hotels articles

When it comes to cleanup after Katrina and Rita, the task is indeed big in terms of health ramifications and square footage, but there isn’t much easy about it at all. Regarding mold remediation, some spaces might’ve actually been better off staying underwater for longer, while other seemingly dry spaces could still harbor mold waiting for the first opportunity to return. Industry experts weigh in here on the tall task of ensuring that commercial occupants can breathe easy during and after rebuilding.

Hurricane Katrina was one of the most destructive storms to hit the Gulf Coast in decades. Most Americans, and indeed, many people around the world, spent the first part of September glued to their television sets, watching the never-ending scenes of devastation and destruction. These images showed stranded people on rooftops and houses and office buildings that were submerged under many feet of water.

Once the storm passed and the levees were patched, dewatering and cleanup began immediately. Areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, and southern Alabama were so devastated that it resulted in one of the largest disaster response mobilizations in the United States. Then, of course, came Hurricane Rita, which flooded parts of New Orleans all over again.

Dewatering a city the size of New Orleans was a Herculean task, but the bigger question will be: How many buildings can be restored? In the hot and sticky climate of the Southeastern United States, mold is always an issue anyway. Buildings that were submerged under water for two or more weeks will not only have mold issues, they will also potentially be contaminated from all the pollutants that were in the water. Even buildings that weren’t flooded will have problems, since many were without power for days or weeks, giving mold and mildew an ample opportunity to flourish in the non-air conditioned environment.

It has yet to be determined how long the cleanup will take, or how many buildings will be inhabitable again. In the short term, building owners, restoration crews, and government officials were removing wet items such as carpet and sheetrock as quickly as possible and using dehumidification equipment to dry out the buildings. Where water is concerned, time is of the essence, and those working frantically to restore the buildings along the Gulf Coast are hoping they haven’t missed their window of opportunity.

THINKING AHEAD

Many of the commercial buildings in New Orleans and surrounding areas sustained relatively minor damage compared to the residential areas. John Bevington, president of ChillCo, Inc. in Mandeville, LA, rode out Katrina in his home, noting with a tad of understatement that it did get “a little breezy.” His company, which services and rents chillers, is located 24 miles across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans. Once the storm abated, Bevington leaped into action, moving his rental equipment around the city in order to start drying out the buildings.

“I’ve been working in the downtown area, and the damage isn’t that bad, relatively speaking. The high-rise office buildings and hotels really only got two feet of water or less in their lobbies. Some of them didn’t even get that. Many of the houses, though, have been sitting in eight feet of water for almost three weeks, and they’re destroyed. Proportionately speaking, the commercial buildings did pretty well,” said Bevington.

There are three reasons why commercial buildings might have fared better than residential structures during the hurricane and subsequent floods, according to Dr. Michael Pinto, CEO of Wonder Makers Environmental, Kalamazoo, MI, and a member of the Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration. “First, they are usually built more substantially, so they lose windows and drywall, but they’re built out of concrete and steel, so they’re sturdier. Second, because they’re commercial buildings, people put more importance on them in terms of trying to get them back up and running.”

The third reason is that commercial buildings usually have more resources available to them, in terms of insurance and awareness. For example, many have contingency plans drawn up and contracts already in place, so they are ready for most emergencies that could come their way. Nick Sickmen, marketing manager for Carrier Rental Systems in Houston, agreed, noting that his company had rental equipment in place at many locations two to three days before the storm.

“The companies that have plans in place beforehand know that generators, air conditioners, and drying equipment go fast. There’s only so much of this equipment in the rental market,” said Sickmen. “In times like these, where the devastation is so massive and with Hurricane Rita coming in right after Katrina, the amount of rental equipment available is limited.”

PROPER PROCEDURE

Nonetheless, cleanup in the New Orleans area has been moving rapidly, and many are worried that it may be moving just a little too fast. Bevington noted that FEMA initially was so desperate for hotel rooms for its workers, that the organization was signing one-year leases with anybody who could give them a number of rooms immediately.

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The Porches Inn at MASS MoCA, in the Berkshire hills of Massachusetts, is one of 39 hotels profiled in Hip Hotels USA, the latest volume by travel writer and photographer Herbert Ympa. To mark the occasion, Porches is offering a two-night “Hip Hotel Package” through May 20. The package (priced at $239 Sunday through Thursday and $329 on weekends) includes accommodations in a queen-bedded room, continental breakfast each morning, a copy of Hip Hotels USA, and a souvenir edition of the factory worker lunchbox used to deliver room service breakfast.

