So, a couple times a year the whole 37signals crew comes to Chicago for a pow-wow. Chicago’s been a great location since it’s central and five of us are already here.
This year we’re thinking of doing it somewhere else. Somewhere beautiful and interesting and inspiring.
We’d like to rent a house, an estate, or something like that for three days to a week. We’d need to accommodate about 10 people. We’d like to keep it in North America, and be within 4 hours of a major airport.
Any recommendations?
Mateo
on 31 Mar 08Rocky Mountains! Go to www.pikespeakresort.com, unbelievable views, private, lots of activities if you need to break out..
Ryan Guill
on 31 Mar 08Memphis is nice this time of year…
Chris Johanesen
on 31 Mar 08http://www.harmonynosara.com
schwa
on 31 Mar 08http://www.fingerlakespremierproperties.com/
sho'fr
on 31 Mar 08what happens in vegas stays in vegas, unless its a brilliant idea, I think you are allowed to take those home with you.
Ted
on 31 Mar 08Prescott, Arizona. It is two hours from the Phoenix airport by car. On the way there stop and see Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter quarters, Talesin West, a model of simple, functional design. Just before Prescott, you can stop and see Arcosanti, Paolo Soleri’s city in a desert.
Stacy
on 31 Mar 08Go to Victoria, BC Canada. Lots of inspiration at the museums and of course Butchart Gardens. Just beautiful! Ocean, mountains, nice people, and more. I lived there for 3 years and that’s what I found.
George
on 31 Mar 08Charleston, SC is pretty nice.
http://www.charleston.com/ http://www.charlestoncvb.com/
Beerzie Boy
on 31 Mar 08Bodega Bay, California.
Adam
on 31 Mar 08As it gets warmer, Maine is a fantastic place. We go most years in the fall, but the spring/summer is a real popular time along the coast. I’d recommend Camden, Maine specifically. Only 2 hour drive from the Portland, ME airport and there are direct flights from O’Hare. Lots of bed and breakfasts you could take over and plenty of oceanview homes available for rent as well. Bonus is the drive to Camden goes through Freeport – you can spend thousands at LL Bean.
Marcus
on 31 Mar 08Lots of people from Chicago vacation in Grand Haven, MI. I know because I live here and see the influx each summer. Anyway, cute town right on Lake Michigan with nice beaches. Lots of summer rentals. Also, less than 3 hour drive from Chicago and 1 hour from the airport at Grand Rapids.
Nathan Clark
on 31 Mar 08Victoria, BC is breathtaking. I’ll second Stacy’s view on that.
Beautiful, clean, divergent architectural styles all over, affordable, culturally diverse and lots of great dining.
Scott
on 31 Mar 08My choice would be Estes Park Colorado – right at the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. There is no place more beautiful, interesting or inspiring anywhere.
SB
Josh Williams
on 31 Mar 08Taos, New Mexico.
Hands down. You need to do it during the summer or during the last week of September or first week of October though to catch the fall color.
It’s small, has an amazing art culture, and is 2-3 hours from ABQ airport. Plus Sante Fe is an hour away as well.
John
on 31 Mar 08Dallas, Sante Fe, Phoenix, Seattle
Joshua
on 31 Mar 08http://www.helengeorgia.com/
James Young
on 31 Mar 08Portland OR is a great city http://www.travelportland.com/ http://www.flypdx.com/ and home to Powell’s Books! http://www.powells.com/info/briefhistory.html and if you get a chance, stay at a McMenamins hotel (Kennedy School, or White Eagle), or at least grab a ‘Hammerhead’ beer and play some pool in one of their pubs http://www.mcmenamins.com/
Jim Jeffers
on 31 Mar 08Kauai perhaps?
Vacation Boy
on 31 Mar 08I just stayed here for a week – amazing! Located on Lake Tahoe, less than an hour from Reno. Inspiring scenery and plenty of room for 10+ guests… http://www.tluxp.com/vacation_rental.asp?HID=302
This place is totally self contained, and absolutely beautiful. I stayed here with about 15 others, and we never once felt cramped or crowded. The place has many private rooms a guest house, as well as a large dining/conference table for intellectual discussions..:-) It’s very close to the slopes and casinos, and the garage is packed with sports equipment such as skis, snowboards, and mountainbikes for those who like a little action. You could stay here for weeks and never run out of things to do. We even had a chef swing by and cook dinner for all of us one evening. Check it out….
Jimmy
on 31 Mar 08Charleston, SC is indeed quite wonderful. Smallish Southern city by the sea, laid-back but not lacking in things to do, great restaurants, lots of history, lovely old architecture still to be found, did I mention the sea? Plus, the new Cooper River Bridge is a stunning work of design and engineering.
For something more remote, a house in the Smoky or Appalaichin mountains can be rented very inexpensively. Beautiful, peaceful country. A bit cooler in the summer too. Most of it is within 4 hours of Charlotte. The city of Asheville is tucked into the mountains themselves.
Oh day-dreaming.
Alexander Mimran
on 31 Mar 08You should head to Muskoka in northern ontario canada. 2 hours from Pearson Airport. You can rent a cottage pretty easily and host a lot of people.
Luis
on 31 Mar 08Toronto, Canada. Anywhere in Canada, for that matter.
Jimmy
on 31 Mar 08The Rockies and the West Coast can be impressive, but… The sweetest winds, they blow across the South.
Kenny Sabarese
on 31 Mar 08I have friends who have a house on Lake Hopatcong (pronounced Hoe-Pat-Kong, a Lenape Indian name meaning “lake of many coves”) and often host retreats for groups your size. The lake is beautiful, the largest in NJ, where you can swim, sail, row, kayak, jetski, waterski, fishing etc. Plenty of good and bad restaurants nearby. Many right on the water.
This in the rural suburbs of NJ (not where it smells) it is not remote at all, so you can get fastfood and go to Wal Mart and get to a hospital quickly if someone gets hurt :)
My parents and many friends also live on that lake and have assortments of boats, jetski’s etc.
It’s an hour away from NYC, 45 min from Newark Airport.
It’s also an hour from the Delaware Water Gap, where there is great hiking trails, and you can float, or paddle the river.
