(Saint Paul, MN) Saint Paul has always been proud of its Mississippi River heritage, but during a year in which the city celebrates its sesquicentennial as well as the reenactment of a magnificent excursion that led to its growth and development, planners who want to celebrate and meet on the river are given more options than ever before.

Saint Paul's diverse selection of unique meeting venues is second to none, ranging from the 100 year-old Landmark Center to the colorful Minnesota Children's Museum to the majestic Fitzgerald Theater, home of Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion.

The city also has a large selection of outdoor venues including parks, zoos, college campuses, fairgrounds and riverboats and is pleased to introduce two great new choices on downtown's Mississippi Riverfront, The Paradise Lady Yacht, and the River Room at the Minnesota Boat Club, managed by Radisson Hotels. River Room at The Minnesota Boat Club Raspberry Island, Saint Paul, MN (opened July, 2003).

The Minnesota Boat Club has been a fixture on Raspberry Island, on downtown Saint Paul's Mississippi Riverfront since 1910. Last summer this historic structure was totally renovated and reopened as the River Room at the Minnesota Boat Club. Managed by the Radisson Riverfront Hotel, the Boat Club offers banquet space for up to 150 and can accommodate 180 for receptions. In keeping its nautical feel, the Boat Club features rich dark woodwork and a terrazzo floor. With 360 degree views of the Mississippi River and the Saint Paul skyline, this is a terrific new option for small meetings, banquets or receptions.

Contact: Jeff Briner, Radisson Riverfront Hotel, 651-292-1900 [email protected]

The newest excursion vessel on Saint Paul's Mississippi Riverfront is the Paradise Lady, a 96 ft. 150-passenger yacht moored on Raspberry Island on downtown?s riverfront. The Paradise Lady will be available for evening cocktail or dinner cruises as well as afternoon or Sunday Brunch excursions. Paradise Charter Cruises will offer full meal and bar service via its in-house caterer, and a wide variety of entertainment and themed cruises will also be available.

Contact: David James Lawrance, Paradise Charter Cruises, 952-474-8058, [email protected]

www.paradisechartercruises.com

Also relatively new in Saint Paul is the $10 million skyway-tunnel pedestrian connection, which provides a direct climate-enclosed link from the convention complex to downtown hotels, shops, restaurants and attractions, allowing visitors to go from their meetings to hotel rooms, evening entertainment or concert venues without putting on a coat or boots, carrying an umbrella or dealing with additional driving and parking. This connection truly allows Saint Paul to be competitive as a four-season convention and visitor destination. The city offers 1500 downtown rooms and 3000 suburban hotel rooms in the Saint Paul area. A wonderful new choice for corporate meetings is Wildwood Lodge.

This luxurious 99-room property, conveniently located along I-94 ten minutes east of downtown Saint Paul in Lake Elmo, offers big city amenities in a spacious suburban setting. The luxurious lobby welcomes guests with a stunning fieldstone fireplace and the décor throughout features a soothing palate of creams, taupe, browns, black and pewter. Custom designed sculptures and paintings add texture and interest to both the guestrooms and common areas. Six meeting rooms offer over 6000 sq ft of function space, and the airy atrium pool area is ideal for receptions. Wildwood Lodge prides itself on the concept and delivery of one stop meeting and event planning. Each meeting room is equipped with floor recessed power, high speed internet dataports, electronic screens from the ceiling and individually controlled sound and light controls.

The guestrooms offer 15 different suite plans, and each spacious room features sleek black pivot desks, two phones with voice mail, complimentary high-speed internet access, 12-cup coffee maker and featherbed mattress and comforter with goose down pillows. All guests also enjoy complimentary breakfast at the adjacent Machine Shed Restaurant, complimentary 24-hour business center, fitness center, pool and daily newspaper.

Contact: Joel Larson, Director of Sales, 651-714-8068, [email protected]

www.thewildwoodlodge.com

A major event taking place throughout the upper Midwest this summer is Grand Excursion 2004, a celebration of the upper Mississippi which will culminate with the largest steamboat flotilla to travel up the Mississippi in 150 years.

This is a once in a life time opportunity to treat your clients, employees and co-workers to a spectacular event they'll be sure to remember. It?s also a unique activity for association or hobbyist groups of any size who may appreciate experiencing the reenactment of the 1854 Grand Excursion through America?s heartland.

Whether you're looking to fill an hour, an evening, an entire day, or 10 full days - Grand Excursion 2004 has numerous options that will work for your group. From June 25 through July 5, 2004, a flotilla of magnificent riverboats will travel from the Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/Saint Paul to celebrate the renaissance of the upper Mississippi River region and commemorate the original Grand Excursion of 1854 on its 150th anniversary.

The riverboats will arrive in Saint Paul on July 3rd and citizens and visitors alike will greet the flotilla with pomp and circumstance worthy of this incredible event. Along with the free shoreline activities, there will be several opportunities to book breakfast, lunch, dinner, moonlight, harbor, day-long and parade cruises. Ticket prices range from $24 for a one-hour excursion to $148 for a day-long port-to-port cruise with three meals. All ticket options aboard participating vessels can be viewed and ordered via the web site www.grandexcursion.com or by calling 1-866-GEX-2004. Tickets for charters, groups of 20 or more or all inclusive 11-day cruises from St. Louis to Saint Paul aboard the deluxe Delta Queen and Mississippi Queen, two of the participating vessels, can also be purchased by calling the ticketing number 1-866-GEX-2004.

As the final destination of the 400-mile Grand Flotilla, Saint Paul host committee leaders have put together a litany of events and welcome ceremonies worthy of this celebration of the upper Mississippi, which coincides with the 150th anniversary of Saint Paul's incorporation as a city. On the banks of the Mississippi River in Saint Paul, the world's largest balloon arch will frame the Mississippi downtown Saint Paul, while the Taste of Minnesota festival takes place on Harriet Island. You will not want to be anywhere other than Saint Paul on July 3-4, 2004.

Saint Paul is celebrating its river heritage throughout 2004 and numerous events will take place during the year. Special performances include Grand Excursion, the Musical, a Mississippi River Traveling Revue song and dance show, plays aboard the Minnesota Centennial Showboat at Harriet Island and special commissioned Grand Excursion works by the Minnesota Chamber Orchestra. Special exhibits include The Audubon Ark, a traveling river education boat, the Cloudy Waters exhibit at the Minnesota History Center, the History of Rowing on the Mississippi at the Minnesota Boat Club, the New Science Park at the Science Museum of Minnesota and the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis, a tribute to the city?s history as the most prominent mill town in the Midwest. For a complete listing of community activities as well as descriptions and itineraries of each of the participating boats please visit the Grand Excursion website www.grandexcursion.com.