A mother of twins is busy mapping out a business venture that she hopes will benefit thousands of Hill Country tourists for years to come.
“My family and I live in the Austin area, but my mom still lives in Canyon Lake. This area was my playground as I was growing up,” Michelle Deere said Thursday. “It was an easy decision to develop my business here in the east part of the Hill Country.”
The East Hill Country Discovery Map is an illustrative, interpretative map that depicts hundreds of tourist destinations in New Braunfels, Canyon Lake, Gruene, San Marcos and Wimberley.
Deere said the colorful map conveys the beauty of the area’s rolling hills, serene rivers and spacious parks.
“Unlike any other local map, Discovery Map showcases the major communities from left to right,” she said. “This allows tourists and residents alike to enjoy the advantage of seeing how the communities interconnect.”
Starting the business in 2005 with the help of husband, Paul, the second edition of the Deere’s East Hill Country Discovery Map is available at more than 200 distributors spread throughout the eastern Hill Country, she said.
“Paul and I were both fed up of the corporate world, so we started looking for something different,” she said. “We came across Discovery Map and thought it was a unique opportunity to make a living and help the community at the same time.”
The Deeres are in the process of distributing more than 125,000 copies of the Discovery Maps in time for the upcoming season. While the maps are free, the couple makes money by selling advertising space on the back of the map.
“This year, we’ve expanded our map and people can participate in a free and exciting game,” Deere said Thursday. “We’ve hidden 10 bobcats — the mascot at Texas State University-San Marcos — on the map. Anyone who identifies the grid locations of all 10 bobcats could be in with a chance to win prizes, including our grand prize, which is a two-day stay in Wimberley.”
Based in La Conner, Wash., Discovery Map provides fun and functional illustrated maps in more than 40 markets nationwide, said spokesman Michael Hughes.
“We’re the leading tourism map and guide company in the nation, and are a pivotal player in the travel and tourism industry,” Hughes said in a news release.
“We researched the product and did our homework for about a year to make sure our integrated and illustrated map would be a good fit for this area,” Deere said. “Then we got hold of lots and lots of existing maps, picked out the areas and attractions we wanted to highlight. We then took hundreds of pictures before turning it over to Penny Gupton, the artist who illustrated the map.”
Deere said she has been getting enthusiastic reviews about a map that artfully displays the major communities of the eastern part of the Hill Country in such an integrated, easy-to-read format.
“The east Hill Country map is awesome,” said Kirby Fitzgerald of League City, who was a recent visitor to New Braunfels. “The La Quinta Inn (and Suites) gave me a copy, and I was able to find things a whole lot easier than reading a regular map. All of the points of interest were there right before me. It was a life saver.”
The 22-inch by 34-inch Discovery Maps are available at many types of businesses that cater to tourists, including visitor centers, chambers of commerce, recreational sites, retail outlets, restaurants, hotels and bed and breakfasts.
“Our map makes it so much easier for tourists to enjoy their trip by providing a fun, easy-to-use guide to the community,” Deere said. “We’re also offering the added value of an interactive version, which is available online at hillcountrymap.com. The ‘WebMap’ enables visitors to thoroughly explore the area even before they arrive.”
Mark Koopmans can be reached at mkoopmans(at)herald-zeitung.com.