A couple bad pics of the lake are here on my site:
http://kennysabarese.com/lakehouse/
If the retreat is during the summer all the better, but it’s still beautiful in the spring and fall, and boats are available if you don’t mind wearing a jacket :)
Pretty much any activity you can think of is available. Or you can just chill in their beautiful house. Let me know if you’re interested, I’d gladly host your visit and play tourguide (or just stay out of your hair)
Fazal Majid
on 31 Mar 08Monterey, CA Marin County, CA Vancouver, BC
B
on 31 Mar 082nd for Tahoe.
Mike Breen
on 31 Mar 08New Orleans. They could use the tourism.
Scott
on 31 Mar 08Outerbanks, NC is a great spot. You can get a house big enough for 10 people right near the beach. Norfolk airport is only a 2 hour drive away.
James
on 31 Mar 08There are some really nice wineries in central Missouri; it’s not exactly the season right now, but it’s pleasant there this time of year (in fact, more so than in August).
Tyson Caly
on 31 Mar 08The Napa Valley. Wine country.
Anonymous Coward
on 31 Mar 08The San Juan Islands in Washington are a personal favorite. They are about 2 hours from Seattle. Orcas Island is beautiful.
Erik Dungan
on 31 Mar 08Bend, Oregon!
3 hours from PDX. Great skiiing/snowboarding at Mt Bachelor. World-class mountain biking all around. Trails along the river. Fishing. Fun events and music always going on. The scenery is both beautiful and inspiring.
There are plenty of nice vacation rentals available on Craigslist. We rented a nice house for a week before moving our business here.
I’ll even take a team photo and some headshots for you guys if you need them.
Chris Carter
on 31 Mar 08Lake Chelan, WA
Go off the beaten path, enjoy some up and coming Washington Wine, enjoy the mountains, the water, or anything in between.
It’s 3 hours from Seattle, in Central Washington.
Another option would be Sun Mountain Lodge, near Winthrop, WA if you REALLY want to get off the beaten path (and like the mountains, as well).
Stop by Wenatchee, WA and say hi if you go to either place.
sj
on 31 Mar 08Couple options…
- Jackson, WY is beautiful…
- 2nd for Estes Park – I made my wife’s family fly out there from Chicago to watch us get married.
- It’s in Costa Rica, but the Lapa Rios was the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.
FredS
on 31 Mar 08Grand Teton National Park or Tahoe.
Andrew
on 31 Mar 08I’d second the Outer Banks. Southern part in particular (Salvo would be my vote, but anywhere on Hatteras island nice). Southern part relatively quiet and uncrowded, with large expanses of protected areas with no houses or tourist junk…
Benjy
on 31 Mar 08Puerto Vallarta is nice (I’ve spent 2 wks there each of the past 11 years) and has some incredible villas rentable by the day/week that could accomodate 10 people. Look in the areas just south of downtown…
A.Fruit
on 31 Mar 08Perhaps not as Grand as some suggestions, but inspiring, quiet, and beautiful:
Lutsen Resort, Lutsen, MN (northshore of Minnesota)
A Short flight from Chicago either to Minneapolis (then a 3 hour drive) or to Duluth, then a 1 hour drive. It’s Bob Dylan country.
Jana
on 31 Mar 08Well, if you just want to hang out and have stuff to do in the evenings you can’t go wrong with Baltimore. It’s a great place to hang out, get inspired by history, culture, or just looking out over the water.
If you want to “get away” but still be close to a major airport (BWI), check out renting a cabin in PA or VA, my husband did this to study for finals in law school. It was a big hit, always helpful. Good luck to you and your team.
2chey
on 31 Mar 08DC? They have the cherry blossoms going right now.
Cade Roux
on 31 Mar 08New Orleans should be a no brainer. It’s the premier convention destination in North America, primarily because of the entertainment available and the compact walkability – which maximizes convention goers productive time.
You can take the train (City of New Orleans) from Chicago or fly into MSY.
There are all kinds of options from premier hotels to grand houses on St. Charles Avenue.
It’s a very short distance from the airport (take a cab) compared to most American cities, and you should not need a car to get around.
The food is the best you will find in the country, and the weather should be accomodating – you may want to time it to match or avoid the major festivals, depending on your preference.
Let me know if you do decide on New Orleans – my brother is the f&b manager at the Astor Crowne Plaza on the corner of Canal and Bourbon.
Paul
on 31 Mar 08Canoe Bay in Chetek, Wisconsin. 2.5 hours from MSP.
Derick
on 31 Mar 08Burlington, VT, or someplace on either side along Lake Champlain. You’ll have the quiet isolation of lakeside VT & all urban amenities downtown.
Joshua Blankenship
on 31 Mar 08Ditto on Charleston, SC. (I’m sure Sarah would have no problem seconding it, too.)
Other southern gems: Asheville, NC, Greenville, SC, Wilmington, NC, Chattanooga, TN.
Enjoy.
Steve
on 31 Mar 08Two Harbors, Minnesota Plenty of hiking opportunities and great views.
Kyle
on 31 Mar 08I’ll put in a third vote for Charleston, SC
Steve Jagger - Ubertor
on 31 Mar 08Whistler BC is aways a good choice. We took David up there when we brought him in for consulting.
MattH
on 31 Mar 08+1 for Tahoe. Heaven on earth.
“At last, Lake Tahoe burst upon us. I thought it must surely be the fairest picture the whole earth affords.” – Mark Twain
Grant
on 31 Mar 08Boulder, Colorado – outdoors-meets-urban – it’s got everything and i’ll buy you all a round of beer
Bruce
on 31 Mar 08Tofino, B.C., Canada (the most inspiring place I’ve been):
http://www.middlebeach.com/accommodations.htm
stephen
on 31 Mar 08Memphis? That’s silly.
Kevin
on 31 Mar 08I’d recommend Hilton Head, SC. Rent some bikes and you can ride anywhere on the island easily. Everything there is nice, seriously, even the gas stations and fast food places are nice thanks to the zoning rules. The beach is really fantastic, there’s golf if you’re into that, and plenty of restaurants. I recommend buying some cheap boogie boards and using them at the beach, the longer ones work well for an adult.
