Alaska - the river is covered with frost and snow, and the dream comes into the glacier.

The impression of Alaska is an ice field covered with ice and snow. It is inaccessible but arouses the yearning of countless people. Of course, these people must include me. In fact, Alaska is indeed a sparsely populated place. As the largest state in the United States (1.71 million square kilometers), Alaska has a permanent population of only about 700,000. Among them, Anchorage and Fairbanks are the places with the most concentrated populations, with 300,000 and 100,000 permanent residents respectively. The remaining 300,000 people are scattered throughout Alaska. The towns we passed through, such as Talkeetna and Denali, only had a population of one or two thousand people.

By the way, Alaska was originally Russian land. In 1867, Russia lost the Crimean War. Fearing that the territory would be divided up by the British, Russia decided to sell Alaska for $7.2 million. To the United States, it is equivalent to selling just over 4 US dollars per square kilometer. Later, people discovered a large amount of oil, natural gas and other rich natural resources in Alaska, which was a hugely profitable deal for the United States.

When I actually went to Alaska, I discovered that it was not exactly what I imagined. Summer in Alaska is the peak season for travel. Travelers flock here, and Alaska, which was originally sparsely populated, is instantly filled with tourists from all over the world. Affected by the extreme daylight, large areas of ice and snow have melted, revealing the original appearance of this land. The closer to the Arctic Circle, the longer the sunshine. For example, Fairbanks in the north-central part is located within the Arctic Circle. There is no sunset for 24 hours a day. This is also an extremely rare phenomenon in other areas, but it is said that this The phenomenon lasts for up to 3 months in Fairbanks. Therefore, if you want to see glaciers in summer, you have to go out to sea in the southern region of Alaska.

This trip lasted for a total of *** seven days. The following will record the itinerary of these days and attach my evaluation.

7/3 Day Zero: Boston - Minneapolis - Anchorage

Depart from Boston in the afternoon and transfer in Minneapolis , Alaska landed at Anchorage Airport around 11:30 pm local time, checked into the Hilton Hotel that night, and prepared to go out to sea to see glaciers the next day. I saw the sunset on the plane when I was about to land. It was not completely dark when I was about to go to sleep at 1:30.

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

Waiting at the train station around 8:30, Get ready to take the Glacier Discovery train to Whittier to take a boat ride on the glacier. Glacier Discovery is one of the sightseeing train series developed by the Alaska Railroad Company. It mainly takes coastal sightseeing routes. You can see the ocean and some icebergs along the way. Perhaps for the sake of sightseeing, this train travels very slowly. At noon we Just arrived in Whittier.

At around 12:30, the cruise ship departed for Prince William Port. Prince William Harbor is famous for its 26 glaciers of different shapes and types. It is said that if you are lucky, you can hear the sound of the glaciers falling into the sea.

Not long after we set off, we heard the staff surprisingly remind everyone that a pod of killer whales had been spotted a few miles ahead! Finding whales at sea is a probability event, let alone a group of whales. One of the crew members also shared with us that she had rarely seen this kind of situation after being at sea for several months, so we were 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 Harbor and stopped about two hundred meters away from the glacier. According to the captain, this was the closest distance we could reach. To be honest, seeing the glacier for the first time was quite shocking. Although I have seen snow in Boston for several years, the glacier feels different to me. From a distance, the glacier is white, but when you look at it with a telescope from a few hundred meters away, you can see that the glacier as a whole is closer to light blue, with layers, as if the mountains and rivers that once flowed have condensed into ice. state.

I have read Lu You’s line “The iron horse glaciers come into my dream” before. Although the original poem expresses a completely different artistic conception, I feel that it is very appropriate to use it here.

I rewrote this poem into two sentences: "The river flows with frost and snow, and the dream comes into the glacier" to record my feelings at that time.

Attached are two poems written on the way back from the glacier tour:

"Two Poems on Independence Day in Wilhelmshaven"

Part 1

Start in Ankechi in the morning and arrive in Wilhelmshaven in the evening.

The aurora is so beautiful that it dazzles travelers.

On a bright and clear day, whales leap into the waves.

The river is covered with frost and snow, and the dream comes into the glacier.

The second one

It faces Lianggang in the east to view the Sichuan and the sea.

The sea and river are vast, and the icebergs stand tall.

There are thick trees and abundant vegetation.

The clear sky shines brightly, and a group of whales leap up.

Lions and leopards live there happily.

Otters and gulls are happy to live here.

Fortunately, the poem is full of feelings.

The cruise ship returned to Whittier and then took the 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 the sky was still bright. If you don't look at the direction of the sun, , it will feel like the time is still in the morning.