Porches, which opened in 2001, is located in North Adams across from MASS MoCA, the country’s largest museum of contemporary art. It consists of seven Victorian-era buildings that originally housed the area’s mill workers. Porches’ guest rooms and public spaces employ a clever synthesis of retro and contemporary design. The inn’s 50 rooms and suites are fully wired, offering high-speed DSL internet access, dual phone lines, and complimentary DVDs. The property includes a year-round outdoor pool, hot tub, sauna, and fitness room.

Innkeepers USA Trust (NYSE: KPA), a hotel real estate investment trust (REIT) and a leading owner of upscale extended-stay hotel properties throughout the United States, today announced that it has acquired the 80-room Bulfinch Hotel in downtown Boston for $19.6 million, or $245,000 per key. The acquisition was funded by borrowing on the company’s unsecured line of credit.

The hotel was opened in late 2004 following a complete renovation and three-story addition to an existing triangular industrial building built in 1904. The building is modeled after the historic Flatiron building in New York. The hotel interior was designed by renowned architect and interior designer, Campion Platt, designer of New York’s MercBar and The Park Avalon.

“We continue to look for well-located, quality assets in high-barrier-to-entry markets with significant upside potential at attractive, competitive pricing,” said Jeffrey H. Fisher, chief executive officer and president. “This upscale, urban, boutique property certainly fits that criteria, and with a like-new product and our experienced operator, the hotel is well positioned to achieve greater market penetration than its peer group in and around the Downtown Boston market.”

Located at 107 Merrimac St. in the historic Bulfinch Triangle neighborhood of downtown Boston, the property is proximate to the city’s major attractions, businesses and shopping, including the Fleet Center, Quincy Market, Faneuil Hall, Government Center, the financial district and MassGeneral Hospital. “The Bulfinch Triangle area is one of the first of many significant redevelopments in the downtown core following the recent opening of the area’s Central Artery,” Fisher added. “Several other factors also are expected to have a positive impact on lodging demand in Boston, including a significant expansion of Logan International Airport and a new 1.6 million square foot Convention Center, which already is scheduled to host 24 citywide conventions in 2006, a significant increase over recent periods.”

Originally constructed in 1904 as a six-story triangular, industrial building, the Bulfinch Hotel underwent a full renovation and expansion in December 2004 when three stories were added. The renovation combined leading-edge design together with unique architectural features like oversized windows and different size guest rooms to create a contemporary style and a refined residential atmosphere. The property’s on-site restaurant, The Angus Steakhouse, is a leased operation.

“This well-located, one-of-a-kind asset with a unique and significant architectural design and identity, sits within a growing and re-gentrifying area that has not been widely marketed. We are confident that we can use that unique identity to help this 80-room hotel realize its full potential and successfully position it as an independent, non-branded property.”

Peter M. Willis, Innkeeper’s vice president of acquisitions and business development, noted that the company continues to have an aggressive appetite for hotel acquisitions, including upscale extended stay and premium limited service brands, the core of the company’s portfolio; selected full-service properties; and turn-around opportunities and hotels that are affiliated with, or have the potential to be converted to, the industry’s top brands.

Innkeepers Hospitality Management, Inc. will manage the property. Jeffrey H. Fisher, chief executive officer and president of Innkeepers USA Trust, owns Innkeepers Hospitality Management.

Innkeepers USA Trust owns 70 hotels with a total of 8,825 suites or rooms in 20 states and Washington, D.C., and focuses on acquiring and/or developing premium branded upscale extended-stay, select-service and full-service hotels and the rebranding and repositioning of other hotel properties. For more information about Innkeepers USA Trust, visit the company’s web site at www.innkeepersusa.com.

