None of our friends seem surprised when we tell them we have started this tour services enterprise. “What a natural fit!” is often the response.
It’s true we love this community and know it inside out. We’ve chuckled about Ron leading a fast paced tour of the alleys of Fort Wayne as only a police officer could do. That could be exciting! (No, we won’t be offering that). My “inside out” knowledge includes sewers, but, no, we won’t go there either. …Unless a public works convention comes to town (then we’ll “flush out” that option).
Actually, we did pitch touring Fort Wayne’s Water Filtration Plant to a group of farmers. They like that idea, especially because we said City Utilities can provide speakers to explain the work of their partnerships with agricultural agencies to improve water quality. Yay, infrastructure!
As much as we know about Fort Wayne from our past experiences, what we’re really excited about is Fort Wayne today. From downtown to the far reaches of the trail system, this community is experiencing a renaissance of re-investment.
More than $500 million has been invested downtown Fort Wayne in the past few years, and at least $600 million more is underway or on the books, according to the Downtown Improvement District. That doesn’t count the Electric Works project, set to revive a beast of an old factory into an exciting mix of housing, education, innovative companies, entertainment, dining and more, including a farmer’s market.
So many new shops, brew pubs, wineries and entertainment options keep popping up throughout this region. We visit them in order to be ready to create the best experiences possible for our clients. It’s a tough job, but we’re glad to do it!
No matter where a tour group is going, there are stories to tell along the way. That’s why we carefully plan routes that provide some extra oohs and ahhs in between our stops. The Sunken Garden of Lakeside Park, designed in 1920, always delivers. It’s a real treat when a wedding happens to be underway as the tour bus passes by, as happens regularly in warm weather. When there’s a beautiful bride, people might even miss the glorious roses that lacing around the edges of Lakeside Park.