The next day, he wrote a poem titled "Poem on the Extreme Day":

It is twelve o'clock in the day, and the sky is full of light at night.

When a visitor returns from a day trip, the golden crow shines upon his return.

Around 10 o'clock, we found a well-known local restaurant, Glacier Brewhouse (5.5 points), for dinner. We ordered standard meals such as pasta, pizza, salmon, fish & chips, etc. The taste was average but the price was Expensive, I wrote another poem "It's Difficult to Travel" another day to remember it:

A king crab is worth a thousand yuan, and the polar tour fee is worth ten thousand yuan.

I came back in the middle of the night to get something to eat, and I felt confused when I looked at the menu.

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

I hope that one day I will travel to the polar regions, where everything will be rich and cheap.

The journey is difficult, the journey is difficult, and the travel expenses are high. What can I do now?

Re-exploring the glaciers, I wish I could chase the aurora across the sea.

7/5 The next day, Anchorage? 9.5 minutes

Depart for Lake Hood Seaplane Base around 9:30. Lake Hood Seaplane Base is located in Anchorage. The busiest water airport in the world, about 190 planes can be seen taking off at this airport every day. Around 10 o'clock, our captain Scott invited us to take a small plane to fly around Anchorage. Including the takeoff and landing time, the total time was half an hour. The overall scenery was average, and completing the takeoff and landing within half an hour really impressed us. Feeling a little airsick.

Go back to Lake Hood around 10:30, and then take a taxi to the place where you have lunch. The name of the restaurant is 49th. It scores 8 points. It is a restaurant highly recommended by locals and tourists. The most influential dishes are the yak burger and fried avocado. The overall taste is not bad. If you dine outdoors, you can also see the sea view. The environment is quite good. OK

I took a short break at noon and visited the souvenir shops in Anchorage in the afternoon. One of the souvenir shops called Alaska Wild Berry Products is quite interesting. In addition to souvenirs, I also bought some local specialties. .

After coming out of the souvenir shop, we went to Ship Creek Overlook Park, a place where salmon can be caught. When we arrived there between 5 and 6 o'clock, sure enough, there were already a scattered group of fishermen waiting for the fish to bite by the creek. However, it seems that it is not the season for salmon yet, so we walked by the stream for more than an hour and did not see anyone catching fish, but it felt like they had been standing there for several hours, and they were still very patient. It seems that only by calming down and enjoying the process can we gain anything from fishing.

At around 8 pm, we went to another famous local seafood restaurant, Simon & Seafort's? 8.5 points for dinner, and ordered cod, pork chops and some side dishes, which tasted pretty good. The style and atmosphere of the restaurant should be the best among the ones we have eaten at, and you can enjoy the unparalleled sea view from the window. The problem with these restaurants in Anchorage is that the overall prices are on the high side and the taste is not particularly amazing, but compared to other areas in Alaska, Anchorage is already at the pinnacle of gourmet food:)

10 After finishing our meal around 12:00, I originally planned to find a nearby beach for a walk and enjoy the sea view, but I couldn't find a suitable place, so I stopped by the souvenir shop on the 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 around 11 o'clock in the evening, I was originally going to stay in the hotel to rest, but I heard that there is an excellent spot to watch the sunset, Point Woronzof, so I decided to take a look. Summer in Alaska is affected by extreme daylight hours and the daylight hours are very long. According to the driver, it started to get light again within an hour after dark. It doesn’t get dark until two o’clock in the morning, and the sunrise can be seen at three o’clock. In the Anchorage area, there are only six hours of light during the polar night, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The temperature was not as low as I expected. It's about minus 17 degrees.

On the way to watch the sunset, I was surprised to find a doe. She didn’t avoid people, but was just eating leaves on her own. I took a photo of her from a meter away. Several pictures. This is the first time we have been so close.

When I arrived at the sunset point, it would still be about half an hour before sunset, so I sat on the shore and waited quietly. The sunset point is very close to the airport, so there are planes passing by from time to time. The planes fly over the hills, and they seem to be only twenty meters away.

I watched the plane chase the setting sun and slowly disappear into the distant sky. The breeze blew and the waves gently lapped the beach. My whole body felt light and airy, and a force filled my body, as if my soul had been restored. Sublime, and at that moment forget the complexity and triviality of daily life.

At 11:34, the sun officially sets below the sea level. The sky is still bright, and the red clouds are all over the sky. I am also surrounded by the endless sea, and the waves massage my body and mind soothingly. For a moment I just felt an indescribable feeling. I also lamented the creation of nature. The sunset at the end of the day is a truly unparalleled and unforgettable experience.

If I didn’t have to catch an early train the next day, I really wanted to stay here and not leave. In two or three hours, we can see the sunrise over the sea again.

