Make your road trip and travel adventure better by stopping at state welcome centers and regional and city visitor information centers.
Kentucky Welcome Center (I-65, Exit 114) © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved
Most states offer RV friendly Welcome Centers along Interstates and other major highways.
Friendly, informative staff and dedicated volunteers provide area-specific brochures, detailed maps, and face-to-face travel consultation and advice, free of charge.
The Visitor Centre is your one stop shop. You’ll find a variety of tourism/travel related services including a vast assortment of local and statewide publications, maps, and other travel information promoting all that the state has to offer.
Highway Welcome Centers also provide clean, well maintained restroom facilities, free Wi-Fi, vending machines, and designated parking areas for RVs.
Alabama Gulf Coast Welcome Center © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved
In addition to free information, visitor centers often offer a reservation service and discounts on selected products such as attractions admission, adventure products, and sightseeing tours.
Need a map? Want suggestions for dinner? Looking for a farmers market or swap meet in the area? Wondering about roads to take and roads to avoid, roadside attractions, hiking trails, nature centers, museums, scenic roads, or weather related information? Need help planning activities or booking a tour?
Also begin your exploration of national parks and state parks at the visitor center. Here you can pick up a park map or newspaper, view a film, tour the museum and displays, have your questions answered by a ranger, and purchase books and guides to the park.
Many parks offer guided tours and ranger talks. For the children there is a fun and educational Junior Ranger Program.
Jekyll Island (Georgia) Visitor Information Center © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved
Regional and city visitors centers help identify interesting and worthwhile activities with which to fill your visit to the area, nature trails, museums, hidden parks, quiet little exhibits, and interesting free things to do.
Even in towns where you might expect to find a fair amount of interesting history or things to visit, a stop at a visitor’s center can uncover a lot of things you never expected to find.
Visitor centers are great for directions, but also getting information from locals.
During our many years of RV travel we normally stop at state welcome centers as we enter the state.
Do you ever stop in visitor centers while road tripping? If not, you’re missing a great travel resource.
