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What’s There To
Do in DeKalb County?
By Suzanne Williams
A friend of mine, a Community Specialist who works for the Tennessee
Department of Economic and Community Development, makes it a practice to
stop at local businesses when she visits an area to ask the question,
“What is there to do here?” In small communities, she generally gets the
same response from the locals – “Nothing.” So when she recently visited
our area, she couldn’t resist the temptation to make her usual stops. As
she predicted, the two local businesses she visited both responded
basically the same, “There’s nothing to do here, but Nashville is just
60 miles west of here.”
How about trying a new response to that old question? When asked what
there is to do in DeKalb County simply answer, “What are your
interests?” If they like the water, let our guests know about our
beautiful Center Hill Lake and all the water sports and activities
available – houseboat, jet ski, pontoon, and boat rentals, sandy
beaches, many great camping areas, our state park, along with beautiful
swimming pools at the Smithville Golf and Swim Club and at Lakeside. If
they have a passion for golf, we have 2 beautiful local courses at the RiverWatch Resort and the Smithville Golf and Swim Club. If they love to
shop, ask what they are looking for. DeKalb has a unique variety of
stores, including specialty gift shops, antiques, clothes stores for
children and adults, wrought iron, plants, furniture, carpet, general
merchandise, and much more. Interested in resorts, tourists can be
pampered at Lakeside Resort, the Inn at Evins Mill, or RiverWatch
Resort. If flea markets are more their style, Bizzy Bee’s Flea Market
has a large group of venders with a big assortment of items. Hikers can
enjoy over 12 miles of trails at Edgar Evins State Park. For art lovers,
our county is home to the impressive Stella Luna Art Gallery, the
Appalachian Center for Craft,
and every October, over 20 local artists
open their home studios at the Off-the-Beaten Path Studio Tour. For
history lovers, DeKalb County is rich in history especially in the
Liberty and
Alexandria areas.
Living in an area for a long time can sometimes make us immune to the
wonderful opportunities available to us. Week after week, folks from
around the country e-mail, call, or stop by the Chamber office to remind
us how blessed we are with our rolling hills, friendly people, scenic
lake, no traffic jams, and the list goes on and on. Seeing our beautiful
county through the eyes of an outsider can serve as a great reminder of
what an incredible place DeKalb County is. True, we don’t have
everything, but we are blessed with so much.
The height of our tourism season is around the corner. More and more
people are visiting our county each week. Currently, our county website
gets 60,000 to 70,000 hits per week. The
Smithville Jamboree and Crafts
Festival along with the DeKalb Fair will attract thousands of visitors.
Our award-winning Center Hill Lake will attract millions of tourists to
our county. So when visitors come into your business be ready with your
community-friendly response to their question, “What is there to do in
DeKalb County?” Promptly respond with a smile, “What are your
interests?” |
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