I know American Heartland has yet to build their park in Vinita, Oklahoma.  Costs, politics, and other hurdles stand in the way.  Still, nothing has said the project has ceased to exist.  This real proposal centers on the regions of the United States and celebrates the different features as well as cultures of each region.

Last fall, I projected that since the powers that be are comparing the project to Disney, they would eventually need to think about a second park.  When we think about it, Disney has two parks in California and four in Florida.  Sea World competes in both locations, and Universal is building its third park in Florida in addition to competing in California as well.  My proposed second park was focused on natural disasters and specifically weather disasters. The weather park would be full of scientific presentations, museum displays to educate the public about weather safety, and fun, entertaining rides and shows.  Everything from earthquakes to blizzards would be experienced in the course of the day.  A water park with a flood theme would be attached.

So you can see how I might start dreaming of even a third park.  It's an idea I've kicked around since being a part of the 50 Teachers Celebration at Disney World in 2022.  While the weather park presents more of a scientific and regional theme, this third park would educate (and of course, entertain) guests about important moments in American history.  I call the park Centuries, and it looks something like this:

Time Hub
The central hub of the park features the time travel theme.  The ceiling of the area will present a celestial show similar to a planetarium.  On the floor, there will be an interactive calendar on the floor, and lots and lots of animated mechanical clock gears and components, both traditional and digital float in the air.

17th Century
The 17th Century region of the Centuries park is primitive and natural.  In the area is a village to celebrate the Native Peoples of the East Coast.  This is presented in a floating dark ride to tell the story.

Old tall ships like the Mayflower and the ships at Jamestowne are on display.  It will appear that visitors board into the hull of one of the ships, which is actually a virtual Fly ride.  Your ship sails through all of the lands that people have come from to get to America.

Speaking of Jamestowne, a replica of the settlement will play a major role in the area.  In some of the buildings, a museum will display artifacts and exhibits to tell the story of enslaved people.

There will be a show featuring the stories of "witches" and pirates.  These shows will alternate from year to year or season to season.  This will be a stunt show of sorts, with special effects and action.

The entire area will be illuminated without electricity at night.  Fire pots, torches, and bonfires will provide all of the light.

Foods will be garden-fresh and will feature meats that can be easily carried (like turkey legs and fried chicken).

18th Century
The second area visitors will visit will be the 18th Century.  This part of our history is full of action.  An immersive dark ride, for example, will tell the story of the American Revolution.

The Independence Show will be an Americana Revue.  The music and comedy revue will feature professional choreography and patriotic costuming.

There will be an area for Benjamin Franklin's Lightning Show.  The show, complete with laser projections, fireworks, and rich music will entertain guests after dark.

All lighting this area will be gaslighting as the area takes on a more civilized appearance.  Brick and frame structures will echo the architecture of the time period.

Foods will be served family-style in the sit-down restaurant.

19th Century
As we make it to the 19th Century, we are faced with a terrific Lewis and Clark River Rapids ride.  Scenes include encounters with Natives, grizzly bears, prairie dogs, and other wildlife.  The rapids would be violent and exciting, but in the end the ocean comes into view.

The Civil War is displayed in this area as two encampments to walk through.  Characters in the area are excellent storytellers who share their experiences from the battlefield.  There will be a "homefront" area, as well, where northern and southern foods will be offered.  This is where the barbecue restaurant will be located.

In the gazebo, there is always a bluegrass band and occasionally some clogging.

Stagecoaches and horse-drawn farm wagons transport guests to a chuckwagon dinner area that sits around a fire pit.

The Covered Wagon Experience is an animated show that surrounds the audience.  The circled wagons feature rear projection on the canopies where animated characters share the hardships and adventures of their experiences.

After dark, Edison and Tesla battle for attention with their competing forms of electricity.

20th Century
The biggest music show in the park is in the 20th Century area.  Called Decades, this show takes guests through a history of music in the 1900s.

