Being back in the United States has been an interesting transition on multiple levels. Any of you who have been away for an extended period of time know the sensation of “culture shock.” For me, I was amazed at how quiet and open everything here was. I was also bummed that I couldn’t grab a falafel down the street at 4 am. Another challenge is my blog. While gallivanting around the world, interesting and unique stories take place frequently, there’s no need to search for them. Returning to the monotony of the suburbs, a 55-hour work week, and home-cooked meals, while fascinating, does not offer the greatest number of fresh experiences.
I’ll do my best to keep things interesting.
Recently I’ve noticed the abundance of theme parks: in-planning, under construction, and completed. For all you J.K. Rowling fans out there, BBC online announced today that Universal Studios in Florida is planning a Harry Potter theme park. Set for 2009, let’s hope the rides are more realistic then the special effects in the movies.
Another interesting concept (and possible waste of money), is the theme park which just opened in Petersburg, Kentucky. A $27 million project, The Creation Museum offers some interesting exhibits. If you are lucky 
enough to find yourself in Petersburg, you can see animatronic dinosaurs playing with early humans, a reproduction of Noah’s Ark (and the flood which allegedly carved the Grand Canyon in a few days), and panoramas of Adam and Eve, Martin Luther, and Moses and Paul. A short drive from Cincinnati, you can correct all your misconceptions from high school science class for only $19.95 a ticket.
It is a bit difficult for me to not criticize this museum, I can only imagine how far $27 million would go to build health clinics and orphanages, or subsidize AIDs medicine and microloans around the world.
A third, and I believe cancelled theme park concept was being touted by Pat Robertson in 2006. Working with the Israeli government, Mr. Robertson and his consortium of Christian groups sought to create a Biblical theme park on the Sea of Galilee. At an estimated cost of $48 million dollars, the park would include gardens and parks, auditoriums, Holy Land exhibitions, amphitheatres, and a media studio. The park ran into a few problems unfortunately. Part of the land to be used for the park was land seized by Israel from Syria following the
1967 War. The other issue was a not so wise statement offered by Robertson following former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s stroke. Robertson suggested the stroke was God’s punishment for Sharon returning the Gaza Strip to the Palestinians.
Last I heard, that statement hadn’t been forgiven by the Israeli government, which at that time had planned to lease the land for free in hopes of increasing Christian tourists.
I can only imagine what kinds of theme parks we’ll have 15 years from now to take our kids to…
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