It’s been a busy past few months with a number of excursions I won’t soon forget. Here’s a quick look at some places I’ve been fortunate enough to check out recently on behalf of Smart Meetings…

The grand opening at Suncadia Lodge in early May was a blast. The property in Central Washington is half the size of Manhattan and has something for literally everyone. Took my first helicopter ride, received my first Spa treatment, had an awesome evening visit to The Brick—the tavern featured for years in the Northern Exposure TV series…It’s a cliché to say a resort has everything, but it’s pretty true in this case—golfing, swimming (including waterslides), top cuisine, fantastic spa, etc. Oh, also had the chance to chat a few times with Detlef Schrempf, the former NBA star now residing in Bellevue, Wash. and also took in an amazing ‘synchronized swimming’ show.

More recently, I’ve had the chance to spend some time in the OC and Pasadena, as well as the Monterey Bay region. I think what impresses me most about the Monterey Bay area is intense diversity that makes it impossible to pigeon-hole the locale under any specific topic. A ten-minute drive can take you from the kitschy waterside fun at Cannery Row to the pristine resorts and wineries of Carmel Valley.

I spent one night in downtown Monterey at the Portola Hotel where the highlight was probably a visit to the Mucky Duck on Alvarado Street, a lively tavern with cheap drinks and a large patio area outback surrounding a fire pit. The next evening was then spent at the shiny new InterContinental The Clement—right next to the Aquarium. Sipping a glass of fine wine on my balcony, with seals at play amid kelp beds below me, it really hit home what a truly amazing place Monterey is.

Closer to home, I’ve also spent some time in San Francisco recently, as well as a tour through the Western realms of Sonoma County. Among my San Francisco visits, one involved staying at the newly revamped Hyatt Regency, which transformed two of its upper floors into Regency Club rooms and the former Equinox Restaurant into the new Regency Club. While I’ll miss the old ‘spinning’ restaurant, the new rooms look pretty hip and snazzy—and the new Regency Club is a good place to work at a computer terminal, savor one of the cutting-edge massage chairs, have a cocktail, or all of the above.

One upcoming trip that has me very enthused is a journey to Park City, Utah in a few weeks. I’ll be sure to tell you all about it!