The visualization, "A River Runs Toward It", is an interactive map of the U.S. topography created using CartoDB's vector map technology and sourced from U.S. Government satellite data. The map showcases every American river based on its direction of flow, with colors corresponding to each river's direction. This interactive map was inspired by a blog post about DIY mapping and uses open-source tools to convert shape files into web maps. The project demonstrates the use of open data and open-source software, such as CartoDB and Nelson Minar's tutorial project, to create visually striking and informative maps.