Written another poem the next day:

"Chasing the setting sun to Volontsov at midnight"

Chasing Xihe at midnight, driving to Volontsov

The sea and the sun are closed for the rest of the day, and the iron kites are chasing the distant sky.

The sunset is still lingering, and the afterglow lingers.

Pillow on the wind and listen to the distant waves, and the vast sea will wash away the dust in your heart.

7/6 Day 3 Anchorage - Talkeetna? 5.5 minutes

At around 8 a.m., we got on another train of the Alaska Railroad Company ——Denali Star. This train departs from Anchorage and focuses on Fairbanks. Our goal today is to go to Talkeetna, a small town with a population of only 1,200 people south of Denali. It is said that many people stop here to prepare for climbing Mount Denali, the highest mountain in North America, which is more than 6,000 meters above sea level. For many tourists, this is a great place to take a small plane to overlook the Denali Snow Mountains. I looked out the window of the hotel in the town. In just half an hour, there were no less than ten small planes flying outside the window, which was extremely exaggerated.

When we went to Talkina, we took the Gold Star carriage, which is similar to the first-class seats on the domestic high-speed rail. It was quite decent. Everyone was given a five-pointed star badge to prove it before boarding the train. VIP status. There is also a drink bar on the bus where you can order drinks for free. We ordered a glass of polar bear and the legendary Bloody Mary, but I regretted it after tasting it. It feels like Bloody Mary, a horrible mixture of chili sauce and tomato juice, was probably invented for the punishment game at parties. There are also catering meals on board. The quality is similar to that of airplane meals and the taste is average, but it’s better than nothing.

The Gold Star carriage is located on the second floor, with a dome glass above the head, allowing you to enjoy a 180° surround view. However, the scenery itself is a bit ordinary compared to the first day's coastal iceberg viewing route, but the overall experience of Gold Star is indeed good.

We arrived in Talkeetna at 11 a.m. There is no other transportation in the town, so we need to rely on the hotel’s shuttle bus to pick us up. The shuttle bus runs from 9 to 6 o'clock, running between the town and the hotel. If you miss the shuttle bus, you have to walk on your own.

The room was not ready yet when we arrived at the hotel, so we decided to take a walk around town first. Alaska is surprisingly hot at this time of year. We didn't walk around for long before we found a small pub called Denali Brewpub? 5.5 points to have some lunch. This tavern seems to be quite famous, and it is said that many people come here because of its reputation. But as far as I'm concerned, except for the roasted chicken and beer, which taste pretty good, the rest of the food is really not up to snuff.

The other garish little shops mentioned in the guide are just mediocre to me. The economy of this town is originally driven by tourists, and many of them are closed for business during the winter.

I originally considered taking a boat to see Mount Denali, but it was cloudy today and there was a high probability that I would not be able to see the mountain, so I took the hotel shuttle back to the hotel and rested first.

Generally speaking, the shops in the town are not very outstanding. If you don’t take a small plane, there is no need to stay in Talkeetna.

7/7 Day 4 Talkeetna—Denali? 7 minutes

The train still leaves for Denali at 11 a.m. at the same time as it came. . Denali National Park and Preserve covers an area of ??24,585 square kilometers. The park includes Mount Denali, the highest peak in North America. The landscape in the park belongs to the northern wilderness. A park bus is provided every summer. At the same time, Denali National Park is also the habitat of grizzly bears, brown bears, elk, caribou, mountain goats and other large wild animals.

This national park was established in the early 20th century and was named Denali National Park after the highest mountain in the park, Mount McKinley (now Denali). Until 1980, U.S. President Jimmy Carter renamed the national park Denali after the indigenous people. "Denali" means "very tall".

There was a little incident on the way to the train station: I heard from the hotel front desk that the train station was very close to the town, which led me to mistakenly think that the train station was in the town, but we arrived by shuttle bus. Only then did we discover that there was no train station in the town, and the departure time was approaching, so we asked for directions while running, and then we learned that the train station was indeed not far away—it was only about a 10-minute walk from the town. After knowing the approximate location, we picked up the suitcase and ran along the only road in the town, finally catching the train on time. I joked to my companions: Today is another gray day, and then we looked at each other and smiled.

I looked down and saw that our shoes, pants, and suitcases were all covered in dust. We were a little embarrassed, but it looked more like we were traveling.

On the way north to Denali by train, you can see a lot of primitive scenery, which is still very beautiful.

After arriving at the station, we learned that we still couldn’t take a taxi and had to wait for the hotel’s shuttle bus, which was charged at US$25 per person. Later we learned that the shuttle bus was a round-trip package, which was quite reasonable. We finally got a car, the only Lyft driver in the town, so the charge was actually higher than the hotel. But there is no way, this is the power of monopoly.

