order —— Nagging nonsense and opening remarks
Since the first overseas self-guided tour in 2012, the United States has always occupied the top three on my "must-visit" list. The city that never sleeps with bright lights and wine, the grand Grand Canyon, the colorful and dazzling Yellowstone Park... Finally, this summer vacation, we embarked on the 15th-day journey of the West American National Park with the elderly and helping the young! ! !
is probably because of the frequent overseas travel in the past two years, and I still couldn't make any effort to do the strategy until the beginning of the year. I happened to see the itinerary assistant service launched by Qiongyou.com, and I called to consult and book reservations with a test-making attitude. This service will configure experienced itineraries and bookmakers according to your needs to help you make a trip plan and complete your trip successfully. During my entire trip, the itinerary assistant team led by Quaker Chen made many very helpful suggestions. I would like to express my gratitude here first. The help they gave me will be mentioned in the travel notes in the later travel notes. The most troublesome thing about going to the United States to play is the trade-offs - the United States is too big! From the east coast to the west coast, forests, lakes, mountains, deserts... not to mention those colorful metropolises, there are so many things that make people unable to start. I can't help but miss the New Zealand trip a few years ago. The small island covers all kinds of landscapes, whether it's going to sea to fight, glacier hiking, or getting in close contact with wild animals. Within two weeks, you can guarantee that you will be dazzled and full of fun. OK, let me insert an advertisement, please see my post about
If you don’t go crazy, you will get old - 2013/14 17-day counterclockwise self-driving in the South Island of New Zealand, embrace all your dreams! The advertising time of
ends, and the strategy time to return to the United States! The biggest benefit of self-guided tours in
is that they are "tailored". After summarizing the experience and feelings of traveling over the years, the conclusions are as follows:
To sum up, my itinerary plan has focused on national parks in the western United States since the beginning. Crazy search for travel notes recommended by major travel websites, read the American and Western version of Lonely Planet, and repeatedly discussed the itinerary nodes with the itinerary assistant team. In the spirit of NO ZUO NO DIE, the entry of San Francisco was finally designated. Las Vegas began to draw a circle all the way west, Los Angeles left, covering 5 national parks, and two Indian reserve parks! Before
officially started, some beautiful pictures were still released. The technology is average, and it really cannot fully show the local scenes that shocked the soul at that time, which is a little regretful.
Dangdang Car is to hang it outside the carriage and blow it up
Sit on Pier 39, gnawing on crab legs and looking at the century prison of Devil Island
Please pay attention to the reference in the lower right corner!
It was from here that the orangutans began to conquer the earth!
Megatron and aliens are all locked here
Canyon Sunset-the most beautiful is only in a moment
Canyon Wonders that created the world
Where the angels come - mortals can wet their pants...
If you don't reach the top, how can you see this beautiful scenery
Arena of the Gods
Don’t laugh at the battlefield, and let go and slip away for a while
My awe craftsman
Galaxy Galaxy
To commemorate the running Forrest Gump
Colored River can also be so charming
suffocating beauty of light and shadow
There is a river in the 2nd floor, and there is a boat on the river; the boatman is good at singing, better than the person who likes.
The city never sleeps brightly and wine
The first choice meeting background for the arhats
Dream show tells you - who says dreams are colorless?
Day 0 - Preparation before departure
After the main theme of this trip was initially determined, various preparations were carried out this year.
air ticket:
is limited by the holidays of friends, so there is no need to think about cheap discounted air tickets. The final choice was Asiana Airlines, which took the best value between economy and flight time. Facts have proved that Asiana Airlines' service quality is still good, with flight transfer connections, on-board meal services and entertainment programs generally not found any major problem. The Boeing 777 is on the way, and the Airbus 380 is on the way. Both airplane meals have Western and Korean traditional dishes to choose from. One steak steak is just right, which is much better than the "Cannot-chewed steak" of a well-known steak chain in Paris. If you eat and drink enough and don’t want to sleep, blockbusters like Captain America 3 can pass the time. Unfortunately, except for some Hollywood movies, most other movies and TV shows only have Korean subtitles, which makes me, a person who is used to being a subtitle party, have no idea how to start.
visa
US visa 10 years has now become the standard. In the world of Qiyou, I chose the visa agent for Tuniu.com . The process was not surprising. After filling in the standard form and uploading it, I made an appointment for the face-to-face signing time. I worked diligently to prepare various random inspection materials, but no one was used if I didn’t expect. The visa officer is a kind and amiable sister, who asked two questions casually and told us, "It's OK, the journey is pleasant!" (Before the visa, Quaker Chen reminded us that our family travel is a high-risk group with "immigration tendency". He suggested that we sign in two batches of face-to-face; the process is not alarming, but it is always right to be careful).
Accommodation
Itinerary Assistant Group first helped us with a round of recommendations, and then made some adjustments myself. Since all the important projects are in national parks, travel time is the peak tourist season, the choice of accommodation is very limited. It really depends on luck to choose a accommodation near the park. The hotels that I am satisfied with during the entire trip are:
is a common feature of LV hotels. You must be careful when walking in MGM to avoid getting lost
Retro hotel sign
The reputation of a century-old store is not to be praised!
still can’t help but nag here. You really have to be careful when going out. Due to my little negligence and the weird rules of a certain website, we had a small accident in our first night stay in San Francisco. Let’s talk about the specific story in the travel notes.
car rental
recommended Hui car rental website by Quaker Chen happens to be doing promotions. Given our staffing configuration of 5 large and 1 small, he recommended me to choose the Grand Cherokee. After some picking and choosing, I finally ordered the basic package of ALAMO. I picked up cars at LV Airport and returned cars at LA Airport. The average daily average of RMB 280 per day is considered relatively economical. Hui Car Rental website also provides basic driver's license translation tools, which can easily be completed. This is a very considerate service, like it!
Yes, we didn’t pick up the car from San Francisco. First, we concentrated on playing rampage to save time, and second, there are really no big attractions along the way from San Francisco to LV. The air tickets from San Francisco to LV were also booked in China. Virgin American Airlines has a simple and simple online booking process, so I was so nervous that I was impulsive before departure that I had the impulse to call the cross-border phone and confirm it with the airline again.
Hui Car Rental (or ALAMO, I don’t know who provided it) provides GPS for free.However, I still used my own GARMIN and upgraded the latest version of the map before departure. According to the strategy, I saved all the nodes in my favorites, which made me feel more at ease!
Events
The nightlife in Las Vegas is world-famous, and there is always one for you, casinos, nightclubs, bars, theaters! After a long time, I have been looking forward to various shows from LV, and under the suggestion of Quaker Chen, they chose the "KA show" of Cirque Solemn and the "Dream Show" with water as the stage. I also completed the reservation in Kuaiyou World and got the reservation early.
This trip is mainly based on the American National Park. Here I really want to sigh at the thoughtfulness and domineeringness of the United States in this regard! There are more than 50 national parks across the United States, and only one national park 4-year ticket for can be done when traveling with your family. (In fact, each park provides a variety of ticket combinations, including small car, RV, bicycle, hiking pet tents, which are sincere and thoughtful) Each annual ticket has a maximum of two signatures, and a limited number of private car to enter the park. There must be at least one annual ticket signed by the car with a valid certificate. Annual tickets can be purchased at ticket offices in various national parks, $80 per ticket, and are available for all NPs. Compared with the admission tickets for attractions that are often 100 or 200 in the Celestial Empire, such annual tickets are really touching to cry? I'll post a link to the website of the US National Parks, which contains introductions to various national parks, which are quite detailed, and are especially suitable for early homework: https://www.nps.gov/index.htm. You can also find guides for each park on the website. Here are a few for reference:
Grand Canyon Navigation Chinese version.pdf2.93MB
Zion Navigation Spring English version.pdf7.05MB
Bryce Navigation Chinese version.pdf2.62MB
Arch Navigation English version.pdf3.21MB
This year's NP annual pass: The cute white bear mother and son
Antelope Valley is the only attraction in this trip that cannot be entered with an annual pass, because it is located in the Indian reservation and managed by the Indians. This is also the only attraction in my entire itinerary with a guided tour. It is said that there are many travel agencies responsible for the itinerary of up and down Antelope Valley, so I still habitually made reservations in China in advance. (It turns out that this is completely necessary)
lower Antelope Valley reservation: http://lowerantelope.com/
Other
What clothes to wear in the United States at the end of July is a tangled thing. Coastal areas like San Francisco and Los Angeles are still quite cold day and night, only in their early 10 degrees; while Nevada, , Arizona, and Utah are so hot (it's really deadly, 40 degrees a day, and I saw at least three heatstroke incidents along the way). A long-sleeved shirt must be worn, which is protected from wind and hot places when it is cold; a sweatshirt is essential, and you can wear it when it is cold in coastal areas; hats and sunglasses are essential in desert areas, and a good pair of outdoor shoes can keep you focused when wading through mountains and rivers. Say important things three times: Be sure to apply sunscreen! Be sure to apply sunscreen! Be sure to apply sunscreen!
is always going to be wrong when you eat in the United States! Pizza or pasta are basically just right. The taste of Chinese food has been adjusted, either sweet or too light. But Americans' own burgers and hot dogs are often heavy-tasting and are extremely salty. In short, don’t pay too much attention to eating in the United States, there is really no delicacy.
is another big article, and it has not yet reached the main topic. There is no way, I can't start a trip that I can't just walk. If I can't simulate the entire trip in my mind two or three times before leaving, I'll probably be nervous and insomnia throughout the whole trip: P.
Day 1 Coarse hair! Shanghai - San Francisco: Dangdang car, Jiuquhua Street , Fisherman's Wharf
drivers are very familiar with packing their luggage, and posting a break show-off post in their circle of friends, rough posts!
part luggage packing show
That's right I'm here to pull the hatred
This year's itinerary was good, and the plane arrived at Incheon Airport on time. There is another security check when transferring. On the way from the transfer entrance to the boarding entrance are a wide variety of shops. The waiters looked at us like they were looking at walking wallets. While the boarding time is still early, do a good job of reconnaissance and go around each shop.If you don’t have time to shop in the United States, you will have to restock here when you return!
The days on the plane are like living in a pig farm. People regularly give food (eating better than pigs), turn off the lights and sleep (sleeping less fragrant than pigs), wake up and watch movies and TV (spiritual life is richer than pigs). Then it's here! I queued up with the shortest customs security check team in my life, successfully got my luggage, and officially set foot in the United States! Connecting San Francisco Airport and downtown is a rail transit that connects the suburbs (BART), which is spacious and comfortable in the United States. Get some sleep in the car and get off at POWELL Street Station.
Due to the time difference, it just passed noon after walking out of the subway station. So I went to the hotel to put down my luggage. What was confusing was that the hotel reception told us that there were some problems with booking for the two rooms, but she suggested that we put down our luggage first and play, and she used the afternoon time to check it out. Until this time, I was not worried about booking accommodation, so I sorted out my luggage and set off.
San Francisco may be the only American city with its own Chinese name, which shows how deep the bond between it and the Chinese are. Maybe I watched too many Hong Kong gambling movies when I was a child. When I talk about San Francisco, I always think of her other name - San Francisco. In the south of San Francisco, there are the famous Stanford campus and Silicon Valley . This is the engine that the United States leads global technology to change the future of mankind.
San Francisco City has many hills in , and you can often see the classic San Francisco downtown ramps in various American movies. The rail tram built in the early years has now been integrated into the urban background and has become one of the most famous scenic spots. Because the early bells are still used as horns, everyone likes to call it "dangdang car". "Dangdangche" has its own website, which not only introduces its past and present life, but also has the direction of three routes, various fare combinations, etc. The most interesting thing is the website’s line map, which can also reflect the height of the terrain. Here is the website link:
San Francisco Dangdang Car
POWELL Street is the terminal station of Dangdang Car two routes. Many tourists line up here to get on the bus, and they can also see the interesting scene of Dangdang Car turning around using the ground turntable. We walked around here and were frightened by the long queue. Fortunately, each station is not far apart, so there may be fewer people when you walk to the next station.
Tourists queuing in line to wait for the bus
The empty bus waiting for the station
The person who finally got on the bus was confused whether to sit in or hang it outside the car?
On the way, I encountered a bar doing a beverage promotion and distributed free iced soda. I got a can, which was as sweet as if I had half a can of candy. After holding the can for 20 minutes, I still secretly stuffed the soda can and most of the cans into the trash can. This is the first time we have experienced the heavy taste of American diet, it is so sweet!
The masses were queuing up to receive free drinks and the mood was stable
at Union Square station, stretched their necks and waited, and when their necks were sore, the car finally arrived. There is a cab at the front of the car and there is a ticket conductor on the car. Ask how many of us there, the ticket seller waved his hand and got in the car! There are many ticket options for Dangdang Car. We bought a ticket for one time, which costs 7 US dollars per person. Many places in the United States have discounted fares for elderly people over 65 years old, but only for American citizens.
is sitting on the car, and we have become the city scenery. The railroad car was passing through the high and low roads of the city, and everyone was so excited that they wanted to wave their hands when they saw someone on the roadside... The freshness passed, and when they were almost impatient, Lombard Street arrived and got off!
on the car? Get off the car? Who is the scenery of this city?
Lombard Street has a more famous name - Jiuquhua Street. It is said that because the slope of the street here was too large, the authorities intend to set up a restricted area to prohibit vehicles from passing. The "street committee" composed of residents living on the street may object to such a decision to deprive one's liberty. So they used roadblocks to separate the roads into zigzags to limit the speed of the vehicle, and decorate the roadblocks with various flowers. Gradually, the flowers here are blooming and flourishing, and the name of Lombard Street has also resounded throughout the world and became the beautiful Jiuqu Flower Street.Tourists who drive by themselves couldn't help but come here to challenge their driving skills, but no one could bear to drive too fast, and they always slowly turn the steering wheel on this colorful road.
OK, half of this story was made up by me. This is how the tour guides make up stories. Just come out to have fun, just be happy...
Tourists come and go, and everyone goes to different ways to find angles to take photos, so police are specially equipped with police at both ends of the flower street to maintain traffic order.
Looking down from above, the Flower Street extends to the sea in the distance...
slowly rubbing the steering wheel. Is it for driving carefully, or staying in the corridor of this flower for a while
Looking from afar, cars are like boats sailing in the sea of flowers,
, walking Jiuquhua Street, not far away, and coming to another famous attraction in San Francisco, Fisherman's Wharf. This is not Xiong Tianping’s Fool’s Wharf, and all the people wandering here are foodies! There are a variety of food shops, mainly selling sour bread and seafood soup, which are specialized in San Francisco, as well as the famous sea crab. The last meal on the plane was almost digested. I bought a bread bowl with seafood soup. The unique sour yeast and fresh sweetness of Shanghai fresh soup complemented each other. I only remembered that I forgot to take photos to save evidence after eating them. I was sweating.
I saw a super chicken-swinging Harley motorcycle on the way!
famous attraction Fisherman's Wharf and well-known trademark Big Crab
background is so blue, not Olympic blue, nor G20 blue
The Devil's Island in the distance, I remembered the classic shot of Cage polishing the signal flare and kneeling down to the sky
magician and his audience assistants
webster 2 fisherman's Wharf is composed of different small piers, the more famous of which is Pier No. 39. Here are the "Bubba-Forrest Gump Prawn Restaurant" run by Forrest Gump and his squad leader, the "crab house" that is popular in China, and the "pobutyrate bread factory" with local characteristics... I walked around among various delicacies, and suddenly I found it was getting late and it was time to eat!
