I very often eschew the conference hotels, which are chosen because they're big enough for hundreds of people. A lot of the time I can find a small, privately owned hotel that's cheaper (even with conference discounts) and has a much nicer atmosphere. In this case, the bonus river made the choice very easy, and I wasn't the only attendee who made it :-)

I do love mountain goats. I see them sometimes at Mount Rainier National Park, but this is the only time I've seen them elsewhere.