Devin
on 31 Mar 08Honestly The only place you need to go is kananaskis. My brother is a warden at the park and every time we visit it is absolutely inspiring
http://www.tprc.alberta.ca/parks/kananaskis/flashindex.asp
it’s a hour and half from Calgary and an international airport. Most of the big business in Calgary retreat there.
Adam
on 31 Mar 08Central CA. San Luis Obispo area. Some wineries. Santa Barbera is an hour/hour half away depending. Good weather. Some beaches and beach houses with good rent this time of year. Beautiful. Small local airports in the area that American Eagle, Southwest, Jet Blue, etc. fly into from LAX and SFO. Lots of options. Wonderful laid-back kind of people and feel.
Anonymous Coward
on 31 Mar 08Tahoe is amazing…
Tbone
on 31 Mar 08Sedona AZ. Do some hiking. Talk to some weird new-agy peeps. zone out at a vortex.
Josh Morgan
on 31 Mar 08I second Tahoe – here’s a good looking rental that I found: http://www.tluxp.com/vacation_rental.asp?HID=330
Patrick Rhone
on 31 Mar 08Come to the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/Saint Paul, MN). Super creative place – lots going on here in design, interactive, media, web – that is beautiful in the spring and summer without being too hot.
Not only that, but I own a 4 bedroom, 4 bath home on one of the most picturesque historic streets in the country (Summit Avenue) that we do not actively live in. It has a 60 inch TV, outdoor in-ground pool, hot tub, and a ton of other amenities. I could even have a T1 dropped in there and arrange maid service for you guys. Heck, I am doing it for folks renting it during the Republican Convention – and I am on the other team (money is not party affiliated).
In other words, come here and I will ee to it you are taken care of.
charles
on 31 Mar 08Cincinnati, Ohio.
Central location, nothing there at all to distract you from your work and you’ll be glad to leave quickly, thus keeping expenses down.
John B
on 31 Mar 08Being a Canadian I’ll be voting for some of the locations mentiones so far…
Kananaskis, AB, or the Banff, AB area, (about 1/2 hour from Kananaskis). (All within 2 1/2 hours of YYC)
The West Coast of BC. I wouldn’t stay in a city like Victoria, but Tofino would be cool. You can probably rent out an island in the Gulf Islands of BC as well, if that’s up your alley. (All very close to YVR)
Muskoka would be cool, and you can get properties there easily. (And they’re close to YYZ).
Also, I believe there are great places to stay on Îsle d’Anticosti, (that island in the mouth of the St. Lawrence), and I hear it’s incredibly beautiful.
Norman Orstad
on 31 Mar 08Door County, WI! Not too far from Chi-town anyways!
Keith
on 31 Mar 08+1 for Napa +1 for Sedona
Chris Kelly
on 31 Mar 08I’d vote for Vancouver or my personal favorite, Park City, UT (especially in the winter months)
Jared Goralnick
on 31 Mar 08Every year I take a retreat to Crested Butte, CO—we head there over Labor Day for a week…but it’s beautiful for different reasons all year ‘round.
It’s quiet, people are very nice, the food is good, the scenery and hikes are gorgeous, and it’s not that hard to fly to (though you have to connect in Denver or drive from there).
I’ve stayed at the Nordic Inn, and they have many many options for private meeting areas so you could work together, brainstorm, etc. I say this from experience because the group I go with has been going for 20 years as a retreat to escape, brainstorm, etc. But it’s not at ALL like a corporate hotel—it’s really a place for a small group of up to 25 people (seems to fit you).
And the hot tub runs all year ‘round… best of luck on wherever you decide.
Greg
on 31 Mar 08Somewhere along the Florida keys… and rent a house with a few jet-skis and hobie cats.
Geoff B
on 31 Mar 08My top choice would be San Francisco. Yeah, it’s a bit obvious, and you’ve blogged about how you don’t need to be in this expensive city, but I think you’d enjoy a short stay here. Seattle is also a fun place.
Outside the US, I’d vote for Montreal.
Clay Newton
on 31 Mar 08http://www.searanchlodge.com/
That place is amazing.
Jared Goralnick
on 31 Mar 08As further motivation (sorry for the double post), here are Flickr photos of the social and scenery around the Nordic Inn:
Social stuffScenery
Theo
on 31 Mar 08Sundance Utah
Darrin Eden
on 31 Mar 08http://www.aerie.bc.ca/villa-cielo.php
Wade Winningham
on 31 Mar 08Sedona, AZ
Bill Kirst
on 31 Mar 08Washington, D.C. – the most powerful city in the world! In all seriousness, D.C. is a great place for you guys to have a pow-wow, and take breaks to see the sights and museums – all of which are free.
Nicholas Henry
on 31 Mar 08+1 for Montreal :)
allan branch
on 31 Mar 08Savannah Georgia is such a great place to be filled with art and inspiration.
Adam Metz
on 31 Mar 08The Arbor House Bed & breakfast up the road from Chicago, in Madison, Wisconsin. The best eco-friendly B&B in the USA. Great bars within walking distance, natch.
Tobin Harris
on 31 Mar 08My sister lives over in Pagosa Springs, Collorado. It’s beautiful. Lots of pine lodges, amazing walks and views. Skiining in winter, rafting etc in summer.
Wish I could get over there more often (from here in the UK).
Benjy
on 31 Mar 08You could pick by throwing a dart at a North America map or entering a random ZIP code into Google maps.
Joe Fusco
on 31 Mar 08The Mountain Top Inn, Chittenden, Vermont. Ask to rent Jewel House, a magnificant, rustic post-and-beam house with stunning lake and mountain views. Inspirational and relaxing, just 3 hours from Boston, 2 hours from Albany, and 1.5 hours from Burlington.
Andrew Warner
on 31 Mar 08SoCal, no question about it.
It’s beautiful and bubbling with new tech ideas.
I just did a Mashable party here and we had a great turnout because SoCal is easy to get to and fun.
http://blog.mixergy.com/how-mashmeetla-got-such-a-big-turnout/
Greg Chittim
on 31 Mar 08Depending on the time of year, somewhere along the rocky Maine coast, near Acadia National Park would be amazing.