Buba-Forrest Gump Prawn Restaurant
The entrance of the crab house was soon filled with people
It was indeed a well-known tourist attraction. There was a long queue in front of the major restaurants, and it took an hour to have a seat. I just found a restaurant with few people in line. The restaurant collector asked us to wait for a while, but ended up giving us a stand at the door of the toilet! ! ! Whether to eat or not is a tangled question. After the lazy cancer attack, people's tolerance can create miracles. We decided to ignore the crowds lined up at the toilet door and start our first full meal in the United States of America!
What is regrettable is that this meal is really not very good, so I am not interested in taking pictures and can’t remember what I ate. After making this bad point, I lowered the American food culture score by several levels. In the United States, the price tag is usually net, and the settlement will be based on the tax rate in different regions. If someone serves, they will also have to tip, usually from 15% to 20%. So let the account settlement matters be left to the salesperson, anyway, I will never be able to calculate it clearly. (You can decide how much tips you give yourself. If you don’t give them according to your habits, you will generally be dissatisfied with the service.)
After eating, you will give a messy panoramic view to No. 39. After eating, you will take the bus back to the hotel. The front desk was replaced by a girl from Taiwan. After checking for a long time, I told us in confusion that my reservation was cancelled in May!
has been cancelled! When I heard this news, my brain was messy. After all, I hadn't had a good sleep for almost 36 hours. Now I just want to find a bed to bury myself in! The Taiwanese girl called another fat girl, and they were also wondering why this order was cancelled. Everyone checked it out and finally figured out where the problem lies. In April this year, I completed a series of hotel reservations through the website BOOKING (Chinese name Bookingcom ), and also received the website's booking confirmation.For reasons that cannot be explained (it really can't be explained, and until today Bookingcom didn't give me any explanation), the website sent me an email in early May asking me to confirm this reservation within 24 hours or the reservation will be cancelled. Since I made hotel reservations at several places at Booking Accommodation, I must have mixed this email in other confirmation emails and missed it... On the cross-border phone, Booking Accommodation’s customer service sister told me with a strong sense of superiority that the users of the website are "obligated" to read the emails! The girls at the front desk of the Mosel Hotel worked very hard to help me figure out a solution, asked the manager, and finally told me that I could give my room according to the price on the original reservation. Unfortunately, the hotel was full the next day, and we needed two rooms in total and stayed for two nights. After working hard for a long time, they could only give us one room the next day. It was already 10:30 pm. I was exhausted and I had no strength to get involved. I checked in and booked a room in another hotel the next day.
My problem was that after I got the booking confirmation, I thought everything was going well. I didn’t find any abnormalities in the confirmation emails, nor did I go to the website to confirm every booking. But until today I don’t know why the website has made a weird re-confirmation of this reservation. You should know that I made more than 5 reservations at Bookingcom for this trip alone, and only this one enjoyed special treatment. Moreover, this setting of "cancels without replying" also exudes a strong sense of overbearing terms. After returning to China, I tried to communicate with Bookingcom through phone calls and website messages, but there was no result. I didn’t get any answers, and I didn’t even say sorry! OK, you're ruthless! This is the last time I made a reservation on your website!
ended the first day of the trip in a small chaos. Tomorrow we will cross the most famous landscape building here - San Francisco Bridge , and go to the filming location of "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" to find those smart gorillas!
Day 2 The Place of the Rise of the Planet of the Apes San Francisco: Mill Sequoia Forest Park, Golden Gate Bridge , Union Square
When you go out, the jet lag has never been a problem. I slept until the alarm clock rang, got up, washed and changed clothes, stuffed the breakfast I bought yesterday, and went to find the orangutan!
Because Kuaishui canceled the group buying activity to Mul Sequoia Forest earlier, this time, the self-service bus to the Forest Park
. You have to transfer from the city to Mur, take No. 70 to Marin City, and then change to 66F to the park parking lot. After leaving the hotel, I might have missed the bus. I waited for almost an hour before I waited for No. 70. If you want to complain about the bus stop here, it may be because of the unpopular route. There is only a small sign hanging on the telephone pole on the platform, which makes us nervous again.
was on Line 70. When buying the ticket, the driver enthusiastically told us that there were free transfer tickets to get, and that you could transfer to the same company's bus within a certain time limit. Not long after driving, there was a disabled person in a wheelchair at the station ahead to get on the bus. The driver calmly operated the pick-up system on the car to transport the passengers and the wheelchair onto the car, and then fixed the wheelchair to the reserved disabled seat with a seat belt. This is the brilliance of imperialism’s human nature! "What should I do if I have another wheelchair?" I couldn't help but think a little evilly.
Wheelchair brother is a forest park like our destination. So we got off the bus together, transferred together, and arrived at Mul Sequoia Forest Park together. As expected, as all the warnings say, the parking spaces in the park are very tight, and nearly 1 kilometer away are filled with private cars waiting to enter. Haha, you guys line up slowly, we're here!
Muel Valley was once a barren land, located in the north of downtown San Francisco, a valley covered with towering trees behind the strait. After humans set foot on the west coast of North America on a large scale, the tranquility here was also broken. More and more human explorers, lumberjacks, and tourists come to this forest. Because they are adjacent to the bustling downtown, people in San Francisco gradually fall in love with this deep and quiet forest and often come here for a vacation and take a walk.But the giant trees here have also attracted the attention of many loggers, and the "public garden" of San Francisco is about to be saved. At this time, a rich man named Muir stood up. He generously donated money to buy the entire valley, and then donated the land to the government, truly turning it into a park! What is social responsibility? What does it mean to feed back to society? The wealth and worldview of Western billionaires are not just Buffett Zuckerberg’s nude donation, but a kind of inheritance!
National Park often has such treasure hunting games like
solid wood door face, real material
American Sequoia is a fossil-grade existence of the same era as dinosaurs. Their characteristics are tall and mighty, and are said to be as high as 110 meters and have a breast diameter of 8 meters! During the development boom in the western United States in the second half of the 19th century, many giant pine trees that have experienced thousands of years of vicissitudes have become beams and pillars of halls and pavilions. Today, the pineapple is mainly concentrated in the Sequoia Forest Park on the West Coast of the United States. The largest known tree in the world is on the west coast, named General Sherman. It is 3,500 years old, 83 meters high, and has an estimated weight of 2,800 tons! In Mill, they are all compatriots of General Sherman's race, so they are all tall and burly. Standing at the feet of such a "giant tribe", even if you raise your neck, you can't see the tree top that penetrates straight into the sky, making people feel awe from the bottom of your heart.
It is difficult to get a panoramic view at the foot of a big tree
Like most overseas parks, the Mul Sequoia Forest also sets up a number of trails of different levels of difficulty for tourists to get close to nature. Because the overall itinerary planning of this time will keep all the steadily in the middle and late stages, in order to preserve our physical strength, we only walked the shortest and simplest main road in the park in Mul. Mul Sequoia Forest Park also belongs to the national park system, so our ticket office here directly handles the NP annual ticket. Enter the park! How tall is the giant? I only found out that the fallen tree roots look like the throne of power
Is it possible to see the sea view? I stepped on it!
strolls in the forest composed of towering giants, as if entering the giant country. The huge forest has special sound absorption and echo bonus effects, and the low whispers of the "Giant Forest" echoes in his ears. There are also many unique animals and plants here, and the introduction on the roadside is very detailed. Take a casual walk in such a park, and I envy the people in San Francisco from the bottom of my heart. There is a forest oxygen bar so close to home. Mill is also an important filming place for "Rise of the Planet of the Apes". The young Caesar is often brought to be close to nature, and it has also become the first place he founded by the apes.
Even though the sun is shining brightly, you can hear whispers in all directions walking in the forest
lying down and resting, returning to Mother Earth
a banana slug, his hands trembled
sucked enough oxygen, left at noon, continued to switch to Route 70, and got off at Kinmen Bridge Park Station (Nanbao).
If you talk about the landmark buildings of the United States, the rust-red Golden Gate Bridge is definitely ranked in the top three. In Hollywood blockbusters, natural disasters and man-made disasters have never been thought of this 80-year-old steel structure spiral cable bridge. Due to the temperature difference inside and outside the bay, it is easy to spread misty sea fog here, creating the world-famous "Mist Locking Golden Gate" landscape. In "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", Caesar led a group of apes to break through the final blockade of mankind, and from then on he ran into the forest to create a new era. The battle on the bridge was also heart-stirring. Another famous feature of Kinmen Bridge is that the foggy weather can easily cause people to feel depressed and depressed, so the bridge has become the ultimate choice for many suicides. It was almost 2 o'clock in the afternoon after getting off the bus, so I was hungry and had no intention of watching the scenery. Find a place to fill your stomach first! When you come to the cafe in Kinmen Park, you will be hot dogs in addition to hot dogs! OK, just try this most famous American delicacy! Don't ask me how hot dogs taste, bread with sausage, that's it!
hurriedly filled her stomach and began to wander around the park. The good weather in the morning was fleeting, and the thick sea fog had completely covered the upper body of the bridge. Although the fog lock golden door has various beauty, it is still the best thing that covers the sea with thick fog that reveals the upper body of the two steel towers.Unfortunately, such beautiful scenery is hard to come by, so I had to save my character for the next trip.
Flower in the fog
The color under the thick fog is this smell
ended the trip to the Golden Gate Bridge and returned to Union Square with a transfer coupon. Look at the flying pigeons and stroll around the empty Macy's. It's time to find a place to fill your stomach. After being tortured one after another, you must have a good meal! I found an Italian restaurant with a pretty good storefront. Sure enough, the pizza was pretty good, and there was a small surprise for the lasagna noodles. Finally, I was satisfied with it!
The famous landmark Union Square
From another perspective,
Macy's
The taste of pizza can finally be
What beer do you want to have?
The Asimo Hotel I booked yesterday was closer to the bustling Union Square, and I took my parents to check in. Firstly, the hotel's location is more prosperous, and secondly, it's temporary reservations, and the hotel's price is twice as expensive. After settling down, I made a phone call with my cousin who lives in Silicon Valley, and went back to sleep!
ended its trip to San Francisco. Tomorrow we will fly to Las Vegas, the capital of sin, and officially start our self-driving journey!
Day 3 Self-driving starts San Francisco-Las Vegas: Hoover Dam , Cirque du Soleil-KA Show
The distance from San Francisco to Las Vegas is more than 800 kilometers, and there are no attractions that attract me particularly along the way. So we chose the plane for this journey. In the morning, I still took BART to say goodbye to San Francisco, took a break on the plane, and then I arrived!
The temperature in San Francisco is cold in the morning and evening, with a minimum of less than 15 degrees. When the strong wind blows, I still shivering when I put on all the clothes I carry. Las Vegas became much more enthusiastic. As soon as we got our luggage, the 40-degree heat wave gave us a big hug! There is a public car rental center at LV Airport. You can take a free shuttle bus (left hand when you go out at the airport), and you will arrive in 10 minutes. The ALAMO window is in the lobby and the left hand is in the door, and the process of queuing up to pick up the car is very smooth. Hui's car rental car pickup order was compared between China and the UK, and was handed over to the black uncle who received me. In addition, the translation of my father and my driver's license, the black uncle quickly found our reservation record. The uncle skillfully switched to the Chinese interface on a tablet computer, and then pointed to the model diagram above to tell us that the Grand Cherokee we booked was gone. The standard SUV of the same level has Sonata , and asked us if we wanted to upgrade to a luxury SUV. I pointed to Sonata and said OK. The uncle asked me routinely if I wanted to upgrade the insurance package. I had a little trouble again and decided to bet on my personal character, insisting on the third party liability insurance and vehicle damage theft and robbery insurance, and there was no upgrade to the road rescue insurance. The black uncle showed good professional qualities, neither shy his face nor continues to get entangled. He also asked me if I wanted to buy the first box of gas, OK! According to your experience in self-driving in New Zealand, it will be more convenient to return the empty fuel tank to the car, so I bought it!
card swipe (the car rental payment is prepaid in China, and here I use a guarantee) to sign a contract and go to the second floor to pick up the car. The girl from the ALAMO workspace walked back and forth twice but couldn't find a suitable model for us. Are you so lucky to upgrade for free? Just as I was daydreaming secretly, another staff member appeared shakingly, holding a car key in his hand. Well, there is no hope of upgrading, and the only standard SUV in the garage is handed over to us. At this point, the model has changed again and became an Chevrolet . A full-body photo of the car on
Overall, the driving experience of this SUV is pretty good, the ride comfort and storage space meet the requirements, and the fuel consumption is not carefully counted, and each tank of fuel is about 500 kilometers. What impressed me most was that the air conditioner of this car was strong and there was a significant cooling feeling within 3 minutes after starting (according to the rear passengers' reaction, the air conditioner was insufficient during driving, but the front driver had already become a dog). The only shortcoming is the lack of power, and the accelerator is obviously fleshy when climbing the hill.
installed GPS, and the first stop was to report to the hotel. The first time I drive in a car country, my palms will still sweat.Although GPS successfully brought me to the hotel and saw the MGM's huge lion sign, where is the parking lot? !
provides parking in most good hotels in the United States, you can drive the car to the lobby door and throw the keys to the doorman, but this is a payment! All the people in the car started to help find the way, and finally turned N turns on the fork and drove into the hotel's self-parking lot. MGM's parking lot is free for the first hour of each day, then $7 starts to jump and $10 is capped overnight.
Since check-in time is not up, we temporarily left our luggage in the car, first go to the hotel to get the evening performance tickets and have lunch. From the parking lot, from the underground passage, enter the lower floor of the hotel and then arrive at the lobby. When I first arrived at MGM’s lobby, I was frightened. The huge rotunda and the reception desk were nearly 180 degrees. The background TV wall played various explosive advertisements, and the center was the Golden Lion statue of MGM. Like other big hotels in Las Vegas, MGM integrates multiple functions such as accommodation, gambling, catering, nightclubs, etc. When you come here, you can entertain and consume day and night without leaving your home. The entire MGM is said to have more than 5,000 rooms, and you will definitely get lost without a map. The golden lion in the lobby of
is said to have lived only in the past...
followed the map and came to the hotel ticket office, redeem the booked KA show ticket, and then walked through the hotel to the food corner next door for lunch. In fact, the hotel also has its own food corner, which provides various fast foods, but we are not familiar with it when we are new to it, so we went to the one on the Las Vegas Strip next to the hotel. My parents are looking for a long-lost Chinese food. There is a chain store called Panda Fast Food in the food corner, so I chose the burrito. I sat down and looked at the side with the food, and I was amused: the old Mo people next door held a Chinese meal, and I was holding the burrito in my hand. Uh-huh! Worldwide harmony!
After dinner, he returned to the parking lot with a large cup of soda. The portion of food in the United States is absolutely full. Generally, regular size can make you want to vomit, and soda is free to refill in many fast food restaurants. No wonder there are many fat people with distorted figures in the United States. Back in the car and set out for Hoover Dam.
