Spokane, Washington
Based near the foothills of the Selkirk Mountains, the city of Spokane offers beautiful natural escapes, a thriving culinary arts scene and convenient walkability throughout its downtown area. The centerpiece of the city is the 100-acre Riverfront Park, designed by the same landscape architects who designed Central Park in New York City. With the Spokane River intersecting the park, groups can take advantage of water activities such as rafting or paddleboarding. Visitors can lean against the railings of pedestrian bridges to feel the spray of Spokane Falls, which is the second-largest urban waterfall in the country. In addition, the park features the 40-mile paved Centennial Trail for walkers and cyclists, the historic Great Northern Clock Tower and the hand-carved 1909 Looff Carousel.
Within eight blocks of the river and convention center, groups can take their pick of more than 80 restaurants, many of them independently owned.
“You really get a true feel for the character of the locals from the quality of the cuisine because it’s locally sourced and made by very creative chefs,” said Sonja Haddad, director of national accounts at Visit Spokane.
On West Maine Avenue, visitors will find a unique strip of restaurants that cater to vegetarians and that focus on fresh ingredients and fair-trade practices. Boots Bakery and Lounge serves gluten-free baked goods and organic coffee, and the Saranac Public House features local favorites like vegan mac-and-cheese and black bean burgers. For a more in-depth foodie experience, groups can follow the Spokane Food Tour to over a dozen bistros, bakeries and charcuteries in town as they learn about local history and architecture.
“It’s such a neat way to interact with the local business owners and see how friendly they are,” said Haddad.
A few of these stops are Bruttles Gourmet Candies, Santé Restaurant and Charcuterie, and Soulful Soups.
Natchez, Mississippi
Overlooking the Mississippi River from lush, forested terrain, Natchez, Mississippi, attracted early French settlers during the 1700s and eventually became the commercial and cultural capital of the Old South.
“For a small town, we have a lot going on,” said Jennifer Combs, executive director of the Natchez Convention Promotion Commission and Visit Natchez.
Drawing from over 300 years of history, Natchez is home to hundreds of historic sites like antebellum mansions, Indian ceremonial mounds and more than 240 churches, from beautiful Catholic basilicas to towering white Presbyterian edifices.
“The best music you’ll hear on a Sunday is at Holy Family Catholic Church,” said Combs, referring to a 123-year-old Gothic Revival church that once hosted the first African-American congregation in Mississippi.
Groups can visit many of these stunning structures during a local sightseeing tour. Miss Lou Heritage Tours draws attention to the history of Natchez’s African-American community, taking guests to sites like the Forks of the Road slave market and the Rhythm Night Club Memorial Museum, which commemorates a local dance hall where 209 African-American people died in a tragic fire in 1940.
For a taste of regional cuisine, visitors can stop by local eateries such as Biscuits and Blues, Rolling River Bistro and King’s Tavern. One of the area’s major attractions is the Natchez City Cemetery. Every year in November, the city hosts an extraordinary event called Angels on the Bluff, during which actors dress in period clothing and act out the colorful stories of various individuals buried in the cemetery. Guests are shuttled to the cemetery by bus, where they can explore the grounds with flashlights and watch the fascinating narratives unfold.
Albany, New York
Initially established as a trading post in 1609, the New York capital of Albany is the oldest continuously chartered city in the country and carries a rich heritage from the Dutch, British, German, Polish and Italian colonists who first settled the region. Today, the city offers a colorful range of ethnic restaurants and cultural festivals. Albany’s signature Tulip Festival kicks off with the Dutch custom of street scrubbing, during which local Boy Scouts and other community members don traditional Dutch costumes and clean the streets to prepare for the festivities.
Along the historic and scenic Hudson River, groups can take advantage of numerous waterfront attractions. Dutch Apple Cruises offers narrated boat rides that highlight fun facts about the namesake of the river, Henry Hudson, as well as native wildlife like bald eagles. Groups can board and tour a historic warship called the USS Slater, which is the last floating destroyer escort. The vessel has been beautifully restored to its original appearance; artifacts from the crew, such as old maps and photographs of the captain’s wife and child in his cabin, are on display.
“It really is like stepping back in time,” said Molly Belmont, director of marketing at the Albany County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It looks as if the crew just stepped away for a few minutes and you’re walking through this 1944 warship.”
In the Empire State Plaza, groups can take a free tour of the New York State Capitol, which some people consider the most beautiful state capitol in the country. Visitors can also stop by the New York State Museum on the opposite side of the plaza, which is the nation’s largest and oldest state museum. Nearby, the Egg, a prestigious performing arts venue, hosts evening entertainment such as live concerts, comedy shows, film series and dance performances.
Starting in spring 2018, Albany will offer a food tour called Taste of Albany that will give groups the opportunity to sample delicious culinary creations from over 30 regional chefs
