Destination | Sitka, Alaska (Where Nature Still Dominates (Sitka))

2008-10-02T11:23:54Z

The heritages of three cultures come together here: that of the centuries-old Tlingits; 19th-century Russia, and 19th- and 20th-century America. Sitka’s slice of Alaska’s historic legacy is rich; 24 attractions made the National Register of Historic Places, including seven National Historic Landmarks.

At the heart of the Tongass National Forest, the largest temperate rain forest in the world, Baranof Island offers a relatively mild climate, exceptional salmon and halibut fishing, and wildlife viewing. Sitka’s January low-to-high is 29 to 38 degrees F and July’s is 51 to 61 degrees F.

The Sitka Convention and Visitors Bureau (sitka.org) is so focused on catering to the meetings industry that they’ve come up with the VIP (Very Interested Planner) Club, featuring a menu of specific services for your group. They’re ready to provide you with a choice of attractive meeting spaces: The Harrigan Centennial Hall, a contemporary building overlooking Sitka Sound, can accommodate 500. It would be hard to top Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi Community House, which can accommodate 200, for stunning Native-American ambience.

The Alaska Raptor Center in the Tongass National Forest will enable your group of up to 175 to meet an American bald eagle face to face. Allen Marine Tours will convey a group of up to 150 from among their 22-vessel fleet to a private cove or inlet, one of thousands in Alaska’s Inside Passage. To view all four resources, go to sitka.org and click on “planning professional at the top.

Notable among Sitka’s hotels is the Westmark Sitka (westmarkhotels.com), with 100 guest rooms and meeting facilities for up to 120. Sitka is also the jumping-off point for an exceptional retreat or incentive destination, the Talon Lodge (talonlodge.com).

Last November USA Today described this fishing getaway as the only 'luxury lodge in Alaska.' The proprietor—former Hilton Hotels exec Philip Younger—flies in nationally renowned chefs for special 4-day, 3-night packages. Only Hawaiian and Far-East restaurateur Sam Choi’s dates in September are still available for this year’s schedule.

Destination | Fairbanks, Alaska

2008-10-02T11:23:53Z

In winter, fairbanks is a key spot for aurora viewing. At many hotels, you can request a wake-up call if the aurora starts to become active. And in the summer, more than 20 hours of sunlight in the day. You can play 100 holes of golf, or you can attend a midnight sun baseball game where there are no lights in the stadium. Fairbanks can be reached by either the Parks or Richardson highways or by the Alaska Railroad, though most prefer to fly.

The Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau (www.explorefairbanks.com) can also provide a ton of useful services, like meet-and-greets, online room selection, and more. Another web site with information is fairbanks-alaska.com.

The Westmark Hotel & Conference Center Fairbanks (www.westmarkhotels.com)was rebuilt in 2004 to the tune of $34 million, with 264 added rooms (for a total of more than 400) and a whopping 20,000-square-foot meeting area. The Westmark has 13 function rooms, with over 16,700 square feet.

The Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge (www.princesslodges.com/fairbankslodge.cfm) has six full-service meeting rooms; the largest, the Edgewater Room, accommodates meetings for up to 400 guests.

Wedgewood Resort (www.fountainheadhotels.com) has a variety of one- and two-bedroom suites in a landscaped, wooded campus. The resort is close to downtown and the university, but has access to plenty of nature.

It isn’t every day that your hotel package includes unlimited gold panning, but at A Taste of Alaska Lodge (ATasteofAlaska.com) that’s just the beginning. The intimate (8 room), AAA Three-Diamond-rated 280-acre property just outside of Fairbanks is committed to providing an experience that goes beyond accommodations and meals. Not only can guests freely pan for gold at the property’s 17-acre patented gold mine, but there’s also the 45-minute Alaskan huskies mushing tour, plus the chance to truly view the Aurora Borealis without the city lights to take away from the experience.

Meeting spaces in Fairbanks range from spacious arenas and historic sternwheelers to yurts. One great venue for a special event is the newly expanded University of Alaska Museum of the North (www.uaf.edu/museum).

Another option for parties is to consider a riverboat tour. The Riverboat Discovery (riverboatdiscovery.com) holds 800 people, while Greatland River Tours (greatlanddrivertours.com) runs tours on a boat that can hold up to 100 people for dinner events.

For tours over the Arctic Circle, contact Alaskan Arctic Turtle Tours (wildalaska.info) or the Northern Alaska Tour Company (northernalaska.com). For a unique team-building exercise, consider a team-based dog sledding experience by PAWS for Adventure Sled Dog Tours (pawsforadventure.com).

Smart Meetings | Salmon Tag Feed

Destination | Sitka, Alaska (Where Nature Still Dominates (Sitka))

Destination | Fairbanks, Alaska