Driving back recently from vacationing in Florida, I observed how other states promote tourism. Virginia was great at promoting history; Pennsylvania and North Carolina had great welcome centers. The gateway center in Pennsylvania hada mural on miners with a display case below. Now that had the wow factor!

Later that day, I entered New York from Erie, Pennsylvania. The first thing that greeted me was a "Welcome to New York" sign with the Statue of Liberty. That's where the good news stopped. The next sign was "Toll Booth Ahead," and it was followed by "Next Rest Area 52 Miles." I thought to myself, there must be a gateway center up ahead. Not only was there not a gateway center, there was no information about Buffalo, Niagara Falls, the Finger Lakes, or even New York City.

What was more alarming was that while driving 60 miles from Pennsylvania to Buffalo, there were no historical signs along the Thruway. Does that mean we have no history? The first historical sign I came upon was "Welcome to the Erie Canal Heritage Trail."

I know how to find the Erie Canal, but how does someone from Iowa find it? What ever happened to "I Love New York"? How can visitors love New York if they don't know about it?

New York State has as much history as Virginia, and we have some of the most beautiful natural resources in the world. Why don't we take some of that money from the increased tolls and build a beautiful gateway center? When visitors get off the road, they find a place to eat, a place to sleep, and a place to shop. Not only do those visitors help the local economy, but they also help the state with sale tax revenue.

MARK DE CRACKER, LYONS

Cracker is president of the Lyons Chamber of Commerce and is owner of the Peppermint Cottage Bed and Breakfast