Jeff
on 31 Mar 08Halifax, Nova Scotia
http://www.novascotia.com
jonathan
on 31 Mar 08Santa Barbara is best. It averaged 72 last week. close, but not too close, to LA. Not a lot of crime, lots of restaurants, best surfing, sailing, hiking, very little traffic, lots and lots of women.
Ole
on 31 Mar 08Keep it in Illinois, that’s one of the great things you offer. Try Galena, you’ll be able to rent a home relatively inexpensively and enjoy a quiet setting conducive to planning.
http://www.galena.org/
Got to run now, the tornado sirens here in Springfield MO just went off!
Geoff
on 31 Mar 08Ditto on the Charleston suggestions. Lived there a long time. Go immediately pre- or post-summer break.
Martin
on 31 Mar 08the Youth Hostel in Tofino, BC. On the western edge of Vancouver Island, right on the ocean. The hostel is incredible, and right on the waterfront. While you’re there, go sea kayaking. (Don’t recommend doing that in Chicago…)
Matt
on 31 Mar 08+1 Seattle (nothing beats the summers here)
John Ratcliffe-Lee
on 31 Mar 08Basin Harbor Club
A Historic Hotel of America, BHC is a 700-acre resort that sits right on Lake Champlain. The property is also the first in Vermont to be designated a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.
My family has been spending our summers here for all of my 25 years. I’ll be there over the July 4th holiday this year.
Probably the best part of this whole entire place? No TV in the cottages (you do have it in the main lodge…as well as wi-fi).
Mike Hansen
on 31 Mar 08Anywheres in British-Columbia! Beautiful here in the summer. Get out of the city …relax in the mountains.
Cody P
on 31 Mar 08Santa Fe, New Mexico
Matt
on 31 Mar 08NYC in the Spring is beautiful. And there’s enough to do that you can split up / explore the town solo. Let me know if you would like some recommendations.
Bil Kleb
on 31 Mar 08Cape Hatteras Island or Orcracoke Island, NC
Zach
on 31 Mar 08I seccond any of the suggestions to the North Shore of Lake Superior! Its absolutely wonderful country, plenty of good eating, loads to do outside,great people, and wonderful weather.
Garri
on 31 Mar 08What about some geodesic dome houses in Joshua Tree? One of the domes can accommodate up to 12 of you!
http://www.holidaypad.net/accommodation/386/
rishi
on 31 Mar 08my house in Chicago. The entire team is invited. I have rock band and the fridge is stocked with fresh fruit.
dkusleika
on 31 Mar 08+1 Jackson, WY. If you want to recharge the batteries and get your creative juices flowing, do some hiking and rock balancing. You won’t regret it.
http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2005/10/12/jackson-hole/
Nic Wise
on 31 Mar 08Washington Hotel in Washington Island. May be a little small, but the location is hard to beat. It’s at the top of Wisconsin, on the peninsular above green bay.
Pat Gannon
on 31 Mar 08You should consider Sonoma County (next to Napa). There’s great weather between May and November (inclusive), and lots to do. (Many say the area resembles Tuscany in a lot of ways although I’ve never been there.) There is a wide variety of outdoor activities available (canoeing on the Russian River, hiking among the redwoods in Armstrong Woods, great mountain biking at Anadel, etc.) and a decent night-life (including Guy Fieri’s restaurant: Tex Wasabi’s) in downtown Santa Rosa, and wine tasting just about everywhere. (Kenwood, Kendall-Jackson, Chateu St. Jean and MANY others are here.) There are lots of short-term houses available for rent on the Russian River through D&G Equity and others (many with private beaches), and there’s an AIRPORT in Santa Rosa with brand new flights to LA, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Portland. If you have your pow-wow in Sonoma county, you will not be disappointed – especially if you like wine even a little.
Tim Moore
on 31 Mar 08Mendocino, CA is incredibly inspiring, and is a couple of hours north of San Francisco.
Chris D.
on 31 Mar 08What about renting a private island for your group? I’ve looked into this for our group of friends, and it’s not prohibitively expensive.
In fact, some places work out to the same/less than a nice hotel. Some even include a private cook.
http://www.privateislandsonline.com/islandsforrent.htm
Nate
on 31 Mar 08Find a cool place on tablethotels.com. You want a place that has some hip people buzzing about, or you want secluded privacy? Just put in the criteria and you can find some unique places to stay.
shane becker
on 31 Mar 08oregon coast
Brendan Lee
on 31 Mar 08you should go to a ninja training facility and fall into each others arms backwards, and tell each other secrets about living and take mushrooms and trip out.
steve
on 31 Mar 08Come on, you have to give a few more hints here. Beach? Isolation? Culture? wifi? I like the Victoria BC suggestion and the Costa Rica suggestion. But what’s the point? what do you need? or want?
Eliot Landrum
on 31 Mar 08I cannot recommend Tahoe enough for any season of the year. Mark Twain was right—it is heaven on earth. Homes with unbelievable views are available for weekly rental very easily. Didn’t take me long to find an awesome vacation home at a beautiful sailboat harbor and snow capped mountains in the background. You can fly to Reno and be in South Lake Tahoe in about an hour.
Calvin
on 31 Mar 08Napa Valley, CA is a very nice place to be at right now if you like winery, and you can either fly to Sacramento Airport and San Francisco Airport.
Kris
on 31 Mar 08Door County, the thumb of Wisconsin. Rated one of the top 10 vacation spots in the nation.
Check out places located in Fish Creek, Egg Harbor, Baileys Harbor, or Ephraim.
Davis Seal
on 31 Mar 08New Orleans is the perfect place to inspire creativity. It seems more like a movie set than a city—at times it’s like being in a Fellini film.
Josh Delsman
on 31 Mar 08Massachusetts! Preferably Boston. It really is a great city, with great design potential in terms of office space and scenery, along with great historic value.
Marshall
on 31 Mar 08I’d say British Columbia, say Vancouver or Victoria. Nothing but pretty. I rather wish I could find a job up there for a bit.
Richard
on 31 Mar 08I recommend a small lodge in Talkeetna, Alaska: Fireweed Station.
http://www.fireweedstation.com/
It’s run by Tom and Hobbs Kluberton, great people and great hosts. Tom used to work at Cisco, has been instrumental in wiring Alaska and is an incredible cook. The place is fantastic, cozy and fun. It’s also completely wired even though it’s remote.
