
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 7, 1993                   TAG: 9307070412
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

DON'T KNOCK EXPLORE UNTIL YOU'VE TRIED IT

I RECENTLY attended an open house at Explore Park, and I must say that I was extremely surprised. After all the negative publicity about the project, I couldn't understand why I was enjoying myself that day.

Could it be that Explore really is a good idea? I could envision Explore Park in all its glory, and I felt as if I'd stepped back in time to a "better" way of life in America. The costumed guides were extremely informative and interesting to talk with. How it made me long for that lifestyle of simplicity and hard work.

We cannot and should not compare Explore Park to the likes of Williamsburg, etc. It is not another Williamsburg, and it never will be. It is Explore Park, a very educational environment (I learned a lot that day), and it will definitely be an asset to the Roanoke Valley, Virginia, America and the world.

Come on, Roanoke Valley, quit complaining about our insignificant problems. Visit Explore and truly learn to appreciate the real beauty of our area, just as our ancestors realized - which is why they settled here in the first place. That is what Explore is all about! RUSTY LUCAS BIG ISLAND

by CNB