It is heartening to hear local tourism groups talking about working together. It’s something I’ve been hoping would happen for years. From the days when I worked at Arrowhead Electric in Lutsen to my work at the newspaper, I have frequently heard visitors say that it can be difficult to get information for vacation travels.
Folks who live in the county may not realize how confusing it is to look for information about the beautiful area that is Cook County. There are websites, yes—there’s a website for the Lutsen-Tofte Tourism Association—which also covers Schroeder, although that township is not named. There’s another website for the Gunflint Trail and another for Grand Marais—but isn’t the Gunflint Trail in Grand Marais? Then there’s Grand Portage, with its casino fun and amazing trails of all types, all on its own with a Grand Portage site.
It’s a bit confusing when you actually enter the county, as well. Again, there are many places to get tourism information, starting shortly after crossing the county line. There’s Sugarloaf Interpretive Center, which offers spectacular views of Lake Superior, nature trails, and information on natural resources throughout the county. There’s the magnificently restored Cross River Heritage Center with its interesting exhibits on the Schroeder area. A few miles down the road is an “official” tourism information center, hosted by the Lutsen-Tofte Tourism Association, housed in the North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum. Tucked amidst exquisite exhibits of the North Shore’s historic fishing past is tourism information on the immediate area. In Lutsen there is no tourism information center, but the ski hill and the golf course are favorite tourist stops. When a visitor gets to the outskirts of Grand Marais, there’s the recently opened tourism officeof Thunder Bay’s Fort William Heritage Center—70 miles away.
Finally reaching Grand Marais, the county seat, there is another tourism information center—thankfully just one. Until just a few years ago, the Gunflint Trail Association and the Grand Marais Area Tourism Association maintained separate tourism offices. That was incredibly confusing to visitors. It is nice to see that they are both housed in one space, under the “BWCAW Information” canoe, next to Grand Marais City Hall.
There are no other tourism information centers, although the Gunflint Trail Association will undoubtedly have information at the Chik-Wauk Museum at the end of the Gunflint Trail when it opens next summer. And Grand Portage provides information at several locations, the Lodge & Casino and the National Monument. The Grand Portage State Park Interpretive Center—also to be completed this summer—will also offer countywide information, I’m sure.
It will be nice if all the tourism associations can find a way to work together in a more meaningful way. It would be nice if at any stop, visitors heard glowing recommendations of other stops to visit on their travels. Instead of worrying about capturing a guest for a weekend, our tourism groups need to find a way to get them to come back, time and again, for more than a weekend. They can only do that by enticing visitors to not only take part in the activities at their location—not just the Alpine Slide or High Falls; not just Temperance River or Devil Track campground—but also Magnetic Rock and Eagle Mountain and the Grand Marais lighthouse or the hundreds of other interesting places to enjoy. There are enough wonderful places in Cook County to keep a wanderer happy for months— or more. I know, I’ve lived here half my life and I haven’t visited them all yet.
A good traveler has no fixed plans
and is not intent on arriving.
Lao-Tzu
Leave a Reply