This press release, and other publicly available information on the Company, includes forward looking statements within the meaning of securities law. These statements include terms such as “should”, “may”, “believe” and “estimate”, or assumptions, estimates or forecasts about future hotel and Company performance and results, and the Company’s future need for capital. Such statements should not be relied on because they involve risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations when such statements are made. Some of these risks are set forth in reports filed from time to time with the SEC and include, without limitation, (i) the operational risks of the hotel business (including decreasing hotel revenues and increasing hotel expenses) under the company’s taxable REIT subsidiary structure, (ii) risks that war, terrorism or similar activities, widespread health alerts, disruption in oil imports or higher oil prices or changes in domestic or international political environments negatively affect the travel industry and the company, (iii) risk of declines in the performance and prospects of businesses and industries (e.g., technology, automotive, aerospace, pharmaceuticals) that are important hotel demand generators in the company’s key markets (e.g. the Silicon Valley, CA, Washington, DC, etc.), (iv) risk that poor, declining and/or uncertain international, national, regional and/or local economic conditions will, among other things, negatively affect demand for the company’s hotel rooms and the availability and terms of financing, (v) risk that the company’s ability to maintain its properties in competitive condition becomes prohibitively expensive, (vi) risk that pricing in the hotel acquisition market becomes prohibitively expensive or non-financeable and that potential acquisitions or developments do not perform in accordance with expectations, (vii) risk that the Company may invest in hotels of a size or nature (e.g., upscale full service or resort) different than those it has focused on historically (e.g., upscale extended-stay, and mid-scale limited service); (viii) risks related to an increasing focus on development, including permitting risks, increasing the proportion of Company assets not producing revenue at a given time and risks that projects cost more, take longer to complete or do not perform as anticipated; (ix) changes in travel patterns or the prevailing means of commerce (i.e., e-commerce) may reduce demand for hotels in general or the Company’s hotels in particular, (x) the complex tax rules that the company must satisfy to qualify as a REIT and the potentially severe consequences of failing to satisfy such requirements, and (xi) governmental regulation that may increase the company’s cost of doing business or otherwise negatively effect its business or its attractiveness as an investment and create risk of liability for non-compliance (e.g., changes in laws affecting taxes or dividends, compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, workers compensation law changes, the Sarbanes-Oxley law, etc.).

Imagine the chief marketing officers of Ford, Daimler-Chrysler and GM getting together at a country retreat to discuss and share strategies on how to attract more buyers. Imagine them offering tips and tricks to their competitors, without a hint of hesitation or suspicion. Imagine they realize that because of an ultra-competitive consumer auto industry, they are rowing (or sinking) in the same boat.

Now imagine that the people in that room are not auto industry executives, but instead regional boutique winery and vineyard owners–farmers by trade who, because of a real fight-to-the-death struggle for consumer dollars, must band together to avoid being sunk one by one.

The latter example has taken place (officially) two years in a row in the resort town of Geneva, Ohio, where winery, vineyard and destination marketing managers from emerging wine-producing states in the Great Lakes region, as well as from North Carolina and Missouri, convened at License to Steal, the National Wine Marketing Conference.

The brainchild of a handful of state and winery association directors, the conference has blossomed from its early days of seven or eight decision-makers meeting in airport hotel rooms to a full-fledged, agenda- and seminar-driven convention that drew nearly 100 attendees this year.

“Our goal is that (attendees) leave … exhilarated, enthused and energized,” says Donniella Winchell, executive director of the Ohio Wine Producers Association and founding member of the License to Steal committee.

Add “Educated” To The Mix

The conference, with its multiple brainstorming sessions and brief, punchy presentations, serves not only as a catalyst for sharing best practices, but also as a sort of Marketing 101, outlining for the uninitiated the basic principles behind promoting a winery as a unique, year-round destination.

For years, smaller, regional wineries have focused on making wine and ends meet, rather than selling themselves as destinations, says Jenny Engle of the Pennsylvania Wine Association. “Nobody has a marketing plan.”

Winery owners either thought they had enough money for the plan and it disappeared, or they didn’t make time to hash one out, she says. The presentations at Licensed to Steal were designed to plant the seed for wineries looking to grow revenue streams.

Patty Held-Uthlaut of Stone Hill Winery in Hermann, Mo., attended the 2004 License to Steal Conference, where she learned that wine trails can be lucrative for all participants: They regularly bring in new visitors, and they help wineries through the so-called shoulder months–November through April–when tourism generally flags in the Midwest. If packaged correctly, they can build lasting brand awareness and customer loyalty.

Trouble is, wine trails are hard to manage, and the cost of starting a trail is not pocket change by small-winery standards. In addition, winery owners can be an intractable lot, and disagreements ranging from squabbles to all-out border wars are not uncommon.

The challenges notwithstanding, Held-Uthlaut and Stone Hill were convinced that the Hermann area was ripe for a wine trail. It’s home to seven wineries in Missouri’s most established wine-producing region, all within a 20-mile radius; dozens of bed and breakfasts, and within a reasonable proximity to a large metropolitan area (Hermann is approximately 90 minutes by car from St. Louis). In short, it’s a good long-weekend destination spot.

