Tapping into the popularity of the Big River Crossing

Tapping into the popularity of the Big River Crossing

Marion, West Memphis looking to build business with attraction

news@theeveningtimes.com

Governments in both Marion and West Memphis aren’t the only ones taking notice of the business opportunities rolling into the area from the Big River Crossing. Tracy Brick, Director of Member Services with the Marion Chamber of Commerce reported this week 128,900 visitors to the cycling and pedestrian board walk on the Harahan Bridge since it opened last October.

Brick said 14 percent have been on a bike and 81 percent cross from the Memphis side headed into Crittenden County. While the Marion Chamber and the West Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau have focused on developing cycling tourism, some business operators have taken initiative to pursue cycling tourism dollars.

Tacker’s Shake Shack has put out flyers at bike shops across the mid-south to encourage bicyclists to peddle to Marion for some good eats in the nostalgic Americana diner. It seems to be working according to Jeff Tacker.

“We get people on bikes here just about everyday,” said Tacker.

Tacker developed a map called Ride to Marion and put it on the fliers and Google. The shake shack has been famous because of the celebrities that have stopped in over the years.

Many of their photos are on the wall around the eatery.

Governors, music celebrities, TV personalities and wrestling stars make the stop for lunch whenever they are in town. The restaurant has been featured in Southern Livings off the eaten path. A wall map filled with pins is dotted with traveling customers marking their homes from around the globe. It seem like everyone around here knows all that, but it is all new to the new cycling tourists now traveling into the area because of the BRX.

The interactive map is at goo.gl/dLJafs and features directions from the BRX to Marion Via HWY. 131. It intentionally highlights some historic sites along the way. Points of interest referring to Hopefield, Mound City, the Sultana, the significance of Military Road, the Trail of Tears, the St. Francis Levee, a charming Pecan grove and sunflower patch are marked on the 24 mile scenic route.

The natural scenery contrasts the city-scape the cyclists left in their rear view mirrors in Memphis and serves as a draw for riders all the way into Marion with daily cycling traffic, especially on the weekends. “The 24-mile ride passes through farm lands that date back to Spanish Land Grants,” said Tacker’s flier.

All roads lead to the Shake Shack on the map. Bike riders aren’t the only ones noticing the new reasons to ride to Marion.

Tracy Brick couldn’t help but notice the tourists spinning by the office. Tacker shared his map with the Chamber and it became the basis for its inaugural Countryside Ride on April 1. Brick is fleshing out the map to create a complete tourism guide called Memphis to Marion will be produced by the Marion Chamber. She hopes it puts Marion on the map for tourists passing through the area whether on two wheels or four.

“I am working on it now to put points of interest and Marion businesses on the map,” said Brick. “We’ll have it out when its complete.”

Hopes are for more

tourism business to be captured by pointing out the points of interest along with businesses. The Marion effort contrasts to the new West Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau Exploration Map that simply plots out the 45 restaurants and 19 hotels collecting its A& P tourism tax along with a quaint history of city tourism over a historic area timeline dating back to 1541. Despite omitting any reference to the Butterfield Trail marked on Broadway, the West Memphis guide serves more as an over the shoulder retrospective about what was in the Wonder City more than a map of points of interest set within the city now.

What can one do and see today? The Marion map will feature both to bicyclists and build business on the BRX in the county seat like it has already proven through the private initiative at the Shake Shack.

By John Rech