A 50s diner seems a natural for this area, with wait staff on roller skates.  This will be a classic hamburger restaurant.  A small stage will be located in the corner and dancers and singers will perform at random.

The 1980s roller coaster will feature rock and roll and punk rock from the era on board.

There will be a classic drive-in movie theater where visitors can actually sit and view classic movies, both black-and-white and color.  Guests can sit in "cars", eat refreshments as they enjoy the movie of the season.

One street featured in this area with houses reproduced from 1970s TV shows.

An indoor theater will be home to a White Christmas musical show in the appropriate season.

How about a "neon" street scene after dark?

21st Century
The 21st Century, of course, is represented by the return to the parking lot.  A gate similar to the other centuries takes guests out of the park and back to the current century.

Festivals
Olympic Festival every four years
History in Residence
Crafts and Sports Culture
​Christmas through the Centuries
Presidents

In early 2025, I'll take flight to Lexington, Kentucky, three times to present to around 50 elementary teachers gathered for the purpose of receiving professional development focused on American history.  A historian, John Fea from Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, will present his expertise in each historical topic, and I will follow up with about 150 minutes of pedagogy instruction, hopefully helping the teachers better understand how to teach the information at hand.  I will also facilitate a question/answer session with Dr. Fea each time.  All of this is done with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History (GLI),

Does any of the language about these verses make you have a question?  Might that language make you wonder about the accuracy of the Bible?  There is an explanation...that we will get to at the end.

How do bats hang upside-down - and even sleep upside-down - and not fall on their heads?  It's all part of God's wonderful design.

Have you ever heard of a person being "as blind as a bat"?  Actually, most bats have good eyesight, but one of the first things that comes to mind concerning bats is their ability to locate and navigate using echolocation.  This is an incredible system that shows a bat where things are as they fly.  With echolocation, bats can even detect something as fine as a hair...which is why they will rarely fly into someone's hair.

Owls are intriguing to watch, but we don't get to see them very often, because they are nocturnal creatures.  There are over 200 species of owls.  Like bats, they can be found in all the regions of the earth except in the polar ice caps.

Owls have binocular vision, meaning they can see in 3D, with tremendous depth perception.  ​However, the eyes of an owl do not move left or right, up or down.  The owl must move its head to see around itself.  God designed this wonderful creature to turn its head almost all the way around, allowing it to gain a mostly complete picture of its surroundings.  We have always marveled at an owl that seems to be able to turn its head to look behind it.  Actually the owl only turns in a 270-degree measurement and not a complete 360 degrees.  Still, it is an amazing feature of this creation.  It also allows the owl to look around without rustling the rest of its body and causing sound to alert its prey.

While we're thinking about this, consider what the owl might see.  Think about what the owl might be looking for. Food?  Predators?  Impending storms?  What else?

The people in charge of the over-$2 billion theme park proposed for Vinita, Oklahoma claim they are still "all-in", but for some reason, they are delaying the completion and opening date for three years.  The original plan was pretty aggressive and more than a little unbelievable - especially since all movement on the park, resort, and neighboring RV park stopped right after starting.  The park, and its parent, Mansion Entertainment Group, have come under scrutiny for unpaid debts.

I want to give them the benefit of the doubt.  I do think they mean well​, and I believe honest people are the heart of the projects.  I don't know the ins and outs of business, but I do hope they end up with a successful and wholesome enterprise.

The winter of 1779/80 was a tough one - the toughest - but George Washington's army needed a place to hunker down.  Close enough to New York that they could still keep an eye on the British, but far enough to remain out of danger range, Morristown was a very cold home for the troops.  It will be a meaningful place to spend a night or two.

A month from now, I should be on my way to New Jersey for the first time, to stay in Morristown.  This excursion is to meet the Gilder Lehrman team that I will be working with next year.  I won't have a lot of free time while there, but I would love to visit the Morristown National Historical Park - the first national historical park in the country.