If you go plan ahead and charter Talkeetna Air Taxi to fly you around McKinley and land on the Ruth Glacier. See if you can get Doug Geeting to fly you, he’s a character and a musician and you may get to hear him play and sing at the local watering hole in Talkeetna.
If you go when there’s snow on the ground they have a few teams of dogs and sleds. Super fun.
I’ve only been to Tom’s place once but it was incredible.
Fly to Anchorage, rent a car (van in your case) and drive 2-3 hours north to Talkeetna. Tom will tell you the rest.
Do it, you will not regret it.
Steve Stroh
on 31 Mar 08Seattle is amazing. Major airport, and “inspiration” within easy reach – wonderfully urban, beautiful city, water (Puget Sound, Pacific Ocean), mountains (climbing, or just driving close to see), forests, high-tech, etc. It’s a really unique combination except, perhaps, Vancouver BC. If you’d like help arranging something, “I would” (my wife is a wizard at such things) be happy to help. I’m sure your fan base from Amazon, Microsoft, and the Seattle Googlers would love an evening with you. Oh yeah… want wineries (and microbrew)... boy do we have that! And we do good coffee too.
Richard
on 31 Mar 08If Alaska is too remote how about Warren, Connecticut. Right down the road from my house is The Boulders Inn:
http://bouldersinn.com/
They have more room, spectacular food, a large lake (Waramaug) and it’s all within 2 hours of JFK airport. Very cozy place.
Not quite sure how wired it is though, you’d have to ask them.
rich
on 31 Mar 08You should definitely consider Outer Banks NC. http://www.visitob.com/
Fun, elegant and Non-commercial. Just like Ror!
charlie
on 31 Mar 08Beach House….Charleston SC area.
Ray Daly
on 31 Mar 08BigSur – all depends how far off the grid you want to be. http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/travel/7BigSur.html
Or San Juan Islands are beautiful
But hard to beat New Orleans before the summer.
Jesse
on 31 Mar 08Based on your description, you’ve already made your decision.
Whistler, BC, CANADA.
Dave P
on 31 Mar 08Seconding Jesse’s comment.
Whistler is where it’s at.
scott
on 01 Apr 08+1 for Talkeetna. Make sure you stop by my place in Wasilla on your way north, heh. We’ll even give you a tour of Hatcher’s Pass!
Didn’t know an ex-Cisco guy was running a lodge up that way, seems like there are little pockets of former big city technology folks around here, I know of a few others besides myself…
John
on 01 Apr 08I have to agree with Vacation Boy. Lake Tahoe is a great place to go. I live 45 minutes from there in Sacramento, which has a major international airport. South Tahoe has sking, casinos, mini-golf, and the views are to die for. I have vactioned there, and gone to conferences there. The conferences there are always great!
Matthew
on 01 Apr 08Nantucket Island.
Rory
on 01 Apr 08Kingston, ON beautiful and on Lake Ontario (and my home town :)) Toronto, ON Muskoka ON Or Lake Placid NY
lex
on 01 Apr 08Miami Beach… 80 degrees & sunny, where we work hard & play harder :)
www.southbeachgroup.com www.tidessouthbeach.com
JohnH
on 01 Apr 08I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my hometown, the scenic city: Chattanooga, TN. Great downtown and lots to do for a small city. And as a bonus, there are direct flights twice a day from O’Hare.
That said, one of my favorite vacations was to Bald Head Island, NC. It’s beatiful and very peaceful. You take a ferry from Wilmington and there are no cars on the island. There’s a maritime forest, marshlands, a sea turtle conservancy, and of course, beautiful beaches.
brandon
on 01 Apr 08Savannah, GA is lovely this time of year and the city is very walkable, has plenty of Wifispots and is gorgeous.
Bram Pitoyo
on 01 Apr 08Portland, OR, for three reasons: beers, bikes, and the overabundance of unusually nice tech startup people who will be more than happy to connect you to the community (or a good happy hour.)
mimi
on 01 Apr 08http://www.studioestate.com/estate.html
It’s a great place even if you aren’t recording. Secret room? You gotta love that. Northern California visits are best in the spring – everything is still nice and green through May.
Blake Shannon
on 01 Apr 08I would rent a house in dowtown Charleston, South Carolina, or rent a beach house on The Isle of Palms, SC which is about 20 minutes from downtown Charleston.
MOAB! - Andrew E. Clark
on 01 Apr 08EASY!
STAY IN MOAB!
Experience BRYCE CANYON, ARCHES & ZIONS National Parks
You’ll be awakened physically, spiritually and creatively from a deep, deep sleep. A slumber you didn’t know you were in.
Ask ANYONE who’s been…
Zac Echola
on 01 Apr 08Rent a lake cabin anywhere in Minnesota. You won’t be sorry. I’ve had plenty of opportunity to leave this area of the country, but I can’t walk away from the staggering beauty and serenity of the lakes here.
Ever.
Bill Litfin
on 01 Apr 082nd the vote for a lake rental in Minnesota. I’d recommend the boundary waters between MN and Canada—perhaps out of Ely or Grand Marais.
You can fly to Duluth and be there in 2-1/2 hours. It’s drivable from Chicago to boot.
If you find a good outfitter, you can mix some day trips into your gathering—or even do an overnighter out in the wilderness.
Kevin Mackie
on 01 Apr 08One of my guys just spent last week up at Yosemite and said it was fantastic. He got talking to one of the guys working up there and he mentioned that it’s become a popular place for small companies to hold conferences. April through June is the best time to visit as the snowmelt makes for some fantastic waterfalls. It’s my favorite place to get away from it all!
Someone above mentioned Napa Valley, and if you’re into wine it’s a lot of fun. If you prefer a little less touristy Sonoma valley is the place. Healdsburg has many great wineries and some fantastic restaurants.
Michael Longfellow
on 01 Apr 08The Longfellow House in Cape May, America’s oldest and first seashore resort.
