Blacksburg area Welcome Center supervisor Linda Wilson (right) speaks with a visitor from Raleigh, N.C. on Thursday during one of her final days on the job. Blacksburg area welcome center supervisor Linda Wilson is looking forward to filling her mornings with a cup of coffee and a horseback ride.

That scenario is not far off for the Ohio native as she spends the next few days briefing South Carolina Welcome Center staff members about the upcoming Peach Festival and new brochures to popular destinations like Myrtle Beach.

Wilson will retire July 2. She has worked at the Welcome Center on I-85 near Blacksburg since 1984 to help promote tourism and guide out-of-state visitors on their travels across the Palmetto State.

Wilson is now looking forward to horseback riding on county trails and caring for her animals. She has six horses, cats and a dog.

"None of us know how many remaining days we have left. It's time for me to retire and relax a little," Wilson said. "I'm looking forward to getting back into horseback riding and helping develop more green spaces in Cherokee County."

Wilson started out teaching English and social studies in an elementary school in the Cincinnati public school system. She moved to Cherokee County in the 1970s and spent 10 years managing the Fowler's Shoes store in Gaffney.

Wilson found her calling when she decided to take a job at the Blacksburg area Welcome Center in 1984. She discovered her natural interests in history and education fit neatly with the focus on promoting South Carolina.

"The people in South Carolina are our best asset," Wilson said. "One of the things I have learned working in tourism over the years is visitors from out of town really want to know what the local flavor of an area is like."

South Carolina Welcome Centers provide travel information and assistance to more than 1.6 million visitors annually.

"I have an excellent staff who are ready to help visitors with anything they need," Wilson said. "My life has been filled with many wonderful memories of the true hospitality of tourism in South Carolina. The many people I have met in Cherokee County are a treasure and will always be special to me."