We went back to the hotel to rest for a while, then went to the resort next door for a buffet, and then waited 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 at the end, I saw that my friend was covered in dust from head to toe. It turned out that he had been driving a mountain bike and had eaten all the dust. It can be regarded as fulfilling the disgraced day we talked about during the day.

7/8 Day 5 Denali Backcountry Tour? 5 minutes

Wait for the bus in front of the hotel at 8 o'clock. Today, a whole busload of people took part in a road outing. It is said that in this area, you can see wild animals such as brown bears, moose, goats, etc., as well as Denali, the highest peak in North America.

The result is that we did observe the Denali Snow Mountains with a telescope more than 100 kilometers away, but we did not see any wild animals. The bus drove for more than 3 hours to a rest area halfway up the mountain. We were treated to a light meal and experienced some tourist experience projects such as children's gold mining games, puppy meeting, and hillside hiking. , and then returned along the original path.

Because there was no signal along the way, I went back to the hotel in the evening to check the route and found that today I completely circled around the periphery of the national park and did not go deep into the park at all. I felt like I was deceived. This experience project should be designed to fool tourists.

7/9 Day 6 Denali National Park -- Fairbanks? 8.5 points

After I noticed something was wrong the night before, I bought it immediately Two national park tickets (although I don’t know why I didn’t actually use them in the end). So we hiked into Denali National Park around 9:30 the next morning. There is only one 92-mile road in the entire national park. Due to landslides in the past two years, all vehicles can only go deep to 42 miles before turning back. And only the park’s official tour buses can go deep to 42 miles. Private cars were originally only able to go 15 miles, but recently it seems to have been expanded to 30 miles.

For hiking exploration, there are several trails specifically for hikers at the entrance of the park, which turn back a few miles into the park. Of course, travelers can also choose to find another way and directly hike in the wilderness, but it is definitely not suitable for beginner hikers like us.

The trail we chose is called the Savage River Trail. It is located on both sides of the Savage River at 15 miles of the highway. We took the free shuttle bus in. The paid shuttle bus can enter deeper into the park and is of course closer to Dee Park. Nali, because it is deeper into the reserve and it is easier to see wild animals. The entire park is very large, so there are several large camping areas, and many people choose to camp in the park. The Savage River where we were located was right near the main camping area.

This trail is a circular trail. We walked for about two hours. Along the way, we were surrounded by mountains and rivers. The sky was not bright in the distance, and the place where white and black met had a large texture. Unfortunately, our location was not deep enough and there were many walkers, so we didn’t see any wild animals. But if you encounter a brown bear on this kind of trail, it will be a big problem.

Although no wild animals were seen, the environment of this place is indeed very primitive, and the view is wide and the air is fresh, allowing people to relax physically and mentally. Therefore, regardless of the food and accommodation environment, camping in the park to experience wilderness life is indeed It’s also a different kind of experience.

Leave the park at around three in the afternoon and take the Denali Star to the final stop of the trip - Fairbanks.

7/9 Day 7 Fairbanks - Angel Rocks - Chena Hot Spring? 8 minutes

Just arrived in Fairbanks the day before When Banks was a child, he realized that this city is now comparable to the foggy London of the past, but perhaps it is more appropriate to call it smoke. The whole city is surrounded by thick smoke, filled with the smell of fruit wood barbecue, but the smell is better than that. Smokier. The driver said that the thick smoke came from wildfires in the city next door, which seemed to be burning particularly hard this summer. The government generally does not intervene, firstly because Alaska is too scattered to control wildfires, and secondly, more importantly, for the purpose of forest regeneration and the improvement of the wildlife environment. It can be felt that the local people still pay great attention to environmental protection.

Fairbanks is the city of Aurora. It is said that the Aurora can be seen eight months of the year.

According to the driver, because Fairbanks is located in the Arctic Circle, the contrast between day and night is great. There is no sunset in Fairbanks in summer, but there is almost no sunlight in winter. This also makes Fairbanks a veritable city of aurora. The driver explained that the aurora can actually be seen now, but because it is too bright, it cannot be seen with the naked eye, so the long nights in winter are the perfect time to see the aurora. As soon as it gets dark, you can see the Aurora when you look up. He showed us auroras photos that looked like official promotional photos, but were actually taken in his own yard. In the winter, there is also the dog sledding competition that I have long admired. He said that his family will participate in it.

We first stopped at Angel Rock, not far from the hot spring resort. Angel Rock is said to be a local hill with an excellent viewing spot, but due to the thick smoke, we only saw a piece shrouded in smoke. It took us about an hour to go up and down the mountain. The environment of the entire mountain was still very primitive, but there were too many mosquitoes.