Hoover Dam was built in 1931 and started construction in the same year as the Golden Gate Bridge. If the Golden Gate Bridge is a natural barrier connecting steel, then Hoover Dam is a concrete town locked giant stream. Both are masterpieces of human beings challenging nature in that era to conquer nature (later investigations into the destruction of the natural environment of the Hoover Dam has never stopped, and the construction of hydropower stations is no longer a choice for truly friendly and sustainable development of nature). The Colorado River originated from the foothills of the Lok Alan Mountains is one of the important rivers in the United States. It was once unruly, with torrents flooding during the flood season, and drying out during the dry season. In order to tame this river and solve the problem of water rights in the basin, the U.S. Congress passed the Stone Canyon Project Act in 1928, authorizing the construction of the Hoover Dam. 2.6 million cubic meters of concrete stuck the dragon's throat like a giant lock, and the Colorado River has been truly used by humans since then.
exits Las Vegas and drives southeast along Highway 93. At the intersection leading to the dam, you can pass through a safety checkpoint (that is, put down the window and let the security inspector take a look. There is no search for bombs under the car or something), and arrive at the Nevada side of the dam.
Nevada and Arizona are bounded by the Colorado River, so the midpoint line of the Hoover Dam is also the dividing line between the two states. What’s more interesting is that there is an hour’s time difference between the two states. How can the American people be so troubled? Park your car in the parking lot, bring your camera and enough water, and most importantly, be sure to apply enough sunscreen! The sunlight at 3 pm made the concrete dam white and dazzling. Walking past the bridgehead on the Nevada side, the door says the men's toilet. Is the women's toilet in Arizona?
A bridge is flying east and west, the tower is diagonally inserted into the cliff, the river flows continuously
Memorial Square next to the dam
Eagle emblem
Square looks down from the top of the dam, and the blue Colorado River rushes toward the distance. The Hoover Dam is 220 meters high, the bottom is 200 meters wide, the top is 14 meters wide, and the dike is 377 meters long. It was once the world's number one dam.My dad, who is an older generation of power workers, told me that today's China has many hydropower projects that are better than Hoover, not to mention the Three Gorges Dam, which can fight against the "once-in-a-million-year" flood. However, standing on the dam, I was still shocked by this super project built in the 1930s. "Man conquers nature" was probably the biggest belief of the builders at that time.
The whole view of the dam
The lack of shaded dam top and exposed sunlight can easily cause dehydration, heat stroke and other dangers. The Dam Management Office also suspended the dam team tour at 4 pm due to the rapid rising temperature (in addition to introducing the tour guide to you, you can also take the elevator to the power station to visit). I saw a tourist with heatstroke at the rest area of the parking lot. She was placed horizontally on the rest bench, and the people around her used ice bags and ice drinks to help her cool down. If you play here for about an hour, it is recommended that each person bring at least 2 bottles of water (1000 ml) and pay attention to replenishing water in time. If you have symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, body temperature rise and no sweating, you should lie down immediately in a cool place. If possible, ask for help or call the police.
My dad and mom were here for a trip
Megatron is said to have rested here
After visiting the dam, it seemed that it was roasted and peeled off. I quickly got in the car and blew the air conditioner back to LV. Tonight's show is to watch the KA show. The KA show is one of MGM's famous resident shows, performed by Canada's top Cirque du Soleil, so we can check in first and then go straight downstairs to the theater. It tells the adventure story of a twin prince and princess. The prince and the princess once lived carefree on a large ship in the fairy tale kingdom. One day, the traitor colluded with pirates to attack, and the prince and the princess were separated during the escape. They each have their own adventures. The princess met Mount Tai in the forest. The prince received the love and help from the daughter of the pirate leader. Finally, they defeated the traitor and the evil pirate together and lived a happy life again. Actually, I think the name of KA show is a bit confusing, and it is better to call it "One Piece".
KA show official website
KA show full performances are prohibited from photography and video. Without thinking, we can only watch the show with peace of mind. Combining the high-tech three-dimensional stage design, beautiful scene arrangement and performance costumes, and ups and downs, they are all integrated with various thrilling and superb acrobatic performances, making it a world-class stage show. What’s shameful is that I don’t know if the seat sofa is too comfortable or the jet lag is due to the impact. During the performance, I actually dozed off twice, and it was so rude!
MGM and David Copperfield's resident magic performance are also said to be very exciting. Keep it for next time to see it!
Our room was arranged in the west wing of the hotel. When we returned to the room, we sorted out the photos and hurriedly stumbled! Tomorrow's program is to appreciate the style of Highway 66, and then rush to the south edge of the Grand Canyon to watch the sunset.
Day 4 Chasing Sunset Las Vegas-Grand Canyon: Kingman, Grand Canyon South Ring
may be because the hotel is too big and there are too many rooms, MGM provides a variety of self-check check-out methods. If there are no special circumstances, the easiest thing is to check out the TV. The TV set in the room has many service channels, including rolling flight information, meeting reminders, and a station dedicated to checkout. As long as you confirm the consumption information displayed on the screen, press OK with the remote control and you can leave with your bag. It is really convenient! It should be noted that once you check out, your room card will expire and you will never be able to open the door again. So you must check it again before leaving. If something falls in the room, it will be embarrassing.
Because the entire itinerary is mainly set up in national parks, in my heart, the journey to leave Las Vegas really began! Follow the road to Hoover Dam yesterday to go east, and after crossing the Colorado River, continue to go south along Route 93. At noon, we arrived at today's node - Kingman. When it comes to Kingman, we have to talk about the past and present of Highway 66. Route 66 was once known as the "Mother's Road" for the American people. It starts from Chicago in the east and ends at Santa Monica in the southwest, with a total length of more than 3,900 kilometers. It was built during the Great Depression in the late 1920s and was a product of government investment driving the economy.
order —— Nagging nonsense and opening remarks
Since the first overseas self-guided tour in 2012, the United States has always occupied the top three on my "must-visit" list. The city that never sleeps with bright lights and wine, the grand Grand Canyon, the colorful and dazzling Yellowstone Park... Finally, this summer vacation, we embarked on the 15th-day journey of the West American National Park with the elderly and helping the young! ! !
is probably because of the frequent overseas travel in the past two years, and I still couldn't make any effort to do the strategy until the beginning of the year. I happened to see the itinerary assistant service launched by Qiongyou.com, and I called to consult and book reservations with a test-making attitude. This service will configure experienced itineraries and bookmakers according to your needs to help you make a trip plan and complete your trip successfully. During my entire trip, the itinerary assistant team led by Quaker Chen made many very helpful suggestions. I would like to express my gratitude here first. The help they gave me will be mentioned in the travel notes in the later travel notes. The most troublesome thing about going to the United States to play is the trade-offs - the United States is too big! From the east coast to the west coast, forests, lakes, mountains, deserts... not to mention those colorful metropolises, there are so many things that make people unable to start. I can't help but miss the New Zealand trip a few years ago. The small island covers all kinds of landscapes, whether it's going to sea to fight, glacier hiking, or getting in close contact with wild animals. Within two weeks, you can guarantee that you will be dazzled and full of fun. OK, let me insert an advertisement, please see my post about
If you don’t go crazy, you will get old - 2013/14 17-day counterclockwise self-driving in the South Island of New Zealand, embrace all your dreams! The advertising time of
ends, and the strategy time to return to the United States! The biggest benefit of self-guided tours in
is that they are "tailored". After summarizing the experience and feelings of traveling over the years, the conclusions are as follows:
To sum up, my itinerary plan has focused on national parks in the western United States since the beginning. Crazy search for travel notes recommended by major travel websites, read the American and Western version of Lonely Planet, and repeatedly discussed the itinerary nodes with the itinerary assistant team. In the spirit of NO ZUO NO DIE, the entry of San Francisco was finally designated. Las Vegas began to draw a circle all the way west, Los Angeles left, covering 5 national parks, and two Indian reserve parks! Before
officially started, some beautiful pictures were still released. The technology is average, and it really cannot fully show the local scenes that shocked the soul at that time, which is a little regretful.
Dangdang Car is to hang it outside the carriage and blow it up
Sit on Pier 39, gnawing on crab legs and looking at the century prison of Devil Island
Please pay attention to the reference in the lower right corner!
It was from here that the orangutans began to conquer the earth!
Megatron and aliens are all locked here
Canyon Sunset-the most beautiful is only in a moment
Canyon Wonders that created the world
Where the angels come - mortals can wet their pants...
If you don't reach the top, how can you see this beautiful scenery
Arena of the Gods
Don’t laugh at the battlefield, and let go and slip away for a while
My awe craftsman
Galaxy Galaxy
To commemorate the running Forrest Gump
Colored River can also be so charming
suffocating beauty of light and shadow
There is a river in the 2nd floor, and there is a boat on the river; the boatman is good at singing, better than the person who likes.
The city never sleeps brightly and wine
The first choice meeting background for the arhats
Dream show tells you - who says dreams are colorless?
Day 0 - Preparation before departure
After the main theme of this trip was initially determined, various preparations were carried out this year.
air ticket:
is limited by the holidays of friends, so there is no need to think about cheap discounted air tickets. The final choice was Asiana Airlines, which took the best value between economy and flight time. Facts have proved that Asiana Airlines' service quality is still good, with flight transfer connections, on-board meal services and entertainment programs generally not found any major problem. The Boeing 777 is on the way, and the Airbus 380 is on the way. Both airplane meals have Western and Korean traditional dishes to choose from. One steak steak is just right, which is much better than the "Cannot-chewed steak" of a well-known steak chain in Paris. If you eat and drink enough and don’t want to sleep, blockbusters like Captain America 3 can pass the time. Unfortunately, except for some Hollywood movies, most other movies and TV shows only have Korean subtitles, which makes me, a person who is used to being a subtitle party, have no idea how to start.
visa
US visa 10 years has now become the standard. In the world of Qiyou, I chose the visa agent for Tuniu.com . The process was not surprising. After filling in the standard form and uploading it, I made an appointment for the face-to-face signing time. I worked diligently to prepare various random inspection materials, but no one was used if I didn’t expect. The visa officer is a kind and amiable sister, who asked two questions casually and told us, "It's OK, the journey is pleasant!" (Before the visa, Quaker Chen reminded us that our family travel is a high-risk group with "immigration tendency". He suggested that we sign in two batches of face-to-face; the process is not alarming, but it is always right to be careful).
Accommodation
Itinerary Assistant Group first helped us with a round of recommendations, and then made some adjustments myself. Since all the important projects are in national parks, travel time is the peak tourist season, the choice of accommodation is very limited. It really depends on luck to choose a accommodation near the park. The hotels that I am satisfied with during the entire trip are:
is a common feature of LV hotels. You must be careful when walking in MGM to avoid getting lost
Retro hotel sign
The reputation of a century-old store is not to be praised!
still can’t help but nag here. You really have to be careful when going out. Due to my little negligence and the weird rules of a certain website, we had a small accident in our first night stay in San Francisco. Let’s talk about the specific story in the travel notes.
car rental
recommended Hui car rental website by Quaker Chen happens to be doing promotions. Given our staffing configuration of 5 large and 1 small, he recommended me to choose the Grand Cherokee. After some picking and choosing, I finally ordered the basic package of ALAMO. I picked up cars at LV Airport and returned cars at LA Airport. The average daily average of RMB 280 per day is considered relatively economical. Hui Car Rental website also provides basic driver's license translation tools, which can easily be completed. This is a very considerate service, like it!
Yes, we didn’t pick up the car from San Francisco. First, we concentrated on playing rampage to save time, and second, there are really no big attractions along the way from San Francisco to LV. The air tickets from San Francisco to LV were also booked in China. Virgin American Airlines has a simple and simple online booking process, so I was so nervous that I was impulsive before departure that I had the impulse to call the cross-border phone and confirm it with the airline again.
Hui Car Rental (or ALAMO, I don’t know who provided it) provides GPS for free.However, I still used my own GARMIN and upgraded the latest version of the map before departure. According to the strategy, I saved all the nodes in my favorites, which made me feel more at ease!
Events
The nightlife in Las Vegas is world-famous, and there is always one for you, casinos, nightclubs, bars, theaters! After a long time, I have been looking forward to various shows from LV, and under the suggestion of Quaker Chen, they chose the "KA show" of Cirque Solemn and the "Dream Show" with water as the stage. I also completed the reservation in Kuaiyou World and got the reservation early.
This trip is mainly based on the American National Park. Here I really want to sigh at the thoughtfulness and domineeringness of the United States in this regard! There are more than 50 national parks across the United States, and only one national park 4-year ticket for can be done when traveling with your family. (In fact, each park provides a variety of ticket combinations, including small car, RV, bicycle, hiking pet tents, which are sincere and thoughtful) Each annual ticket has a maximum of two signatures, and a limited number of private car to enter the park. There must be at least one annual ticket signed by the car with a valid certificate. Annual tickets can be purchased at ticket offices in various national parks, $80 per ticket, and are available for all NPs. Compared with the admission tickets for attractions that are often 100 or 200 in the Celestial Empire, such annual tickets are really touching to cry? I'll post a link to the website of the US National Parks, which contains introductions to various national parks, which are quite detailed, and are especially suitable for early homework: https://www.nps.gov/index.htm. You can also find guides for each park on the website. Here are a few for reference:
Grand Canyon Navigation Chinese version.pdf2.93MB
Zion Navigation Spring English version.pdf7.05MB
Bryce Navigation Chinese version.pdf2.62MB
Arch Navigation English version.pdf3.21MB
This year's NP annual pass: The cute white bear mother and son
Antelope Valley is the only attraction in this trip that cannot be entered with an annual pass, because it is located in the Indian reservation and managed by the Indians. This is also the only attraction in my entire itinerary with a guided tour. It is said that there are many travel agencies responsible for the itinerary of up and down Antelope Valley, so I still habitually made reservations in China in advance. (It turns out that this is completely necessary)
lower Antelope Valley reservation: http://lowerantelope.com/
Other
What clothes to wear in the United States at the end of July is a tangled thing. Coastal areas like San Francisco and Los Angeles are still quite cold day and night, only in their early 10 degrees; while Nevada, , Arizona, and Utah are so hot (it's really deadly, 40 degrees a day, and I saw at least three heatstroke incidents along the way). A long-sleeved shirt must be worn, which is protected from wind and hot places when it is cold; a sweatshirt is essential, and you can wear it when it is cold in coastal areas; hats and sunglasses are essential in desert areas, and a good pair of outdoor shoes can keep you focused when wading through mountains and rivers. Say important things three times: Be sure to apply sunscreen! Be sure to apply sunscreen! Be sure to apply sunscreen!
is always going to be wrong when you eat in the United States! Pizza or pasta are basically just right. The taste of Chinese food has been adjusted, either sweet or too light. But Americans' own burgers and hot dogs are often heavy-tasting and are extremely salty. In short, don’t pay too much attention to eating in the United States, there is really no delicacy.
is another big article, and it has not yet reached the main topic. There is no way, I can't start a trip that I can't just walk. If I can't simulate the entire trip in my mind two or three times before leaving, I'll probably be nervous and insomnia throughout the whole trip: P.
Day 1 Coarse hair! Shanghai - San Francisco: Dangdang car, Jiuquhua Street , Fisherman's Wharf
drivers are very familiar with packing their luggage, and posting a break show-off post in their circle of friends, rough posts!
part luggage packing show
That's right I'm here to pull the hatred
This year's itinerary was good, and the plane arrived at Incheon Airport on time. There is another security check when transferring. On the way from the transfer entrance to the boarding entrance are a wide variety of shops. The waiters looked at us like they were looking at walking wallets. While the boarding time is still early, do a good job of reconnaissance and go around each shop.If you don’t have time to shop in the United States, you will have to restock here when you return!
