Corps of Discovery center includes unexpected features
Posted: Saturday, July 26, 2008
The Corps of Discovery Welcome Center south of Yankton, S.D., provides information about attractions in northeast Nebraska and southeast South Dakota. (Photo by Nick Hytrek)
CROFTON, Neb. -- First things first: Yes, there are restrooms and refreshments at the Corps of Discovery Welcome Center.
It's what else that's here that differentiates it from Nebraska's other welcome centers.
When's the last time you pulled into a welcome center or rest stop and had a chance to buy sculptures and paintings created by local artists? Did the last welcome center you visited have a rotating exhibit showing off things such as plaster casts of ancient fossils? You probably didn't have the option of stretching your legs while hiking on a 1.5-mile nature trail. Throw in an awesome view of nearby Yankton, S.D., and the Missouri River Valley, and that 10-minute break from driving can quickly turn into half an hour or more.
"We catch people by surprise. They walk in and think it's going to be a restroom and water," said executive director Rhonda Kneifl. "For travelers going through, it's a refreshing stop."
Opened in 2001, some 25,000 visitors are refreshed each year as they stop at the center, located on a high bluff next to U.S. Highway 81 two miles south of Yankton, S.D., on the Nebraska side of the Missouri River. From the start, volunteers who helped raise $300,000 to build and open it have strived to make this more destination than rest stop.
You get the regular stuff you'd find at any stop: maps, free brochures about area towns and tourist attractions, snacks.
But being Nebraska's only welcome center not located along Interstate 80, which crosses the state much farther south, members of the nonprofit center's executive board yearned for something more. They wanted to celebrate what northeast Nebraska and southeast South Dakota have to offer to folks passing through the area on a highway that runs from North Dakota to Texas.
"When people stop, we try to impress upon them the things in the area to do so they'll stay longer or come back," Kneifl said.
Thus the racks of brochures, supplied by welcome center members -- the local chambers of commerce, restaurants, businesses -- that all pay a fee to have their literature displayed. Even more compelling is the collection of items for sale produced by local artisans. Small wood carvings, metal sculptures, walking sticks and canes made out of willow and sumac. A small art gallery displaying local artists' work. Books about local history, written by local authors.
With its elevated location, the center provides a scenic view of the river valley below and Yankton in the distance. Visitors can take a quick tour through Nebraska landscapes on the nature trail, which winds around the center and, in its short route, has examples of different terrain -- grassland, woodland, river bluff, glacial remains -- found in the state.
The center's parking lot is also a popular place for local residents to watch sunsets.
Local residents are beginning to use the center for more than just scenic sunsets. Kneifl guesses that rising gas prices have led to people looking for shorter drives for entertainment. With all the brochures on area attractions, the welcome center is a one-stop resource.
"They're checking to see what's in their backyard," Kneifl said. "We've been seeing a lot more local people coming in. People are finding out what we have to offer."
Nick Hytrek can be reached at 712-293-4226 or nickhytrek@siouxcityjournal.com.
If you go
The Corps of Discovery Welcome Center is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day. From September-May, its hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The center is closed on New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. For more information, visit www.corpsofdiscoverywelcomecenter.org or call 402-667-6557.
It's what else that's here that differentiates it from Nebraska's other welcome centers.
When's the last time you pulled into a welcome center or rest stop and had a chance to buy sculptures and paintings created by local artists? Did the last welcome center you visited have a rotating exhibit showing off things such as plaster casts of ancient fossils? You probably didn't have the option of stretching your legs while hiking on a 1.5-mile nature trail. Throw in an awesome view of nearby Yankton, S.D., and the Missouri River Valley, and that 10-minute break from driving can quickly turn into half an hour or more.
"We catch people by surprise. They walk in and think it's going to be a restroom and water," said executive director Rhonda Kneifl. "For travelers going through, it's a refreshing stop."
Opened in 2001, some 25,000 visitors are refreshed each year as they stop at the center, located on a high bluff next to U.S. Highway 81 two miles south of Yankton, S.D., on the Nebraska side of the Missouri River. From the start, volunteers who helped raise $300,000 to build and open it have strived to make this more destination than rest stop.
You get the regular stuff you'd find at any stop: maps, free brochures about area towns and tourist attractions, snacks.
But being Nebraska's only welcome center not located along Interstate 80, which crosses the state much farther south, members of the nonprofit center's executive board yearned for something more. They wanted to celebrate what northeast Nebraska and southeast South Dakota have to offer to folks passing through the area on a highway that runs from North Dakota to Texas.
"When people stop, we try to impress upon them the things in the area to do so they'll stay longer or come back," Kneifl said.
Thus the racks of brochures, supplied by welcome center members -- the local chambers of commerce, restaurants, businesses -- that all pay a fee to have their literature displayed. Even more compelling is the collection of items for sale produced by local artisans. Small wood carvings, metal sculptures, walking sticks and canes made out of willow and sumac. A small art gallery displaying local artists' work. Books about local history, written by local authors.
With its elevated location, the center provides a scenic view of the river valley below and Yankton in the distance. Visitors can take a quick tour through Nebraska landscapes on the nature trail, which winds around the center and, in its short route, has examples of different terrain -- grassland, woodland, river bluff, glacial remains -- found in the state.
The center's parking lot is also a popular place for local residents to watch sunsets.
Local residents are beginning to use the center for more than just scenic sunsets. Kneifl guesses that rising gas prices have led to people looking for shorter drives for entertainment. With all the brochures on area attractions, the welcome center is a one-stop resource.
"They're checking to see what's in their backyard," Kneifl said. "We've been seeing a lot more local people coming in. People are finding out what we have to offer."
Nick Hytrek can be reached at 712-293-4226 or nickhytrek@siouxcityjournal.com.
If you go
The Corps of Discovery Welcome Center is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day. From September-May, its hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The center is closed on New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. For more information, visit www.corpsofdiscoverywelcomecenter.org or call 402-667-6557.
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