National Park Service Website & CMS
Award Winning Site
Employs Web 2.0
Overview
The National Park Service asked Alexander & Tom to build an interactive web site using web 2.0 technologies for the Captain John Smith Trail; the nation’s first all-water historic trail. The trail follows the historic routes of Captain John Smith as he charted the Chesapeake Bay from 1607-1609.
User Generated Content – Visitor Reviews
Website users are able to add their own content through a “reviews” feature. They can add personal reviews, travel tips and photos of the trail's parks and preserves. Reviews are then stored in a database, checked by a site administrator through an easy-to-use admin area, and then quickly posted to the site, upon approval.
Database-Driven Present Day Map
A+T created a database-driven map system that uses a Google Maps platform to plot all the key locations of the water and land trails, and park locations - down to exact latitude and longitude. It also provides real-time weather and tide data from the buoys located on the Chesapeake Bay. The weather and tide data are sent to the site via an XML feed.
A+T designed the map to give the user specific information about each of the park locations and attractions and link them to more in-depth resources, reviews and photos related to the location. The map also incorporates tilt / pan / zoom functions, satellite imagery and driving directions. Google maps helps make it easy to get step-by-step driving directions from your front door to the park you want to visit.
Historical Flash Map
A+T used Flash programming to build an engaging historical map that allows the user to select icons on the map and learn information about Captain John Smith’s travels on the Chesapeake hundreds of years ago. The map location icons and map trail are color-coded according to the time frame that Captain John Smith visited the locations.
Calendar of Events
Site administrators at each park location have the ability to post new events to the calendar. Collectively they add hundreds of events each quarter. They also have the ability to easily change information on the location, such as hours of operation or current conditions.
My Adventure Planner
Site users have the ability to plan their trips to the trail using the “My Adventure Planner.” They can add or delete items of interest, build their lists of places to visit, and print their adventure plans.
Features
- Interactive Flash Maps
- Google Map API Integration
- NOAA Buoy Data Integration
- Database-Driven
- Content Management System
- Dynamically Generated Content
- User-Generated Content
- Web Administrator Console
- Calendar of Events
- Photo Gallery
- Site Analytics
Awards
2011 Webby Award Nominee
A+T was nominated for our work for the National Park Service’s Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail Website--chronicling the exploration of the Chesapeake Bay by Captain John Smith as he first charted the Chesapeake Bay from 1607-1609.
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