And what exactly you might ask, is a “TOD?” In the highway sign industry, TOD is an acronym for Tourist Oriented Directional—a secondary roadway sign directing travelers to attractions such as wineries or other businesses of interest to leisure travelers. TODs often direct traffic to businesses within a cluster—breweries or cheese tasting rooms, farm restaurants and art galleries—all within a short distance of one another. The business name, number of miles, and an arrow designating direction, and blue and white color are the hallmarks of TODs. Oregon Travel Experience manages TODs across the state from start to finish (permit to installation) and any required maintenance.

The OTE Sign Program crew is responsible for transporting many different types of business signs (including TODs) to their new homes by the highway. Sometimes an existing TOD is knocked down by a passing vehicle, farmer’s tractor, or high wind during a storm. Whatever the reason, OTE’s sign staff are on the road five days a week, unloading materials, ladders, and other tools of the trade.

Highway business sign image gallery

Recently OTE Executive Director Nancy DeSouza accompanied OTE’s Mike Bryant and Cam Sulak on one of their work trips. A TOD’s wood posts had been snapped off and a new installation was required. In the image gallery below, DeSouza chronicled the process from start to finish.

Enter the image gallery by clicking on the first image, then use the mouse to click through to the next image. You can stop and enlarge by clicking on the “view the full size” button on bottom right hand corner of the gallery. Exit the gallery at any time by hitting your keyboard’s “esc” key.