2012 Best Amusement and Water Parks

Every year when summer ends, Amusement Today conducts an international poll to find out what were the best amusement parks and water parks around the world.  This is not an easy task.

The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) says that there are more than 400 amusement parks and attractions in the United States, and approximately 300 amusement parks in Europe.  And according to the World Waterpark Association, there are over 1,000 waterparks in North America, and about 600 around the rest of the world.  That's a lot of fun to judge.

The Amusement Today awards are called the Golden Ticket Award, and they identify the top winners in 23 categories.  Categories include not only Best Park and Best Waterpark, but also Best Children's Park, Friendliest Park, Cleanest Park, Best Shows, Best Kids Area, and Best Indoor Coaster.  You can find all the winners, and see what categories they won, on our map below.

For even more choices to have fun, last year we looked at the most & least expensive amusement parks, as well as the parks that had the most inversions (going upside down) from the Roller Coaster Database.

Zoom the map out to see the winners in Europe and Japan.

North Carolina BBQ Trail

Just mention the word "barbecue", and some people will start salivating.  And with good reason, because there is a lot of great barbecue out there.

For this map though, we'll focus on barbecue from North Carolina, and the mission statement for the North Carolina Barbecue Society says it all:

"The mission of the North Carolina Barbecue Society (NCBS) is to preserve North Carolina’s barbecue history and culture and to secure North Carolina’s rightful place as the Barbecue Capital of the World."

To help you sample North Carolina barbecue the NCBS has put together a Barbecue Trail to help people sample the distinctive methods and barbecue cooking styles North Carolina barbecue has to offer, and you can see the 23 places they've chosen on our map below.

For a slightly different perspective on North Carolina barbecue, check out the BBQ Jew blog.  And if you want to check out unique and unusual things to do between meals, Visit NC has some suggestions.

Zoom in to find your next meal.

Where To Find Authentic Neapolitan Pizza

There are all kinds of pizza in the U.S. - New York-style, Chicago-style, St. Louis-style, even California-style.  But where can you find authentic Neapolitan-style pizza?

Authentic Neapolitan pizzas are typically made with tomatoes and Mozzarella cheese, and are cooked in a very high-heat wood burning oven. While you could order Neapolitan pizza in a lot of pizzerias, the only way to know you are getting truly authentic Neapolitan pizza is if the restaurant has been certified by VPN Americas.

VPN Americas is the American Delegation of the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana, an international non-profit organization founded in the mid 1980’s by a group of Neapolitan pizzaiolis (pizza makers) seeking to cultivate the culinary art of making Neapolitan pizza.  Currently there are 69 restaurants that have been certified in the U.S. and Canada, and as you can see from our map some are in places you wouldn't expect.

Zoom in the map to see exactly where each restaurant is at.  Enjoy!

Where Is The Best Ice Cream

There is plenty of ice cream out there - it's not like we lack choices.  But if you have the chance there are a few ice cream shops you should really make an effort to visit, and we've mapped the top choices from six "Best Of" lists to help you find them.

• Two Scoops of Ube - Time
• Great American Ice Cream Shops - SAVEUR.com
• America's Best Ice Cream - US News & World Report
• Best Ice Cream Spots in the U.S. - Food & Wine Magazine
• The 25 Best Ice Cream Shops in the U.S. - Complex
• America's Best Ice Cream Shops - Travel + Leisure

Vanilla is still the king of flavors, however as you visit the ice cream shops on our list you may find new favorites that go beyond strawberry and chocolate too.

Move the map around to see where all the shops are located (don't forget Hawaii too), and zoom in to see how close you are to some creamy heaven.

Best Zoos and Aquariums

Lions, tigers and bears.  Oh, my!  And where are the best places to find them, plus penguins, killer whales and bat rays?

We've mapped the zoos and aquariums from four articles to help you find great places to visit - some even show up on more than one list:

• America's Most-Visited Zoos - Travel + Leisure
• 10 Best Zoos for Kids (and 15 runners-up) - Parents
• The 10 Best Aquariums for Kids - Parents
• Best US Aquariums - Travel Channel

Be sure to zoom in and move the map around to find the zoo or aquarium closest to where you're going.