Tourism news: Summer is here

The seasons have changed, the sun is shining and the Information Centers are gearing up to welcome more than 50,000 visitors to our area.

That is a pretty incredible number, when you realize that the staff in the RJ Houle and the North Shore Information centers greet each and every visitor with a friendly smile and assist them with whatever their needs might be.

By the end of the summer, we are experts on hiking, biking, fishing, camping, hotels, motels, picnics, dog-walking, kayaking, canoeing, wedding planning, housing markets, festivals, ATVs, ore boats, berry picking, romantic getaways, local shopping, museums, lighthouses, cemeteries, agate hunting, waterfalls, state parks, whale watching, wildlife and family genealogy.

These are just a few of the many topics and questions we assist with every day. Did I mention the 600-plus packets of information, addressed, stamped and hauled to the post office monthly, the 500-plus monthly e-mails and the hundreds of phone calls?

These two little buildings are such an incredible resource to travelers; however, most locals are not quite sure what goes on in there. I want to extend an invitation to you, the locals, to stop on in, say hello and check out the loads of information available.

I guarantee you will learn something new about a place you call home.

Janelle Jones is tourism director at the Two Harbors Area Chamber of Commerce.