The days on the plane are like living in a pig farm. People regularly give food (eating better than pigs), turn off the lights and sleep (sleeping less fragrant than pigs), wake up and watch movies and TV (spiritual life is richer than pigs). Then it's here! I queued up with the shortest customs security check team in my life, successfully got my luggage, and officially set foot in the United States! Connecting San Francisco Airport and downtown is a rail transit that connects the suburbs (BART), which is spacious and comfortable in the United States. Get some sleep in the car and get off at POWELL Street Station.
Due to the time difference, it just passed noon after walking out of the subway station. So I went to the hotel to put down my luggage. What was confusing was that the hotel reception told us that there were some problems with booking for the two rooms, but she suggested that we put down our luggage first and play, and she used the afternoon time to check it out. Until this time, I was not worried about booking accommodation, so I sorted out my luggage and set off.
San Francisco may be the only American city with its own Chinese name, which shows how deep the bond between it and the Chinese are. Maybe I watched too many Hong Kong gambling movies when I was a child. When I talk about San Francisco, I always think of her other name - San Francisco. In the south of San Francisco, there are the famous Stanford campus and Silicon Valley . This is the engine that the United States leads global technology to change the future of mankind.
San Francisco City has many hills in , and you can often see the classic San Francisco downtown ramps in various American movies. The rail tram built in the early years has now been integrated into the urban background and has become one of the most famous scenic spots. Because the early bells are still used as horns, everyone likes to call it "dangdang car". "Dangdangche" has its own website, which not only introduces its past and present life, but also has the direction of three routes, various fare combinations, etc. The most interesting thing is the website’s line map, which can also reflect the height of the terrain. Here is the website link:
San Francisco Dangdang Car
POWELL Street is the terminal station of Dangdang Car two routes. Many tourists line up here to get on the bus, and they can also see the interesting scene of Dangdang Car turning around using the ground turntable. We walked around here and were frightened by the long queue. Fortunately, each station is not far apart, so there may be fewer people when you walk to the next station.
Tourists queuing in line to wait for the bus
The empty bus waiting for the station
The person who finally got on the bus was confused whether to sit in or hang it outside the car?
On the way, I encountered a bar doing a beverage promotion and distributed free iced soda. I got a can, which was as sweet as if I had half a can of candy. After holding the can for 20 minutes, I still secretly stuffed the soda can and most of the cans into the trash can. This is the first time we have experienced the heavy taste of American diet, it is so sweet!
The masses were queuing up to receive free drinks and the mood was stable
at Union Square station, stretched their necks and waited, and when their necks were sore, the car finally arrived. There is a cab at the front of the car and there is a ticket conductor on the car. Ask how many of us there, the ticket seller waved his hand and got in the car! There are many ticket options for Dangdang Car. We bought a ticket for one time, which costs 7 US dollars per person. Many places in the United States have discounted fares for elderly people over 65 years old, but only for American citizens.
is sitting on the car, and we have become the city scenery. The railroad car was passing through the high and low roads of the city, and everyone was so excited that they wanted to wave their hands when they saw someone on the roadside... The freshness passed, and when they were almost impatient, Lombard Street arrived and got off!
on the car? Get off the car? Who is the scenery of this city?
Lombard Street has a more famous name - Jiuquhua Street. It is said that because the slope of the street here was too large, the authorities intend to set up a restricted area to prohibit vehicles from passing. The "street committee" composed of residents living on the street may object to such a decision to deprive one's liberty. So they used roadblocks to separate the roads into zigzags to limit the speed of the vehicle, and decorate the roadblocks with various flowers. Gradually, the flowers here are blooming and flourishing, and the name of Lombard Street has also resounded throughout the world and became the beautiful Jiuqu Flower Street.Tourists who drive by themselves couldn't help but come here to challenge their driving skills, but no one could bear to drive too fast, and they always slowly turn the steering wheel on this colorful road.
OK, half of this story was made up by me. This is how the tour guides make up stories. Just come out to have fun, just be happy...
Tourists come and go, and everyone goes to different ways to find angles to take photos, so police are specially equipped with police at both ends of the flower street to maintain traffic order.
Looking down from above, the Flower Street extends to the sea in the distance...
slowly rubbing the steering wheel. Is it for driving carefully, or staying in the corridor of this flower for a while
Looking from afar, cars are like boats sailing in the sea of flowers,
, walking Jiuquhua Street, not far away, and coming to another famous attraction in San Francisco, Fisherman's Wharf. This is not Xiong Tianping’s Fool’s Wharf, and all the people wandering here are foodies! There are a variety of food shops, mainly selling sour bread and seafood soup, which are specialized in San Francisco, as well as the famous sea crab. The last meal on the plane was almost digested. I bought a bread bowl with seafood soup. The unique sour yeast and fresh sweetness of Shanghai fresh soup complemented each other. I only remembered that I forgot to take photos to save evidence after eating them. I was sweating.
I saw a super chicken-swinging Harley motorcycle on the way!
famous attraction Fisherman's Wharf and well-known trademark Big Crab
background is so blue, not Olympic blue, nor G20 blue
The Devil's Island in the distance, I remembered the classic shot of Cage polishing the signal flare and kneeling down to the sky
magician and his audience assistants
webster 2 fisherman's Wharf is composed of different small piers, the more famous of which is Pier No. 39. Here are the "Bubba-Forrest Gump Prawn Restaurant" run by Forrest Gump and his squad leader, the "crab house" that is popular in China, and the "pobutyrate bread factory" with local characteristics... I walked around among various delicacies, and suddenly I found it was getting late and it was time to eat!
Buba-Forrest Gump Prawn Restaurant
The entrance of the crab house was soon filled with people
It was indeed a well-known tourist attraction. There was a long queue in front of the major restaurants, and it took an hour to have a seat. I just found a restaurant with few people in line. The restaurant collector asked us to wait for a while, but ended up giving us a stand at the door of the toilet! ! ! Whether to eat or not is a tangled question. After the lazy cancer attack, people's tolerance can create miracles. We decided to ignore the crowds lined up at the toilet door and start our first full meal in the United States of America!
What is regrettable is that this meal is really not very good, so I am not interested in taking pictures and can’t remember what I ate. After making this bad point, I lowered the American food culture score by several levels. In the United States, the price tag is usually net, and the settlement will be based on the tax rate in different regions. If someone serves, they will also have to tip, usually from 15% to 20%. So let the account settlement matters be left to the salesperson, anyway, I will never be able to calculate it clearly. (You can decide how much tips you give yourself. If you don’t give them according to your habits, you will generally be dissatisfied with the service.)
After eating, you will give a messy panoramic view to No. 39. After eating, you will take the bus back to the hotel. The front desk was replaced by a girl from Taiwan. After checking for a long time, I told us in confusion that my reservation was cancelled in May!
has been cancelled! When I heard this news, my brain was messy. After all, I hadn't had a good sleep for almost 36 hours. Now I just want to find a bed to bury myself in! The Taiwanese girl called another fat girl, and they were also wondering why this order was cancelled. Everyone checked it out and finally figured out where the problem lies. In April this year, I completed a series of hotel reservations through the website BOOKING (Chinese name Bookingcom ), and also received the website's booking confirmation.For reasons that cannot be explained (it really can't be explained, and until today Bookingcom didn't give me any explanation), the website sent me an email in early May asking me to confirm this reservation within 24 hours or the reservation will be cancelled. Since I made hotel reservations at several places at Booking Accommodation, I must have mixed this email in other confirmation emails and missed it... On the cross-border phone, Booking Accommodation’s customer service sister told me with a strong sense of superiority that the users of the website are "obligated" to read the emails! The girls at the front desk of the Mosel Hotel worked very hard to help me figure out a solution, asked the manager, and finally told me that I could give my room according to the price on the original reservation. Unfortunately, the hotel was full the next day, and we needed two rooms in total and stayed for two nights. After working hard for a long time, they could only give us one room the next day. It was already 10:30 pm. I was exhausted and I had no strength to get involved. I checked in and booked a room in another hotel the next day.
My problem was that after I got the booking confirmation, I thought everything was going well. I didn’t find any abnormalities in the confirmation emails, nor did I go to the website to confirm every booking. But until today I don’t know why the website has made a weird re-confirmation of this reservation. You should know that I made more than 5 reservations at Bookingcom for this trip alone, and only this one enjoyed special treatment. Moreover, this setting of "cancels without replying" also exudes a strong sense of overbearing terms. After returning to China, I tried to communicate with Bookingcom through phone calls and website messages, but there was no result. I didn’t get any answers, and I didn’t even say sorry! OK, you're ruthless! This is the last time I made a reservation on your website!
ended the first day of the trip in a small chaos. Tomorrow we will cross the most famous landscape building here - San Francisco Bridge , and go to the filming location of "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" to find those smart gorillas!
Day 2 The Place of the Rise of the Planet of the Apes San Francisco: Mill Sequoia Forest Park, Golden Gate Bridge , Union Square
When you go out, the jet lag has never been a problem. I slept until the alarm clock rang, got up, washed and changed clothes, stuffed the breakfast I bought yesterday, and went to find the orangutan!
Because Kuaishui canceled the group buying activity to Mul Sequoia Forest earlier, this time, the self-service bus to the Forest Park
. You have to transfer from the city to Mur, take No. 70 to Marin City, and then change to 66F to the park parking lot. After leaving the hotel, I might have missed the bus. I waited for almost an hour before I waited for No. 70. If you want to complain about the bus stop here, it may be because of the unpopular route. There is only a small sign hanging on the telephone pole on the platform, which makes us nervous again.
was on Line 70. When buying the ticket, the driver enthusiastically told us that there were free transfer tickets to get, and that you could transfer to the same company's bus within a certain time limit. Not long after driving, there was a disabled person in a wheelchair at the station ahead to get on the bus. The driver calmly operated the pick-up system on the car to transport the passengers and the wheelchair onto the car, and then fixed the wheelchair to the reserved disabled seat with a seat belt. This is the brilliance of imperialism’s human nature! "What should I do if I have another wheelchair?" I couldn't help but think a little evilly.
Wheelchair brother is a forest park like our destination. So we got off the bus together, transferred together, and arrived at Mul Sequoia Forest Park together. As expected, as all the warnings say, the parking spaces in the park are very tight, and nearly 1 kilometer away are filled with private cars waiting to enter. Haha, you guys line up slowly, we're here!
Muel Valley was once a barren land, located in the north of downtown San Francisco, a valley covered with towering trees behind the strait. After humans set foot on the west coast of North America on a large scale, the tranquility here was also broken. More and more human explorers, lumberjacks, and tourists come to this forest. Because they are adjacent to the bustling downtown, people in San Francisco gradually fall in love with this deep and quiet forest and often come here for a vacation and take a walk.But the giant trees here have also attracted the attention of many loggers, and the "public garden" of San Francisco is about to be saved. At this time, a rich man named Muir stood up. He generously donated money to buy the entire valley, and then donated the land to the government, truly turning it into a park! What is social responsibility? What does it mean to feed back to society? The wealth and worldview of Western billionaires are not just Buffett Zuckerberg’s nude donation, but a kind of inheritance!
National Park often has such treasure hunting games like
solid wood door face, real material
American Sequoia is a fossil-grade existence of the same era as dinosaurs. Their characteristics are tall and mighty, and are said to be as high as 110 meters and have a breast diameter of 8 meters! During the development boom in the western United States in the second half of the 19th century, many giant pine trees that have experienced thousands of years of vicissitudes have become beams and pillars of halls and pavilions. Today, the pineapple is mainly concentrated in the Sequoia Forest Park on the West Coast of the United States. The largest known tree in the world is on the west coast, named General Sherman. It is 3,500 years old, 83 meters high, and has an estimated weight of 2,800 tons! In Mill, they are all compatriots of General Sherman's race, so they are all tall and burly. Standing at the feet of such a "giant tribe", even if you raise your neck, you can't see the tree top that penetrates straight into the sky, making people feel awe from the bottom of your heart.
It is difficult to get a panoramic view at the foot of a big tree
Like most overseas parks, the Mul Sequoia Forest also sets up a number of trails of different levels of difficulty for tourists to get close to nature. Because the overall itinerary planning of this time will keep all the steadily in the middle and late stages, in order to preserve our physical strength, we only walked the shortest and simplest main road in the park in Mul. Mul Sequoia Forest Park also belongs to the national park system, so our ticket office here directly handles the NP annual ticket. Enter the park! How tall is the giant? I only found out that the fallen tree roots look like the throne of power
Is it possible to see the sea view? I stepped on it!
strolls in the forest composed of towering giants, as if entering the giant country. The huge forest has special sound absorption and echo bonus effects, and the low whispers of the "Giant Forest" echoes in his ears. There are also many unique animals and plants here, and the introduction on the roadside is very detailed. Take a casual walk in such a park, and I envy the people in San Francisco from the bottom of my heart. There is a forest oxygen bar so close to home. Mill is also an important filming place for "Rise of the Planet of the Apes". The young Caesar is often brought to be close to nature, and it has also become the first place he founded by the apes.
Even though the sun is shining brightly, you can hear whispers in all directions walking in the forest
lying down and resting, returning to Mother Earth
a banana slug, his hands trembled
sucked enough oxygen, left at noon, continued to switch to Route 70, and got off at Kinmen Bridge Park Station (Nanbao).
If you talk about the landmark buildings of the United States, the rust-red Golden Gate Bridge is definitely ranked in the top three. In Hollywood blockbusters, natural disasters and man-made disasters have never been thought of this 80-year-old steel structure spiral cable bridge. Due to the temperature difference inside and outside the bay, it is easy to spread misty sea fog here, creating the world-famous "Mist Locking Golden Gate" landscape. In "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", Caesar led a group of apes to break through the final blockade of mankind, and from then on he ran into the forest to create a new era. The battle on the bridge was also heart-stirring. Another famous feature of Kinmen Bridge is that the foggy weather can easily cause people to feel depressed and depressed, so the bridge has become the ultimate choice for many suicides. It was almost 2 o'clock in the afternoon after getting off the bus, so I was hungry and had no intention of watching the scenery. Find a place to fill your stomach first! When you come to the cafe in Kinmen Park, you will be hot dogs in addition to hot dogs! OK, just try this most famous American delicacy! Don't ask me how hot dogs taste, bread with sausage, that's it!
hurriedly filled her stomach and began to wander around the park. The good weather in the morning was fleeting, and the thick sea fog had completely covered the upper body of the bridge. Although the fog lock golden door has various beauty, it is still the best thing that covers the sea with thick fog that reveals the upper body of the two steel towers.Unfortunately, such beautiful scenery is hard to come by, so I had to save my character for the next trip.
Flower in the fog
The color under the thick fog is this smell
ended the trip to the Golden Gate Bridge and returned to Union Square with a transfer coupon. Look at the flying pigeons and stroll around the empty Macy's. It's time to find a place to fill your stomach. After being tortured one after another, you must have a good meal! I found an Italian restaurant with a pretty good storefront. Sure enough, the pizza was pretty good, and there was a small surprise for the lasagna noodles. Finally, I was satisfied with it!
The famous landmark Union Square
From another perspective,
Macy's
The taste of pizza can finally be
What beer do you want to have?
The Asimo Hotel I booked yesterday was closer to the bustling Union Square, and I took my parents to check in. Firstly, the hotel's location is more prosperous, and secondly, it's temporary reservations, and the hotel's price is twice as expensive. After settling down, I made a phone call with my cousin who lives in Silicon Valley, and went back to sleep!
ended its trip to San Francisco. Tomorrow we will fly to Las Vegas, the capital of sin, and officially start our self-driving journey!
