xs虫虫
Denver to Yellowstone (9 days)
5150
10
2006-07-17 11:47:00
黄石是此行的重点。但是考虑从 saltlake city 开车也要不少时间，在参考前辈经验后，扩充了行程：
飞到 Denver ---> Rocky Mountain NP ---> Badlands NP ----> Mount Rushmore NM ----> Yellow Stone NP ---> Grand Teton NP ---> Salt Lake City ---> Arches NP ---> Canyonlands NP ---> Denver
因为是带父母同行，所以没有安排很多hiking （hiking 主要选择在 Yellow Stone, Grand Teton 和 Arches），9天时间也不显得很仓促。
感想：
1）两本书：National Geographic Guide to the National Parks: West 和 National Geographic Guide to the National Parks: Southwest 每本各$14.XX 。介绍简洁全面，对没有时间上网作功课的人很有帮助。
2）GPS: 我买的是 Magellan Roadmate 760 (大约$500)。大部分时候reliable，但在山间开的时候因为信号的关系，它自己也会迷糊，比如从moab 往denver路上。最最有用的功能是找餐馆！我们偏爱中餐，一路上在很小的town也能顺利找到中餐馆。
[此贴子已经被作者于2006-7-22 18:47:40编辑过]
简单写一点途中体会，大家常常说的就略去了。
Day 1 Rocky Mountain National Park (Stay in Greeley)
From Denver via I-70 to Trail Ridge Road (HWY34)。到达公园就已经是下午两点多了。我们主要看了Trail Ridge Road 沿路的几个overlook，走了两个各1 mile的trail。大约8点多到达Greeley。
Day 2 Badlands National Park (Stay in Rapid City)
以下是某前辈的感想，我把主要的两点摘录如下，因为这个公园提起的人不多。
1) Badlands的地貌象是大峡谷一带的雏形，虽然二者在地理成因上根本不同。Badlands是个生命与荒芜的绝佳结合体，初看起来一片死地，然而咫尺之遥却是一片生机。如果从Rapid City 方向出发，走Rt. 44向东直至Interior, 尤其Scenic至Interior一段，路边景色很好，可以远远近近地看看Badlands一带的喀斯特地形，仿佛绿地中的一座城垒。
2) Sage Creek Rim Road(unpaved): 路经Roberts Prairie Dog Town， 一种类似鼹鼠的小动物集中聚居区。路旁到处是它们挖出的小土包状洞穴，特别可爱。
Day 3 Mount Rushmore National Memorial (Stay in Cody --- www.codylegacyinn.com)
(1) Mount Rushmore National Memorial: 早上为佳，下午逆光。
(2) Cody: 这是一路走来我最喜欢的一个town。第一个原因是Rodeo (牛仔竞技)。从六月初到八月底来自全国各地的牛仔们每晚参与数个项目的表演,八点半左右开始，近两个小时，门票$15。Rodeo 在室外，六月中的时候仍然寒风凛冽，至少一半的观众都冻得提前退场。虽然少看了一半也值得。有好几个不到二十岁的cow girls，我是第一次感性认识了“英姿飒爽”一词，虽然她们还主要在“花拳绣腿”的水平。第二个原因是住的小旅馆。这是个季节性的旅馆，只有夏季营业（链接在上面）。收拾得很整洁，家具摆设都是原木。大厅里有一系列有关Cody历史的老照片。第三个原因这么小的镇子竟然有一个很大的Walmart! 价钱公道，品种很多。
[此贴子已经被作者于2006-7-22 18:54:02编辑过]
我们在黄石呆了近两天，从东门进。下面是两天路线安排，附搜集的景点简介（景点简介并非原创）。
Day 4 Yellow Stone National Park (1) (Stay in West Yellowstone)
(1) Mud Volcano (0.5 hr trail)
(2) Hayden Valley: the best time for viewing wildlife is early morning and late evening.
(3) Grand Canyon: numerous vantage points on both the North and South sides of the Canyon, such as Artist Point and Inspiration Point, take time to view the Canyon from both sides; be certain to take Uncle Tom’s Trail and hike down to the edge of the Lower Falls (the most popular waterfall).
(4) Tower-Roosevelt Falls: the second most popular waterfall in Yellowstone, a short walk will take you to an overlook (optional, we just spent 10 minutes there).
