meeting space for up to 500 guests, including Stanley’s Sports Bar, featuring a private conference room.
Along with skating, on-ice activities include Broomball, where participants play a soccer-like game on a roughened ice surface that requires tennis shoes rather than skates. Up to 50 participants can engage in Broomball at any one time. Groups can also try their hand at Curling, a team game where participants vigorously sweep the ice to maneuver stones across the surface.
Maria Lenhart is a Northern California native who never tires of whale watching in Monterey Bay or watching the vineyards roll by from the Napa Valley Wine Train.
