MOSES LAKE - A day trip sponsored by the Grant County Tourism Commission reintroduced some long-term residents to the area.

Tourism officials hope it also created some tourism ambassadors, people who can convince visitors to stick around and see the sights instead of just passing through the county.

The group of 34 people boarded a tour bus in Moses Lake Tuesday morning to visit about 15 locations throughout the day, from Potholes Reservoir to Grand Coulee Dam and many communities in between.

Jill Hammond, with the tourism commission, said the trip was intended to familiarize key county residents with what the region has to offer.

Chamber of commerce members, resort owners, city officials and residents were invited on the free tour, which Hammond said will probably be offered on an annual basis.

"Comments from the group were very favorable, they wanted to know if we were going to do it again and had ideas of who this might benefit," she said; adding next year organizers plan to better advertise the tour to attract hotel operators, restaurant owners and others who can spread the word about Grant County's features.

"One thing we found out is there's a lot more to Grant County than you can see in one day," said organizer Bill Burke of Burke Marketing. Next year's tour will likely take place over two days, he said, one day to cover the south county and one in the north.

People on the trip came from all over the region, and as the bus drove through the county, representatives of each area shared information from an insider's point of view, Burke said.

Many people he spoke with afterward said they learned things they never knew after decades living in Grant County.

"That was the whole idea, to get people hip to what's going on," he said.

Coulee City Mayor Richard Heiberg, who heard about the trip through the Grant County Economic Development Council, said he and his wife had never toured the entire county, even after living in the area for 15 years.

"What a fantastic idea, to get people from varied positions and locations from around the county to get on a bus together," he said. "I particularly enjoyed getting their perspectives and being able to share information and ideas. When you see something someone is doing in another community, you say, 'Hey that's a good idea. We could do that.'"

Heiberg said the tour started in the south end of the county, where lush farming land is just beginning to blossom. Later, as the bus crossed the dam at Banks Lake into his town, he was able to point out the source of all those green orchards and fields.

He looks forward to using some of the information gleaned from the tour while speaking this summer with visitors to Coulee City, who he said often ask him for day trip ideas.

"The extra knowledge is great. I took notes so that I'll be able to share with people who come to our town, to our park and into city hall with questions," he said. "I thought the time was well spent."

Moses Lake Parks and Recreation Director Spencer Grigg told city council members Tuesday night he was able to spread word about all the city has to offer, from the Surf N' Slide Water Park to the BMX track at Larson Field. He also said it was fun to hear chatter on the bus about Moses Lake.

"The comments I got from that group of people from all over Grant County was that they were amazed at our community and the amenities within our community," he said. "I can tell you your efforts have not gone unnoticed, both within the community and beyond."

Dorothy Weitzel, who owns and manages Ephrata's Sun Basin RV Park and Campground, said she and her husband, Jim Weitzel, saw a lot of new things on the journey.

"We were surprised to see Royal Slope," she said. "We hadn't been down through there for quite a few years and, my goodness, all of the grapes that are in there now are just fantastic."

Weitzel said she too picked up a lot of insights to tell the tourists, who visit her park from all over the U.S., Canada and the world.

"There's just a tremendous amount of unique tourism options and geologic things to see in Grant County," she said. "As Bill Burke was saying, there is no country, no area that he knows of that has all of the different phenomena that happened to their area like Grant County has."

The day trip cost the county about $75 per person, according to Burke, who said the money was well spent as he estimates it probably served to influence hundreds of people via word of mouth.

"Next time we'll try to get far more hotel and restaurant people involved," he said. "That's the first line, those are the people who are meeting face to face with the tourists, the people who need this kind of information."

Debbie Doran-Martinez, who is executive director of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce, said she got a lot out of the tour and looks forward to seeing others in the future.

"I would encourage all businesses related to tourism to send their front line staff on tours like this so they are better prepared to answer their customer questions like 'What is there to do and see around here?'" she said. "The knowledge of our area shared with our visitors will enhance the visitor's stay with us and their experience will be memorable, which helps to attract them and others to come back again."