City has new front door welcoming visitors
(Special to the American Press)
The city of Sulphur has a new front door.
On Thursday, an official unveiling ceremony was held for the new Sulphur gateway sign along Interstate 10 eastbound.
The large, blue monument sign displays the words from Sulphur's motto, 'Faith, Family & Community,' telling travelers what Sulphur is all about before they pull off the interstate. In addition to easy-to-maintain landscaping, it is solar-powered and lights up at night, making Sulphur a lighthouse for interstate travelers.
'Sulphur is really inviting and welcoming, but it doesn't necessarily have the cutest front door. So we looked at opportunities to build it to showcase why you would want to stop in Sulphur,' said Anne Klenke, vice president of Destination Development and Community Engagement for Visit Lake Charles.
'The Gateway Signage Project' is three years in the making, said Sulphur Mayor Mike Danahay. When the city began considering the project, Klenke saw an opportunity for partnership and reached out.
Sulphur is the trailhead of the Creole Nature Trail, otherwise known as Louisiana's Outback. It is one of 37 all-American roads in the United States and one of two in Louisiana, meaning it is home to one-of-a-kind natural elements that are unique to Southwest Louisiana.
This natural boon brings global travelers to Sulphur, she said, and the sign 'really puts it all together and lets everyone know they are welcome.'
'We feel it (the new gateway sign) is a big attraction for the city, to be able to bring people off the interstate. Maybe enjoy our restaurants or hotels,' Danahay added later. 'And possibly if they're looking to settle in Southwest Louisiana, that it will be somewhere that they'll feel comfortable living.'
Klenke noted the sign is not just for visitors, but it will give residents a sense of ownership of their city.
'It is that pride of place. The fact that, 'Hey, I live in Sulphur. Did you see our cool new sign? Oh, we're the gateway to the Creole Nature Trail.' '
The sign was financially supported by a Visit Lake Charles grant; the city and Visit Lake Charles split to total of $65,000 down the middle
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American Press
6 days ago
- American Press
City has new front door welcoming visitors
(Special to the American Press) The city of Sulphur has a new front door. On Thursday, an official unveiling ceremony was held for the new Sulphur gateway sign along Interstate 10 eastbound. The large, blue monument sign displays the words from Sulphur's motto, 'Faith, Family & Community,' telling travelers what Sulphur is all about before they pull off the interstate. In addition to easy-to-maintain landscaping, it is solar-powered and lights up at night, making Sulphur a lighthouse for interstate travelers. 'Sulphur is really inviting and welcoming, but it doesn't necessarily have the cutest front door. So we looked at opportunities to build it to showcase why you would want to stop in Sulphur,' said Anne Klenke, vice president of Destination Development and Community Engagement for Visit Lake Charles. 'The Gateway Signage Project' is three years in the making, said Sulphur Mayor Mike Danahay. When the city began considering the project, Klenke saw an opportunity for partnership and reached out. Sulphur is the trailhead of the Creole Nature Trail, otherwise known as Louisiana's Outback. It is one of 37 all-American roads in the United States and one of two in Louisiana, meaning it is home to one-of-a-kind natural elements that are unique to Southwest Louisiana. This natural boon brings global travelers to Sulphur, she said, and the sign 'really puts it all together and lets everyone know they are welcome.' 'We feel it (the new gateway sign) is a big attraction for the city, to be able to bring people off the interstate. Maybe enjoy our restaurants or hotels,' Danahay added later. 'And possibly if they're looking to settle in Southwest Louisiana, that it will be somewhere that they'll feel comfortable living.' Klenke noted the sign is not just for visitors, but it will give residents a sense of ownership of their city. 'It is that pride of place. The fact that, 'Hey, I live in Sulphur. Did you see our cool new sign? Oh, we're the gateway to the Creole Nature Trail.' ' The sign was financially supported by a Visit Lake Charles grant; the city and Visit Lake Charles split to total of $65,000 down the middle
National Geographic
22-05-2025
- National Geographic
What to do in the Côte d'Azur—from skiing to hiking
