A Sign of the Times

So much has improved around town, that sign control is yet another decision that would change our overall atmosphere for the better on the outskirts of Eureka Springs, as well as, inside the city limits. There is nothing more disappointing to a tourist than to be bombarded by tasteless advertisement when they are trying get away from it all.

In fact, uncontrolled ads can literally ruin a travelers' Mecca. Wisconsin has many lovely tourist attractions; however, two come immediately to my mind as negative and positive traveling experiences.

The Wisconsin Dells is a perfect example of a geological wonder that has been cheapened by uncontrolled signage. The Dells used to be a travel experience for visitors who enjoyed driving through verdant miles of farm land, unsullied by huge bill boards advertising junk food and carnival style rides. The area formerly attracted physically fit folks who wanted to experience great hiking trails, and boat tours through the amazing cliffs and hanging rock shelves. That was over thirty years ago. Now, tourists are assaulted by every kind of blatant form of "in your face" advertisement while approaching the Dells. Once there it gets worse. It looks like our short strip on US62 East and West. Many signs of all sizes paper each business. And, yes, they have the attention getting hawkers out on the roads, wearing sandwich boards and silly hats. Fast food chains have taken over the home style cooking establishments and carnival style trinket shops have replaced regional artisans. It's a cheesy midway for the worst type of vacationer.

On the other hand, Door County, Wisconsin is a positive example of an area that has remained one of the most popular places to travel in the upper Midwest. The county is located just north of Green Bay and is referred to as the inland Cape Cod. This sweet little peninsula, that juts out into Lake Michigan and forms the thumb of Wisconsin's mitten, has maintained strict controls over what it will tolerate. No obscenely huge billboards advertise Door County for miles in advance of your arrival. Nor will you find a billboard anywhere on the peninsula. There are no fast food franchises in Door County. Only home cooked food is served along the peninsula and in its quaint towns of Fish Creek, Egg Harbor, Elison Bay, etc. The art galleries and craft shops are lovely. A good percentage of the work is created by locals. Sure there are a few tee shirt shops, but nothing overwhelming or truly tacky.

And finally, the obvious...the tourists are well-heeled folks who come back year after year and spend big bucks. These are travelers who appreciate fine art, original crafts, good food and the serenity of unsullied landscapes. They are also guests who are in great shape since they use the biking trails all over the peninsula. We could enjoy more of these visitors, if we had the guts to control the use of our beautiful surroundings. Wouldn't it be lovely to drive down Planer Hill without having to gaze at any large billboards advertising Onyx Cave, etc? Wouldn't it be special to have our tourists support our fabulously creative, home grown artists rather than China's commerce?