The Pagosa Springs Visitor Center, housed in the Chamber of Commerce building on Hot Springs Boulevard, is one of the friendliest places in the friendly town of Pagosa Springs.
I know, because I worked there as a volunteer greeter, formally known as a Diplomat.
We Diplomats have to field all kinds of questions. Some are pretty funny.
True story: Two teenage boys walked into the Pagosa Springs Visitor Center, and made their way to the back window that looked over the Springs Resort pool where some lovely young ladies were sunbathing. After a minute, one of them turned around and asked, “How much do I have to pay to work here?” And that may be the only time that question has been asked.
 Statistics show that for the first half of 2010 there were 13,878 visitors, up a tick from 2009. The visitors hailed from Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Oklahoma, in that order. Most were visiting Pagosa for the first time.
The most frequent request is for information about the hot springs. Fortunately, we can see all three hot springs facilities from the Visitor Center. As previously mentioned, the Springs Resort is directly out back, and the hot springs are on the slope that runs to the San Juan River.
If you step out the rear door, you can see the sign for the Spa Resort Mineral Baths.
And out the front door you can see the Overlook Spa across the highway.
The second most frequent, and sometimes urgent, request is for the restroom facilities. I worked the shift with Ed (pronounced Eahhd) Wade, a friendly Texan transplant and perfect Diplomat. But sometimes Ed will psychically direct a visitor to the rest room before they inquire, pointing, “It’s over there, down the hall.” The visitor obligingly goes down the hall, stops, and then wonders what they should do next, because all they wanted was information on hiking trails.
I have personally seen the “Six Degrees of Separation” phenomenon many times as a Diplomat. And again Ed Wade is a star. If a visitor is from Texas, there will be some sort of connection of familiarity between Ed and the visitor. It always amazed me, since I never really believed in the “Six Degrees of Separation” phenomenon, until my stint as a Diplomat at the Visitor Center.
The employees of the Chamber of Commerce field phone calls from potential visitors, and apparently from the general public who thinks the Chamber is the official 411 information number. Typical phoned-in questions are:
“Do you have the number for the Post Office? I can’t find it in the phone book.” Polite answer: "It’s actually the United States Post Office, and the number is _____.”
Want to know the weather and road conditions? Apparently the public thinks the Chamber is the place to call. (It’s not.)
One common request, usually coming in late winter, is “We’re planning our fall vacation and need to know which weekend the fall colors will peak?”
“Where can we see an elk or a bear?” Up until recently, the Chamber would refer these callers to the Trujillo Road Transfer Station (dump) at sunset. Since I’m sure our transfer station is the most scenic transfer station (dump) in the country, and possibly the world, and deserves some sort of national landmark signage, I thought it was a great idea to refer our tourists to the dump to view the wildlife. But, because of the inherent danger of viewing bears up close and personal, now you will be ticketed, so don’t do it.
“I can’t find the Feed Store mentioned in the ‘Wolf Creek Pass’ song by C. W. McCall."
Recently a call came in asking the Chamber if they were “in charge of the graves”. The next day a caller asked where they could find a headstone.
The Diplomats have their stories. My personal favorite, more alarming than funny, is the young couple from Podunk, Somewhere that said they were on their honeymoon and wanted information about the hot springs. The young lady had to be expecting any moment—she was that prominent. I explained as gently as I could that it may not be healthy for her unborn child to soak in the hot springs. They continued on with their inquiry anyway and left with three hot springs brochures.
Then there was the couple that walked into the Visitor Center in their bathrobes, looking for the showers.
“Do you ever get used to the smell?” My answer to that question is “yes”.
“Did your septic back up?” No.
“When do the deer turn into elk?” Hmmmm...
“Do the hot springs get their water pumped in from the river?” This question was asked the day after a monsoonal downpour, so the river water was a muddy mess. Yuck!
My favorite question and I bet every Diplomat’s favorite question, is “Do you like living here?” When a visitor gives me the stage, I take it, because I have a lot of reasons why I love living in Pagosa country, and I’m never shy about sharing them. |