Welcome to Lee County

Welcome to

... and its new tourism office

Lee County’s biggest fan settles into a new home, but its mission remains the same: telling people what a ‘loveLee’ time they’ll have when they visit

Continued on page 11 A new home, new website and new coronavirus pandemic to contend with – the last several months have been full of changes for the Lee County Tourism Council.

In August, the organization moved from its longtime home at 113 S. Peoria Ave. in Dixon to 37 S. East Ave. in Amboy.

Lee County Tourism now shares a building with the Lee County Farm Bureau and Country Financial in space formerly used by Grace Fellowship Church Amboy-Sublette.

Renovations were completed in less than a month and included repairs from water damage, new paint, window treatments, and carpet.

“The transition has been amazingly smooth,” tourism Executive Director Diane Nicholson said.

It was also time for the website to get a new look; the council likes to upgrade and change things up every 2 or 3 years.

One feature that will be a resource for community members is the meeting and event space search database, which could be a great planning tool for people whose plans have changed because of COVID-19, Nicholson said.

Lee County Tourism now shares a building with the Lee County Farm Bureau and Country Financial in space formerly used by Grace Fellowship Church Amboy-Sublette. Renovations were completed in less than a month and included repairs from water damage, new paint, window treatments, and carpet.

B V-A BRADFORD VICTOR-ADAMS

Member Owned and Operated

MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY

120 W. South Street | Franklin Grove 815-456-2334 | www.bradfordmutual.com

Providing insurance coverage for local homes & farms since 1869

Adami Insurance Agency

712 First Avenue, Rock Falls 815-625-6220 tracey.adamiinsurance@gmail.com

First State Insurance

385 Chicago Rd, Paw Paw 815-627-8552 gsaf74@yahoo.com

Hugh F. Miller Insurance Agency, Inc.

801 First Avenue, Rock Falls 815-626-1300 hughmillerinsurance.com

Sauk Valley Insurance Services

109 6th Street, Dixon 815-288-2541 www.saukvalleyinsurance.com

Stenzel Insurance

102 N. Elm Franklin Grove 815-456-2319 office@stenzelinsurance.com

Miller Insurance Group

427 N. Main Street, Rochelle 815-561-9911 insure10@frontier.com

Query Insurance Agency, Inc.

330 May Mart Drive, Rochelle 815-562-4152 tbecker@crumhalsted.com

Leffelman & Associates

Amboy 815-857-2125 lisa@leffelmanassoc.com

LaMoille 815-638-2171 lexi@leffelmanassoc.com

Baylor Insurance Agency

Lee Center 815-857-2716 rbaylor1@gmail.com

Cornerstone Insurance Agency

102 W. Main Morrison 815-772-7782 lsandrock@2cornerstone.com

Mel Saad Agency

928 8th Avenue, Erie 309-659-2470 saad@mchsi.com

From day trip destinations to vacations, there’s a lot to do in the area, and the Lee County Tourism Council can help you find it. The office in Amboy has brochures, magazines and more on life in Lee. Want to plan a night under the stars? The county has plenty of camping options, and the tourism office has plenty of info on them. Lee County’s most famous resident has his own space in the display racks at the office, where people can find out more about the Ronald Reagan Boyhood home in Dixon (and his birthplace in Tampico, over in Whiteside County, too). While in Lee, visitors also can drive along the Ronald Reagan Trail and go to Lowell Park in Dixon, where Reagan was a lifeguard.

Continued from page 10

“There’s going to be so many events that had to change, and this gives people a chance to look at things they might not have thought of before,” she said.

It’s difficult to predict the impact coronavirus will have on tourism as most are stuck at home, and everyone is holding their breath, she said.

“I think we’re all at a loss, she said. “Everything right now is best-guess.”

s m a l l t o w n l i v i n g 11

In 2018, travel spending in the county totaled about $34.1 million and generated around $670,000 in local tax revenue, according to the latest numbers from the Illinois Office of Tourism and U.S. travel data.

Tourism is especially important for smaller towns that see a big revenue boost in the summer from visitors and special events.

“It all adds up as a shot in the arm for these small communities,” she said. “The role of tourism is to enhance the economic impact for these towns.” n

MORE INFO

Lee County Tourism offers brochures, magazines and more on destinations throughout the county. For more information, go to leecountyfun.com or find Lee

County Illinois Tourism on Facebook.