Albion Michigan Tourism Idea 3-24-05By Maggie LaNoue 1- Matter at hand -- Our goal is to create a magnet for Albion tourism -- in a nutshell - a roadside attraction. There is a new economy in Michigan --our industrial jobs are going over seas, there are even changes in the weather. Michigan could do well to spend more attention to promoting tourism, 20% of the world's fresh water is contained in the Great Lakes, and Michigan is sitting in the middle of them. How could Albion bring in even a little of the traffic from the highway (I-94) that passes by each day? 2- Basis for Suggestions -- Even Kansas has roadside attractions -- but what does Albion have? Things unique to Albion include the forks of the river -- our brick streets -- and our black squirrels. According to RoadsideAmerica.com four cities in the USA, and one in Canada -- are promoting black squirrels -- because they are not commonly found across the USA. London, Ontario even has a song about black squirrels on their web site. Mid-Michigan black squirrels were (re)planted in this region in the 60's by W.K Kellogg -- see article provided by Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. The concept suggested below contains seeds of ideas from the following places:
3- Practical Application - Currently an eyesore, an empty lot in downtown Albion could become a major asset, a catalyst for the community. "Squirrel Square" would include a sculpture or fiberglass giant Black Squirrel, "Sparky the Squirrel," who would spark some life into downtown Albion. Also there would be flower gardens, picnic tables, a gazebo, and a mural of Albion landmarks. A billboard on the highway would encourage visitors to come downtown, especially children who would beg their parents to come off the highway to see the "World's Largest Black Squirrel." Albion's creativity would shine. Sparky might even speak and tell visitors about Albion having more parks per capita than any other city in the USA. A "cell phone talking tour" could be used on site and on the web too - fairly inexpensively. Signs could ask tourists to turn on their speaker phones. I don't know of anyone using this yet - but it makes sense considering how ubiquitous (widespread) cell phones are today. Brochures with maps of our parks, Albion's riverside trails, bike trails, canoe launches and national historic district might be available for a small donation at the Albion Volunteer Service Organization across the street. AVSO currently hosts a Black Squirrel celebrity dinner. Albion College student volunteers could have a center nearby where they could offer to give tours, and to keep up the new park, and the downtown area clear of litter. Sparky would be a good theme to build upon for local shops -- emphasizing nature, exercise, wildlife, squirrels, nuts, etc. All kinds of special foods and souvenirs could be offered. We could have a little history of each building posted on Main Street for walking tours. This would help the Kids Museum nearby. There would be plenty of public relations opportunities -- all kinds of media (video, comics, characters, costumes, figurines, food, etc.). After the work is complete, there could even be licensing opportunities for Albion Volunteer Service Organization. Below- Billboard and Bumper sticker concept
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