Minnesota Welcome Center (Beaver Creek) — Local services in Red Rock Township

This, the Beaver Creek Welcome Center, is what a rest stop should be. Clean and spacious with an emphasis on being welcoming to visitors. There were so many nice touches that I won't bore you with, but two features particularly stood out to me as unusual: the suggestion box and the staff.

Number one: The Beaver Creek Welcome Center seems to actually want feedback and goes to lengths to make it easy to do in multiple channels: QR code, web, text, call, or even a good old suggestion box with paper and a pen. If you are in a rush, they provide tear off slips of paper with all the contact info so you can share your thoughts later. After driving thousands of miles through other states, often grumbling to myself about deficiencies at rest areas with no way to report problems, seeing this has been a relief. Even if they didn't read the suggestions, giving people a way to vent is beneficial. But it turns out they do read them all and take action, which brings me to my next point.

Number two: The staff here are genuinely welcoming and helpful. I've never been to Minnesota before but now I have a very positive first impression. I want to explore it more instead of just passing through.

The person at the desk when I stopped by, "Megan", reads the suggestion box every week and brings up the issues with her boss. She said that even when they get harsh criticism, they work hard to find a way to do better. Frankly, it shows.

The welcome center is staffed year round, but apparently they cut back which days during the pandemic and have not yet restored them to seven days a week. I don't know how much Minnesota is budgeting to do this, but they are generating good will that will last well beyond this trip and lead to many return visits.

Speaking of budgeting, Minnesota should make sure they are paying "Megan" enough to keep her as she has the kind heart and warm smile a weary traveler is...

we stopped at this rest area on our way to minnesota, and the rest stop was one of my favorites on the way. the scenery around the facility is beautiful so make sure to take some pictures! inside you are able to find many pamphlets, magazines, and booklets on the towns in minnesota and even the events that take place during the year. i even took a few of them with me. the facility is also very clean and the restrooms are spotless. overall gorgeous place to stop for a little rest with your family or...

One of the cleanest rest areas I've visited. Plenty of tourist information. Vending machines were on the more expensive side, I believe the drinks and snacks were $3.50 each. Beautiful Welcome to Minnesota sign out front! I visited in early November, so it is likely outside mowing season, but the bank next to the sign was grown up a bit, making it a little difficult to walk up to the sign. Average adults would probably get up fine, but kids and the elderly...