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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION


JUNE 2012


Tourists ❚ Continued from page 1


I-75, he says, find the state’s VICs a convenient place to take a break from driving and pick up maps or tourism information. The Visitor Information Center


specialists “are Georgia’s front line” for developing the state’s tourism industry, Selby adds. They give advice, make suggestions about what to see or do along the way and ask people to come back and visit again. “You’ll get more information in 10-


Destinations DESTINATIONS is a special section to


Smoke Signals, Big Canoe’s newspaper 11293 Big Canoe, Big Canoe, GA 30143 www.bigcanoenews.com sales@bigcanoenews.com


P U B L I S H E D B Y T H E Big Canoe


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BUSINESS MANAGER Carl Deane


cdeane@bigcanoenews.com 706-579-1462


MANAGING EDITOR Christopher Barker


cbarker@bigcanoenews.com 404-643-8350


ADVERTISING SUPERVISOR Judy Harvey


sales@bigcanoenews.com 678-925-8511


GRAPHIC ARTIST Barbara Smith


barbarasmith@tds.net 770-737-2117


CREATIVE DIRECTOR Diane Smith


wgraphics@mac.com 706-579-1233


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SALES REPRESENTATIVES Sarah Mansfield smansfield@bigcanoenews.com 770-402-3839


Steve Melching


smelching@bigcanoenews.com 678-360-3712


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SPECIAL SECTION WRITERS Doris Dressler John Mansfield Betsy Robinson Barbara Schneider Robert Smith Lynda Zblewski


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CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS John Mansfield Robert Smith


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15 minutes than from reading a stack of ‘what to see’ tourist guidebooks. And, they always know the best places to eat,” Shelby adds with a smile. Out-of-state visitors often travel the


same routes each year, especially those who winter in the South. They tend to stop at the same VIC on each trip. “These visitors get to know the VIC specialists they see each year; many develop friendships and keep in touch. And visitors always want to know what’s new to see or do this year. “We want to educate them on the


state of Georgia, give them enough information about what is available and encourage them to spend a night or two.” To help visitors find the real South, the


state’s tourism department has developed themed driving trails that draw visitors to nooks and crannies of history and culture throughout the countryside – from antebellum homes to the new Gone with the Wind trail that will run from Marietta to Jonesboro. To commemorate the 150th


anniversary of the Civil War, the tourism division is working with local communities to promote the many Civil War attractions found only in Georgia. The website — http://www.gacivilwar.org/-- includes


Gone with the Wind - Road to Tara Museum - Jonesboro.


events and activities. Visitors’ interests change, and the


most successful destinations, says Selby, anticipate those changes and adapt. The state stands ready to help in a hands-on way. Georgia Tourism’s Product


Development Office, a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, works with communities to enhance “tourism potential,” beginning with a four-day reconnaissance and strategy visit to the community selected. Ten Resource Team members,


consisting of representatives from the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Department of Community Affairs, Department of Natural Resources, a communications consultant, and the Georgia Council for the Arts, travel to the community and work with local leadership. They take a fresh look at local tourism-


related historical or cultural assets that — in a “can’t see the forest for the trees” perspective — may have been overlooked by local residents. The team assesses local


E N T E R T A I N M E N T


essentially a long-jump competition for dogs – but instead of landing in sand, the dogs run to the end of a dock and dive into the water. Competitions are won based on the distance the dogs cover once they leave the dock. And don’t believe the proverb that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Whether your


C


dog is an experienced dock diver or a newbie, your canine buddy is guaranteed to have a doggone good time! There will be open dock practice time before each event and staff members to assist you. For more information, go to dixiedockdogs.com. After the competition, be sure to stop in the dog-friendly Cohutta Country Store where you will find something for everyone, including the family pet. It’s a one-stop-shopping destination for the entire family you won’t want to miss.


Cohutta Country Store • 83 Dunbarton Farm Road, Blue Ridge, GA 30513 • (706) 946-6366 Email: info@cohuttacountrystore.com • Website: www.cohuttacountrystore.com • • •


This athletic yellow lab shows off his athletic prowess in the Big Air dock diving competition. Photo provided by Dixie Dock Dogs.


celebrates the dog days of summer Cohutta Country Store


ohutta Country Store and Dixie Dock Dogs will be sponsoring the Cohutta’s Blue Ridge Challenge, three fun-filled days of dock diving in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, June 22-24. Dock diving is one of the fastest-growing dog sports in the country and is


heritage tourism, cultural assets, nature- based tourism and agritourism. After the discovery phase, the team


inventories and evaluates the assets, helping identify those that have broad appeal and are most likely to encourage a tourism-based economy. The team also looks for show-stoppers, those obstacles that may limit or jeopardize the effort. After analysis and evaluation, the team reports back with recommendations, offers implementation ideas and, adds Selby, may even be able to help the community find grant money. Selby has a piece of sound advice for


the state’s visitors: “Get off the interstate; drive down rural highways to visit the great small towns across the state.” He urges visitors and residents alike


to experience the charm of authentic downtowns with little shops and cafés with local recipes that serve food grown on nearby farms. Make time to see where history was made at local Civil War sites. Stand in the places where brave soldiers on both sides once stood and fought. Check out the wonders of Georgia.


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