History of Lemmon Hotel

In my impression, Alaska is a snow-covered ice field, inaccessible, but it attracts countless people's yearning. Of course, these people must include me.

In fact, Alaska is really a sparsely populated place. As the largest state in the United States (17 1 10,000 square kilometers), Alaska has a resident population of only about 700,000. Anchorage and fairbanks are the most densely populated places, with 300,000 and 65,438+10,000 permanent residents respectively. The remaining 300,000 people are scattered all over Alaska. The towns we passed, such as Takina and Dinali, had only a couple of thousand people.

By the way, Alaska was originally Russian land. 1867, Russia was defeated in the Crimean War. Afraid of being carved up by Britain, Russia decided to sell Alaska to the United States at a low price of $7.2 million, which is equivalent to selling it for more than $4 per square kilometer. Later, people discovered a lot of oil, natural gas and other rich natural resources in Alaska, which was a profitable business for the United States.

When I really went to Alaska, I found that it was not exactly what I expected. Summer in Alaska is the tourist season, and tourists flock to Alaska, which was originally sparsely populated, and are instantly crowded with tourists from all over the world. Affected by extreme sunlight, a large area of ice and snow has melted, revealing the original appearance of this land. The closer you get to the Arctic Circle, the longer the light lasts. For example, fairbanks in north-central China is located in the Arctic Circle, and there is no sunset for 24 hours. This phenomenon is extremely rare in other regions, but it is said that this phenomenon will last as long as three months in fairbanks. Therefore, if you want to see glaciers in summer, you must go to sea in southern Alaska.

The trip lasted seven days. The following will record the itinerary of these days, with my comments attached.

7/3 Day 0: Boston-Minneapolis-Anchorage

Depart from Boston in the afternoon, transfer to Minneapolis, land at Anchorage Airport around 1 1: 30 local time in Alaska, stay at Hilton Hotel that night, and prepare to go out to sea for a glacier trip the next day. I saw the sunset on the plane when I was preparing to land. 1: 30 When I was preparing to sleep, it was not completely dark.

Day 1 of 7/4: Anchorage-Whittier Whittier 9.5 * The following scores are personal impression points.

I'm waiting at the railway station around 8: 30, and I'm going to take the glacier discovery train to Whittier to see the glaciers by boat. Glacier Discovery is one of the series of sightseeing trains developed by Alaska Railway Company. Mainly take the coastal sightseeing route, and you can see the ocean and some icebergs along the way. Perhaps for sightseeing, the train was moving very slowly, and we arrived in Whittier at noon.

/kloc-around 0/2: 30, the cruise ship set off in the direction of Prince William. Prince William Harbor is famous for 26 different shapes of glaciers. It is said that when you are lucky, you can still hear the sound of glaciers falling into the sea.

Shortly after we set out, we heard the staff happily remind everyone that groups of killer whales were found a few miles ahead! Finding whales at sea is a probabilistic event, not to mention a group. One of the crew members also shared with us that she rarely saw such a situation during her months at sea, so we were still very lucky. Along the way, we also saw sea lions, seals, otters and other marine life.

At about three o'clock in the afternoon, we arrived at Prince William's Port. We stopped about 200 meters from the glacier, which, according to the captain, was the shortest distance we could reach. To tell the truth, the first time I saw a glacier, it was still very shocking. Although I have seen snow in Boston for several years, glaciers give me a different feeling. From a distance, the glacier is white, but if you look through a telescope hundreds of meters away, you can see that the glacier as a whole is closer to light blue, which looks like the mountains and rivers that once flowed were condensed into ice.

I have seen Lu You's "Iron Horse Glacier Dream" before. Although the original poem expresses a completely different artistic conception, I think it is very appropriate to use it here.

I rewrote this poem into two sentences: "The stream condenses frost and snow, and dreams into a glacier" to record the feelings at that time.

On the way back from the attached glacier, I wrote two songs:

Two Poems of Independence Day in Port William

one

From Anchorage to Port William at dusk.

Aurora is beautiful and dazzling.

When the sun is shining and the sky is clear, whales will jump into the waves.

Rivers flow with frost and snow, dreaming of glaciers.

Secondly,

Lian Gang can see the Sichuan Sea in the east.

Haihe River is vast and icebergs are towering.

There are many trees and many things.

The clear sky is bright and whales jump.

Lions and leopards live in it.

Otter gull bird, enjoy it.

Fortunately, poetry is singing.

The cruise ship returned to Whittier and then brought Glacier Discovery back to Anchorage. When the train arrived at the station, it was already nine o'clock in the evening, the sun had not set, and it was still bright. If you don't look at the direction of the sun, you will think it is still morning.

