How do you get a vacation-bound family headed to Rocky Mountain National Park to stop and spend more than, say, a quick lunch break in Loveland?

Cindy Mackin, Loveland's newly appointed Visitors Service Coordinator, began working on that problem after started her job in late February and has $500,000 in lodging tax dollars to help.

Her roadmap: a five-year strategic outline called Destination Loveland.

It includes plans to develop a brand for the city, a new website and eliminating clutter along corridors such as Highway 34, the main thoroughfare used by travelers headed to the mountains west of Loveland.

If all goes as hoped, Loveland will become known as a "world-class destination for art, leisure and business visitors."

As Mackin will readily acknowledge, Loveland has a lot of work ahead.

At the moment, limited tourism information can be found on the Loveland Chamber of Commerce's website. That's why getting a dedicated website up and running is the first big step toward creating name-recognition and making Loveland a destination, according to Mackin.

"We have a very aggressive timeline and hope to have the website up this summer," she said. "It's important to get