Day 3 Self-driving starts San Francisco-Las Vegas: Hoover Dam , Cirque du Soleil-KA Show
The distance from San Francisco to Las Vegas is more than 800 kilometers, and there are no attractions that attract me particularly along the way. So we chose the plane for this journey. In the morning, I still took BART to say goodbye to San Francisco, took a break on the plane, and then I arrived!
The temperature in San Francisco is cold in the morning and evening, with a minimum of less than 15 degrees. When the strong wind blows, I still shivering when I put on all the clothes I carry. Las Vegas became much more enthusiastic. As soon as we got our luggage, the 40-degree heat wave gave us a big hug! There is a public car rental center at LV Airport. You can take a free shuttle bus (left hand when you go out at the airport), and you will arrive in 10 minutes. The ALAMO window is in the lobby and the left hand is in the door, and the process of queuing up to pick up the car is very smooth. Hui's car rental car pickup order was compared between China and the UK, and was handed over to the black uncle who received me. In addition, the translation of my father and my driver's license, the black uncle quickly found our reservation record. The uncle skillfully switched to the Chinese interface on a tablet computer, and then pointed to the model diagram above to tell us that the Grand Cherokee we booked was gone. The standard SUV of the same level has Sonata , and asked us if we wanted to upgrade to a luxury SUV. I pointed to Sonata and said OK. The uncle asked me routinely if I wanted to upgrade the insurance package. I had a little trouble again and decided to bet on my personal character, insisting on the third party liability insurance and vehicle damage theft and robbery insurance, and there was no upgrade to the road rescue insurance. The black uncle showed good professional qualities, neither shy his face nor continues to get entangled. He also asked me if I wanted to buy the first box of gas, OK! According to your experience in self-driving in New Zealand, it will be more convenient to return the empty fuel tank to the car, so I bought it!
card swipe (the car rental payment is prepaid in China, and here I use a guarantee) to sign a contract and go to the second floor to pick up the car. The girl from the ALAMO workspace walked back and forth twice but couldn't find a suitable model for us. Are you so lucky to upgrade for free? Just as I was daydreaming secretly, another staff member appeared shakingly, holding a car key in his hand. Well, there is no hope of upgrading, and the only standard SUV in the garage is handed over to us. At this point, the model has changed again and became an Chevrolet . A full-body photo of the car on
Overall, the driving experience of this SUV is pretty good, the ride comfort and storage space meet the requirements, and the fuel consumption is not carefully counted, and each tank of fuel is about 500 kilometers. What impressed me most was that the air conditioner of this car was strong and there was a significant cooling feeling within 3 minutes after starting (according to the rear passengers' reaction, the air conditioner was insufficient during driving, but the front driver had already become a dog). The only shortcoming is the lack of power, and the accelerator is obviously fleshy when climbing the hill.
installed GPS, and the first stop was to report to the hotel. The first time I drive in a car country, my palms will still sweat.Although GPS successfully brought me to the hotel and saw the MGM's huge lion sign, where is the parking lot? !
provides parking in most good hotels in the United States, you can drive the car to the lobby door and throw the keys to the doorman, but this is a payment! All the people in the car started to help find the way, and finally turned N turns on the fork and drove into the hotel's self-parking lot. MGM's parking lot is free for the first hour of each day, then $7 starts to jump and $10 is capped overnight.
Since check-in time is not up, we temporarily left our luggage in the car, first go to the hotel to get the evening performance tickets and have lunch. From the parking lot, from the underground passage, enter the lower floor of the hotel and then arrive at the lobby. When I first arrived at MGM’s lobby, I was frightened. The huge rotunda and the reception desk were nearly 180 degrees. The background TV wall played various explosive advertisements, and the center was the Golden Lion statue of MGM. Like other big hotels in Las Vegas, MGM integrates multiple functions such as accommodation, gambling, catering, nightclubs, etc. When you come here, you can entertain and consume day and night without leaving your home. The entire MGM is said to have more than 5,000 rooms, and you will definitely get lost without a map. The golden lion in the lobby of
is said to have lived only in the past...
followed the map and came to the hotel ticket office, redeem the booked KA show ticket, and then walked through the hotel to the food corner next door for lunch. In fact, the hotel also has its own food corner, which provides various fast foods, but we are not familiar with it when we are new to it, so we went to the one on the Las Vegas Strip next to the hotel. My parents are looking for a long-lost Chinese food. There is a chain store called Panda Fast Food in the food corner, so I chose the burrito. I sat down and looked at the side with the food, and I was amused: the old Mo people next door held a Chinese meal, and I was holding the burrito in my hand. Uh-huh! Worldwide harmony!
After dinner, he returned to the parking lot with a large cup of soda. The portion of food in the United States is absolutely full. Generally, regular size can make you want to vomit, and soda is free to refill in many fast food restaurants. No wonder there are many fat people with distorted figures in the United States. Back in the car and set out for Hoover Dam.
Hoover Dam was built in 1931 and started construction in the same year as the Golden Gate Bridge. If the Golden Gate Bridge is a natural barrier connecting steel, then Hoover Dam is a concrete town locked giant stream. Both are masterpieces of human beings challenging nature in that era to conquer nature (later investigations into the destruction of the natural environment of the Hoover Dam has never stopped, and the construction of hydropower stations is no longer a choice for truly friendly and sustainable development of nature). The Colorado River originated from the foothills of the Lok Alan Mountains is one of the important rivers in the United States. It was once unruly, with torrents flooding during the flood season, and drying out during the dry season. In order to tame this river and solve the problem of water rights in the basin, the U.S. Congress passed the Stone Canyon Project Act in 1928, authorizing the construction of the Hoover Dam. 2.6 million cubic meters of concrete stuck the dragon's throat like a giant lock, and the Colorado River has been truly used by humans since then.
exits Las Vegas and drives southeast along Highway 93. At the intersection leading to the dam, you can pass through a safety checkpoint (that is, put down the window and let the security inspector take a look. There is no search for bombs under the car or something), and arrive at the Nevada side of the dam.
Nevada and Arizona are bounded by the Colorado River, so the midpoint line of the Hoover Dam is also the dividing line between the two states. What’s more interesting is that there is an hour’s time difference between the two states. How can the American people be so troubled? Park your car in the parking lot, bring your camera and enough water, and most importantly, be sure to apply enough sunscreen! The sunlight at 3 pm made the concrete dam white and dazzling. Walking past the bridgehead on the Nevada side, the door says the men's toilet. Is the women's toilet in Arizona?
A bridge is flying east and west, the tower is diagonally inserted into the cliff, the river flows continuously
Memorial Square next to the dam
Eagle emblem
Square looks down from the top of the dam, and the blue Colorado River rushes toward the distance. The Hoover Dam is 220 meters high, the bottom is 200 meters wide, the top is 14 meters wide, and the dike is 377 meters long. It was once the world's number one dam.My dad, who is an older generation of power workers, told me that today's China has many hydropower projects that are better than Hoover, not to mention the Three Gorges Dam, which can fight against the "once-in-a-million-year" flood. However, standing on the dam, I was still shocked by this super project built in the 1930s. "Man conquers nature" was probably the biggest belief of the builders at that time.
The whole view of the dam
The lack of shaded dam top and exposed sunlight can easily cause dehydration, heat stroke and other dangers. The Dam Management Office also suspended the dam team tour at 4 pm due to the rapid rising temperature (in addition to introducing the tour guide to you, you can also take the elevator to the power station to visit). I saw a tourist with heatstroke at the rest area of the parking lot. She was placed horizontally on the rest bench, and the people around her used ice bags and ice drinks to help her cool down. If you play here for about an hour, it is recommended that each person bring at least 2 bottles of water (1000 ml) and pay attention to replenishing water in time. If you have symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, body temperature rise and no sweating, you should lie down immediately in a cool place. If possible, ask for help or call the police.
My dad and mom were here for a trip
Megatron is said to have rested here
After visiting the dam, it seemed that it was roasted and peeled off. I quickly got in the car and blew the air conditioner back to LV. Tonight's show is to watch the KA show. The KA show is one of MGM's famous resident shows, performed by Canada's top Cirque du Soleil, so we can check in first and then go straight downstairs to the theater. It tells the adventure story of a twin prince and princess. The prince and the princess once lived carefree on a large ship in the fairy tale kingdom. One day, the traitor colluded with pirates to attack, and the prince and the princess were separated during the escape. They each have their own adventures. The princess met Mount Tai in the forest. The prince received the love and help from the daughter of the pirate leader. Finally, they defeated the traitor and the evil pirate together and lived a happy life again. Actually, I think the name of KA show is a bit confusing, and it is better to call it "One Piece".
KA show official website
KA show full performances are prohibited from photography and video. Without thinking, we can only watch the show with peace of mind. Combining the high-tech three-dimensional stage design, beautiful scene arrangement and performance costumes, and ups and downs, they are all integrated with various thrilling and superb acrobatic performances, making it a world-class stage show. What’s shameful is that I don’t know if the seat sofa is too comfortable or the jet lag is due to the impact. During the performance, I actually dozed off twice, and it was so rude!
MGM and David Copperfield's resident magic performance are also said to be very exciting. Keep it for next time to see it!
Our room was arranged in the west wing of the hotel. When we returned to the room, we sorted out the photos and hurriedly stumbled! Tomorrow's program is to appreciate the style of Highway 66, and then rush to the south edge of the Grand Canyon to watch the sunset.
Day 4 Chasing Sunset Las Vegas-Grand Canyon: Kingman, Grand Canyon South Ring
may be because the hotel is too big and there are too many rooms, MGM provides a variety of self-check check-out methods. If there are no special circumstances, the easiest thing is to check out the TV. The TV set in the room has many service channels, including rolling flight information, meeting reminders, and a station dedicated to checkout. As long as you confirm the consumption information displayed on the screen, press OK with the remote control and you can leave with your bag. It is really convenient! It should be noted that once you check out, your room card will expire and you will never be able to open the door again. So you must check it again before leaving. If something falls in the room, it will be embarrassing.
Because the entire itinerary is mainly set up in national parks, in my heart, the journey to leave Las Vegas really began! Follow the road to Hoover Dam yesterday to go east, and after crossing the Colorado River, continue to go south along Route 93. At noon, we arrived at today's node - Kingman. When it comes to Kingman, we have to talk about the past and present of Highway 66. Route 66 was once known as the "Mother's Road" for the American people. It starts from Chicago in the east and ends at Santa Monica in the southwest, with a total length of more than 3,900 kilometers. It was built during the Great Depression in the late 1920s and was a product of government investment driving the economy.During World War II, Highway 66 was an important mission of transporting people's livelihood and military supplies. After the war, it became an important channel for people to travel across the North American continent from the east coast to the west coast. The 66 highway, which is coming and going, has attracted countless businesses to make money: It is said that in order to attract attention, a food shop launched a 72-ounce (2240 grams) "big Mac steak". Whoever can kill it within an hour can wipe its mouth and leave without paying it.
In the late 1950s, with the rise of interstate highways, Highway 66 gradually declined into a local highway and a private lane. It was finally removed in 1985 and disappeared from the map (recently, some areas have restored the title of Highway 66, but it is more for tourism development and commemorative significance). Highway 66 accompanied the common growth of a generation in the United States and witnessed the process of the United States realizing four modernizations. It can be said that it carries an authentic "American Dream".
Never ending 66, Never ending American Dream
As a wrongdoer, it is difficult for me to truly understand what Highway 66 means to Americans. I can only go from the nostalgic tavern next to the road, parked in the classic cars on the roadside, and the walls of license plates to imagine the American legendary story that is bound to this road.
At noon, Kingman is as quiet and peaceful as most American towns. Except for the occasional cars driving on the road, there are few pedestrians. Following the food map provided by the Information Center, we found a barbecue restaurant to enjoy an authentic American barbecue burger. Next, turn again and set out towards the southern edge of the Grand Canyon in the northeast! The
information center is full of every bit of the
highway culture and nostalgia
barbecue restaurant - authentic BBQ!
is decorated with colorful private room
license plate wall. Part of American culture
drives eastward to Williams and get off the interstate highway and turn north. Come on! You can swipe your card or check out cash when you are in the United States. Most of the cars I used along the way were to park the car to the refueling level, go to the gas station shop to tell the counter how much the oil pump costs, and then you can refuel by yourself, which is very convenient. The US-made measurement is in gallons, so I don’t bother to convert it. Anyway, the fuel tank of the Chevrolet SUV is about 40 dollars for feeding, so I usually add 30 dollars for oil.
enters the Grand Canyon South Ring Park at 4 pm. The entrance to the national park is usually a lane, and the annual pass card and passport were presented to the administrator, and the administrator also gave us a guide to the park and map. Follow the winding paths in the park and drive to the El Tovar Hotel located on the edge of the Grand Canyon.
Grand Canyon National Park , this name is really well-known! The full name of the Grand Canyon is " Colorado Grand Canyon ", as the name suggests, mainly made of impact cutting of the Colorado River. The rushing Colorado River is winding and circling, and spending tens of years with its immortal momentum, finally creating a majestic and exotic scene. On the rock wall sections caused by river cutting and other erosion causes, the rock system of the rock system from the Precambrian to the Cenozoic era is clearly linked layer by layer; rock layers of different natures and the unique minerals contained in them appear different colors under the morning light and sunset; when the wind and rain are dull, purple mist rises in the canyon, dyeing the mountains and rivers into orange. No wonder this place attracts millions of tourists from all over the world every year.
Grand Canyon is more than 400 kilometers long, with a width of 6-30 kilometers. The narrowest part of the water at the bottom of the valley is only 120 meters, and the maximum drop difference between up and down is 1,500 meters. It is difficult for tourists who are hurrying to see the whole picture. The main tourist points are North, South and West. Among them, the landscape is slightly inferior due to light exposure; the west is the most commercial development due to its proximity to Las Vegas, and the glass overpass and helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon that Chinese people flock to is there; and the most beautiful scenery attracts tourists is Nanyuan Park.
South Ring Park has a park shuttle bus covering some viewing points and visitor centers. Private cars are prohibited from entering some sections of the road during peak season, and you can only transfer to shuttle bus or hike. The park has built trails along most sections of the road at the edge of the canyon, so that tourists can enjoy it, and they can get on the bus at any time at the shuttle bus stop.
El Tovar is located at the northernmost end of the South Ring Park, just 100 meters from the edge of the Grand Canyon.Staying in such a century-old store and looking at the Grand Canyon with deep stars under the quiet night, it is definitely an unforgettable experience for a lifetime. I gave Quaker Chen another applause and recommended a good hotel! The main entrance of the
hotel... and our car
hotel's lobby is a typical western style, which reminds me of the cabin in "The Eight Eight" at a glance. The surrounding walls are full of animal heads, mainly reindeer and moose, and it should be hunted now. After checking in, put down your luggage. It was almost dusk. Hurry up to Hopi point to watch the sunset!
overlooking the common people. The pattern of two-legged beasts Tusenbo
on the second floor of the public stairwell
South Ring Park has many viewing points, each with its own characteristics. It is said that Hopi Point is a relatively famous "sunset point". The current sunset time is before 7:30, hurry up and go out! From the hotel to the station on the main road, change the blue line to the red line to get off at Hopi point. The guide says that because of its increasing reputation, the places where the sunset are often overcrowded. So after getting off the car, I had no intention of watching the scenery and urged my dad to grab the seat. After
first arrived, the light was still relatively hard
at the same angle. Let’s take a picture of
’s mystery color
bid farewell to the sunshine of this day at around 27:20. Tourists arrived one after another, several of them carrying tripods and carrying main and secondary machines. Looking at the crowds of people beside the fence, they all showed a look of annoyance. What a pity, the guide was not carefully done enough, let’s come back next time!
