I-2016 imelela iminyaka engu-100 yeNational Park Service e-US Ngekhulu leminyaka elidlule, amadoda nabesifazane abazinikezele be-NPS baye basiza ukuphatha amapaki, ukuwagcina evikelekile kahle ekungeniseni izithakazelo ngenkathi ebuyele kwezinye zezinto ezidume kakhulu izindawo emhlabeni. Wonke umuntu ohamba ngezinyawo ezihambela emigwaqweni yomndeni-abaqashi bangathola into yokuthanda ngaphakathi kwalezi zindawo ezinhle nezesithunzi, yingakho izigidi zibavakashela njalo ngonyaka.
Muva nje, indawo yokubhuka yezokuvakasha i-Expedia.com yenze ucwaningo lwabantu abangaphezu kwenkulungwane baseMelika ukucacisa imicabango yabo, isimo sengqondo kanye nemibono yePhakheji kaZwelonke. Okutholakele kwabo, okuye kwahlanganiswa ku-Expedia National Parks Index, banikeza ulwazi olumangalisa ngalokho abavakashi abacabanga ngakho ngalezi zindawo eziyingxenye engapheli yenkambiso yaseMelika.
Ucwaningo lubonise ukuthi amapaki kazwelonke ayaziswa kakhulu yiMelika. Ngokwenhlolovo, abangu-76% kulabo abaphendula bathi "bavuma ngokuqinile" ukuthi amaPaki kaZwelonke "ayigugu futhi ahle." Ngaphezu kwalokho, u-50% walabo ababambe iqhaza kulolu khetho babonisa ukuthi bavakashele i-National Park ngesikhathi esithile empilweni yabo, kanti u-38% wenze kanjalo eminyakeni emihlanu eyedlule. Okukhuthazayo nakakhulu, abangu-32% bathi bahambe ukupaka ngonyaka odlule.
Ngakho yiziphi izindawo zokupaka eziphakathi kwezintandokazi zaseMelika?
Ngokusho kwe-Expedia, i-Yellowstone ibamba inombolo eyodwa, neGrand Canyon ibiza indawo yesibili. Izintaba Ezinkulu Ezibhemayo, i-Rocky Mountain National Park, neYosemite zihlanganisa amahlanu aphezulu ngokulandelana.
Lapho ebuzwa ukuthi yiliphi ipaki abacabanga ukuthi lalihle kakhulu, izinqumo eziyisihlanu eziphezulu zahlala zifanayo, nakuba i-oda lishintsha kancane.
I-Grand Canyon ithatha indawo ephezulu, i-Yellowstone yesibili, ilandelwa yi-Yosemite, i-Great Smoky Mountains, ne-Rocky Mountain.
INtaba iRushmore yenza uhlu lwabantu abaningi baseMelika abangathanda ukuthatha u-selfie ngaphambili, neLincoln Memorial eWashington, DC nase-Old Faithful e-Yellowstone. Ngayinye yalezo yizindawo ezifanelekile ze-selfie, futhi ziyizithonjana ezizodwa.
Lolu cwaningo lwaze lwabuza nabaseMelika ukuthi bangabhekana nobani eNtabeni Rushmore banikezwa ithuba. Umdwebo oqoshiwe wamadwala usuvele uhlanganisa uGeorge Washington, u-Abraham Lincoln, uTomas Jefferson noTheodore Roosevelt. Kodwa abangu-29% kulabo abacwaningiwe bathi bazokwengeza uFranklin Delano Roosevelt uma kungenzeka, kanti abanye abangu-21% bavotela uJohn F. Kennedy abajoyina ama-Presidents asebevele ebusweni obunamatshe eSouth Dakota. UBarack Obama, uRonald Reagan, noBill Clinton babephakathi kwamanye amavoti.
Ngokuqondene nabangewona oongameli okufanele bengezwe eNtabeni Rushmore, abaphenduli benhlolovo babe nokuningi okuzohlinzeka khona futhi. Abaningi bathi bangathanda ukubona uMartin Luther King, uJr. engeza odongeni, kanti abanye bavotela uBen Franklin, u-Albert Einstein, uJesu Kristu, noDonald Trump.
Ukufika unyaka wokurekhoda wokuba khona kwi-National Parks ngo-2015, kubonakala sengathi abaseMelika abazange balahlekelwe uthando lwabo lokuya kulezi zindawo ezinhle. Njengoba i-Park Service eyikhulu leminyaka manje isiphezu kwethu, angizange ngilindele ukuthi i-2016 ibone ukwehla okuningi kwezivakashi, futhi irekhodi elisha lingenzeka ngokuphelele. Uma ucabanga ngokuvakashela i-National Park esikhathini esithile kulo nyaka, i-Expedia ingasiza. Lewebhusayithi ihlanganise ikhasi elizinikezele ekusizeni ukuthi uhlele, uhlele, futhi uhambe uhambo lwakho, okwenza kube lula kunanini ngaphambili ukubona amapaki ngesitayela.
Ngomuntu siqu, ngingumfana omkhulu we-Yellowstone, i-Glacier, ne-Grand Tetons, ngayinye ekhona ngaphakathi kwedrayivu encane yomunye nomunye. Uma ufuna ukwenza uhambo oludabukisayo oluya emadolobheni aseMelika, futhi ubone ezinye zezindawo ezinhle kakhulu ezingacabangeki, kunokuhlela ukuvakashela eMontona, Wyoming, nase-Idaho ukuze ungene kulezi zindawo ezinhle.