In January 2005, Held-Uthlaut and the other Hermann-area wineries formed a tax-exempt association, opened a bank account and agreed to charge a 2% “tourism surcharge” on all retail sales. Each winery would send the proceeds of that surcharge to the association as seed money. In four months’ time, the association had the capital it needed to begin marketing its trail. It hired a designer, printed brochures, devised an advertising campaign and began developing a Web site.

Hermann’s first trail event, in July 2005, drew 400 people at $15 per person. Held-Uthlaut expected the holiday trail event, slated for Nov. 19-20, to draw 800 at the same price-point. What’s more, the smallest winery on the trail, Bommarito Winery, has seen its sales increase by 50% since the trail began, according to Held-Uthlaut.

She also credits the trail for ending a dispute between two winery owners. Before the association formed, they could not stand to be in the same room. Now, they’re actually sitting across from each other during meetings and holding civilized conversations, she says.

The trail’s rapid success is nearly unqualified. Despite taking on the bulk of responsibility with no real sales increase to show for their efforts, Held-Uthlaut and Stone Hill have garnered media attention, and the Hermann area now has a new tourism director thanks, in part, to the wine trail.

Held-Uthlaut says unflappable leadership, willingness of bigger wineries to share information and an operating budget of between $45,000 and $65,000 per year will keep a trail organization strong and enable it to mature into a year-round destination.

Just as Orange County has become “The O.C.” thanks to a hit TV series, Santa Barbara is getting extra publicity as a result of the 2004 hit movie “Sideways.” And they’re happy to get the attention.

“A lot of Californians already knew about wine country, but ‘Sideways’ has brought more high-end visitors to the area,” said Donna Mulgrew director of sales with the Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau.

The CVB has plans to launch a culinary tour to go along with its wine tours.

“Everyone is doing wine country tours and dinners now,” she said.

That holds true for meeting planners as well as weekend visitors.

Visit bookshops and gift shops along State Street today and it’s hard to miss half a dozen or so books featuring “Sideways Country,” as it’s now called.

To be sure, the Santa Ynez Valley wine country is a draw for weekenders, locals and visitors alike, as is the Santa Mafia Valley to the north. But few know that the wine culture can be traced back about 200 years to vines brought from Mexico.

Today, wine trails focus on several areas of the county: Santa Ynez and Los Olivos; Foxen Canyon and Alisos Canyon; Solvang; Santa Rita Hills and Santa Maria. Wine tours also can be arranged from town.

Visitors who fly in perhaps already were surprised to learn that the Santa Barbara airport has 10 nonstop destinations, including Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City and San Francisco, and has more than 100 daily flights.

Whether you’re starting out in a rental car or driving down from the Hearst Castle to the north, you’re likely to be using Highway 101 and seeing sweeping vistas of the Channel Islands off the coast before coming into the seaside city of Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara has long been a favorite filming location–long before “Sideways”–and a hideaway for the stars. But today, instead of Charlie Chaplin, you might bump into Brad Pitt, Kevin Costner, Jennifer Aniston, or Oprah, all of whom own homes in the city.

For Californians, Santa Barbara provides the ideal weekend getaway. Only a couple of hours from most of Los Angeles and about four hours from Orange County, it’s got something for everyone, including more restaurants per capita than most major cities.

Downtown alone has more than a dozen art galleries, half a dozen performing arts venues, the E1 Presidio De Santa Barbara State Historic Park–a reconstruction of the original Spanish fort built here in 1782–and the Maritime Museum.

This is a city where you can shop until you drop at centers along State Street like Paseo Nuevo, La Arcada, Victoria Court or E1 Paseo, which was the first enclosed shopping area in the city. A charming visitor trolley will take you up and down State Street during the day for just 25 cents per trip. Its western terminus is at historic Stearns Wharf, which now boasts several restaurants like the rebuilt Moby Dick and Santa Barbara Shellfish Company, or Stearns Wharf Vintners for wine tasting. The new Ty Warner Sea Center on the wharf is a hands-on science center that debuted in April and is part of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. The Sea Center rents to groups for private receptions.

Warner, the Beanie Babies magnate who lives in Montecito, owns the Four Seasons Biltmore and four other Santa Barbara-area lodging and golf properties and recently announced the purchase of the Miramar Hotel property for an estimated sales price of $45 million.