The sunset is setting, but the sky is not yet dark. This is the "white night" time every day. I took the red line and returned to the transfer point. This time I changed the blue line and lined up for a long queue. It was not far from the hotel. I was impatiently queuing and decided to walk back along the trail and find a restaurant along the way. The night wind in the Grand Canyon was a little cool, and the rocks in the canyon were gradually scattered into the darkness, and the stars in the sky gradually became brighter.
Passed by a very lively restaurant called "Arizona Room", so just have supper here. The waiter enthusiastically introduced that the restaurant's main dish was Balabara, but I asked him if he had any desserts... The young man looked at me in surprise and recommended me a cheesecake. Well, I'm really not here to make trouble! After the meal, let’s have a glass of “Moscow Mule”: use strong vodka and lime juice as the base, mix it in ice, and finally add ginger beer – refreshing and delicious!
with full potential "Mule
"
settled the bill dizzyly, and was shocked by the starry sky when he went out! I went back to my room and started to make trouble. After more than an hour of busyness, I finally took pictures of the stars! Today I will be practicing, and the starry sky photography will be left behind!
The first appearance of the Galaxy
Living in El Tovar's room feels like living in the same room with cultural relics. What's terrible is that the network speed here is as slow as the last century. I didn't finish reporting in my circle of friends until 1 o'clock in the middle of the night (I can't be too late for a day, hehe), and finally went to bed.
Day 5 Grand Canyon, stay for the next reunion Grand Canyon South Ring Park- Zion National Park : Grandview point, Desert view pointtml1
Out of resistance to "crowded people" phobia, I did not leave much time for the Grand Canyon when I was doing the guide. In fact, the tourist density of Nanyuan Park is relatively reasonable. In addition to overlooking the scenery from the edge of the canyon, the park also provides a variety of close contact with the Grand Canyon, such as walking, horse riding, and mule riding. "Light Angel Trail" and "Herdess Road" are both famous trails in Nanyuan Park. However, whether it is a park guide or an introduction to the starting point of the trail, it is repeatedly reminded that the overall length of the trail is large and the vertical distance is not small. Most trails have no shade and cannot replenish drinking water.Therefore, before starting each steering plan, you should fully understand the basic situation of the trail and arrange your itinerary reasonably according to your own situation. We will not walk around the Grand Canyon and retain our energy to a more niche park behind us.
woke up early in the morning and found that due to Internet reasons, the circle of friends that I stayed up late yesterday failed to send. My god, what should I do if my fans are lost! I had a simple breakfast at the Park Visitor Center and drove east to various viewing points to see the Grand Canyon from different angles. The Lipan spot recommended by LP is said to be very suitable for watching the sunrise. If we look at the sun at 8 or 9 o'clock, we will not join in the fun. Let's first go to the Grandview viewing site, which is said to be the most suitable for experiencing the panoramic view of the Grand Canyon.
The east-west Grand Canyon is more than 400 kilometers long. In fact, it is impossible to see the "panoramic view" no matter where it is. Depending on the shape of the edge of the canyon, if the viewing point is westward, it is suitable for sunrise; if the viewing point is eastward, it is suitable for sunset. Grandview should be "the scenery is good on both sides"!
The mountains are stacked to the end of the world.
The far away is the Desert view's sentry tower
Holding the camera and taking a photo at a dead tree on the edge of an isolated cliff for a long time, but there was no call. I was about to go to the next attraction in disappointment, but suddenly I heard a noise coming from the hill not far away. It turned out that it was a group of young students from Waiguo traveling together. There is a small hill there, which is a little steep from a distance. Several adventurous boys climbed or jumped up the hills and posed for personalized actions to take photos. Suddenly one of them turned around and pulled down his shorts, causing the girls behind to laugh and scold. It turns out that he is a white man, and he is still quite dazzling after being so far away.
Model
Concave shaped saucy
The large-scale viewing point on the easternmost side of the South Ring Park is Desert view. Unlike other places, this place was a station a long time ago, and a sentry tower was built. Looking into the distance, the waves rising from the Colorado River seemed to be roaring silently. Standing on the sentry tower, I remembered the pioneers who stood in the same position and looked at the same scenery, but they were mostly worried about their livelihood. I wouldn’t have thought that such a bad person would speculate on their mood many years later.
The lonely sentry tower was now full of tourists
The murals in the sentry tower
Is this socket painted by Ma Liang in the magic pen?
Invincible Scenic Terrace
At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of America, all 13 states of the United States are located on the east coast of the mainland. However, the original land and resources could no longer support the influx of immigrants. The people of the startup countries felt that they had the right to develop a wider land in the west. People believed that as long as they worked hard and dared to take risks, they would definitely make a fortune. Slave owners, land developers, industrialists, loan sharks and ordinary people all hope to get land in the west. So the "East Movement" that lasted for nearly a century began in a mighty manner from east to west. As described in many Hollywood westerns, countless adventurers and speculators headed west of the Alabachian Mountains, carrying different dreams, and interwoven stories that have been sung for a hundred years or unknown to anyone. Looking at the distant mountains and rivers, the scene of Little Plum's survival in the wilderness suddenly appeared in my mind. At that time, people were fighting with the sky and the earth, and it was probably difficult to have any "extreme happiness".
The big river comes from the east and
The big river goes to the west and
leaves the Desert view, and soon we left the east gate of Nanyuan Park. All the way, you have to pass Peggy back to Zion National Park, north of the canyon. There was a big problem with my itinerary design here. Since I had to go back to Peggy in a few days, I would take a detour here. A more reasonable plan should be to go to Page first and then play all the way to Zion counterclockwise. The route design of
must be cautious. I have no words all the way along
. I entered the "challenge place" of this journey from the east along Highway 89 - Zion National Park. Route 9 in the park runs across the east and west, leading us to Springdale, located south of the park, where we will be where we are today. The geological structure here is unique, and the entire Zion Park is composed of ochre-red stratified rocks. After entering the park, the ground was also dyed red.Highway 9 is a winding mountain road, which is very suitable for all kinds of car fans: the not-so-wide two-way single lane is invincible on both sides, the continuous hairpin bends are mixed with steep winding mountain roads, and there is also a long mountain tunnel. There is no light in the tunnel, which depends entirely on the headlights of the car. However, today there are people managing both sides of the tunnel, and they pass through in batches in one direction. After driving into Zion, the sleepy passengers in the car were also energetic, pointing at the strange mountains, rocks, and strange pine trees outside the window.
has three-dimensional height and is self-refined. The dotted line is the tunnel
. Passing out the south gate of the park to Springdale town. This town is close to Zion Park, and a main road is full of hotels, restaurants and gas stations. The roadside was full of people on vacation with their families. The booked Taylorsbrook Inn is a good location, just 3 minutes' drive from the park gate. After entering the room, I found that the time was wrong. It turned out that I left Arizona and entered Utah from Peggy to the north. The mountain time is implemented here, which is one hour later.
originally wanted to go to the park management office to explore the way, but he was rejected. There are many restaurants outside the park, so I chose a clean window with a clean and clean seat. When I saw that the menu actually contained my own charcoal pizza and served with the well-known Utah real estate beer, I was satisfied! Then go to the supermarket to buy raw materials and make your own bento for tomorrow's mountaineering trip.
authentic family restaurant, air conditioning is a bit old
, and you will have to rest early today and challenge the most thrilling program of this trip tomorrow!
Day 6 The Arrival of Angels Zion National Park-Bryce Canyon National Park: Angels Arrival Trail
Zion National Park is a typical slit-type canyon park. The Mesozoic sedimentary rocks from billions of years ago were washed away by the Vicen River from north to south, and the red and yellow Navajo sandstone was cut into a narrow river channel, forming the current Zion Canyon. In the mid-18th century, a group of Mormons settled here, loving the beautiful mountains and rivers and picturesque scenery here, so they named it "Zion". This is the residence of the people of the Lord in the Hebrew Book of the Holy Book, which shows the love of the ancestors for this place.
The formation of Zion Canyon and the Colorado Grand Canyon is highly similar. The movement of the earth's crust causes the original seabed to rise into high mountains, and the water is soaked and wind eroded, and the mountains are shaped into what they are now. Unlike the Grand Canyon, Zion is small and graceful, with neither high mountains nor deep water. Although the sparrow is small and complete with all internal organs, it seems to be a smaller version of the Grand Canyon. Therefore, this place is more popular among ordinary tourists, and they are having fun traveling around the mountains and wading in the water.
Zion Park landscape coexist, and tourists with different hobbies can find tourism projects that suit them here. The more distinctive walking project is the "Narrow" walking. You can rent creek-wading shoes and hiking poles at the park management office, take the bus to the last stop of Sinawava Temple, and then go up the stream. The strange peaks on the shore are prominent, and the Victoria River is winding and detouring, which sometimes gives people the feeling of "no way out at the end of the mountain, no way out, and another village is bright and bright." In the hot summer, I waded in the mountains and the mountains, and watched the flowers blooming, and listened to the birds singing and bees. No wonder this place has now become the most famous ridge-traveling center in the United States.
Zion Canyon, which is interspersed with mountains and rivers, "will be at the top of the mountain and overlook all the mountains." Another of the most enjoyable walking events in Zion is the challenging "Arc Arrival" trail. Maybe I have been following the rules since I was a child, but I always had a heart that longed to take risks inside. I did not choose to travel to the river for the whole family, but arranged for the whole family to climb the mountain together and finally challenge the most dangerous and exciting journey alone.
bring all the supplies, get off at Grotto Grotto Grotto Station and enter the West Rim Trail, and start the first high-intensity steering project in the entire trip. The beginning of Angel's arrival, part of the false road West Rim, is 8.7 kilometers long and has an altitude change of more than 450 meters. It is marked as a difficult walking project. The entire tour is expected to take 4 hours to travel, which is mostly calculated based on the average level of the Wolf-Man. If you lack experience in exercise and walking on weekdays, you should make enough spare time and be mentally prepared. The introduction materials are not recommended to the elderly, children and people who are afraid of heights to choose the angels’ path. The results of our consultations in the local area are the same. Therefore, we finally decided to climb the mountain to the fork in West Rim together, and then the others rest on the spot, and I completed the final summit alone.I would like to thank my family for their support and company here.
After crossing the Victorian River, it started a steep journey. The Yizipanshan Road dug along the mountain wall was quite steep, and soon a team of five people formed a long snake formation. Walking on a slope of nearly 30 degrees, leaning forward toward the road, pushing yourself towards the sky with every step against gravity. Not long after, everyone was panting like a cow and sweating like slurry. When they reached the slightly flat corner, they stopped to take a nap to replenish their hydration. Looking back, people in groups of three or two are like ants.
looked up at the road ahead, and pedestrians could hardly see
thinking victory was in sight. They were secretly happy
turned around and found a sense of accomplishment
finally climbed the peak I saw at the foot of the mountain, but it was a small path between two cliffs. Walking between them was like walking between tall buildings, the wind was quite comfortable. Next was a mountain road with a larger slope. A few little squirrels suddenly appeared beside the road, with three black stripes on their backs running through the beginning and end, and they were crossing the roads, and we sighed.
finally reached the fork in the road, and it was only from here that he truly led to the place where the angels came. I found a shade on a huge rock, put my bags on my back and put them on my light, bid farewell to my family and embarked on my journey alone.
Stepping on the Angel's Descent Trail without any shape, either along the mountain wall or across the ridge, there is only a three-finger-thick iron chain beside the trail. Fortunately, it is the peak season now, and there are many tourists, so looking forward to it can enhance your courage. Next to the road is a cliff that is often more than 300 meters long. A mountain wind is passing by, and I am dazzling and it feels like I am floating away by the wind. He quickly calmed down and grabbed the chain, and walked carefully, and when he arrived at a critical point, he even rolled and crawled around with all his legs and no longer cared about his image. Most places on this road are not possible to pass in both directions, and you often have to wait for the opposite tourists to pass first or vice versa. Fortunately, everyone is polite and humble. Those who are ahead often speak "Sorry" and those who are waiting smile and say "No problem" and "Take your time". I saw some burly and sweaty climbers asking the return passengers how far they were. They always got answers like "Come on! There are two more turns left" but after crossing this mountain, there is still a mountain, and there is no end. Later, everyone just laughed at me and just climbed the mountain. I was wearing a camera cross-body and didn't dare to run around will. I could only pick some spacious and solid rock blocks on the way to take pictures of beautiful scenery, or take two pictures to record the steep road when there was no one.
way difficult to walk one
way difficult to walk two
way difficult to walk three
way difficult to walk three
top sprint
infinite scenery in dangerous peak
doing such a climbing and walking. In addition to having to be strong and not afraid of hardships, you must also understand that mortals must be responsible for their own behavior and safety. The sign erected at the beginning of the trail solemnly warned that since 2004, nine people have accidentally misstepped and fell off the cliff and died. However, although this unstoppable trail is already dangerous, there are still brave people who can still be seen climbing the mountain. They even climbed to the cliffs and flying stones outside the road, sitting quietly and meditating, or setting up a tripod to take pictures, which really makes people sweat, envious and afraid.
risk warning, the consequences are at your own risk
finally climbed to nowhere, and a huge flying rock like a square is filled with people resting and enjoying the scenery. Walking between them and sitting down, the scenery here is actually not better than the one on the way. Just looking at the peaks in the distance, the stream was like jade belts, and a thought came to my heart with a light wind: I'm here, I see, I conquer.
Vichen River breaks through the mountains and goes to
I reached the top!
The road down the mountain is not easy. To avoid family concerns, you can go back after a while. Now I can finally look at the people coming from the other side with a smile and tell them: Come on! Take another turn and arrive! From a distance, I saw my family sitting or standing under the big tree when I set off, and I felt like I was a different life. In a round trip, I actually walked for almost two hours at just 0.7 miles.
solved the bento you carried, and consumed most of the water, making the road down the mountain much easier. The father and son both looked unhappy and were unwilling to be unable to "take risks". Sorry, my dad’s program will be added in a few days; my son, if you grow up in the future, I will call my friends to travel around the world, so I will use it as an enlightenment education here.
Back to the starting point, the water flowed under the bridge, and everyone was playing in the water, soaking their feet and sucking fish. The son finally couldn't help it anymore. He took off his shoes and socks and went into the water to play, but he fell two times in a row, and his clothes were wet. Fortunately, the weather was hot, so I found a big stone to make a human-meat clothes drying rack after I got ashore, and it dried up soon.
playing in water
wet body
Summer in Zion Park is the peak tourist season, and I only found a day when booking accommodation. So today we had to rush to Bryce Canyon Park accommodation point. Now I am really reluctant to leave. I came from yesterday and crossed mountains and ridges and headed north to the next destination.
There is no small village town outside Bryce Canyon Park. Accommodation points closer to the park were sold out half a year ago. I had no choice but to settle down at Bryce Leisure Lodge 12 kilometers away. It is within a short time of less than a hundred kilometers. This time I live in a single-family wooden house, which is quite charming. For dinner, we drove to another hotel restaurant, and the clerk recommended local buffalo steak. It is called steak, but it is actually crushed meat into a cake-shaped and fried. It is rough and tasteless, so be careful!
Not delicious buffalo steak
Single-family
Log-flavored hut
On the bus in Zion Park, I saw a very touching sentence: Wilderness is not a luxury, but the necessary of the human spirit. It is generally not a luxury to get close to the wilderness, but it is necessary for the human soul. I still can't forget it when I sleep in bed.