It’s a funky town with all kinds of film and jazz festivals, amazing architecture, and beautiful beaches. Spring and Fall are great times, and not as crazy crowded as the summer.
http://www.longfellowhouse.com/ http://www.capemayx.com/
Jess Martin
on 01 Apr 08Get yourself a beach-house in North Carolina. About this time last year me and 15 friends went down to Topsail Beach, just north of Wilmington (2.5 hours from RDU) and stayed at this beautiful beach house which has 5 bedrooms. This is the exact house we stayed in and I would highly recommend it: http://www.intracoastalrentals.com/book/house.html?User=INT25408&ID=590&Avail=5%2f5%2f2007&Stay=007
-Giant dining room table, seating probably 12. -8-person hot tub on the deck. -42” flat screen tv with surround sound system. -Wine fridge. -On the beach.
Super nice. Here are some of my pictures from that weekend: http://flickr.com/photos/jessmartin/sets/72157600186139958/
It was a bunch of computer science grad students. And we still had fun. :-P
Jess
PS. Looking back through the comments, I see a lot more recommendations for NC/SC beach houses. Apparently my experience was not uncommon!
Sam
on 01 Apr 08Oregon Coast! I had a family vacation there in a house with 5-6 rooms and a kitchen area that overlooked the ocean. It’s beautiful in the spring.
http://picasaweb.google.com/samxnguyen/Public/photo#5184123324462879538
Let me know if you are interested and I can put you in touch with the owner of that house.
Jennifer Davis
on 01 Apr 08Portland, Oregon. Great downtown area. Driving distance to snow skiing, storm watching on the coast, winery tours, waterfall watching, and a bunch of outdoor activities (hiking, biking, etc). If you’d rather stay in, the city boasts lots of microbreweries, the art museum rents out meeting rooms, or you could stay and meet at a school converted into a pub and B&B (http://www.kennedyschool.com/).
Not only that, but vibrant open source community might even mean you have some friends in town.
Brian
on 01 Apr 08I was going to suggest Grand Haven, but I see that Marcus beat me to it.
Beautiful beaches, talented local artists, interesting local music scene, with in a few minutes drive of some great parks for hiking. Grand Haven also has a great little boardwalk, pier and lighthouse.
Grand Rapids (45 min) or Muskegon (20 min) airports are close by.
You may (or may not) want to avoid the weekend of August 3rd. That’s the closing weekend of the annual Coast Guard Festival, and the town gets a little over-run that weekend.
If you didn’t know… The resort town of “Grand Harbor” in that American Pie sequel is actually Grand Haven—well the helicopter shot as the guys are driving to the lake house anyway. :o)
CB
on 01 Apr 08Malibu, CA.
No rain. Ocean. Dolphins. 1 hr away from airport. Mountains nearby.
Brian (again)
on 01 Apr 08...not to mention the fact that you’d probably be treated like rock stars if you let the good people from Atomic Object (Grand Rapids) or ElevatorUp (Holland) know you’re coming.
... if you like that sort of thing.
Andrej Gregov
on 01 Apr 08A few ideas: 1) Palm Springs. I was there for a architectural photo class and was amazed at the mid century modern homes. You could rent a few, tour others and check out the Julius Shulman show at the local museum. This wouldn’t work for the summer—way too hot. 2) For the summer, the San Juan Islands WA are stunning. I’d stay on the San Juan and find a sea side rental. Friday Harbor is a fun place to hang after meetings. You’re also close to Seattle if you want to make that a stop.
Manuel, Æstheticrew
on 01 Apr 08@DHH: Take a chance and drag them to Kopenhavn!
Chris Zacharias
on 01 Apr 08+1 Charleston SC. Great culture, great food, the beach houses are nice. Grew up kayaking/working for a company called Coastal Expeditions. Best summer job EVER. Definitely check them out if interested in exploring the unique wilderness and/or remote beaches around there.
Damon
on 01 Apr 08Tahoe…too packed. Jackson Hole…way too packed. Bend, Or…no complaints. Whitefish, MT…Awesome. Glacier National Park & renting a house on the lake can’t be beat.
zequix
on 01 Apr 08you should really consider going out of the states… somewhere like asturias in northern spain would be nice. you would be surprised of how beautiful it is… http://www.visitasturias.co.uk/
Jim
on 01 Apr 08Whistler. No brainer.
Brian
on 01 Apr 08I second the Topsail suggestion if you’re looking to “get away” from it all. There’s not much of a night life there. That said, the properties are awesome and the beach is wonderful.
Robert Rasmussen
on 01 Apr 08Estes Park Center at Estes Park, Colorado. Suggest getting rustic cabins and embracing some constraints. Seriously, it’s a great spot.
DL
on 01 Apr 08Not a specific place recommendation, but echoing earlier comments about walkability. Taking cars out of the equation for day to day food and entertainment provides a great opportunity for even more mixing and kibitzing. Having to split up into cars for even minor errands can be a real buzz (and team) kill. It’s very easy to end up splitting along the lines of people you already know or work most closely with, without malice of course. But it defeats much of the good unification that can come out of a distributed company meetup. Smaller tourist towns like Cooperstown, NY, Hilton Head Island, SC, or Kona, HI come to mind.
Jason
on 01 Apr 08Hilton Head Island, SC, will be easier to rent a house in for a week than Charleston or Savannah and is central to both for day trips. It’s also a short drive from lovely Beaufort, SC (pronounced like Buford T. Justice, not like Beau Bridges). Just don’t go in June, July, or August—hot and crowded.
Matt Brown
on 01 Apr 08The Hamptons
Jed Sundwall
on 01 Apr 08http://www.loreto.com/
Loreto, Mexico. Major airlines fly there and you’ll feel like you’re on another planet. The Sea of Cortez is an amazing place. Beautiful, interesting, inspiring, and cheap!
If you’re feeling a tad bit more adventurous, look for a place in Mulegé, just a bit north of Loreto.
Or, just come to San Diego. I can point you to some good restaurants if you do.
BradM
on 01 Apr 08Wow, so many comments already.
We’ve used these 2 places which worked out Great if you want to be alone, have a BBQ with rather large steaks and some cold beer and warm red wine.
http://www.laurentianlodge.com/ (Ontario, Canada)
or here
http://www.mackinac.com/content/accommodations/premium.html?id=53&accommType=Hotels%20and%20Resorts
Eric Silva
on 01 Apr 08As others have posted, I recommend Portland, OR.