Santa Barbara is known for a wealth of charming B&Bs like the Inn of the Spanish Garden, the Cheshire Cat Inn & Cottages and Upham Hotel as well as its high-end resorts like Bacara and Four Seasons.

It has beachfront resorts like Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort, which stretches along Cabrillo Blvd., Harbor Inn and Hotel Oceana and more rural options like the Santa Ynez Inn in wine country or Inn at Petersen Village in Solvang, about 30 minutes north.

Orient Express has purchased the historic El Encanto Hotel, and will make some cosmetic upgrades this year, Mulgrew said. But in late 2006 it will close for a total renovation.

With the uptick in visitors, it can be a challenge to find weekend rooms unless you’ve booked ahead, but meeting planners may have better luck with mid-week meetings.

“Occupancy is high, but there are still some bargains,” Mulgrew said.

“The big thing to remember is that the good bargains are from November to March,” she said.

Despite a rainy winter, first quarter hotel occupancy rose to 71%, with the average room rate at $123, according to Los Angeles-based PKF Consulting, which tracks the hospitality industry.

In all, Santa Barbara has about 4,500 hotel rooms at the beach, downtown or within 10 minutes of the city center. Plenty more dot the surrounding area, including the sprawling Alisal Ranch in San Ysidro, where the term ‘executive retreat’ takes on a whole new meaning when a company rents the entire ranch for a get-together. Once attendees get over the shock of having no TVs and no cell phone service, they get out and enjoy the ranch, planners say.

Charleston's parks, museums, and music and cultural activities provide a variety of enjoyable and stimulating experiences. The state's Cultural Center at the Capitol Complex has a museum, performing arts, film and music festivals, and The Shop, which sells only West Virginia native crafts. The Capitol Complex also offers tours of the Governor's Mansion two days a week. On the State Capitol grounds is a memorial honoring Malden, West Virginia, native Booker T. Washington. Glass factories in the area provide tours to groups, and the museums at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences are a favorite of visitors. The Haddad Riverfront Park invites residents and visitors with its river views, evening concerts, and plays. The park offers paved paths for runners, walkers, and cyclists, as well as plenty of areas for picnicking, sunbathing, and relaxing.

A variety of historic homes from the late 1800s and early 1900s can be toured in Charleston. The Craik-Patton House, built in 1834 in the Greek Revival style of architecture, is open mid-April through mid-October for tours. The East End Historical District features homes in a variety of architectural styles, including Queen Anne, Victorian, Richardson Romanesque, Georgian, Italianate, and others, mainly built between 1895 and 1925. Victorian Block on Capitol Street features some of the oldest structures on Capitol Street, with homes dating back to 1887. Shrewsbury Street acknowledges sites and buildings that are prominent in West Virginia's African American history.

Formerly the Daniel Boone Hotel, 405 Capitol Street was built in 1929 at a then-extravagant cost of more than $1.2 million. Renovated in the 1990s, the building now houses business offices and is known for its unique 10-story atrium. Also afforded new life in the city is the C & O Railroad Depot, built in 1905. Refurbished in 1987, the Beaux Arts-style brick and terra cotta trimmed depot houses offices and a restaurant.

Charleston is home port to the P. A. Denny, a beautiful excursion sternwheeler available for scenic rides on the Kanawha or for rental trips for private groups. In addition, many of the forests, parks and resorts in West Virginia's excellent park system are within a half-day's drive of Kanawha Valley.

Arts and Culture

A well-respected symphony orchestra, a resident chamber-music string quartet, a youth orchestra and visiting chamber-music ensembles ensure a steady diet of live classical music in the Charleston area. The new Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences is home to the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, which performs monthly concerts featuring guest artists from around the world. Municipal Auditorium hosts the Charleston Chamber Music Association, Broadway touring shows, and national recording artists. The West Virginia Youth Symphony Orchestra is one of Charleston's special cultural assets, and the group performs extensively in the Kanawha County school system and in schools throughout the state. The Charleston Light Opera Guild provides musical comedy and drama each season. Many community singers, actors, and actresses, such as the Charleston Civic Chorus, have formed a close-knit group of talented performers who act, sing, and dance their way through Broadway musicals each year.

The West Virginia State Capitol building.

Charleston is also home to the Charleston Ballet, which performs three to five ballets each season, and the West Virginia Dance theater and the Appalachian Youth Jazz Ballet.