The next day, I wrote another poem, entitled "Extreme Day Poetry":

It's twelve o'clock during the day and it's bright at night.

After a day's shopping, the sun is back.

10, I found a well-known local restaurant, Glacier Brewhouse(5.5 minutes), and ordered spaghetti, pizza, salmon and fish & Standard meals such as potato chips are generally more expensive, so I wrote a song "It's hard to go" to commemorate it:

The king crab is worth thousands, and the polar tour fee is worth ten thousand.

I can't eat until I come back in the middle of the night, and I am at a loss when I look at the menu.

The first taste of the ice factory was unbearable, and then the bill was 430.

May he visit the polar regions one day. Everything is rich and cheap.

It's hard to go, it's hard to go, and more travel expenses. What can we do now?

Re-exploring glaciers may sometimes catch up with the aurora and cross the ocean.

7/5 the next day, Anchorage? 9.5 points

At about 9: 30, we went to the airport of Lake Hood Seaplane Base. Located in Anchorage, it is the busiest water airport in the world, and about 190 planes can be seen taking off at this airport every day. 10 or so, our captain Scott invited us to take a small plane to visit Anchorage. In addition, the take-off and landing time has been * * * half an hour, and the overall scenery is average. And taking off and landing in half an hour really makes us feel a little airsick.

/kloc-Return to Hood Lake around 0/0: 30, and then take a taxi to the place where you have lunch. The name of the restaurant is 49th Street? At 8: 00, locals and tourists strongly recommend it. Yak burgers and fried avocados are the most influential dishes. The overall taste is not bad. If you eat outdoors, you can also see the sea view. The environment is quite good.

I had a rest at noon and went to the souvenir shop in Anchorage in the afternoon. One of the souvenir shops called Alaska Wild Berry Products is very interesting. Besides souvenirs, I also bought some local specialties.

After coming out of the souvenir shop, I went to Chuanxi Yuanwang Park, which is said to be a place where I can catch salmon. We arrived at 5-6 o'clock, and sure enough, there were scattered fishermen waiting for the fish to bite by the stream. But it seems that salmon is not in season now, so we walked by the stream for more than an hour and didn't see anyone catch any fish, but I feel that they have been standing there for hours and are still very patient. It seems that only by calming down and enjoying this process can fishing be fruitful.

At about 8 pm, we went to Simon &; Seafort's? I had dinner at 8: 30, and ordered cod, pork chops and some side dishes, which was not bad. The style and atmosphere of the restaurant should be the best we have ever eaten, and you can enjoy the invincible sea view by the window. The problem with these restaurants in Anchorage is that the overall price is high and the taste is not particularly amazing, but compared with other places in Alaska, Anchorage is already the peak of food:)

10 After dinner, I was going to find a nearby beach for a walk and enjoy the sea view, but I didn't find a suitable place, so I stopped by a souvenir shop on my way back to the hotel. By the way, shopping in Alaska is tax-free, so it is more cost-effective to buy souvenirs or local specialties.

At about 1 1 in the evening, I was going to stay in the hotel and have a rest, but I heard that there is an excellent sunset spot-Point Woronzof, so I decided to have a look. Summer in Alaska is influenced by extreme days, and the days are very long. According to the driver, less than an hour after dark, it was bright again. It doesn't get dark until two in the morning, and you can see the sunrise at three. In Anchorage, midnight lights last only six hours, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The temperature is not as low as I thought. It's about MINUS 17 degrees.

Surprised to find a doe on the way to watch the sunset? It doesn't avoid people, just eats leaves, so I took some photos of it one meter away. This is the first time so close.

It's about half an hour before sunset, so I just sit on the shore and wait quietly. Sunset is close to the airport, so there are planes from time to time? After that, the plane flew over the hill, and the distance seemed to be only 20 meters.

I watched the plane chasing the sunset, slowly disappearing into the distant sky, the breeze blowing, and the waves patting the beach. The whole person feels airy, and a force fills the whole body, as if the soul has been sublimated. At that moment, I forgot the usual complexity and triviality.

1 1:34, the sun officially set at sea level, the sky was still bright, Xia Hong was covered with the sky, and I was also wrapped in the boundless sea, and the waves slowly massaged my body and mind. At that moment, I only felt an indescribable emotion. I also lament nature. The sunset in the extreme day is really unparalleled and unforgettable in this life.

I really want to stay here if I don't have to catch the early bus the next day. In two or three hours, we can see the sunrise on the sea again.

