We’re On The Map

I nserted in this week's edition of the Times, you will find something new and special. It's a tabloid newspaper that looks a bit like the Blue Mountain News. The cover shows Dayton's Stationmaster statue and the clock on Waitsburg's Main Street with rolling spring wheat fields behind them.

This, we are proud to announce, is our first Touchet River Valley Visitor's Guide, a collaborative venture with the Blue Mountain News. It is supported by members of the Touchet Valley Tourism Alliance.

Among other things, the alliance's marketing committee suggested that we change the name of the area we refer to as Touchet Valley, so it wouldn't be confused with the town of Touchet near Walla Walla.

We like the sound of Touchet River Valley. It's longer to say, but it reflects more accurately where we are, and it gives a sense of connectedness from the water that flows through our towns.

This 32-page resource for travelers and visitors to our area has listings for dining, lodging, historic sites, art studios, recreation, events, includes a center map and much more. It's a friendly invitation to come see our towns, enjoy them and stay a while.

We will be producing two of these guides per year: one edition for spring and summer, and one for fall and winter.

We printed 12,000 copies of this year's first edition to be distributed here, in Walla Walla, in the Tri-Cities and in the Lewiston-Clarkston area.

Although it's designed for visitors, we hope local residents will find it as useful as the tourists and newcomers who are looking for a key to our many establishments and amenities. You too might discover new offerings, the dates of this year's events or other things you didn't know.

Please use the guide as a resource for those who are visiting you at home. Give it to the bikers you may be hosting during the Tour of Walla Walla, to family members from out of town, to business visitors or to friends you've been meaning to entice to come to our corner of the state.

Copies of the guide are available at the Times office, where you can also get information about advertising in the next guide we'll put together late this summer.

We have a lot of people to thank for this publication, which we hope will help inspire travelers to get to know our towns and patronize our businesses.

From our own staff: managing editor Dian McClurg, advertising manager Bob Nowell, administrative assistant Norma Bessey and circulation coordinator Jim Walsh.

From the Blue Mountain News team: publisher Ken Graham, advertising manager Tanya Patton, and designers Vanessa and Josh Heim.

We want to thank the members of the tourism alliance, the Dayton Chamber of Commerce and the many advertisers in our communities.

We are grateful for the support we have received from Walla Walla Union Bulletin publisher Rob Blethen and members of its production staff, including Vera Hammill and John Partlow.

More and more in the last few years, our valley - sometimes referred to as the Forgotten Trail explorers Lewis & Clark took on their return from the Pacific - is being discovered all over again.

With exciting new food and lodging establishments coming to our Main Streets, we're on the cusp of making our area a premier destination, if not a must-do side trip, for those who want to get a taste of life in the rolling foothills of the Blue Mountains.

Now, we have to treat visitors well when they come, which means keeping the business hours we post, providing top-notch service and showing them we welcome their presence here.

The more reasons we can give visitors to come to the Touchet River Valley and tell their friends, the more our reputation will grow.