The Abilene InSite » nanci

If You’re Not On Social Media-Get Over It!

nanci — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 17:08:50 +0000

On January 20, 1891, the first official game of basketball was played at the International YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts. Each time a basket was scored, play was stopped while someone climbed the ladder to retrieve the basketball from the bottom of the peach basket. It was not until 1905, fourteen years later, that someone was smart enough to remove the bottom of the peach basket.

Although initially reluctant, I am glad I was willing to take the necessary risk to change the way the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau communicates with the world through social media. I kept questioning “how do we measure it?” and, “how do we control it?” With the support of our leaders, and the secret ingredient of a young, brilliant and talented Shanna Smith Snyder, Abilene is able to share with the world real time answers, travel suggestions, photos and videos. It is so exciting to witness advertising and communication in a matter of seconds. Don’t get me wrong, I am still an advocate of traditional advertising and PR, but this social media stuff is really cool!

I am still learning this whole new world and it reminds me of a Christmas story; “on Facebook, on Twitter on Delicious and Flickr; on Blogs, on Mobile and YouTube, etc.!” From someone who started out with an electric typewriter, it’s almost beyond the imagination to see where tomorrow takes us. I know one thing, though, there will be no more retrieving the ball from the peach basket for us! We are in TODAY’s world!

Travel Day With Nana

nanci — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:36:21 +0000

Olivia & Kaden-sleepy after a long day exploring Abilene!

One of my favorite quotes is by Saint Augustine: “The world is a book, he who does not travel reads but one page.” Think about it. We learn about new cultures, traditions and personalities when we explore new places. We can also leave with a greater knowledge, if we allow ourselves to be exposed to new ideas, new forms of art and new experiences. That is just what I’m going to do, right in my own backyard. I invite you to join me.

My companions for the weekend were my two precious grandkids (twins, age 7) and my husband, Ken. The first purchase was the Abilene attraction Roundup Pass – $15 adults; $7 children and that allowed us admission to all of Abilene attractions. We headed downtown to Frontier Texas! to explore the past and we were all wowed by the experience. I’m always amazed by the holographic spirit guides and they loved the stagecoach, teepee, Century of Adventure and the gift shop – lots of fun things in the gift shop!

Next, we traveled to The Grace Museum and we hit the Children’s Museum for 45 minutes of child’s play with the life-size “Operation” game, miniature replica of the Paramount Theatre, Recollections and of course, the Gravity Well. We walked to the NCCIL to catch the exhibit “The Berenstain Bears out West” and promised to return for Family Fun Saturdays. Lunch time! My picky eaters are always hard to please, so we decided on pizza at Cypress Street Station. Then, we took lots of pictures in the park and had a quick stop at Abilene’s own, Candies by Vletas. Yum!

It’s time for a pick-me-up, so we headed to the Abilene Zoo. It’s one of their favorite places to go and, naturally, feeding the giraffes is where they head first. We spent an hour talking to the lions, monkeys, snakes, rhinos, cougars and feed the ducks. All the while, we learned a lot about conservation. Of course, the Zoo store is a must, especially for seven year olds!

Even though we were worn out, we just couldn’t resist a little family competition; so we made a stop at PrimeTime. From air-hockey, arcade games, miniature golf, go-karts and more…we finally settled on a traditional game of bowling.

What a great day it was! When I was tucking the kids into bed after reading a new book, it made my day to hear, “Nana, I sure love travel day with you” (and I love sharing Abilene with kids of all ages). Buffalo Gap will just have to wait until tomorrow!

Texas Tourism is BIG business

nanci — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:41:07 +0000

Did you know? Abilene’s travel and tourism exceeds $1.1 million per day! Texas is one of the most visited states in the United States and Abilene remains a top destination in Texas. We have an industry generating over 3,700 jobs in our area…it’s called tourism. The tourism industry in Abilene is strong and an important economic generator. Investing in tourism assets is an investment in our quality of life. Without this travel-generated tax revenue, each household in Texas would have had to pay $890 in additional local, state and federal taxes to maintain current service levels.

Tourism’s real value, however, comes in relationship to the broad ways it educates young and old alike about our heritage and our changing world. Saint Christopher stated “The world is a book; he who does not travel reads but one page.”

The number one reason people come to Abilene is to visit friends and family. We aim to provide you, visitor or local, with an additional avenue—The Abilene InSite™ — to check out our backyard and discover all of the things there is to see and do!

People travel for other reasons such as business, pleasure, shopping, to attend meetings, or for personal, medical, or educational purposes. Our new hotels are perfect for family reunions and board meetings—reunite with your friends and family in Abilene.

Lastly, tourism is an exciting industry to work in and offers many great opportunities in the restaurant, hotel and attraction sectors. Welcome to our blog and we hope to see you in Abilene, Texas very soon!