As far as a place to stay, check out the Ace Hotel as well as the attached Stumptown Coffee Roasters and Clyde Common restaurant. They each exceeded my expectations.
The Ace Hotel is in a good location, within walking distance to a number of things.
Nicole
on 01 Apr 08Like others, I’m throwing my recommendation to the Colorado Rockies. Sure I love mountain snow and skiing, but there aren’t many things that beat mountains in the summertime. There are some great mountain towns that are of course hopping during ski season, but are still lively in the summertime—Crested Butte (fantastic town in an amazing setting, though at 5 hrs from Denver on the outside of your four hour limit), Aspen, Breckenridge, Steamboat Springs. Going in a different direction, there’s also Estes Park in the heart of RMNP, as others have mentioned.
Although, if you all happen to hate biking, fishing, hiking, gazing at awesome scenery, beer drinking, and the like, this may not be the place for you. ;)
Adam
on 01 Apr 08Bend Oregon, Vancouver BC and Victoria BC are all excellent recommendations. Vancouver stands out especially. It’s accessible, has a vibrant culture, temperate weather, natural beauty and a prevailing atmosphere of creativity.
Ted
on 01 Apr 08Vancouver, BC.
Spring is the best season to see flowers.
Another one is Tofino at Vancouver Island, BC.
Or try one of the Gulf Islands (near Vancouver, BC).
Transportation access is a breeze. Heck you can even take a public transit (Bus) to reach the airport in less than 1 hour if you’re within Vancouver area (no matter where, border to other cities or not).
Matt Griffin
on 01 Apr 08Go to Austin, TX, and rent a house on Lake Travis. You’d probably be 30-45 minutes from the airport and in the heart of great music, tasty food (mmm…BBQ), and Shiner Bock.
Eric
on 01 Apr 08I fourth the Outer Banks in NC. It’s an amazing place, totally beautiful, and lots of rental properties. It’s one of my favorite places in the US!
tyler rooney
on 01 Apr 08that’s awesome that someone already said Tofino. +1 on that.
+1 on Montreal, as long as it’s not winter time.
And Seattle is always a good choice.
Dave
on 01 Apr 08To be different, I’m going to say Gulf Shores, AL. Most beautiful beaches on the gulf coast, the seafood (and southern food) is amazing, and it’s not a place a ton of people know about (Alabama has beaches?). Plus, it’s a bit less costly than most beaches, and the people are wonderfully nice. It’s right near Pensacola, FL airport, which is a 1 hour puddle jumper from ATL (great Delta hub). If you get bored there, there are party buses that can take you to the casinos in Biloxi, MS (no Vegas, but still fun gambling).
John
on 01 Apr 08Newark, NJ always makes me feel lucky to be alive.
Duane Hepditch
on 01 Apr 08WHISTLER RESORT. not sure what time of year your coming but Whistler is this little utopia just north of Vancouver Canada. YOu can stay at a great boutique hotel called Sundial Hotel that is right in the middle of the village. they have free wireless (which is not easy to find in Canada). Lots of meeting space and more. it has a great tech community and lots of entrepreneurial spirit. The scenery and atmosphere are truly inspiring. Www.tourismwhistler.com
Jeff Martin
on 01 Apr 08I’m curious if you guys have a map on the wall with hundreds of thumb tacks in it from all these comments. Sheesh that’s a lot to read through.
I have two recommendations:
My first recommendation goes with Chris Carter from above. Lake Chelan, Wenatchee, and Leavenworth in Central Washington state is an amazing area. Leavenworth is a Bavarian Village with lots of little shops and has several hotels and bed and breakfasts that are very accommodating for groups of your size. Not to mention the food is good.
My second recommendation is Friday Harbor and the San Juan Islands in Western Washington; 2 hours + 1 hour ferry from Seattle. There is also the ferry to Victoria, BC which is an amazing city as well. Some of the perks: Friday harbor has pretty good food, lots of cool shops, and a short drive around the Island(s) takes you to several monuments, campgrounds and Lime Kiln Park, a famous Orca/Killer Whale lookout (pods passing by almost daily).
Regardless of where you guys decide to go, I think it’d be worth while to have a day where supporters of 37signals can come and informally meet you guys, have lunch, etc. If you really want to have fun: 37s Gokart racing, 37s BBQ (preferably by a lake or beach), etc.
Just my two cents. Best of luck deciding!
Cheers, Jeff
MattH
on 01 Apr 08I mentioned Tahoe before, but the more I think about it, if you truly want to be inspired spend some time on Mackinac Island.
No automobiles on the island. Only horses and bikes. It gives you a glimpse of what life was like in simpler times.
It is about 5 hours from the Detroit airport (though there are other smaller airports closer – which would be an option for those coming from Chicago).
Jon Maddox
on 01 Apr 08I’ll put another vote in for the outer banks. Check out Corolla. Its beautiful, affordable, and just nice and quiet. Its awesome.
I’m sure Mark knows how nice it is down there. And you already have one employee near by.
Merle
on 01 Apr 08Big Island.
bowerbird
on 01 Apr 08um, da mainland is boring.
try hawaii. maui is very nice. :+)
-bowerbird
Nick
on 02 Apr 08Asheville, NC. Best place to see the Appalachians and also one of the best collections of original Art Deco architecture in the world. The weather in spring is fantastic, and a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway to watch the sun set definitely qualifies as “inspiring”. Downtown is wonderful, nice and compact, not too gentrified, lots of great restaurants. The local beers are excellent, too.
Lots of house and cabin rentals available before tourist season both in town and in the surrounding area (e.g. Black Mountain, Montreat, Saluda are close enough for day trips into town.) For a company pow-wow it’s not too tourist/vacationy, but also a lot of fun.
Acessable by major airports in Charlotte and Atlanta, though you can get direct flights from Chicago and NYC.
palmer
on 02 Apr 08Wow, lots of props for Charleston. I was born and raised there, can’t say I disagree. Boston-based now, but it’s a great place to retreat back to when a change of venue/culture/outlook/pace is in need.