Write another poem every other day:

Chasing the sunset at midnight to Vorinzov

Chasing Xi Ho in the middle of the night and driving to Warren.

The sea is closed and the sky is broken, and the iron kite drives away.

The meaning of the sunset is still not enough. I love to stay in the afterglow.

The pillow wind listens to the distant waves, and the sea washes away the dust.

On the third day, 7/6, Anchorage-Tachinatar Chitner? 5.5 points

At about 8 o'clock in the morning, we got on another train of Alaska Railway Company-Dinali Star Denali Star. This train leaves Anchorage for fairbanks. Our goal today is to go to Takina, a small town in the south of Dinali, with a population of only 1 200. It is said that many people stay here to prepare for climbing Mount Dinali, the highest peak in North America at an altitude of more than 6,000 meters. For many tourists, it is an excellent place to take a small plane to overlook the snow-capped mountains in Dinali. I looked out of the window of the hotel in the town, and there were more than ten small planes flying outside the window in just half an hour, which was also very exaggerated.

When I went to Taki, I took the Venus car, which was similar to the first-class seat of domestic high-speed rail. Pretty good. Everyone will be given a five-pointed star badge to prove the identity of vip before getting on the bus. Is there a drink in the car? You can order drinks for free. We ordered a polar bear and the legendary bloody Mary, but I regret tasting it. I feel that bloody Mary, a terrible mixture of Chili sauce and tomato juice, should have been invented for the punishment game at the party. There are also food and beverage in the car, the quality is similar to that of plane meal, and the taste is average, but talking is better than nothing.

Venus car is located on the second floor, with dome glass on the top, which can enjoy the panoramic view of 180. However, the landscape itself is a bit ordinary compared with the route of seeing icebergs along the coast on the first day, but the overall experience of Venus is really good.

Arrive in Takina in the morning 1 1. There is no other traffic in the town, so we need a hotel shuttle bus. The shuttle bus runs between the town and the hotel from 9: 00 to 6: 00. If you miss the bus, you'll have to go by yourself.

When we arrived at the hotel, the room was not ready, so we decided to look around the city first. Alaska is unexpectedly hot at this time of year. It didn't take us long to find a restaurant called Denali Brewpub. The pub at 5: 50 is ready for lunch. This pub seems quite famous. It is said that many people come. But as far as my feeling is concerned, except roast chicken and beer, other meals are really not up to standard.

Several other small shops that talk big in the raiders give me a general feeling. The economy of this town was originally driven by tourists. In winter, many people close their doors and do not do business.

Originally, I wanted to go to see Dinali Mountain by boat, but it was cloudy today, so I couldn't see the mountain with a high probability, so I took the hotel shuttle bus and went back to the hotel to rest first.

Generally speaking, the shops in the town are not very brilliant, so there is no need to stay in Takina without taking a small plane.

7/7 On the fourth day, Takina Talkeetna-Denali, Dinali? 7 points

The train leaves for Dinali in the morning 1 1, which is the same as the arrival time. Dinali national parks and reserves cover an area of 24,585 square kilometers. The park includes Mount Dinali, the highest peak in North America. The scenery in the park belongs to the wilderness in the north. There is a garden bus every summer. At the same time, Dinali National Park is also the habitat of grizzly bears, brown bears, elk, reindeer, goats and other large wildlife.

This national park was established in the early 20th century, when it was named McKinley National Park after Mount McKinley (now Dinali), the highest mountain in the park. Until 1980, American President Jimmy Carter renamed the national park Dinali after the name of the aborigines. "Dinali" means "very noble".

There was an episode on the way to the railway station: I was told by the hotel front desk that the railway station was close to the town, which led me to mistakenly think that the railway station was in the town. As a result, I took the shuttle bus to the town and found that there was no train station in the town, and the departure time was coming soon. I ran wildly and asked for directions, only to know that the train station was really not far-it was about 10 minutes away from the town. Knowing the approximate location, we picked up the box, followed the only road in town, running all the way, and finally caught the train on time. I teased my peers: Today is another humiliating day, and then I smiled at each other. Looking down, our shoes, pants and suitcases are covered with dust, which is a bit embarrassing, but more like traveling.

On the way to Dinali by train, you can see many original scenery, which is still beautiful.

I didn't know until I arrived at the station that I still couldn't get a taxi. I had to wait for the hotel shuttle bus, or I charged 25 dollars per person. Later, we learned that the shuttle bus is a round trip, which is quite reasonable. We finally have a car, the only driver in town, so the charge is actually higher than that of the hotel. But there is no way, this is the power of monopoly.

