http://www.blueridgeparkwayblog.com/318-blue-ridge-america-just-say-no/ an Online Community to Share the Parkway Experience Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:45:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://www.blueridgeparkwayblog.com/318-blue-ridge-america-just-say-no/comment-page-1/#comment-207 Theodore R. Hazen Fri, 22 May 2009 05:27:47 +0000 http://www.blueridgeparkwayblog.com/super-scenic-motorway-a-historians-parkway/?p=90#comment-207 I used to work at Virginia's Explore Park, and I would go back to work there in a heartbeat. I am not disappointed with this new plan for Explore Park. I expected this commercialization of history. The video plan sounds like the old rehashing of Bern Ewart plan the creation of a park. Lets face it, the park opened before enough of it got built. Visitors are not going to be drawn to the park by overhead gondola rides. You need to develop the park land on the other side of the Roanoke River which has the best vista views. then you need the loop the Park with a real steam train. You need more historical buildings assembled throughout the park, for example: Mills types in different historic areas. There needs to be a saw mill, a covered bridge, an iron furnace, general stores, a trading post, and you need to expand the time periods into the 20th century, and celebrate the construction of the Blue Ridge 'Parkway with a CCC Camp, and Route 11. I just see this plan as taking history, and living history, and commercializing upon it. With all of this talk of Disney World, Branson, Missouri, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, etc., they are going to bring Disney's high price admission prices, and the imagineering factor into the park, and create the historical theme park from Hell. I used to work at Virginia’s Explore Park, and I would go back to work there in a heartbeat. I am not disappointed with this new plan for Explore Park. I expected this commercialization of history. The video plan sounds like the old rehashing of Bern Ewart plan the creation of a park. Lets face it, the park opened before enough of it got built. Visitors are not going to be drawn to the park by overhead gondola rides. You need to develop the park land on the other side of the Roanoke River which has the best vista views. then you need the loop the Park with a real steam train. You need more historical buildings assembled throughout the park, for example: Mills types in different historic areas. There needs to be a saw mill, a covered bridge, an iron furnace, general stores, a trading post, and you need to expand the time periods into the 20th century, and celebrate the construction of the Blue Ridge ‘Parkway with a CCC Camp, and Route 11. I just see this plan as taking history, and living history, and commercializing upon it. With all of this talk of Disney World, Branson, Missouri, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, etc., they are going to bring Disney’s high price admission prices, and the imagineering factor into the park, and create the historical theme park from Hell.

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