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Tourism can be fun for locals too
Published Friday, May 9, 2008
Saturday marks the beginning of National Tourism Week which will run through Saturday, May 18.
National Tourism Week takes place in May each year and has done so since 1983 when U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution designating the week to be celebrated during the month of May. President Ronald Reagan signed a Presidential Proclamation during a White House ceremony, urging U.S. citizens to observe the week with “the appropriate ceremonies and activities.”
As a result of the hard work of the tourism professionals who voluntarily managed the annual event early on, industry leaders formed a permanent full-time office at the Travel Industry Association to sponsor the event and expand tourism awareness into year-round programs.
The TIA’s national theme for this year’s event is “Discover Great American Treasures,” so to model our local tourism week’s events around the national theme, we’re touting ours “Discovering Natchez Treasures.”
The events that will take place locally beginning Monday start at the Natchez Visitor Reception Center, and participants will spend the next few days visiting Natchez sites, shops and restaurants and carrying a passport that could bear wonderful treasures for them by Thursday. Local residents are invited to participate, and all those who come in contact with our visitors in any way are encouraged to participate.
Over the course of the four days of “Discovering Natchez Treasures,” participants can travel back in time to places you’ve never been before. You’ll start your journey at the Visitors Center, where you’ll be treated to the 20-minute film “The Natchez Story,” and receive your Passport and Voyager Packet complete with treasure map. From there, the ship’s captain will escort you across Canal Street to the new Hampton Inn & Suites where you’ll indulge in a complimentary lunch served pirate style.
Once you re-board your vehicle at the Visitor Center, you’ll steam upstream on Canal to the Natchez Convention Center where you’ll be greeted by Captain Bluebeard Tipton and given a tour of the center and then the Country Inn & Suites Hotel.
At 3 p.m. you’ll take a stroll up Main Street to the office of the Natchez Chamber of Commerce to learn about chamber functions and meet the new director and her staff.
The restaurants that will be participating the evening of Monday’s voyage are Pearl St. Pasta, Cock-of-the-Walk and King’s Tavern; and the Peacock Lounge at the Natchez Eola Hotel will be offering two for one beverages from 5-7 p.m.
Each dining establishment that is participating throughout the week are offering discounts of various sorts and the 38 participating retail shops around town will have refreshments and light snacks each day.
Each day holds a different variety of activities and ports-of-call in which to visit or learn about. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will feature tours of St. Mary Basilica, Natchez in Historic Photographs and the First Presbyterian Church, The NAPAC Museum, The Temple B’Nai Israel, The George W. Armstrong Library, The Natchez Little Theater, Natchez City Cemetary, Historic Jefferson College, The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians and the Forks of the Road site.
For a complete schedule and partipating restaurants, please stop by the Natchez Visitor Reception Center for a brochure. All tours are free to participants and there will be a grand prize drawing on Thursday when you turn in your stamped passport. You can participate on all four days if you wish or any of the four days you can make the time.
If you’ve ever been stumped by a question from a tourist about where something is, or what there is to see and to in Natchez, next week’s “Discover Natchez Treasures” is the perfect opportunity to brush up on your tourism ambassador skills. Bon voyage!
Sally Durkin works for the Natchez Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.
Comments
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on May 9, 2008 at 1:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I hope among the treasures on display will be the new prison facility, the three empty factories, the housing project out on Pine Ridge Road, and a special tour of the empty houses about town.
Perhaps Captain Bluebeard can say a word or two about the plunder of GATT and NAFTA, the booty of cotton imperialism and its new manifestations, and end his presentation by showing off the area's new class of peasants at the Social Security Office.
Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on May 9, 2008 at 2:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
EnKiKur is there a good reason you didn't run for mayor??? Is it to late to rethink it lol...
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on May 9, 2008 at 2:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
yeah, I don't live in Natchez!
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on May 9, 2008 at 2:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I did grow up right next to the old Fat Mama's though, back when real people lived in Natchez living real lives. It was a nice town back then!
Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on May 9, 2008 at 12:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
That's to bad......Natchez USE to be the place to raise a family......
Posted by Yeahuhuh (anonymous) on May 9, 2008 at 2:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You guys sound miserable!
What about getting a new girlfriend, or buy you a kayak and go sit in some quiet bayou over in Concordia?
There has got to be something better to do than dis on folks who are trying to make money like everybody else in this country is.
Posted by VillageIdiot (anonymous) on May 10, 2008 at 7:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"Discovering Natchez Treasures" sounds like a great way of celebrating National Tourism Week. I encourage everyone to come out and participate. Often you find that everything that you need is right in front of you.
Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on May 10, 2008 at 9:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, at least the name for the person right over me is correct. What an idiot. I am planning to take my family to Blue Bayou in Baton Rouge very soon. I will tour their parking lot and go see the local fast food restruant that has not been shut down by the preservation commission........
Posted by Hardcorps (anonymous) on May 10, 2008 at 9:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Some things EnKiKur says are right on. Sad to say. Perhaps the class distinction wasn't so noticeable then. The old rich peeps back then had earned it. Today we have nouveau riche by inheritance and the smell of roses wafts from their derrieres every morning.
I am a proud untouchable.
I love it when some yuppie in a suit looks at me on Main Street like he just smelled Lassie's yesterday Alpo and I know that I make twice as much coin as he does.
Reality or foreclosure will hurt when it hits him.
Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on May 10, 2008 at 10:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I just wish the toruist folks in Natchez would back something like Blue Bayou in Natchez. It is something that I can do with my kids. My kids have been raised in the video age and do not want to walk around and listen to some lying hoopskirt wearing old blue-haired bitty talking about a house that is older than dirt...they want to do something fun and exciting. I do not blame them. I want the same thing. I do not want to hear her lie about the stupid old houses.....
And now, the Natchez Nazis are stopping the construction on a tamale shop because they did not want it and are using the new natchez nazi planner to do it....This is just the place I want to bring my kids and have a "fun" weekend.......
Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on May 10, 2008 at 6:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wouldn't that be nice redusmfan?
Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on May 10, 2008 at 7:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
it is a dream. All that Natchez wants is some stupid white water dream they had a few years ago. It never materialized, but the powers in charge did not want an attraction that would bring in "local Yokels" They wanted something that would bring in Yuppie Puppies.....
Thsi is the exact reason the average person in Natchez does not trust the people in charge. The feeling is that the average person is just used as a pawn in all the political games. There is no trust and the powers in charge do not seem to care. They seemed to be determined to do it the way they want and watch as average joe and his children move out of town. The whole time they are patting themselves on the back and talking about what a wonderful town they have created and the average house in the town is falling down and boarded up....
Well, break your da## arm patting yourself on the back...just fiddle away as Natchez burns to the ground....from now on we will just call yall"" Natchez Nero Nazis....""
The NNN will do what they want and never give any thought to the average joe in town.
Godd luck NNN, you will need it to hold this town up on your own.
Posted by VillageIdiot (anonymous) on May 14, 2008 at 6:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
redusmfan, I am an idiot, because I can't understand why anyone with such disdain for Natchez bothers to read the Democrat and post hundreds of, mostly negative, comments. Your comments are repetitive, unconstructive criticism and often combative. Furthermore, I find your flipant use of the term "Nazi" to be utterly tasteless. Enjoy Blue Bayou.
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