CLEARFIELD – Visit Clearfield County (VCC) recently hosted more than 30 Welcome Center employees from across Pennsylvania for their annual meeting and first-ever Clearfield County familiarization (FAM) tour.
For VCC, the tour served as an opportunity to showcase the county’s tourism assets to individuals who are meeting and greeting visitors to Pennsylvania. It was designed to educate and provide a hands-on experience of popular destinations within the county.
They started the tour with their annual meeting that was held at the Clearfield County Career and Technology Center (CCCTC). They were later provided with dinner and entertainment in DuBois, including a tour of the Winkler Gallery of Fine Art.
The next day, they traveled through the winding state Route 879 into the natural beauty of the Quehanna Wild Area, the largest wild area in the east. Afterward, they visited the Elk Viewing Center as well as the Parker Dam State Park, where their tour highlighted the park’s rich history and outdoor recreation opportunities with an educational walk. Their final destination was the Grice Museum in downtown Clearfield, where they were able to view the 70-plus antique and classic cars and the more than 700 game mounts.
With only a half-day left for adventure, they were driven along the West Branch Susquehanna Byway to the Bee Kind Winery and given a tour of the facility and the surrounding grounds. From there, they walked along Rails to Trails to learn the history of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and the importance of recreation to the county’s tourism product.
Then, after a short motor coach ride, they toured the Curwensville Lake Recreation Area. They learned about the no horsepower boating restrictions, miles of hiking trails and overnight camping opportunities. The tour ended with an educational and recreational experience at Bilger’s Rocks in Grampian, which is more than 300 million years old.
The Welcome Center employees were excited about the many assets Clearfield County has to offer travelers to Pennsylvania. VCC, Clearfield County’s tourism promotion agency, observed the impact tours like this have on the entire region and plans to explore opportunities to continue such prospects, said Director Holly Komonczi.