October 23, 2015
Anthony Sinagoga/Visit Bucks County
Paul Bencivengo trekked through Bucks County with a 50-pound camera on his back to take shots for Google.
Back in May, Visit Bucks County began working with Google to create a Google Street View Trekker experience for 12 Bucks County locations. Like its Street View program, which allows users to see their neighborhood from the street, the Trekker program was designed to take users into parks and attractions all over the world, with or without roads.
To collect the images Google would later use to create a virtual view of the area, VBC Vice President and Head Trekker Paul Bencivengo carried around 50 pounds of camera equipment over miles of park trails. Together, the team took innumerable photos of Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve and Bowman’s Tower, Shady Brook Farm, Washington Crossing Historic Park, Tyler State Park, Sand Castle Winery, Ringing Rocks Park, Peace Valley Lavender Farm, Core Creek Park, Nockamixon State Park, Peace Valley Park, Neshaminy State Park and the Delaware Canal.
Now the work is finally complete and the project is live. Users from all over the world can now plop themselves into a dozen of our region's parks and attractions for off-road exploration. Bucks County now stands among world-renowned attractions like the Pyramids of Giza and Venice, Italy, as locations that have been Trekked.
Not only are these 13 virtual experiences (Bowman's Tower and Bowman's Hill are found in separate interactions) a boon to tourists coming into the area, but they're useful for local residents, too. From testing a new running route to planning a picnic, locals can explore the parks in their backyard like never before.