For those with a penchant for the visual arts, the Avampato Discovery Museum at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences has a breathtaking gallery and provides art activities, programs, and workshops throughout the year.

Arts and Culture Information: Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau, 200 Civic Center Drive, Charleston, WV 25301; telephone (304)344-5075; fax (304)344-1241.

Festivals and Holidays

For sheer spectacle, few festivals match Charleston's Annual Sternwheel Regatta Festival. The festival began as a small Labor Day race for sternwheel boats operating on the Kanawha River. From that modest beginning, the event expanded to an entire weekend, then a week, and finally to its current 10 days, which are scheduled each year during the days leading up to and including Labor Day. While the Regatta Festival's concerts draw the most impressive crowds, its other events are just as exciting. The Grand Feature Parade kicks off the festival and features balloon figures similar to those in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The Olympia Brass Band visits each year to highlight the traditional New Orleans-style Funeral Parade, where the unusual and inventive take to the streets for a spectacle that has to be seen to be believed. The Regatta Festival's Taste of Charleston is a major gourmet food event that brings a number of Charleston restaurants together under one roof to offer house specialties and other tasty dishes to regatta-goers. Other festival events include arts and craft shows, river cruises, film festivals, street fairs, and an antique car show.

Downtown Reno glitters with brightly-lit casinos and 24-hour entertainment. In the middle of it all stands the city's best-known symbol, the Reno Arch. The arch welcomes visitors with its slogan, "The Biggest Little City In The World." There have been four arches since the original was erected in 1929. The arch which welcomed visitors from 1934 to 1963 can now be seen on Lake Street, in front of the National Automobile Museum.

One of the country's finest and most extensive collections of antique cars is on display at the National Automobile Museum (The Harrah Collection). Opened in 1989, more than 220 vehicles are featured, including horseless carriages, cars owned by celebrities, and experimental cars of the future.

Described by the Los Angeles Times as the "Taj Mahal of Tenpins," the National Bowling Stadium is the only facility of its kind in the world. The stadium features 78-championship lanes, Paul Revere's Kick's Diner & Dance Club, and an IWERKS theater where giant screen movies are shown daily.

Lake Tahoe, the world's second largest alpine lake, is a popular attraction.

Daytrip excursions also provide visitors with a number of sightseeing options. Reno serves as a base camp to some of the most unique attractions on the West Coast. Pyramid Lake, just east of Reno, is shrouded in the mysteries of Indian legend and prehistoric past; Virginia City, still the liveliest ghost town in the West, is only a 35-mile drive from Reno; Carson City, Nevada's State Capital, is only 30 miles from Reno; and nearby Lake Tahoe was described by Mark Twain as "surely the fairest picture the whole earth affords."

Arts and Culture

Reno offers a flourishing and diverse community of artistic talent. The 1,500-seat Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts is the home of the Reno Philharmonic, the Sierra Nevada Master Chorale, the Reno Dance Company, and a Best of Broadway series that gives scheduled performances throughout the year. A chamber orchestra, opera company, and two ballet troupes round out the Reno experience. The University of Nevada, Reno, presents a variety of art galleries, music, and performing arts.

The Nevada Museum of Art, originally called the Nevada Art Gallery in 1931, debuted its new four-level, 55,000 square foot location in May 2003 and features a permanent collection along with video and experimental exhibitions. A library, cafe, sculpture garden, and store are among the other modern amenities offered.

Reno's own summer arts festival, Uptown Downtown ARTown, was named one of the top 100 Events in North America by the American Bus Association. The festival takes place every July, when more than 150 events at three dozen locations are featured throughout the month.

Festivals and Holidays

Special events are plentiful and varied in Reno. In April, snowmobilers flock to SledFest with rides on the trails and a tradeshow. The Reno Rodeo, the "wildest, richest rodeo in the west," takes place over nine days in June and infuses nearly $35 million into the local economy. In August, the Reno area celebrates America's love affair with cars and rock 'n' roll during the five-day Hot August Nights. The celebration features more than 5,000 classic cars from 36 states, vintage music, parades, and drag racing. September is full of celebrations that include the Great Reno Balloon Race, the National Championship Air Races and Air Show, and Street Vibrations (for motorcycle enthusiasts). October brings the Eldorado's Great Italian Festival and the Celtic Festival.

