Employees of Siloam Springs' Arkansas Welcome Center never know what a day's work might bring, from impromptu weddings on the lawn to visitors from the other side of the world.
In one short May morning, the employees helped a couple from New York plan their road trip across the state, congratulated a young couple on their way to get married in Eureka Springs, and hosted a family on the way to visit their youngest son at the University of Arkansas.
Every day approximately 25,000 vehicles pass up and down the stretch of U.S. Highway 412 that makes its way through Siloam Springs. Some of those vehicles contain employees commuting to work or locals running errands, but others hold travelers making their way to destinations across the country.
The Arkansas Welcome Center at Siloam Springs, located at the Arkansas/Oklahoma state line, provides a safe place for travelers to pick up a map, refill their coffee mugs, find clean restrooms or just stretch their legs. But perhaps the most valuable resource for travelers is the knowledgeable staff.
Manager Betty Ross, Assistant Manager Cindy Higdon and Certified Travel Consultant William Cole work hard to make sure that all travelers are welcomed to the state with a friendly face and have all the information they need for their trip.
About ArkansasWelcome Centers
There are 13 Arkansas Welcome Centers located at strategic points of entry around the state, Ross said. An additional Welcome Center is housed in the central office in Little Rock.
The Welcome Centers display more than 1,000 approved Arkansas publications and brochures. Welcome Center staff also pass out maps, Arkansas pens for those who collect travel pens, as well as stickers and coloring books to keep kids occupied on long car rides.
The Arkansas Welcome Centers are open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Over the summer months the center stays open an hour later until 6 p.m., according to Ross. The center only closes for New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and a half-day on Christmas Eve.
The Welcome Center has a lobby, decorated with giant pictures of Siloam Springs, restrooms and a small museum. Outside is a park with covered picnic tables, grills and water faucets available for visitors, who are allowed to camp for one night. Many local residents don't realize the park is always available for picnics, Ross said.
Even though the Welcome Center may close overnight, the restrooms are always open. Arkansas Highway Department employees keep the park and restrooms clean, and Siloam Springs Police regularly patrol the area to keep it safe, Ross said.
Ross has a naturally warm and welcoming personality. She worked as a hotel manager for 25 years before taking the job of Welcome Center Manager nine years ago. The customer service skills she learned in the hotel business translate perfectly to her new career.
Ross has personalized the Welcome Center with Razorback memorabilia and has a collection of little glass bluebirds of happiness, which she buys at garage sales. When travelers who are celebrating a special milestone, such as a wedding or anniversary, visit the Welcome Center, Ross gives them a bluebird to help commemorate the occasion.
All Welcome Center employees receive specialized training on topics such as geography, history and culture, attractions, directional information, traveler safety and economic information, and must pass an exam to earn their certifications.
"We try to be prepared to tell people what they need to know, Ross said.
It takes a special set of skills to be a Welcome Center employee. Some skills, such as patience and being a good listener are obvious, while others, such as the ability to read a map upside down as they give directions to travelers or quickly find one of 1,000 approved travel brochures the center stocks, are more surprising.
Each year, the statewide Welcome Center program hosts two tours for staff members to help familiarize them with the 12 tourism regions of Arkansas. Employees get to experience local attractions first-hand so they can give personal recommendations to travelers.
"We know every restaurant from here to Tennessee," Ross said.
Selling Arkansas
"Our job is to sell Arkansas, we want people to spend money in Arkansas," said Ross.
If selling Arkansas is their number one priority, selling Siloam Springs is a close second, according to Ross. The Welcome Center employees make an effort to encourage visitors to get off the beaten path and visit downtown Siloam Springs. John Brown University is a big draw as well as the city's parks.
"Selling Siloam Springs is easy," she said.
The largest percentage of people who visit the Welcome Center are headed to Eureka Springs or Branson, Mo., Ross said. Bentonville, with Wal-Mart's home offices, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Amazeum, is another popular attraction.
"We have everything right here," Ross said. "We have everything within a short distance."
The majority of travelers that pass through the Welcome Center are from Oklahoma and Texas, but some have been from as far away as Japan, Switzerland and Germany. Many times, international travelers fly into the Tulsa International Airport and stop at the Welcome Center on their way to attractions such as Crystal Bridges or the Walmart Shareholder's Meeting, Ross said. Craft shows in the fall also bring a rush of travelers, Ross said.
Tourism has a big impact on Arkansas and Siloam Springs. In 2015, the most recent year numbers are available, tourism brought in $7.28 billion to Arkansas and $346,646,587 to Benton County, according to the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
Although exact numbers are not available for Siloam Springs, tourism is growing in the city. In recent years, Siloam Springs has seen an increased focus on outdoor activities with the new Kayak Park, walking and biking trails, Sky Dive Sky Ranch, Dogwood Junction, planned amenities at City Lake and with the anticipated arrival of Phat Tire later this summer, according to Wayne Mays, Chamber president and CEO.
The Siloam Springs Chamber Tourism Committee, chaired by Christina Drake, is focused on these amenities and the groups coming to town because of them. Ross serves on the committee and does a great job of advocating for Siloam Springs, he said.
"Betty Ross and her staff are wonderful supporters of the community," Mays said. "They try very hard to route visitors through downtown via Holly or Mt. Olive (Streets), which helps folks see the 'real' Siloam Springs."
All in a Day's Work
The best part of working at the Welcome Center is the variety of people who visit, Higdon said.
"People make it different every day," she said.
The Welcome Center has regulars who come through on a weekly, monthly and sometimes even annual basis, Higdon said. Some visitors develop a friendship with the Welcome Center staff and even bring them treats when they stop by.
The Welcome Center holds a special place in some traveler's hearts. One particular dog loved the center so much that he would get excited when his family drove into town, Higdon said. When the dog died, the family asked permission to spread his ashes in the park around the center since it was his favorite place to visit.
The Arkansas Welcome Center Siloam Springs has seen its fair share of happy events. It's not uncommon for visitors to hold weddings in the park outside the center. Ross explained that Oklahoma marriage licenses have a waiting period while Arkansas licenses do not, so couples sometimes meet at the Welcome Center to hold their wedding in Arkansas.
Ross recalled one visitor who stopped and asked the Welcome Center staff for the number of a wildlife rehabilitation center. Ross peeked outside and discovered the man had a raccoon strapped in the front seat of his car with a seatbelt, wearing the man's jacket, just sitting up and looking around like a person, she said. The man had found the animal alongside the road, injured from being ran over, but still alive and decided to rescue it, wrapping it in his coat to keep it warm.
"How he didn't get clawed to death, I will never know," she said with a laugh.
Ross helped him find a phone number and address for a local veterinarian that could help the animal recover.
Sometimes groups stop by looking for the old Gypsy Camp, a girl's summer camp along Arkansas Highway 59, or have questions about the Civil War, Higdon said. Other times, visitors just need someone to lend a sympathetic ear or need an encouraging hug to send them on their way, Ross said.
General News on 06/28/2017