Heart of Glass

Looking for a quintessential Seattle experience for your clients? Amongst its other attractions, Seattle is the mecca of glass art (surpassing Murano, the center for Italian glass), and we are attracting the best suppliers, shops, materials and, of course, artists from all around the world.

One of our native sons, Jean-Pierre Canlis, and his gracious wife, Leigh, own and operate a studio on the edge of Belltown that does triple duty as work studio/gallery/event space in the refurbished worklofts at 3131 Western Ave. Beauty, talent, passion for the arts, and all things delicious run in the family as Jean-Pierre descends from the founder of the eponymous 5-star restaurant in Queen Anne.

The space is 1800 sft, dotted with beautiful glass pieces and can accommodate 10-125 easily. There are no exclusive catering contracts, so have your favorite chef set up in the workspace. The price is right at $200-$220 per hour (plus $100 cleaning fee per event), and we're told parking is a breeze after 5pm. A parking lot is available for full buyout across the street, opt for valet parking, or provide group transportation as alternatives.

For more info about Canlis or the gallery, visit their website at http://www.canlisglass.com/ or call Kristen or Leigh at 206.282.4428.

Let’s Meet in the Desert!

While Palm Springs, California enjoys its mid-century modernism and cultural revival, the adjacent communities of Palm Desert, Indian Wells, and La Quinta continue to offer high-end meeting and resort space. According to Meetings Magazine, more than $1 billion has been invested in the valley within the last few years on upscale luxury properties reinforcing the area’s reputation as an upscale playground for the rich and famous.

The prime properties for meetings in this area are:

Hyatt Grand Champions, Indian Wells (http://grandchampions.hyatt.com/)

Desert Springs, A JW Marriott Resort and Spa in Palm Desert (http://www.desertspringsresort.com/)

Miramonte Resort and Spa (http://www.miramonteresort.com/)

Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa (http://www.renaissanceesmeralda.com/)

Meeting space varies from the Marriott’s 24,816-square-foot Desert Ballroom that accommodates 2,000 for receptions or 1,800 for banquets to the Miramonte’s Event Lawn and Olive Grove that take advantage of the near-perfect weather year-round. Against the backdrop of the Santa Rosa Mountains, each of these resorts makes an impressive destination.

If you only had one chance to explore the unique offerings of the area, we recommend the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway (http://www.pstramway.com/), The Living Desert (http://www.livingdesert.org/), and Joshua Tree National Park (www.nps.gov/jotr).

Not for the faint of heart, the Aerial Tramway offers a 5,873 ft vertical ride up Chino Canyon, often providing a snow-covered landing at the summit in cooler months. This was the first place that our Office Coordinator, Tiffany, ever saw snow! Both the Living Desert and Joshua Tree National celebrate the local wildlife and native plants of the desert, as well as the geological diversity of the dry and rocky terrain.

Visitors with a tighter timeline can stroll the El Paseo Shopping District (http://www.elpaseo.com/), known as the Rodeo Drive of the Desert, and enjoy numerous art galleries, jewelry and apparel stores, and luxury boutiques. Restaurants along El Paseo range from the popular Café Des Beaux Arts (http://www.cafedesbeauxarts.com/) to the more casual California Pizza Kitchen.

Returning visitors can live like a local and hit the flea market at the College of the Desert on Saturdays and Sundays. It's a great place to pick up inexpensive clothing and jewelry and sip a frozen lemonade. In need of affordable relaxation? The Desert Resorts School of Somatherapy offers $30 massages to help their students fulfill their training hours (http://www.somatherapy.com/clinic.html). Touring the many model homes in LaQuinta makes for a fun afternoon, though it may leave you longing for a second home.

For lunch or dinner, locals flock to the Fisherman’s Market & Grill in LaQuinta (www.fishermansmarketandgrill.com), where the fish tacos are the best around. Since the Coachella Valley, which incorporates Palm Springs and vicinity, boasts 350 days of sunshine a year and only 5.5 inches of rain, both first-time guests and repeat visitors alike can be sure to enjoy the weather along with good food and a picture-perfect place to relax.