We go back to the hotel to rest, then go to the resort next door to eat buffet, and then wait for the atv mountain off-road vehicle project in the evening. The experience of mountain cross-country is not bad, and you can also see excellent scenery on the road. But in the end, I saw my friend was surrounded by dust from head to toe. It turns out that he drives a mountain bike and eats dust all the way. It's also the day we talked about during the day.

7/8 Day 5 Dinali Road Tour Dinali Backcountry Tour? 5 points

Wait for the bus at the gate of the hotel at 8 o'clock. A car full of people took part in a road outing today. It is said that brown bears, moose, goats and other wild animals can be seen in this area, as well as the Dinali Snow Mountain, the highest peak in North America.

Results We did observe the snow-capped mountains in Dinali with a telescope above 100 km, but we didn't see any wild animals. The bus drove for more than three hours to a place similar to a rest area halfway up the mountain, where we were treated to a simple meal, experienced some children's gold rush games, dog parties, hiking on the hillside and other tourist experience projects, and then returned along the original road.

Because there was no signal all the way, I went back to the hotel to check the route at night, only to find that I was wandering around the periphery of the national park today, and I didn't go deep into the park at all, feeling cheated. This experience project should be designed to fool tourists.

7/9 Day 6 Dinali National Park, Dinali National Park-fairbanks, fairbanks? 8.5 points

I bought two tickets to the national park immediately after I found it wrong the night before (although I don't know why I couldn't do it in the end). So at about 9: 30 the next morning, we walked into Dinali National Park. There is only one 92-mile highway in the whole national park. In the past two years, due to landslides, all vehicles have to return only when they reach 42 miles. Moreover, only official tour buses can reach 42 miles in the park, and private cars can only reach 15 miles. It seems to have been relaxed to 30 miles recently.

Hiking adventure, there are several hiking trails at the gate of the park, all of which are turned back after entering the park for a few miles. Of course, hikers can choose another way and go hiking in the wild directly, but it is certainly not suitable for junior hikers like us.

The trail we chose is called the Savage River Trail, which is located on both sides of the Savage River and 0/5 mile away from the highway/kloc-. We came by free shuttle bus. The paid shuttle bus can go deeper into the park, and of course it is closer to Dinali, because the deeper you go into the reserve, the easier it is to see wild animals. The whole park has a large area, so there are several camping areas, and many people choose to camp in the park. Our Savage River is close to the main camping area.

This path is a circular path. We walked for about two hours. Along the way, I was surrounded by mountains and waters. The sky in the distance will be very bright, and the place where black and white meet is very textured. Unfortunately, our location is still not deep enough and there are many pedestrians, so we haven't seen any wild animals yet. But if you meet a brown bear on this path, it is also a big trouble.

Although I haven't seen any wild animals, the environment in this place is really primitive, with broad vision and fresh air, which makes people relax. So camping in the park to experience wilderness life, regardless of the accommodation environment, is indeed a different experience.

I left the park at three o'clock in the afternoon and took the Dinali Star to fairbanks, the final destination of my trip.

On the 7th day of 7/9, fairbanks, fairbanks-Angel Rock-Chena Hot Spring in Angel Rock-Jenna Hot Spring Village? 8 points

When I first arrived in fairbanks the day before, I found that the city can now be compared with London, a foggy city, but perhaps it is more appropriate to call it smog. The whole city is surrounded by thick smoke. It smells like fruit and wood barbecue, but it smells a little more smoke than that. The driver said that the thick smoke was a mountain fire in the next city, and it seemed to burn particularly badly this summer. Generally speaking, the government will not intervene. First, Alaska is too scattered to control mountain fires. Second, it is more important to regenerate forests and improve the wildlife environment. We can feel that local people still attach great importance to environmental protection.

Fairbanks is the city of aurora, and it is said that you can see the aurora for eight months in a year. According to the driver, because fairbanks is located in the Arctic Circle, there is a great contrast between day and night. There is no sunset in summer and almost no sunshine in winter in fairbanks. This also created fairbanks, a veritable city of Aurora. The driver explained that you can really see the aurora now, but it is too bright to be observed by the naked eye, so the long night in winter is an excellent time to see it. As long as it is dark, you can see the aurora when you look up. He showed us the photos of the aurora just like the official photos, but they were taken in his own yard. There is also a dog sled race in winter that I have admired for a long time. He said that his whole family would attend.

Let's stop at Angel Rock not far from the hot spring resort. Angel Rock is said to be a local hill with excellent scenic spots, but due to the dense smoke, we only see an area covered by smoke clouds. It took us about an hour to go up and down the mountain. The environment of the whole mountain is still very primitive, except that there are too many mosquitoes.