Just down the coast from Charleston is a pretty sweet spot called Kiawah Island. Amazing place. Totally remote – yet Charleston, Beaufort, Savannah and the international airport are all nearby. I spent my childhood summers there, and now have a library of vivid memories to fall back on whenever the need for a warm thought arises.
(Full disclosure: I have a relative that works with the island’s rental program. Let me know if you’d be interested, I might be able to score you a deal on some nice accommodations.)
Larry Velez
on 02 Apr 08You mentioned estates,
Here are two great ones but you might need some connections to stay there, I’m sure you know the right people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartow-Pell_Mansion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kykuit
have fun.
Adam
on 02 Apr 08I live in the Bay Area of CA, and I’ve noticed a lot of posts (not a lot, but more than others) mention Napa and Sonoma. I can’t see you guys there. It’s touristy. I also don’t think it would work because you would all need vehicles to get around, or you would all need to agree on a winery tour, etc and then all pill into a vehicle. Not a lot of cabs or chance to walk from place to place unless you stick with the REALLY touristy stuff. IMHO
Anything less than 3 hrs from LA and LAX, basically leaves you in LA. San Diego is noce, if you want to stay in a city. If you want that, SF is nice too, although I don’t care for it and prices get high.
Yosemite I love. Nice area. Beautiful. Again, price may be a factor. Same with Tahoe, Palm Springs, ect. Basically, if you’ve heard of it in CA or if it’s within a 2 hour drive of any major airport, it’ll cost and depending on time of day, traffic might factor in and a 2 hour drive becomes 3-4. Again, I can’t see sitting in traffic as a want or part of your process. Just some thoughts.
Don Schenck
on 02 Apr 08You can sit on my deck, by the pool, and we can smoke cigars and sip scotch while “working” on stuff.
Just a suggestion. :-)
Jake
on 02 Apr 08I highly recommend northern east coast lighthouses. There are many that rent out the entire lighthouse and can host up to 12 people. Many are also remote if that is something of value. It likely wont be very posh, either. google lighthouse vacation and find one you like.
rick
on 02 Apr 08Man chicago’s gone to hell, so just so you guys aren’t shocked maybe you should have it in Compton or something.
Larry
on 02 Apr 08Portland or Camden Maine
Steve R.
on 02 Apr 08Allerton Park and Retreat Center, Monticello, IL. Started as the main farmstead of a very prosperous turn of the century farmer, his son traveled Europe for several years and came back with a huge collection of statuary, art, etc. that still decorate the grounds and walking trails. Now, it is a very nice retreat and a pretty easy drive from Chicago. There is an airport in Champaign for out-of-towners. Awesome place!
Christian Romney
on 03 Apr 08Miami / Fort Lauderdale.
First reason: http://www.flickr.com/photos/face_2_face/388434660/
Second reason: I’d be delighted to host the gang one afternoon for a shindig / cookout / wine tasting. And everyone loves to eat at our place: http://www.flickr.com/photos/xmlblog/2224179627/sizes/l/
Christian Romney
on 03 Apr 08hmm perhaps this would have been more convincing: http://www.flickr.com/photos/face_2_face/sets/72157594485297290/
Chris
on 03 Apr 08Amicalola Falls in N. Georgia is a great getaway, and close enough from Atlanta for an easy drive. Highly recommended.
reece
on 03 Apr 08Cape Cod. 1.5 hours from Boston. June or August are great months – all the benefits of the Cape without the tourists of July. I’m from Falmouth, which is a great spot – but I’d recommend Truro or Wellfleet. Awesome, big, ocean beaches on one side, calm bay beaches on the other side. Definitely worth checking out.
Anonymous Coward
on 03 Apr 08Go somewhere remote, get away from the city and appreciate some natural beauty.
Check out the Black Hills of South Dakota. Rent a cabin and brainstorm together without all the fast paced city life of trains, planes and automobiles. Specifically, Spearfish Canyon is gorgeous
Don Schenck
on 03 Apr 08@Christian Romney: STOP! Yer killin’ me.
RJ
on 03 Apr 08Come to Colorado. We’ll take you out for beers and laugh about the 38th Signal.
Giles Bowkett
on 04 Apr 08Santa Fe, New Mexico. It’s one of the most beautiful places on earth and there are very few programmers so you get to be anonymous, which probably doesn’t happen every time you travel and therefore will probably function as a nice change of pace. There’s tons of extremely beautiful and comfortable places you can rent incredibly cheaply, and given climate change, you really should see this kind of natural beauty while it still exists. The local culture is a bit silly but all in all it’s an incredible temporary escape.
Jason Pontius
on 04 Apr 08I’m late to the party on this one, but I have to say: rent a cabin (or a few) in the Black Hills of South Dakota. (www.crazyhorse.org is just one of the things you can do while you’re there.)
Jason Pontius
on 04 Apr 08Whoa, I just saw that someone three comments before me made the same suggestion! It must be the Zeitgeist.
Dave
on 04 Apr 08Biltmore Estate | http://www.biltmore.com
Everything you could want and more all in one place! Checkout the website & you’ll be amazed.
Joran
on 05 Apr 08Franschhoek, Cape Town, South Africa.
If you can get past the North American constraint, Franschhoek biensur!
Some of the best restaurants in South Africa and in the world.
Some of the best walks.
Some of the best wines.
Magnificent beautiful countryside.
A small town one can walk in a matter of minutes.
The home of the French Huguenots who left France during the Revolution to settle in the Cape.
Less than an hour from Cape Town International Airport.
Cape Town itself has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world (Clifton, Llandudno) and is witnessing a new artistic and music revolution. With Tokyo and Berlin maturing, the ‘geist’ could well be here. Post Apartheid and full of change and uncertainty, it’s vibrant and exciting.
Peter S
on 06 Apr 08I would recommend Breckenridge, Colorado or Winter Park, Colorado. Both are wonderful places where you can work plus have fun. There are many rentals available that will accommodate your group and both are about 2 hours from the Denver Airport.
JF
on 07 Apr 08Wow, thanks for everyone’s suggestions! Very helpful. We’ll let you know what we decide to do. There’s plenty of ideas here to last for many trips.
This discussion is closed.