When sea and summit sit less than 55 miles apart, adventure is abundant, regardless of the season. It's the beaches that are most famous in the Côte d'Azur (a.k.a. the French Riviera): from the alabaster sands of Nice — only separated from the city by the Promenade des Anglais — to the U-shaped harbour of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, and Villefranche-sur-Mer's terracotta seaside facades. Fewer tourists venture inland, but the mountains hold the secret to the locals' quality of life. Skiing, snowshoeing and ice climbing dominate the winter calendar, and summer offers a heady selection of fair-weather activities: cycling, hiking, canyoning and rafting, in a mix more varied than a salade niçoise. If you're basing yourself in Nice, here's how to make the most of the region year-round. In the winter, visitors can ride sleds pulled by dogs in Auron ski resort. Photograph by Visit Nice Côte d'Azur Winter Best for: all kinds of skiing, mountaineering and ice climbing Nice has the best of both worlds. In 90 minutes — and for the princely sum of €14 (£11.70) return — you can be at the slopes thanks to the airport shuttle bus. A day ski pass costs half that of one for the Three Valleys', and it's not for want of quality: Isola 2000 and Auron have 75 and 85 miles of pistes respectively. Isola 2000 is great for families, with plenty of green and blue runs as well as slopeside lunches that don't break the bank, while a quarter of Auron's ski area is black runs. All the usual winter sports are also available at both, including snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, sledding and dog sledding. Saint-Martin-Vésubie is the place to go for 'uphill' adventurers — those who value sweat over adrenaline. Many people come for cross-country skiing, but you can also try out ice climbing on an artificial frozen waterfall, which looks like dripping candle wax. 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It does not necessarily reflect the views of National Geographic, National Geographic Traveller (UK) or their editorial staffs. To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Tourists set records in St. Pete, Clearwater as area rebounds after back-to-back hurricanes
The Brief St. Pete Clearwater International Airport and Visit St. Pete Clearwater hosted PIE Rally Day on Monday to celebrate visitors at the airport. Visit St. Pete Clearwater said its tourist development tax in January, the hotel bed tax, reached a record for the region for that month at $8.29 million. Airport and local leaders say this year's tourism impact is even more important after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. CLEARWATER, Fla. - St. Pete Clearwater International Airport and Visit St. Pete Clearwater teamed up on Monday to highlight the impact of tourism on the Tampa Bay Area. Local perspective They hosted PIE Rally Day to celebrate visitors at the airport. It's an annual event kicking off National Travel and Tourism Week, but airport and local leaders say this year's tourism impact is even more important after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Passengers were greeted with prizes, representatives from the local chambers of commerce and the airport's therapy dogs. What they're saying "It's to recognize the passengers' tourism and give them a little appreciation and let them know how important they are for our community," Thomas Jewsbury, St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport executive director, said. READ: Grady Judd asking for public's help after shootout injuring 3 teens at prom after-party "Every year is important, this year especially, because we need to let people know that we're open for business, we're still shining, and we're welcoming them with open arms," Barry Rubin, president and CEO of Pinellas Beaches Chamber, added. Dig deeper Visit St. Pete Clearwater said its tourist development tax in January, the hotel bed tax, reached a record for the region for that month at $8.29 million. February came in even higher at $9.8 million. St. Pete Clearwater International Airport also experienced record passengers in February and March. It recorded almost 292,000 passengers in March. "We're so fortunate that we were able to recover as quickly as we were," Jewsbury said. "We really sustained little damage here at the airport, so the tourism has really improved," Jewsbury said. "We've seen record growth even for March we were up 16 percent, so there's a lot to be appreciative of," he said. Jewsbury said he expects passenger numbers to continue to grow through the summer as everyone continues to welcome visitors back to the area. READ:Clearwater Ferry passengers refute statements from Jeffry Knight's attorney in aftermath of crash "We're hopeful that everyone's going to realize that we've worked very, very hard the last seven months to put things back in order for everybody to come back and enjoy everything we have to offer," Rubin said. What's next St. Pete Clearwater International is also in the design phase of a terminal expansion. The project will add a combined TSA checkpoint and more gates. Construction will start at the end of 2026 and will take three to four years. The airport also recently introduced The Grouper shuttle which brings passengers from PIE to Clearwater Beach in partnership with the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority. The Source This story was written with information gathered by FOX 13's Kailey Tracy. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter Follow FOX 13 on YouTube
