Guiding Visitors to Adventures in National Heritage Areas - Ohio & Erie Canalway, July 2013

Subject: "Guiding Visitors to Adventures in National Heritage Areas" - 

Presented by: Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area

During the call, we discussed two programs that live online and guide residents and visitors alike to "in-the-field" adventures.

1.   Canalway Samplers - Offer a favorite day out - provided by a local expert. We reach out to park partners, historical societies, interpretive folks and more to build these experiences. Key benefit - Extending our interpretive knowledge and suggestions to visitors - 24/7. 

2.   Around the Ohio & Erie Canalway in 31 Days! - Our upcoming Regional Social Media campaign is designed to share and highlight the cultural, historic, recreation and natural fun awaiting visitors and residents alike in the footprint of the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area. Daily, County and Grand Prize Giveaways provided by partners to highlight the NHA experience add to the fun. Active: August 1-31, 2013

Online Tour to the links shared:

• Ohio & Erie Canalway website: http://ohioanderiecanalway.com/Main/Home.aspx
• Main Activities & Canalway Guide access: http://ohioanderiecanalway.com/Main/Activities.aspx
• Map of Travel Routes, Visitor-Request Amenities and the CHuRN:http://ohioanderiecanalway.com/Main/Map.aspx

• Canalway Samplers - Main Page: http://ohioanderiecanalway.com/Main/CanalwaySamplers.aspx
• Summary: A collection of favorite outings - packaged for visitors & submitted by NHA partners - rangers, historians, interpretive, tourism, visitor services
• Ranger-submitted - Bike Aboard! Sampler:http://ohioanderiecanalway.com/Main/CanalwaySamplers/13.aspx
• Interpretive & Historian-submitted - Museum Mania Sampler:http://ohioanderiecanalway.com/Main/CanalwaySamplers/12.aspx

• Around the Ohio & Erie Canalway in 31 Days! - Regional Social Media Campaign -http://ohioanderiecanalway.com/Main/Pages/88.aspx
• How it Works:
• We ask a question every morning on Facebook. Players must submit their answer via our website by day's end.  
• We invite partners to post the questions with us, underscoring regional partnerships as well as reaching a wider audience.
• Answer Submission Form: http://www.ohioanderiecanalway.com/Main/Promotion_Form.aspx
• A look back - 2012 Questions & Answers: http://www.ohioanderiecanalway.com/Main/Pages/103.aspx
• Note: This page may be temporarily deactivated during the August 2013 promotion.

• Ohio & Erie Canalway Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/OhioandErieCanalway
• We hope you "like" us & visit us in August to play!

Connecting Heritage with Recreation: Bicycle Tours - Mormon Pioneer & MotorCities NHAs, May 2013

Brad Smith will provide an overview of the Bicycle Barnstorming Tour held within the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area. The purpose of the event is to begin updating and expanding an outdated barn guide while promoting cycling and heritage tourism on the backroads and in the rural communities in the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area.   

Nancy Darga, Managing Director of Motor Cities National Heritage Area, will discuss the birth, design and implementation of the tour partnership between MotorCities NHA and Wheelhouse Detroit to offer industrial bike tours as well as additional thematic bike tours across our region. 

For more information, contact Monte Bona, montebona@hotmail.com or Brian Yopp, byopp@motorcities.org.

Questing in the Ohio & Erie Canalway, March 2013

Katie Montgomery, Director of Marketing & Public Relations for the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area, will be our featured speaker for the March 15th  best practices conference call. She will be joined by NPS Park Ranger Arrye Rosser, an Interpretive & Education Specialist for Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Together, they will discuss the interpretive, partner and visitor engagement aspects of Ohio & Erie Canalway's fun, free outdoor adventure series known as Questing. Part Dr. Seusss, part Sherlock Holmes, Quests are designed to take you on a walking journey through an outdoor space with a story to share. Follow the clues correctly and you’ll uncover a hidden box where you can leave a message and collect a stamp.

Last year, 1,500 people participated in Questing from 10 states. This year more than 30 Quests will be available across the region with more in development. Fun Fact - Arrye Rosser brought Questing to the region and was the regional Freeman Tilden Award winner for the program.


Check out Canalway Quests at http://www.ohioanderiecanalway.com/Main/AllSectionsQuesting.aspx.


For more information, contact Katie Montgomery, kmontgomery@ohioanderiecanalway.com.