(5) Mammoth Hot Springs (2 hrs): this is park’s headquarter with wildlife museum upstairs; Mammoth Hot Spring Terrace is quite magnificent and the Terrace drive is a must.
(6) Norris Geyser Basin (2 hrs): Norris is home to Echinus (one of the most popular) and Steamboat (the world’s tallest geyser, though its eruption is unpredictable).
Day 5 Yellow Stone National Park (2) (Stay in Grand Teton NP --- Jackson Lake Lodge)
(1) Go to Visitor Center to get the estimated schedule of Geyer eruption.
(2) Lower Geyer Basin / Fountain Paint Pot: Fountain Paint Pot Trail is a 0.5 mile loop near Old Faithful, Yellowstone’s four types of thermal features can be seen in one short walk: geysers, hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles.
(3) Midway Geyser Basin: Great Prismatic Pool
(4) Old Faithful / Upper Geyer Basin: Old Faithful is one of the most popular attraction in Yellowstone park; it takes 1-2 hours to walk around the boardwalks and visit some of the many geysers in the Upper Geyer Basin, such as Castle, Grotto, Riverside and Daisy; be sure to take the 1.4 mile walk to Morning Glory Pool, one of the most colorful thermal features in all of Yellowstone.
(5) West Thumb Geyser Basin: it features some interesting thermal features, including several which are in Yellowstone Lake itself.
(6) Colter Bay (Grand Teton NP): some pull-out to see the Grand Teton.
[此贴子已经被作者于2006-7-22 18:58:49编辑过]
Day 6 Grand Teton National Park (Stay in Salt Lake City)
(1) Signal Mountain: drive along the Signal Mountain Rd (5 miles one-way) -- two lookouts
(2) Snake River rafting
(3) South Jenny Lake (Hidden Fall & Inspiration Point): the most popular site in the park, can take a shuttle boat to the west side of Jenny Lake and hike to Hidden Fall and Inspiration Point .
我们没有预约到清晨时段的漂流，据说那时能看到更多动物。不料在9点那趟竟然看到了河岸上一只可爱的小灰熊，据导游说大概两岁的样子。看来到得早不如到得巧。
或许不是旅游高峰，Jenny Lake 的 shuttle 没有传说中的紧张。Shuttle 是比较节省时间和体力的方式，也可以多走 2 miles (one way) 绕过湖到达 Hidden Fall。虽然在Yellow Stone 也看了大大小小几个瀑布，但是觉得 Hidden Fall 不容错过。
[此贴子已经被作者于2006-7-22 19:03:30编辑过]
Day 7 Salt Lake City (Stay in Moab)
(1) Historic Temple Square
(2) Temple Square背后的会展中心，每周日上午9点有大约半小时的免费合唱音乐会，曲目都是宗教歌曲。之前并不知道，很幸运恰好赶上。
Day 8 Arches National Park (Stay in Moab)
(1) Delicate Arch trail: 2+ hour hike / 3 miles (round trip) from parking lot to the Arch.
(2) Devil’s Garden trail (to the Double-O arch).
由于当天最高气温达到105度，我们清早出发走了两个最主要的trail，然后回旅馆休息。其中Devil’s Garden trail 没有走到头，只走到the Double-O arch。下午6点返回公园，开车看了剩下的景点，大约8点半落日。落日中的公园非常漂亮。
Day 9 Canyonlands National Park (Stay in Denver)
(1) The islands in the sky section (0.5 hr from Moab)
(2) Dead Horse State Park.
(3) Go through HWY 128 to HWY 70. The view along HWY 128 is terrific.
不知道为什么，虽然两个国家公园离很近，Canyonlands 的游人却比Arches少很多。
[此贴子已经被作者于2006-7-22 19:06:11编辑过]
呵呵，是有点紧张。特别考虑到老爸老妈，所以我做了以下努力，希望他们能玩得舒服。
1）旅游前经常带父母到附近爬山,hiking。每次大约1小时到1.5小时。
2）住旅馆比 camping 节省时间，也会休息得好一点。休息好，吃好，才能体力好。吃上GPS帮了很大忙。
3）行程的前半部分比后半部分安排得紧张一点。后面人比较疲劳，但是节奏也慢下来了。
还有，因为老爸老妈不用开车，可以时不时打盹养神。一路他们都玩得很开心。
到底了
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