Whole Nation is the Tourist Centre?

That is the impression one gets after a tour of some spots, towns and any place for that matter throughout the length and breadth of USA. What an imaginative planning! What a diligence in understanding and elevating the relevance of each and every place (almost every county of the country) or activity of the people at present or of the past. Apart from the nature’s endowments wherever available and developed over a period of time, the meticulous way with which they have spruced up the centers, with roads and very well laid out approaches along with public conveniences in every part of the conceivable locations, rest areas on the highways at every regular interval with all facilities, bed and breakfast facilities in motels and star hotels. Sanitation and cleanliness has been given the utmost priority everywhere.

For instance Clayton is rich in river history. Downtown has been designated by the US Department of the Interior as a historic district. This district is architecturally and historically significant as one of the most intact and cohesive collections of late 19th and 20th century commercial buildings in Northern New York State. Clayton Island Tours, Thousand Islands Museum, Antique Boat Museum, Clayton Opera House (1903 building renovated with $ 3.2 million recently) and Thousand Islands Arts Center are some of the spots highlighted in a booklet circulated by the Clayton Chamber of Commerce, Village of Clayton, Clayton Local Development Corp. and Town of Clayton jointly.

Genesee County of Greater Niagara Region has also published a 2010 Visitor’s Guide with similar contents. Similarly the Official 2010 Visitor Guide for Niagara Falls and Niagara County has been designed by Niagara Tourism & Convention Corporation (www. niagara-usa. com) to help the visitor to find his way to and throughout the four main regions (Falls Region, River region, Lake Region and Canal Region) with voluminous data, maps and photos in 54 pages.

Look at the way they are encashing on the closed mill campus as Hanford Mills Museum (www.hansfordmills.org) for tourism with a pamphlet titled “The History of Power … the power of history”. In the 1890s Hanford Mills generated the power for East Meredith’s first electric lights in 1898. One can see how renewable sources like water and wood powered the Mill’s success for over a century. One can try one’s hand at cross-cut sawing, corn grinding, or ice cutting. ‘Sample home-cooking’, ‘1920s style at the Hanford House’, ‘ Taste ice cream made with ice harvested from the mill pond’, ‘Special events feature music’, ‘crafts people’, ‘horse-drawn wagon rides’, ‘antique engines’, ‘tasty food’ and ‘hands-on fun’ etc are some of the attractions duly advertised to attract tourists. Admission rates are: $7.00 for adults & $3.50 for children. This museum is situated 30 miles south of Cooperstown, Delaware County in New York State.