Sports for the Spectator

Reno is making a name for itself as the mountain golf capital of the world. Since 1999 the PGA Tour's Greens.com Open at Reno-Tahoe (formerly Reno-Tahoe Open) has taken place at Montreux Golf and Country Club in August, where some of the world's best professional golfers compete. A celebrity-packed golfing event, the American Century Celebrity Championship, is also held annually at Edgewood-Tahoe in July.

Two of the country's largest bowling organizations, the American Bowling Congress (ABC) and the Women's International Bowling Congress (WIBC), hold tournaments at the National Bowling Stadium. Dubbed "Pin Palace" by USA Today , thousands of bowlers are drawn to the city's high-technology facility on a regular basis.

Sports for the Participant

Reno offers a seemingly limitless variety of indoor and outdoor activities. Snow-packed mountains, less than an hour from Reno, feature the largest concentration of world-class ski/snowboard resorts in North America. In the summer months, the same mountains, as well as the valley below, offer hiking and mountain biking. Since 1994 the three-day annual Mighty Tour De Nez Classic has featured different levels of regional bicyclers. Lake Tahoe, "the Jewel of the Sierra," is the perfect place for a day of canoeing, water skiing, swimming, and more.

Sacramento is a river town, virtually created by the California Gold Rush. Along the bank of the Sacramento River is the Old Sacramento Historic Area, a 28-acre National Historic Landmark that attracts more than 5 million visitors annually. This atmospheric area, with wooden-slat sidewalks and horse-drawn carriages on its cobblestone streets, gives the visitor a sense of the vitality and bustle generated by the thousands of hopeful prospectors who streamed through Sacramento in the mid-nineteenth century. Old Sacramento's museums, shops, and restaurants preserve its historical character. The Old Sacramento Waterfront offers a variety of activities, including touring and riding on nineteenth-century boats, visiting the depots of the Central Pacific railroad, and exploring the bustling Public Market. In midtown Sacramento, Sutter's Fort, the first Euro-American settlement in Sacramento, has been restored and preserved. The 1839 adobe fort contains relics of pioneer and goldrush days. Exhibits include living quarters, a blacksmith shop, a bakery, a prison, and livestock areas. The State Capitol building within 40-acre Capitol Park was built in 1869; it is similar in style to the U.S. Capitol building. Underneath its 120-foot high rotunda are ornate chandeliers, imposing staircases, and marble floors. Visitors can tour the offices of the Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and Treasurer, and view exhibits about the history of California's state government. In Sacramento's south side, the Sacramento City Cemetery, established in 1849, contains the graves of more than 25,000 pioneers, immigrants, their families, and descendants; among its first interments were more than 600 victims of the 1850 Cholera Epidemic.

The Sacramento Zoo displays more than 400 exotic animals in their natural settings, including red pandas, snow leopards, lemurs, zebras, chimpanzees, jaguars, and many others. The zoo emphasizes protection of endangered animals, and faithful recreation of natural habitats. Adjacent to the zoo is Fairytale Town for children, a park based on themes from fairy tales and nursery rhymes. Water World USA, the only wave pool in Northern California, has the highest water slides in the West; its "Honolulu Halfpipe" Extreme Surf Slide is scheduled to open in 2005.

Sacramento is within easy driving distance of other atmospheric Gold Country towns: Coloma has Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, where James Marshall's discovery of gold in 1848 started the Gold Rush; Placerville features Hangtown's Gold Bug Mine, a fully-lighted mine shaft; Sutter Creek has a charming array of Victorian homes and balconied buildings; Jackson retains a European character from its early Italian- and Serbian-American miners; Columbia has Columbia State Historic Park, where visitors can ride a stagecoach and pan for gold. Sacramento is conveniently located for day trips to Northern California's outdoor attractions. The city is only a few hours away from Yosemite National Park; from the Napa-Sonoma Valley, where most of California's finest wines are produced; and from Lake Tahoe.

Arts and Culture

Sacramento is rich in theater. California's largest nonprofit musical theatre—The California Musical Theatre, formerly known as Sacramento Light Opera Association or SLOA—is based here. It provides Music Circus productions during the summer and Broadway Series productions during the rest of the year. Since its first performance in 1951, Music Circus has staged numerous productions of some 150 musicals; classics such as The King and I, Oklahoma!, and Show Boat are well represented. Music Circus presented its music theatre under a circus-style open-air tent until its move in 2003 to the new 2,200-seat Wells Fargo Pavilion. Performances are in the round, with 360-degree seating. California Musical Theatre's Broadway Series, begun in 1989, offers Broadway hits with national stars. Productions are at the 2,452-seat Sacramento Community Center Theater, across from the Capitol building.