Day 7 The Arena of the Gods Bryce Canyon National Park: Inspiration Point, Navajo Trail, Queen's Garden Trail, Rainbow Point, Tiansheng Bridge
Before departure, a friend asked about my travel plan and said, "Go to so many national parks, they are all stones, stones, will you get tired of it?" In fact, although the national parks arranged this time all have similar geological landforms, they still have their own characteristics. I also subdivided the ornamental themes for each park, such as the Grand Canyon focusing on its majesty from afar, and the arrival of Zion's angels is the limit of climbing and climbing. And Bryce Canyon is more about appreciating nature's magical skills.
Bryce Canyon National Park is the smallest national park in Utah, located southwest of Dixie National Forest, Utah. Although the name has the word canyon, it is not a real canyon, but a huge natural open-air theater composed of eroded Hoodoo rock columns along the east side of the Ponshagante Plateau. What is exposed when the movement and lifting of the earth's crust is pink in the lower part and gray-white in the upper part. The acid rain of nature etches into rock cracks on the rock formations, and what really creates the magical landscape today is the ice wedge effect brought by the unique climate here. The temperature difference between day and night in the Bryce Canyon area exceeds the freezing point for more than 200 days a year. The rainwater flowing into the rock cracks during the day forms hard ice at night. After the volume expands, it puts huge pressure on the rocks, expanding the rock cracks bit by bit. This cycle gradually formed stone windows and stone doors. When the stone windows and stone doors collapsed, they became the hoodoo stone pillars we see today.
drive 12 kilometers to the visitor center at the entrance of the park and verify with the management whether the route he designed was reasonable. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat and short moustache, my brother warned us that there are limited parking spaces in the park. He suggested taking the park bus to the inspiration point to see the panoramic view, then from the sunrise point to the Queen's Garden Trail to the canyon, transfer to the Navajo Trail, and finally return to the main park road at sunset point. It's really a hero who sees the same thing!
The viewing method of Bryce Canyon Park is similar to that of the Grand Canyon. It has set up several viewing points on the edge of the canyon composed of many stone pillars and trails. The area with the most densely distributed stone pillars and the most magical landscape is called the "Ring Theater", and the inspiration point is the most suitable viewing point for a glimpse of the amphitheater. After getting off the bus, climb a few steps up and look north, you can see the most jaw-dropping scene in Bryce Canyon. Hoodoo stone pillars lined up one after another, like stalagmites rushing to break through the rock overnight after the rain; and like soldiers on the parade, standing quietly for thousands of years waiting for the blessings of the gods. From a distance, it seemed as if they saw red giants breaking out of the ground from the ground and gathering together in the roar of the earth. For some reason, they suddenly returned to the rock body and could only wait here unwillingly.In an instant, the giants seemed to have heard the deep and angry roars in my ears. It must be that I have watched too much of "One Piece"...
Looking at the Circular Theater from afar
Get closer to a close-up
Soldiers with neat queues
There are also several trails inspiration points, but this time we chose the most popular combination trail for tourists: Queen's Garden + Navajo Trail. This trail combination is of medium strength, with a total length of 4.6 kilometers and an altitude drop of 183 meters. It is a clockwise circular trail that starts from the sunrise point and ends at the sunset point. The biggest advantage is that the trail passes through most of the most distinctive stone pillar landscapes, and the height drop is not large. After enjoying the scenery, you don’t have to walk back to the main road of the park. After we left the inspiration point, we took a bus north to the sunrise point and started today's steep journey according to the street sign.
When we walked into Queen's Garden Road, the weather was clear, and the scorching sun made the surrounding white and dazzling. The difference between Bryce Canyon Park and other parks is that there are many thunder warnings here, warning tourists to hide indoors or stay in their cars as soon as possible when encountering thunderstorms. Looking at the cloudless blue sky, I joked with everyone that it would be nice if there were a few clouds to cover the sun. After walking a few steps, a man and a woman suddenly ran down the mountain, each carrying a big bag, and kept saying hello to him that it was emergency medical assistance. Not far away, a woman was indeed in heatstroke, her face flushed and she was in pain; the two lifeguards had helped her to the shade of the tree, and took out the ice bag vest and other equipment from her backpack to rescue her. During my trip to the United States, I always felt that police, lifeguards and other people were rarely seen on weekdays, but whenever I encountered emergencies, they always showed up in time and had extraordinary professional qualities! When I walked into the canyon and watched closely, I found that the Hoodoo stone pillars that looked similar from afar actually had different postures and had their own advantages, either in groups of three or five, or in pairs. What’s even more interesting is that the pine trees here have different shapes to survive in order to adapt to the environment. The ground where some trees are rooted is eroded and disappears, and the roots of the trees are exposed, as if they are about to escape, making people laugh at the tenacity of life.
Different Hoodoo
Strange pine trees that rise up
are like ruins
are like broken walls
are like broken walls
are rugged
are rugged
are rugged 2 are rugged
walk into the bottom of the valley, and dead trees burned after being struck by lightning can be seen everywhere. Unexpectedly, the words came true, dark clouds surged in the northeast, and thunder sounded even more in the distant horizon. Looking at the burnt wood all over the ground, we were worried in our hearts to speed up our pace. There are two forks at the end of the Navajo Trail. One can see the "Thor's Hammer" of the Hoodoo stone pillar, which has a high appearance on major tourism websites; the other leads to the "Road to the City Wall". We chose the latter. The city wall road is somewhat similar to the "one line of sky". There is a not-so-wide path between two straight cliffs. After passing through the path and climbing up the mountain wall, you will return to the sunset point at the edge of the canyon. Fortunately, the thunder was loud and the raindrops were small, so they were not soaked in a drop of soup.
The valley is full of scorched trees
Death forest
City wall road
Mountain climbing! climb mountains!
was busy and rushed. It was already two o'clock in the afternoon when we arrived at the sunset point, and the sound of hunger in our stomachs was like thunder. Everyone ordered a burger meal in the restaurant in the park. This burger is different from the McDonald's Burger King. The bread is slightly burnt and the meat pie is juicy and delicious. It is full of stuff with lettuce tomato and sour cucumber. Add a cup of soda and eat and drink enough! After dinner, I returned to the entrance of the park to pick up the car, and then went deep into the rainbow point at the southernmost end of the park, passing through the Tiansheng Bridge, with a one-way exceeding 20 kilometers. Although the attractions along the road also have their own characteristics, they can no longer bring the shock of the first sight of the circular theater, so they can only pass by quickly.
Tiansheng Bridge
Leave Bryce Canyon National Park, return to the accommodation, and drive to Panguiqi Town to find a supermarket to purchase. There were several rows of large freezers in the supermarket, with various microwave foods: pizza, pasta, rice... When I returned to the car, it started to rain heavily on the way back. Be careful to drive back to the wooden house, where there is a microwave oven available. Although the simple rice I bought tastes the same, we still had a lot of fun after we arrived.In the past three days, we have been in and out of three national parks. Although we are just a quick look, their different characteristics still bring different shocks. I will continue to head northeast to Moab tomorrow, and along the way, I will also let me digest the unforgettable feelings that those wonders bring to me.
Staying in such a century-old store and looking at the Grand Canyon with deep stars under the quiet night, it is definitely an unforgettable experience for a lifetime. I gave Quaker Chen another applause and recommended a good hotel! The main entrance of thehotel... and our car
hotel's lobby is a typical western style, which reminds me of the cabin in "The Eight Eight" at a glance. The surrounding walls are full of animal heads, mainly reindeer and moose, and it should be hunted now. After checking in, put down your luggage. It was almost dusk. Hurry up to Hopi point to watch the sunset!
overlooking the common people. The pattern of two-legged beasts Tusenbo
on the second floor of the public stairwell
South Ring Park has many viewing points, each with its own characteristics. It is said that Hopi Point is a relatively famous "sunset point". The current sunset time is before 7:30, hurry up and go out! From the hotel to the station on the main road, change the blue line to the red line to get off at Hopi point. The guide says that because of its increasing reputation, the places where the sunset are often overcrowded. So after getting off the car, I had no intention of watching the scenery and urged my dad to grab the seat. After
first arrived, the light was still relatively hard
at the same angle. Let’s take a picture of
’s mystery color
bid farewell to the sunshine of this day at around 27:20. Tourists arrived one after another, several of them carrying tripods and carrying main and secondary machines. Looking at the crowds of people beside the fence, they all showed a look of annoyance. What a pity, the guide was not carefully done enough, let’s come back next time!
The sunset is setting, but the sky is not yet dark. This is the "white night" time every day. I took the red line and returned to the transfer point. This time I changed the blue line and lined up for a long queue. It was not far from the hotel. I was impatiently queuing and decided to walk back along the trail and find a restaurant along the way. The night wind in the Grand Canyon was a little cool, and the rocks in the canyon were gradually scattered into the darkness, and the stars in the sky gradually became brighter.
Passed by a very lively restaurant called "Arizona Room", so just have supper here. The waiter enthusiastically introduced that the restaurant's main dish was Balabara, but I asked him if he had any desserts... The young man looked at me in surprise and recommended me a cheesecake. Well, I'm really not here to make trouble! After the meal, let’s have a glass of “Moscow Mule”: use strong vodka and lime juice as the base, mix it in ice, and finally add ginger beer – refreshing and delicious!
with full potential "Mule
"
settled the bill dizzyly, and was shocked by the starry sky when he went out! I went back to my room and started to make trouble. After more than an hour of busyness, I finally took pictures of the stars! Today I will be practicing, and the starry sky photography will be left behind!
The first appearance of the Galaxy
Living in El Tovar's room feels like living in the same room with cultural relics. What's terrible is that the network speed here is as slow as the last century. I didn't finish reporting in my circle of friends until 1 o'clock in the middle of the night (I can't be too late for a day, hehe), and finally went to bed.
Day 5 Grand Canyon, stay for the next reunion Grand Canyon South Ring Park- Zion National Park : Grandview point, Desert view pointtml1
Out of resistance to "crowded people" phobia, I did not leave much time for the Grand Canyon when I was doing the guide. In fact, the tourist density of Nanyuan Park is relatively reasonable. In addition to overlooking the scenery from the edge of the canyon, the park also provides a variety of close contact with the Grand Canyon, such as walking, horse riding, and mule riding. "Light Angel Trail" and "Herdess Road" are both famous trails in Nanyuan Park. However, whether it is a park guide or an introduction to the starting point of the trail, it is repeatedly reminded that the overall length of the trail is large and the vertical distance is not small. Most trails have no shade and cannot replenish drinking water.Therefore, before starting each steering plan, you should fully understand the basic situation of the trail and arrange your itinerary reasonably according to your own situation. We will not walk around the Grand Canyon and retain our energy to a more niche park behind us.
woke up early in the morning and found that due to Internet reasons, the circle of friends that I stayed up late yesterday failed to send. My god, what should I do if my fans are lost! I had a simple breakfast at the Park Visitor Center and drove east to various viewing points to see the Grand Canyon from different angles. The Lipan spot recommended by LP is said to be very suitable for watching the sunrise. If we look at the sun at 8 or 9 o'clock, we will not join in the fun. Let's first go to the Grandview viewing site, which is said to be the most suitable for experiencing the panoramic view of the Grand Canyon.
The east-west Grand Canyon is more than 400 kilometers long. In fact, it is impossible to see the "panoramic view" no matter where it is. Depending on the shape of the edge of the canyon, if the viewing point is westward, it is suitable for sunrise; if the viewing point is eastward, it is suitable for sunset. Grandview should be "the scenery is good on both sides"!
The mountains are stacked to the end of the world.
The far away is the Desert view's sentry tower
Holding the camera and taking a photo at a dead tree on the edge of an isolated cliff for a long time, but there was no call. I was about to go to the next attraction in disappointment, but suddenly I heard a noise coming from the hill not far away. It turned out that it was a group of young students from Waiguo traveling together. There is a small hill there, which is a little steep from a distance. Several adventurous boys climbed or jumped up the hills and posed for personalized actions to take photos. Suddenly one of them turned around and pulled down his shorts, causing the girls behind to laugh and scold. It turns out that he is a white man, and he is still quite dazzling after being so far away.
Model
Concave shaped saucy
The large-scale viewing point on the easternmost side of the South Ring Park is Desert view. Unlike other places, this place was a station a long time ago, and a sentry tower was built. Looking into the distance, the waves rising from the Colorado River seemed to be roaring silently. Standing on the sentry tower, I remembered the pioneers who stood in the same position and looked at the same scenery, but they were mostly worried about their livelihood. I wouldn’t have thought that such a bad person would speculate on their mood many years later.
The lonely sentry tower was now full of tourists
The murals in the sentry tower
Is this socket painted by Ma Liang in the magic pen?
Invincible Scenic Terrace
At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of America, all 13 states of the United States are located on the east coast of the mainland. However, the original land and resources could no longer support the influx of immigrants. The people of the startup countries felt that they had the right to develop a wider land in the west. People believed that as long as they worked hard and dared to take risks, they would definitely make a fortune. Slave owners, land developers, industrialists, loan sharks and ordinary people all hope to get land in the west. So the "East Movement" that lasted for nearly a century began in a mighty manner from east to west. As described in many Hollywood westerns, countless adventurers and speculators headed west of the Alabachian Mountains, carrying different dreams, and interwoven stories that have been sung for a hundred years or unknown to anyone. Looking at the distant mountains and rivers, the scene of Little Plum's survival in the wilderness suddenly appeared in my mind. At that time, people were fighting with the sky and the earth, and it was probably difficult to have any "extreme happiness".
The big river comes from the east and
The big river goes to the west and
leaves the Desert view, and soon we left the east gate of Nanyuan Park. All the way, you have to pass Peggy back to Zion National Park, north of the canyon. There was a big problem with my itinerary design here. Since I had to go back to Peggy in a few days, I would take a detour here. A more reasonable plan should be to go to Page first and then play all the way to Zion counterclockwise. The route design of
must be cautious. I have no words all the way along
. I entered the "challenge place" of this journey from the east along Highway 89 - Zion National Park. Route 9 in the park runs across the east and west, leading us to Springdale, located south of the park, where we will be where we are today. The geological structure here is unique, and the entire Zion Park is composed of ochre-red stratified rocks. After entering the park, the ground was also dyed red.Highway 9 is a winding mountain road, which is very suitable for all kinds of car fans: the not-so-wide two-way single lane is invincible on both sides, the continuous hairpin bends are mixed with steep winding mountain roads, and there is also a long mountain tunnel. There is no light in the tunnel, which depends entirely on the headlights of the car. However, today there are people managing both sides of the tunnel, and they pass through in batches in one direction. After driving into Zion, the sleepy passengers in the car were also energetic, pointing at the strange mountains, rocks, and strange pine trees outside the window.
has three-dimensional height and is self-refined. The dotted line is the tunnel
. Passing out the south gate of the park to Springdale town. This town is close to Zion Park, and a main road is full of hotels, restaurants and gas stations. The roadside was full of people on vacation with their families. The booked Taylorsbrook Inn is a good location, just 3 minutes' drive from the park gate. After entering the room, I found that the time was wrong. It turned out that I left Arizona and entered Utah from Peggy to the north. The mountain time is implemented here, which is one hour later.
originally wanted to go to the park management office to explore the way, but he was rejected. There are many restaurants outside the park, so I chose a clean window with a clean and clean seat. When I saw that the menu actually contained my own charcoal pizza and served with the well-known Utah real estate beer, I was satisfied! Then go to the supermarket to buy raw materials and make your own bento for tomorrow's mountaineering trip.
authentic family restaurant, air conditioning is a bit old
, and you will have to rest early today and challenge the most thrilling program of this trip tomorrow!
