Int. Assoc. of Amusement Parks & Attractions

Nature's Wrath Pummeled The Spanish Treasure Ship...

Into a razor-sharp barrier reef, the tropical northeasterly engulfing the watchman's screams from the crow's nest. Pierced broadside, its keel surrenders to the battering saltwater. Side stove in it sinks to the Caribbean Ocean floor. Claimed by the abyss, the galleon's skeleton rests like a gray ghost, its treasure relinquished to the deep for hundreds of years. Exotic tropical fish and an array of flora and fauna, dressed in wildly colorful costumes lay claim to their home. Nearby whales serenade their eerie opera. To the right we approach a sandy shoreline. Our gaze draws upward as an untamed river waterfall cascades
over palisades into a waiting tide pool. Mist and condensation rise as dense fog. We enter a natural gorge, emerging into a Redwood forest secluded by a green canopy. Exotic birds melodiously harmonize, crickets chirp and wild mammals howl. The eyes follow a sprawling Banyan tree. Tracing its detail downward, we discover a Galapagos Gigandus (giant turtle) grazing on native vegetation. We dodge a fallen log and step over weathered stumps, finding ourselves confronted by ancient Mayan history. Hand-carved from a 13 foot, 35-ton basalt boulder by the ancient Olmec tribe of Central America, a Warrior god gazes directly into time. Our journey has taken us from beneath the sea, through treacherous mountain terrain, surging white water, and lush tropical jungles and into the hidden mysteries of the giant Sequoia Forest, all in less than 400 square feet. Yet, we remain frozen in time. We cannot help but wonder, "Is this reality or fantasy?" Is it any wonder why this museum-quality exhibit fabrication won the 1998 First Place Exhibit Award at the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions Show in Dallas, Texas?