Pikeville welcomes tourism group to town
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When tourists stop at Tennessee Welcome Centers, those staffing the centers will be able to share their first-hand experiences by visiting all areas of the state. Last week, a group of 25 representing all 16 Tennessee Welcome Centers visited Sequatchie, Bledsoe, Rhea, and Polk counties.
Dani Crear, Welcome Center coordinator with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development was leading the group.
“We do these tours twice a year,” said Crear, “and we are on our journey to hit all 95 counties. We’ve hit about 80 of them in the state so far. We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to take our front line staff out.”
This type of training opportunity allows the staff to make a difference for tourists when they visit a Welcome Center and they can share what they experienced about a place elsewhere in their state, explained Crear.
“They’re able to give that firsthand experience to staff and to our visitors and tell them all about,” she said. “Like, ‘if you go eat here, this is what I ordered. These are the things I’ve experienced.’ So it really does allow us to take that extra mile with our customer service.”
Even though their entire Welcome Center staff was not on the trip, those who are go back and share it with their staff to make sure everyone can share about different areas of the state when asked, said Crear.
While in Dunlap, Sequatchie County-Dunlap Chamber of Commerce Director Janis Kyser and Publisher Sandy Dodson with The Dunlap Tribune and The Bledsonian-Banner presented each of the guests with a copy of the book, Cruising Tennessee’s Great Valley: A Photographic Journey Through The Sequatchie Valley. The book features over 200 photos of various scenes in the Sequatchie Valley from Marion County through Sequatchie and Bledsoe County and into Cumberland County. Many of the places the group visited while in Sequatchie and Bledsoe counties are featured in the book that are on the Sequatchie Valley National Scenic Byway.
One of the Welcome Center staff said she plans to take the book back to her center, and display so people can look through the book. She will be able share more about what she experienced and encourage them to visit this area.
In Pikeville, the team only had half a day starting the morning with a trip to Justin P. Wilson State Park: The Head of the Sequatchie River. The group took the short hike to Devil Step Cave and learned about it. They observed where the Sequatchie River flows from the ground and widens as it meanders southward.
After that they strolled along Main Street and Spring Street to do some shopping at It’s Lola’s, Red Bird Mercantile, The Lazy Buzzard, Coffee Cup Antiques, Ember’s Emporium, and Spring Street Antiques. Some explored the Veterans Memorial Park, Pikeville Farmers Market, and the Dr. James Ross House and Museum. The group was treated to a sweet from Miller’s Bread by Billy Joe Brown with Crye-Leike Brown Realty. Then they enjoyed lunch at The Butter Dish before heading back to their different parts of the state.
In Dunlap, the group visited the hang gliding ramp, Thomas Austin’s airbnb near the ramp, Rolling Oak Distillery, and the Dunlap Coke Ovens. They ate lunch at Andy’s Pizza & Steak House, and supper at the Cookie Jar Cafe.
Prior to visiting Dunlap and Pikeville, the group spent a day in Rhea County. They visited the Scopes Trial Museum, ate lunch at Monkeytown Brewery, learned about the Bill Dance Fishing Tournament coming to Dayton, and floated on the Tennessee River a pontoon boat.
In Polk County they started at the Ocoee River visiting the whitewater rafting places and various places there.
