What If America Was One Big Theme Park?
Entertainment Scott Hartbeck November 26, 2017

What’s the best part of going to a theme park?
Okay, obviously it’s the rides.
What about the next best part? That’s probably the All-American fairground food. But after that, the cool souvenir maps that show all the fun rides and their location within the park have to be up there, right?
Theme park maps are usually full of colorful sketches of all the park’s amusements and the mysterious “lands” they hold within. Unfolding one and staring at the cartoonish versions of roller coasters and other attractions is an essential part of the theme park experience.
That’s part of the reason the latest online illustration from Expedia is so fun. They’ve taken nearly every natural attraction in the United States and re-imagined it as a “ride” on a theme park map. The rides even get fun names that sound exactly like amusement park attractions.
For example, inside Everglades National Park, guests get to sail over a sea of grass while spotting native endangered animals like Florida panthers, manatees and American crocodiles. Expedia has named this ride Crocodile Cruise.
Here are some of the other fun ones on their list:
Double Trouble - Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Riders of Double Trouble will get to experience two of the most active volcanoes in the world: Hawaii's Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Make sure to dress cool and pack plenty of water.
On The Rocks - Kenai Fjords National Park
On this massive field of ice in Alaska, visitors can get up close and personal with the dozens of glaciers that flow from the Harding Icefield. The perfect ride for cooling off on a summer day.
Cloud Islands - Shenandoah National Park
Riders on Cloud Islands are treated to a jaw-dropping natural occurrence called a “fog ocean”. This is a natural phenomenon where the green mountaintops of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia are clear but below them lies a blanket of puffed-up, pillowy clouds.
The Healing Pool - Hot Springs National Park
Visitors to this ride in Arkansas are treated to thermal pools which are famous for their medicinal qualities. In fact, the Native Americans used to call the area the “Valley of the Vapors”.
READ MORE: 8 Odd Landscapes You Must See To Believe
Sandstorm - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
In the heart of the Rocky Mountains, riders get to tour the tallest sand dunes in all of North America. The dunes are set among a Colorado landscape that also features mountain lakes, grasslands, wetlands, tundra and forests.
The Underground Labyrinth - Mammoth Cave National Park
In the depths of the Kentucky countryside, guests get to be taken for a fascinating subterranean thrill ride inside the world’s longest known cave system. Think of this as the runaway mine train ride of the park.
Snow Desert - White Sands National Monument
This attraction is set in southern New Mexico and blows visitors away with giant sand dunes that are colored as white as snow.
READ MORE: Best Amusement Parks for Families in 2017
Bottomless Sea Soaker - Crater Lake National Park
The Bottomless Sea Soker takes riders on an exhilarating adventure to experience the deepest lake in all of the United States: Oregon's Crater Lake. Consider this the theme park’s water ride.
Sponsored Content
-
Plan with a Pro in ’23 and Save up to 70%
Promoted by ALG Vacations -
Caribbean Paradise at Finest Resorts
Promoted by The Excellence Collection -
-
More by Scott Hartbeck
Comments
You may use your Facebook account to add a comment, subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook information, including your name, photo & any other personal data you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment, and may be used on TravelPulse.com. Click here to learn more.
LOAD FACEBOOK COMMENTS