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By the time this week is out, Discover, Austin’s rolling billboard will be on the highways and byways of Minnesota, getting the word out about what our community has to offer.

And to that, we give a big thumb’s up.

The traveling billboard comes in the form of a semi trailer, wrapped on both sides of its 53-foot length as well as the back with images extolling the virtues of the community.

As our story on the front points out, this will be a 10-year experiment by Discover Austin to spread the word throughout the United States and in turn get people thinking about coming to Austin or making it part of a bigger get-away.

The wrap, paid entirely through a grant from Explore Minnesota, will also have an interactive core to the decade project in that people are invited to take pictures and send them in, giving people, along with Discover Austin, the opportunity to track where the truck has been.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Discover Austin has had an upward climb like so many businesses and organizations.

Executive Director Nancy Schnable understands that many families have put traveling on hold, as do we, but we also understand and support the proactive approach to the future.

Regardless of the events now, there are bright days ahead and with the hope of those days, we have to consider that people will be traveling again.

Just because COVID-19 has gotten in the way of just about everything, it doesn’t mean we stop moving forward and we’re glad to see that Discover Austin is helping pave the way for what those brighter days may hold.

We appreciate the work our tourism leads are doing in getting this project rolling and fully believe in their work to bring people to Austin.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Austin is still a destination and as welcoming as ever.