Summer is under way and activity at the Visitor Center (VC) is picking up. Our first influx of tourists has included retirees and some foreign visitors. Now that school is out, we will begin seeing families. Visitors typically seek information about Mesa Verde, a place to eat and a place to stay.
The Mancos Valley Ambassadors are the VC volunteers who direct people to the things they are interested in doing. We work hard to have people spend a little time and maybe a few dollars in Mancos before they venture off to explore Mesa Verde or to seek a fishing hole or hiking and biking trails. No special knowledge is required other than an interest in meeting people and helping them with their travel plans. If you are someone who likes to work with computers, I always have some interesting projects to work on that include our website, database information and even our Facebook page. If you are looking for something fun and interesting to do this summer, the VC might be a good fit for you. The Ambassador Program can also work with your summer schedule. After all, we know that you want to have fun this summer too.
The VC is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. The VC is located at 101 E. Bauer, next to Boyle Park. Please, call 533-7434 to set up an appointment to learn more about becoming a Mancos Valley Ambassador.
To build up more interest in the Mancos Valley, I attended the secondnd annual National Geographic Geotourism Fair held at the Aztec Ruins on Saturday, June 1. I learned that the Mancos Valley has many fans living in northern New Mexico. Folks frequently mentioned being familiar with Mancos State Park, our proximity to Mesa Verde, our galleries and our restaurants. They also stated that they enjoy coming to Mancos during the summer months to cool off, do some camping and maybe horseback riding. They enjoy the downtown for the galleries and several mentioned stopping in at the Absolute Bakery and Fahrenheit Coffee Roasters. We need to encourage their continued interest in our community.