The 24th Street Theatre, a 296-seat auditorium at the Sierra 2 Center for the Arts and Community, is home to the Light Opera Theatre of Sacramento (LOTS), which brings light opera, such as the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, to the Sacramento area. The Sacramento Theater Company maintains its own resident company offering classical and modern plays at its 300-seat Mainstage and 85-seat Stage Two. The B Street Theatre, Sacramento's Professional New Works Theatre Company, produces contemporary theatrical works. Garbeau's Dinner Theatre, in nearby Rancho Cordova, is housed in a restored winery. In all, more than 80 groups present live theatrical performances throughout the region.

For music lovers, the all-volunteer Camellia Symphony season runs from October through mid-May, and includes six concerts (one of which, at the Sunrise Mall on Mother's Day, is free), and several special fundraising concerts. The Sacramento Opera has performed more than 40 operas; the opera season runs from September to March and includes 3 performances. The 73-member Sacramento Philharmonic presents 5 concerts annually from November through May.

One of the most popular sights in Allentown is the Liberty Bell Shrine Museum in the Zion Reformed Church, which contains a replica of the bell. Trout Hall, built in 1770 by the son of the founder of Allentown, is the city's oldest building; Lehigh County Historical Society sponsors tours of it. Tours are available at the Frank Buchman House, founder of the Moral Rearmament movement, and the Haines Mill Museum, an operating grist mill, adjacent to a county park. Two railroads offer nostalgic rides through the area's scenic wonders, and the Covered Bridge (driving) Tour culminates at the Trexler-Lehigh County Game Preserve, where native and exotic fauna roam 1,500 acres of rolling countryside. Several historic structures in nearby Bethlehem, which was a center for the religious group known as Moravians, are open to tourists. Easton also preserves historic buildings and homes.

Allentown has long been supportive of artistic and cultural activities. Symphony Hall is home to the Allentown Band, which has been providing musical entertainment since 1829. Concerts are presented by the Allentown Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall; the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra is the only year-round orchestra in the Valley. The Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra performs great music from the traditional to the contemporary. A Community Concert series brings nationally-known artists to the city, and musical and theatrical performances are sponsored by area colleges. The Theatre Outlet is the Lehigh Valley's award winning "Off Broadway" company, performing at its own arts center. Rounding out the musical, theatrical, and dance offerings are the Civic Theatre of Allentown, and the Cedar Crest College Stage Company, the State Theatre, and Muhlenberg College's Center for the Arts.

The Allentown Art Museum houses the Samuel H. Kress collection of Renaissance paintings. Lehigh County Historical Museum displays artifacts pertaining to local history and traditions and maintains a Geology Garden. The Open Space Gallery offers juried exhibitions of contemporary regional arts and crafts. The Lenni Lenape Historical Society of Pennsylvania has restored an eighteenth-century stone farmhouse to display Indian artifacts. It is called the Museum of Indian Culture and features a traditional village and garden.

Festivals and Holidays

Sports for the Spectator

At the Lehigh Valley Velodrome, national and international bicycle racing meets are held annually on its Olympic standard cycling track. Adjacent to the Velodrome is the Bob Rodale Cycling & Fitness Park. Live horse racing via satellite is offered year round at the Downs at Lehigh Valley. The Allentown Ambassadors minor league baseball team is also located in Allentown.

Sports for the Participant

Allentown's park system, which at 13 percent of the city's acreage is said to consist of more acres per capita than any other city its size, and a network of area tennis courts, swimming pools, golf courses, ski slopes, and campgrounds offer year-round recreational opportunities for the sports enthusiast. Cedar Creek Parkway's 127 acres include Lake Muhlenberg, where pedal boating, fishing, and picnicking go on; also located there is the Rose Garden, with its old-fashioned gardens and lagoons. The proximity of the Poconos and other ski resorts make the Lehigh Valley a popular winter destination. Among the more than 100 rides at Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom is one of the world's tallest wooden roller coasters; at Wildwater, families enjoy giant slides, river rides, and an enormous wave pool. Gymnastic and exercise programs are offered at Parkettes National Training Center. The Lehigh Valley's streams, forests, and winding roads offer sites for fishing, swimming, hunting, hiking, ice skating, water skiing, and cycling. Allentown is home to SportsFest, an annual event featuring local, national, and international competitors who participate in team and individual sporting events.