Helping travelers feel at home

By Bennie Scarton Jr.

Published: July 5, 2008

For the past 40 years, travelers into Virginia have been stopping at the Virginia Welcome Center, Manassas, for help in finding getaways, travel packages, brochures, maps, lodging, events, trip ideas and directions.

They always leave satisfied with the help they received.

The Welcome Center, which is passed daily by thousands of vehicles, is on westbound Interstate 66, near the Va. 234 interchange, and is open seven days a week 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

"We are glad to assist travelers to find unusual sites, alternate travel routes and best times to explore the local and state fun passions. We want to make people coming in for trip information to make it their best vacation ever," said Kathleen Reilly, tourism relations manager at the facility. In peak travel seasons, the center has handled up to 1,000 visitors in a day.

The Manassas center is one of 13 scattered around the state and receives most of its requests for information on the Shenandoah Valley and its Civil War battlefields, caverns, covered bridges, historic hamlets, museums and winer-ies.

"We are unique in that no other state is mother to eight presidents or home to more Civil War battlefields or sites rich in African-American history. Our small towns are full of charm and we have more acres of national forest land than any other state in the east. We have world-class resorts and 130 wineries making us one of the five hottest wine regions in all the world," said Reilly.

The center has more than 500 different brochures to distribute to travelers; many cover the Manassas area.

"We get a lot of requests for what visitors can do in Manassas and we provide them with a flier that lists all of the top tourism spots. We also help them finds lodging and restaurants," said Reilly. There are 17 motels and hotels in the Manassas area to house weary travelers.

"Old Town Manassas is a little jewel and we direct visitors to go to the Visitor Center in the train depot and get information on the city attractions, including a walking tour," said Reilly.

Reilly has also invited area tourism attractions to come and talk to visitors and promote the area. These have in-cluded the Manassas Museum, Manassas National Battlefield Park, the Loy E. Harris Pavilion, Farmers Market and Old Town Manassas. They are free to spend the day at the center interacting with potential visitors and gaining valuable exposure for their business or organization.

It's also a chance to be creative, as Linda Robertson with Historic Manassas Inc. set up a booth in the center and offered samplings from the Farmers Market.

Jean Altman, assistant manager, has been at the facility for 10 years and has fielded all types of questions.

" 'Can I get a Virginia map ?' is probably the most often question I get, followed by giving directions and what is there to do in the area," she said. Newcomers locating in the area also inquire about what the area has to offer in the way of making them feel welcome.

"How may I help you?" is usually the first words Reilly and Altman ask families coming into the cen-ter. A rest area is located adjacent to the center and many picnic facilities are available for travelers.

Reilly said she has discovered that the high price of gasoline is changing the traveling plans of families.

"We are getting more requests for information for tourist attractions closer to a person's home," she said.

Another duty that Altman and Reilly enjoy doing is taking pictures of visitors posing with a replica of a life-size Thomas Jefferson in the center's lobby.

"You would be surprised how many people want a picture taken with him," said Altman with a smile.

With the gasoline prices so high, motorists who have driven by the center for years are now stopping and making their first visit.

Such was the case for Larry and Susan Mitchell, formerly of Tysons Corner but now living in Lake Anna.

"We wanted to do something with our visiting grandson, Eric Davis, 8, and decided to stop into the center to see what they would recommend. Everyone was very helpful and we discovered a lot about the area we didn't know or took for granted," said Larry Mitchell who is retired from the U.S. Air Force.

The family decided to spend the day at Monticello and Michie Tavern in Charlottesville.

"We have company coming in from Omaha and we also picked up brochures to help us keep them entertained during their visit. I never realized the center could offer so much help," said Susan Mitchell.

The Welcome Centers operate under the Virginia Tourism Corporation, which provides a variety of information for Virginia's travel industry. The travel counselors assist more than three million Virginia visitors each year, as gateways and "first-stop"

destination for traveler into the state. Each center promotes and distributes information for Virginia as a whole, but each center also influences travelers within its region.

At the Manassas center, Reilly and Altman and three part-time employees, answer inquiries on such places as Mas-sanutten's water park, Natural Bridge, golf and fishing sites, antique shops, historic museums, arts and crafts centers, theaters and galleries, festivals, camping and outdoor recreation.

"The nice thing about working here is every day is different. It's fun to interact with our visitors ... to show them what this area has to offer," said long-time assistant manager Altman.

Reilly said a day doesn't go by when a frantic lost visitor doesn't stop in for help.

"We've even had them ask how to get to some place in Texas. We assure them that they aren't lost anymore and provide information or a map to help them out. With no service stations to seek help, they rely on us," said Reilly.

Typical of the lost motorists was Pam Rohland, who was traveling from Florida to Harrisburg, Pa. She spent the night in Fredericksburg and was trying to get on Interstate 81 north but panicked when she got off Interstate 95 and wasn't sure in which direction she was headed.

The center is also a place where travelers can get coupons to save on hotels and motels as well as area attractions such as SpashDown Waterpark in Manassas and Luray Caverns. Reilly regularly visits the attractions and hotels and motels to make sure she has up-to-date information on them.

Hundreds of brochures arrive almost daily, and the employees are kept busy putting them into the display areas for visitors to pick up. "Virginia is for Lovers" bumper stickers are also available, particularly since the slogan will also be celebrating its 40th anniversary next year.

The door to the center is constantly swinging open as Reilly and Altman passionately welcome each of them as they share the area's history and its many travel destinations.

"We play a prominent role in giving Virginia visitors their first impression and we want to make it memora-ble," Reilly concluded.

No matter what travelers need to start off they vacation, the Manassas Welcome Center has them covered.

Staff writer Bennie Scarton Jr. can be reached at 703-369-6707.