Centennial of NPS, running tourism

[lauradi7dw]

There are national parks that are more than a hundred years old, but the National Park Service started in 1916. I keep thinking that we should visit a national park somewhere to celebrate, other than the Minuteman national historic park down the street from us (covering part of the Battle road and some restored colonial buildings). Amazingly, we've never been to Acadia, so maybe that should be it, but last-minute planning might not work for somewhere so popular. I found a 20-mile race in October that crosses two national military parks in Virginia, retracing the goofy ambulance wagon ride that the wounded Stonewall Jackson took after he was shot by his own men after the Battle of Chancellorsville. (goofy in the sense that he might have been better off with field treatment than bleeding across many miles, jouncing in a wagon). I don't know that all the organization required for that trip would be worth it to be in the parks for an hour or two.
Similarly (but not related to national parks), I am sort of planning to do a race at Epcot/Disney in February. Some people take a very long time, because they stop for pictures with people in character costumes. Would that be fun or irritating? Does a theme park count as a scenic location?