Considering this was the first time I was not bucked-off, bitten or reared upon, I would have to say that today’s horseback ride at The Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort was a successful one. My history with horses seemed cursed until a few hours ago, but it definitely helps to ride those that are properly trained. I’m down here at the working ranch—in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley, near Santa Barbara—for a quick, two-day media visit sponsored by the ranch and nearby Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards. A historic working ranch dating back to 1842, it sits on a spectacular 10,000 acres, enough to ride for hours and not see another person.

After the ride, we took a tour of the Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards, and then down to their tasting rooms in the quaint town of Solvang. It took no time at all to see that owner Royce Lewellen and winemaker Megan McGrath knew what they were doing, and it showed when we tasted some of the wines. I was pleasantly surprised at the bottle prices the winery was offering, in comparison to several Napa and Sonoma labels of similar quality.

I’m flying home after an ideal four-day press trip in Palm Springs, hosted by the Rancho Las Palmas resort, which just emerged from a $20-million renovation. It was perfect Palm Springs weather, about 77 degrees, making it all the more difficult to board the plane back to the February rains of San Francisco.

While Director of Marketing Communications Josh Herman and Director of Sales Dan Keyser made sure we experienced all that the made-over resort had to offer—27 holes of golf, the spa, the brand-new Splashtopia water park, BluEmber restaurant and completely renovated guest rooms, they also gave us plenty of free time to explore the resort on our own­—important for experiencing the place the way a guest would.

Last night I found myself surrounded by a party of about 40 from Cox Communications, based in San Diego. They were living it up at the bar on the last night of an incentive trip for their top producers. I asked the planner in charge of the group why she chose Rancho Las Palmas; she said she was really impressed by what they had done with their renovation, and she simply liked the feel of the place.

There were plenty of other guests enjoying the long Presidents’ Day weekend as well—every room was booked solid and the outdoor grounds and pool were constantly filled with an ensemble of families and couples, and golfers taking a break between holes.

Although it is a family-friendly resort, the main attraction for kids —Splashtopia—is separated from the main grounds, allowing guests without kids to enjoy the restaurant and adult pool (called Serenity) without feeling like they are at Disneyland.

Splashtopia is surrounded by guest rooms—almost exclusively occupied by families—and features its own casual café as well as several life guards, so parents can relax in the sun as well.

After arriving in Houston late last night, my publisher (Marin Bright) and I dragged our heavy suitcases into the Four Seasons Hotel downtown and wearily checked in. Too tuckered to join the thousands of meeting planners clinking glasses next door at the MPI-PEC opening night welcome reception, we walked into our rooms only to be greeted moments later with an impressive fireworks display out our windows—MPI really knows how to do it right.

Well rested the next morning, we walked down to the river-boat themed Houston Convention Center for an impressive keynote speech by renowned speaker Tim Sanders. Backed by research from his upcoming book, How to Save the World at Work, Sanders discussed what he calls the “Responsibility Revolution”—and made a strong case that the only companies that will succeed will be those that include corporate social responsibility (CSR) in their business model. Simply put, if you don’t give back, tomorrow’s top talent won’t want to work for you.

With this engaging speech as a platform, I went off to interview Bruce MacMillan, CA, MPI President & CEO, and Angie Pfeifer, CMM, Chairwoman of the Board. Their comments reflected Sanders’, and called for a greening of the meetings industry in general. “The perception is that “green” means “expensive,” MacMillan said. “But that simply is not true.”

We’re here at the Parker Palm Springs—truly the hippest hotel in the desert—and I’m chatting with one of the planners about the wonderful outdoor space the Parker has: winding lawns interspersed with gardens, random hammocks and even a croquet setup. In the last hour, several Hollywood stars have strolled by, but no one seems to really care.

Earlier we toured the brand-new Holiday Inn Palm Springs-City Center. With flat-screen TVs in the rooms, stylish décor and a beautiful inner courtyard, it is easily the most impressive Holiday Inn I have ever seen. But, as so many hotels and resorts here are constantly upgrading to the latest and greatest, it is not a big surprise.

Throughout Palm Springs, there is an ironic mood that pervades the resorts and the public areas—a constant level of energy and excitement mixed with a sense of relaxation. It is a bit like L.A., but much more peaceful.

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There’s nothing like pulling up in a limo to the deafening roar of hundreds of screaming fans, only for it to quickly die down when you step out of the car and they realize you aren’t John Travolta. Still, it was a magical experience to walk down the red carpet at the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala—blinded by the camera flashes and flood lights—and still maintain composure. Inside, the Convention Center looks great, with multiple bar setups, ice sculptures and elegant yet simple table setups. Within the first half hour I have been introduced to the mayor and the entire city council, all extremely nice people. Everyone says the city government really does out of its way to help draw meetings and events to Palm Springs, and it appears to be working. One of the planners, Lori Wolking, with the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association, brings the largest group to Palm Springs the city ever hosts, with more than 10,000 attendees (see Palm Springs, in the February issue of Smart Meetings).

After arriving late in Palm Springs last night, it was a relief to finally make it to my host hotel, the Hilton Palm Springs. The California storms have even managed to permeate into the desert and we are experiencing one of the rare days here when it isn’t perfect blue skies. Tonight I join a group of about 30 planners from all over the U.S. for a progressive dinner and tour of some of the primary downtown Palm Springs hotels— Wyndham Palm Springs Hotel, Hyatt Regency Suites Palm Springs, Hotel Zoso and the upcoming Riviera Resort & Spa.