Engage Seattle 2010: A Conference To Experience - May 4-6, 2010

Upon arrival, you'll step off the bus and enter fifty-five acres of floral splendor at the Butchart Gardens—one of Victoria's most famous and popular attractions. Begun in 1904 as an effort to restore a worked-out quarry site, the Butchart Gardens in Victoria have since been delighting visitors from all around the world. Since each garden is unique, we give you 2 hours to see everything. You'll find exotic flowers from all over the world in the Sunken Garden, Rose Garden, Japanese and Italian Gardens. As an added pleasure, the Butchart Gardens often host live afternoon and evening entertainment for your enjoyment!

The Jackson Visitor Center offers exhibits, films, guided ranger programs, a book store, snack bar, and gift shop. Visitors can choose from an array of day hikes or just enjoy the views around the visitor's center while learning everything there is to know about the mountain. The top of the visitor's center includes a working seismograph and 360-degree views of the mountain from the completely enclosed observation deck.

Hiking options around Paradise include trails through beautiful meadows, breathtaking views of the Mountain, and evergreen forests. Don't forget to come back for lunch!

The San Juan Islands are world-famous for the native and migratory pods of Orca whales that feed and play in the island waters, making regular appearances and delighting boaters all summer long. The islands are also home to a variety of other wildlife such as bald eagles, Dall's porpoises, sea otters and more. Keep your eyes peeled for the abundance of island marine life that live there.

Your boat will arrive at the charming seaside village of Friday Harbor. With its quaint buildings and tree-lined streets, Friday Harbor is San Juan's main commercial center, boasting a variety of great indoor and outdoor activities to entertain all interests. You can shop at the specialty stores and galleries filled with unique crafts and local art, dine at one of the town's fabulous restaurants or take a fascinating tour of the famous Whale Museum.

As part of the tour, visitors will tour the largest building in the world by volume (472,000,000 cubic feet). On the Boeing flight line, visitors will see airplanes in various stages of flight test and manufacture for airline customers around the world.

Meet the World Famous Fish Mongers at Pike Place Fish

In 1965, Pike Place Fish was a quiet, unassuming little fish stand. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to sell the business, the owner offered employee John Yokoyama the opportunity to purchase Pike Place Fish.

As a young man of 25, John was at first hesitant to buy the business. The monthly payments on his new 1965 Buick Riviera, however, were taking much of his $150.00 weekly pay. He decided he could do better on an owner's salary and purchased Pike Place Fish to help make his car payments.

In his revealing business advice book, When Fish Fly, Yokoyama reveals how the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market became a dynamic example of what a group of people can create when they are aligned and living a powerful vision. The book provides cohesive strategy for achieving world famous results for owners, managers, and front-line workers alike. Armed with an understanding of the generative principles behind the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market, you can develop a culture that leads to excellent employee morale and legendary customer service.

Beecher's Cheeses

In the heart of Seattle's historic Pike Place Market, people press their noses against the windows at Beecher's Handmade Cheese to witness the transformation of a vat of creamy white milk by the expert hands of the cheese maker. They watch as curds materialize from the milk, and then knit together to create a fine artisanal cheese. Aided by simple machinery, the cheese maker crafts cheese using the same techniques that have been used for 5,000 years.

The Original Starbucks Location

The original branch of Starbucks Coffee Company opened in Seattle at Pike Place Market in 1971, and has been in its current space, at 1912 Pike Place, since 1976. The facade of the store retains its endearingly crude lettering and appearance, per the historic codes of the neighborhood. The coffeehouse is along a strip of retail shops across from the many food stalls, produce sellers, fish markets, restaurants, and shops inside Pike Place Market.

The Tasting Room

Situated in Pike Place Market, the Tasting Room offers a collection of some of Washington's most celebrated wines. Guests are encouraged to taste and purchase current releases, rare older vintages, or special bottles that are not generally available.

Seattle Attractions

The Olympic Sculpture Park has transformed a nine-acre industrial site into open and vibrant green space for art. This new waterfront park gives Seattle residents and visitors the opportunity to experience a variety of sculptures in an outdoor setting, while enjoying the incredible views and beauty of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound.

When you enter The Locks, a National Historic Place, you immediately feel like you have left the big city behind. The combination of the beautiful botanical garden, the architecture of the buildings, seeing the boats, locks, fish, and the visitor center all can capture the hearts of young and old. Visitors from around the world and of all ages find something here that brings a smile to their faces.

Visitors to The Carl S. English, Jr. Botanical Garden are awed by the number of plant species grown here. Next, head over to the locks for some real action. Rarely is there a time when one of the locks isn't moving vessels. Cross over the locks and spillway dam to the fish ladder and viewing windows.

Pioneer Square features over 20 city blocks of Victorian Romanesque architecture, more than 30 fine art and glass galleries, over 200 unique and independently-owned shops, and the entertainment epicenter of Seattle's nightlife.

As one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, Seattle's Chinatown-International District is rich with history and culture and offers everything from authentic Asian restaurants and unique specialty shops to diverse heritage sites.

Seattle's Pioneer Square is also home to some of the most beautiful displays of glass art in the region. Glasshouse Studio, founded in 1972, is the oldest glassblowing studio in the Northwest and continues to produce exquisite glass. The artists, who purchased and now own the Studio, can be seen working on glass art displays all day long. Just steps away, the Foster/White Gallery has collections from over 50 artists, ranging from established to emerging, with works in all media, including painting, sculpture and glass.

Following the tasting at Chateau St. Michelle, you'll move on to the intimate, relaxed setting at Januik Winery for a Columbia Valley Tasting. This tasting will feature four wines that include both Novelty Hill and Januik selections.

Januik and Chateau St. Michelle vineyards are located in Eastern Washington, where the warm and sunny climate is ideal for growing world-class wine grapes.

Includes:

• Chateau St. Michelle Winery tour and "Theme Tasting" (sampling of 4 wines from the Columbia Valley, Limited Release and Indian Wells Series)
• Januik Winery "Columbia Valley Tasting" (sampling of 4 wines from Novelty Hill and Januik selections)