Day 6 The Arrival of Angels Zion National Park-Bryce Canyon National Park: Angels Arrival Trail
Zion National Park is a typical slit-type canyon park. The Mesozoic sedimentary rocks from billions of years ago were washed away by the Vicen River from north to south, and the red and yellow Navajo sandstone was cut into a narrow river channel, forming the current Zion Canyon. In the mid-18th century, a group of Mormons settled here, loving the beautiful mountains and rivers and picturesque scenery here, so they named it "Zion". This is the residence of the people of the Lord in the Hebrew Book of the Holy Book, which shows the love of the ancestors for this place.
The formation of Zion Canyon and the Colorado Grand Canyon is highly similar. The movement of the earth's crust causes the original seabed to rise into high mountains, and the water is soaked and wind eroded, and the mountains are shaped into what they are now. Unlike the Grand Canyon, Zion is small and graceful, with neither high mountains nor deep water. Although the sparrow is small and complete with all internal organs, it seems to be a smaller version of the Grand Canyon. Therefore, this place is more popular among ordinary tourists, and they are having fun traveling around the mountains and wading in the water.
Zion Park landscape coexist, and tourists with different hobbies can find tourism projects that suit them here. The more distinctive walking project is the "Narrow" walking. You can rent creek-wading shoes and hiking poles at the park management office, take the bus to the last stop of Sinawava Temple, and then go up the stream. The strange peaks on the shore are prominent, and the Victoria River is winding and detouring, which sometimes gives people the feeling of "no way out at the end of the mountain, no way out, and another village is bright and bright." In the hot summer, I waded in the mountains and the mountains, and watched the flowers blooming, and listened to the birds singing and bees. No wonder this place has now become the most famous ridge-traveling center in the United States.
Zion Canyon, which is interspersed with mountains and rivers, "will be at the top of the mountain and overlook all the mountains." Another of the most enjoyable walking events in Zion is the challenging "Arc Arrival" trail. Maybe I have been following the rules since I was a child, but I always had a heart that longed to take risks inside. I did not choose to travel to the river for the whole family, but arranged for the whole family to climb the mountain together and finally challenge the most dangerous and exciting journey alone.
bring all the supplies, get off at Grotto Grotto Grotto Station and enter the West Rim Trail, and start the first high-intensity steering project in the entire trip. The beginning of Angel's arrival, part of the false road West Rim, is 8.7 kilometers long and has an altitude change of more than 450 meters. It is marked as a difficult walking project. The entire tour is expected to take 4 hours to travel, which is mostly calculated based on the average level of the Wolf-Man. If you lack experience in exercise and walking on weekdays, you should make enough spare time and be mentally prepared. The introduction materials are not recommended to the elderly, children and people who are afraid of heights to choose the angels’ path. The results of our consultations in the local area are the same. Therefore, we finally decided to climb the mountain to the fork in West Rim together, and then the others rest on the spot, and I completed the final summit alone.I would like to thank my family for their support and company here.
After crossing the Victorian River, it started a steep journey. The Yizipanshan Road dug along the mountain wall was quite steep, and soon a team of five people formed a long snake formation. Walking on a slope of nearly 30 degrees, leaning forward toward the road, pushing yourself towards the sky with every step against gravity. Not long after, everyone was panting like a cow and sweating like slurry. When they reached the slightly flat corner, they stopped to take a nap to replenish their hydration. Looking back, people in groups of three or two are like ants.
looked up at the road ahead, and pedestrians could hardly see
thinking victory was in sight. They were secretly happy
turned around and found a sense of accomplishment
finally climbed the peak I saw at the foot of the mountain, but it was a small path between two cliffs. Walking between them was like walking between tall buildings, the wind was quite comfortable. Next was a mountain road with a larger slope. A few little squirrels suddenly appeared beside the road, with three black stripes on their backs running through the beginning and end, and they were crossing the roads, and we sighed.
finally reached the fork in the road, and it was only from here that he truly led to the place where the angels came. I found a shade on a huge rock, put my bags on my back and put them on my light, bid farewell to my family and embarked on my journey alone.
Stepping on the Angel's Descent Trail without any shape, either along the mountain wall or across the ridge, there is only a three-finger-thick iron chain beside the trail. Fortunately, it is the peak season now, and there are many tourists, so looking forward to it can enhance your courage. Next to the road is a cliff that is often more than 300 meters long. A mountain wind is passing by, and I am dazzling and it feels like I am floating away by the wind. He quickly calmed down and grabbed the chain, and walked carefully, and when he arrived at a critical point, he even rolled and crawled around with all his legs and no longer cared about his image. Most places on this road are not possible to pass in both directions, and you often have to wait for the opposite tourists to pass first or vice versa. Fortunately, everyone is polite and humble. Those who are ahead often speak "Sorry" and those who are waiting smile and say "No problem" and "Take your time". I saw some burly and sweaty climbers asking the return passengers how far they were. They always got answers like "Come on! There are two more turns left" but after crossing this mountain, there is still a mountain, and there is no end. Later, everyone just laughed at me and just climbed the mountain. I was wearing a camera cross-body and didn't dare to run around will. I could only pick some spacious and solid rock blocks on the way to take pictures of beautiful scenery, or take two pictures to record the steep road when there was no one.
way difficult to walk one
way difficult to walk two
way difficult to walk three
way difficult to walk three
top sprint
infinite scenery in dangerous peak
doing such a climbing and walking. In addition to having to be strong and not afraid of hardships, you must also understand that mortals must be responsible for their own behavior and safety. The sign erected at the beginning of the trail solemnly warned that since 2004, nine people have accidentally misstepped and fell off the cliff and died. However, although this unstoppable trail is already dangerous, there are still brave people who can still be seen climbing the mountain. They even climbed to the cliffs and flying stones outside the road, sitting quietly and meditating, or setting up a tripod to take pictures, which really makes people sweat, envious and afraid.
risk warning, the consequences are at your own risk
finally climbed to nowhere, and a huge flying rock like a square is filled with people resting and enjoying the scenery. Walking between them and sitting down, the scenery here is actually not better than the one on the way. Just looking at the peaks in the distance, the stream was like jade belts, and a thought came to my heart with a light wind: I'm here, I see, I conquer.
Vichen River breaks through the mountains and goes to
I reached the top!
The road down the mountain is not easy. To avoid family concerns, you can go back after a while. Now I can finally look at the people coming from the other side with a smile and tell them: Come on! Take another turn and arrive! From a distance, I saw my family sitting or standing under the big tree when I set off, and I felt like I was a different life. In a round trip, I actually walked for almost two hours at just 0.7 miles.
solved the bento you carried, and consumed most of the water, making the road down the mountain much easier. The father and son both looked unhappy and were unwilling to be unable to "take risks". Sorry, my dad’s program will be added in a few days; my son, if you grow up in the future, I will call my friends to travel around the world, so I will use it as an enlightenment education here.
Back to the starting point, the water flowed under the bridge, and everyone was playing in the water, soaking their feet and sucking fish. The son finally couldn't help it anymore. He took off his shoes and socks and went into the water to play, but he fell two times in a row, and his clothes were wet. Fortunately, the weather was hot, so I found a big stone to make a human-meat clothes drying rack after I got ashore, and it dried up soon.
playing in water
wet body
Summer in Zion Park is the peak tourist season, and I only found a day when booking accommodation. So today we had to rush to Bryce Canyon Park accommodation point. Now I am really reluctant to leave. I came from yesterday and crossed mountains and ridges and headed north to the next destination.
There is no small village town outside Bryce Canyon Park. Accommodation points closer to the park were sold out half a year ago. I had no choice but to settle down at Bryce Leisure Lodge 12 kilometers away. It is within a short time of less than a hundred kilometers. This time I live in a single-family wooden house, which is quite charming. For dinner, we drove to another hotel restaurant, and the clerk recommended local buffalo steak. It is called steak, but it is actually crushed meat into a cake-shaped and fried. It is rough and tasteless, so be careful!
Not delicious buffalo steak
Single-family
Log-flavored hut
On the bus in Zion Park, I saw a very touching sentence: Wilderness is not a luxury, but the necessary of the human spirit. It is generally not a luxury to get close to the wilderness, but it is necessary for the human soul. I still can't forget it when I sleep in bed.
Day 7 The Arena of the Gods Bryce Canyon National Park: Inspiration Point, Navajo Trail, Queen's Garden Trail, Rainbow Point, Tiansheng Bridge
Before departure, a friend asked about my travel plan and said, "Go to so many national parks, they are all stones, stones, will you get tired of it?" In fact, although the national parks arranged this time all have similar geological landforms, they still have their own characteristics. I also subdivided the ornamental themes for each park, such as the Grand Canyon focusing on its majesty from afar, and the arrival of Zion's angels is the limit of climbing and climbing. And Bryce Canyon is more about appreciating nature's magical skills.
Bryce Canyon National Park is the smallest national park in Utah, located southwest of Dixie National Forest, Utah. Although the name has the word canyon, it is not a real canyon, but a huge natural open-air theater composed of eroded Hoodoo rock columns along the east side of the Ponshagante Plateau. What is exposed when the movement and lifting of the earth's crust is pink in the lower part and gray-white in the upper part. The acid rain of nature etches into rock cracks on the rock formations, and what really creates the magical landscape today is the ice wedge effect brought by the unique climate here. The temperature difference between day and night in the Bryce Canyon area exceeds the freezing point for more than 200 days a year. The rainwater flowing into the rock cracks during the day forms hard ice at night. After the volume expands, it puts huge pressure on the rocks, expanding the rock cracks bit by bit. This cycle gradually formed stone windows and stone doors. When the stone windows and stone doors collapsed, they became the hoodoo stone pillars we see today.
drive 12 kilometers to the visitor center at the entrance of the park and verify with the management whether the route he designed was reasonable. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat and short moustache, my brother warned us that there are limited parking spaces in the park. He suggested taking the park bus to the inspiration point to see the panoramic view, then from the sunrise point to the Queen's Garden Trail to the canyon, transfer to the Navajo Trail, and finally return to the main park road at sunset point. It's really a hero who sees the same thing!
The viewing method of Bryce Canyon Park is similar to that of the Grand Canyon. It has set up several viewing points on the edge of the canyon composed of many stone pillars and trails. The area with the most densely distributed stone pillars and the most magical landscape is called the "Ring Theater", and the inspiration point is the most suitable viewing point for a glimpse of the amphitheater. After getting off the bus, climb a few steps up and look north, you can see the most jaw-dropping scene in Bryce Canyon. Hoodoo stone pillars lined up one after another, like stalagmites rushing to break through the rock overnight after the rain; and like soldiers on the parade, standing quietly for thousands of years waiting for the blessings of the gods. From a distance, it seemed as if they saw red giants breaking out of the ground from the ground and gathering together in the roar of the earth. For some reason, they suddenly returned to the rock body and could only wait here unwillingly.In an instant, the giants seemed to have heard the deep and angry roars in my ears. It must be that I have watched too much of "One Piece"...
Looking at the Circular Theater from afar
Get closer to a close-up
Soldiers with neat queues
There are also several trails inspiration points, but this time we chose the most popular combination trail for tourists: Queen's Garden + Navajo Trail. This trail combination is of medium strength, with a total length of 4.6 kilometers and an altitude drop of 183 meters. It is a clockwise circular trail that starts from the sunrise point and ends at the sunset point. The biggest advantage is that the trail passes through most of the most distinctive stone pillar landscapes, and the height drop is not large. After enjoying the scenery, you don’t have to walk back to the main road of the park. After we left the inspiration point, we took a bus north to the sunrise point and started today's steep journey according to the street sign.
When we walked into Queen's Garden Road, the weather was clear, and the scorching sun made the surrounding white and dazzling. The difference between Bryce Canyon Park and other parks is that there are many thunder warnings here, warning tourists to hide indoors or stay in their cars as soon as possible when encountering thunderstorms. Looking at the cloudless blue sky, I joked with everyone that it would be nice if there were a few clouds to cover the sun. After walking a few steps, a man and a woman suddenly ran down the mountain, each carrying a big bag, and kept saying hello to him that it was emergency medical assistance. Not far away, a woman was indeed in heatstroke, her face flushed and she was in pain; the two lifeguards had helped her to the shade of the tree, and took out the ice bag vest and other equipment from her backpack to rescue her. During my trip to the United States, I always felt that police, lifeguards and other people were rarely seen on weekdays, but whenever I encountered emergencies, they always showed up in time and had extraordinary professional qualities! When I walked into the canyon and watched closely, I found that the Hoodoo stone pillars that looked similar from afar actually had different postures and had their own advantages, either in groups of three or five, or in pairs. What’s even more interesting is that the pine trees here have different shapes to survive in order to adapt to the environment. The ground where some trees are rooted is eroded and disappears, and the roots of the trees are exposed, as if they are about to escape, making people laugh at the tenacity of life.
Different Hoodoo
Strange pine trees that rise up
are like ruins
are like broken walls
are like broken walls
are rugged
are rugged
are rugged 2 are rugged
walk into the bottom of the valley, and dead trees burned after being struck by lightning can be seen everywhere. Unexpectedly, the words came true, dark clouds surged in the northeast, and thunder sounded even more in the distant horizon. Looking at the burnt wood all over the ground, we were worried in our hearts to speed up our pace. There are two forks at the end of the Navajo Trail. One can see the "Thor's Hammer" of the Hoodoo stone pillar, which has a high appearance on major tourism websites; the other leads to the "Road to the City Wall". We chose the latter. The city wall road is somewhat similar to the "one line of sky". There is a not-so-wide path between two straight cliffs. After passing through the path and climbing up the mountain wall, you will return to the sunset point at the edge of the canyon. Fortunately, the thunder was loud and the raindrops were small, so they were not soaked in a drop of soup.
The valley is full of scorched trees
Death forest
City wall road
Mountain climbing! climb mountains!
was busy and rushed. It was already two o'clock in the afternoon when we arrived at the sunset point, and the sound of hunger in our stomachs was like thunder. Everyone ordered a burger meal in the restaurant in the park. This burger is different from the McDonald's Burger King. The bread is slightly burnt and the meat pie is juicy and delicious. It is full of stuff with lettuce tomato and sour cucumber. Add a cup of soda and eat and drink enough! After dinner, I returned to the entrance of the park to pick up the car, and then went deep into the rainbow point at the southernmost end of the park, passing through the Tiansheng Bridge, with a one-way exceeding 20 kilometers. Although the attractions along the road also have their own characteristics, they can no longer bring the shock of the first sight of the circular theater, so they can only pass by quickly.
Tiansheng Bridge
Leave Bryce Canyon National Park, return to the accommodation, and drive to Panguiqi Town to find a supermarket to purchase. There were several rows of large freezers in the supermarket, with various microwave foods: pizza, pasta, rice... When I returned to the car, it started to rain heavily on the way back. Be careful to drive back to the wooden house, where there is a microwave oven available. Although the simple rice I bought tastes the same, we still had a lot of fun after we arrived.In the past three days, we have been in and out of three national parks. Although we are just a quick look, their different characteristics still bring different shocks. I will continue to head northeast to Moab tomorrow, and along the way, I will also let me digest the unforgettable feelings that those wonders bring to me.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-